Earlier text: (Awakened by a Robin)The Assault on True Religion
ONE of the chief assaults of the devil upon Christianity at this time, for which the way is open in these degenerate days, consists in an effort to tear down and obliterate the distinction between the true and the false in religion,—to submerge Christianity in the ocean of paganism which so nearly fills the world. The very air seems full of the taint of the idea that all life is one, and all religions are one in essence. Such quotations as the following from the Literary Digest of April 16 are current illustrations of this sort of teaching. The Rev. R. Heber Newton, of New York, attempting to show that every religion proves itself, in the light of scientific study, to be an expression of some necessary phase of religion, says:— Each subserves a use in the evolution of the fruitioning of humanity; each will find its permanent value preserved and its transient uses discarded in the attained unity of the flowering soul of man. As they [the various religions] grow, they grow together. . . . In their higher reaches they strain toward each other. The flowering of all beliefs is in one faith—all religions seeding down one religion. So, beneath the variant and discordant beliefs of the present the germs of the future universal religion can even now be traced. The ideals of character vary in varying lands, but only as the refractions of the same light falling in different angles of the same prism will vary. It is one and the same light of life through all the variations of the spectrum. The human ideals are one everywhere. Purity and justice and truth and temperance and charity,—these need no translation from the speech of the pagan to the tongue of the Christian. Saints are of blood kin the world over. There is nothing alien to the truly devout Christian in the devoutness of the Hindu Guru, or of the yellow-robed saint of Japan, or of the mystic worshiper among the Isawan Mountains. . . . In the presence of the man of the spirit, be his name what it may, we know that he is of our family and household of God. Whoever is familiar with the teachings of Spiritualism can easily recognize the spiritualistic character of these quotations. There is not one word in all the teaching of this sort that exalts Christ or the doctrine of salvation by faith in him. The whole effort is just the contrary to this. The atoning work of Christ is treated as of no consequence. The true religion, in which alone there is salvation from the wrath of God and from eternal death, always exalts Christ and emphasizes the truths of the total inability of man to save himself, and the sufficiency of Christ's atoning work in his behalf. Every teaching which tends either directly or indirectly to obscure these truths, by that thing proves itself to be a phase of antichrist. ACCORDING to authorities quoted by the Literary Digest, there is a revival of Romanism in Norway. Of all European countries, Scandinavia has since the Reformation been most free from the grasp of Rome, but in the lapse from true godliness which is characteristic of the times the world over, the way is prepared for new triumphs of the papacy everywhere, since it is faith alone that can overcome the papal power. In Norway out of a population of 2,300,000 about 2,000 people profess the Roman Catholic religion, of which number nearly one half are in Christiania. The minister of education, Dr. Sverdrup, is a Catholic, and through him Rome exerts a considerable influence upon the nation. Bible Society Colporteur Distribution
“FIFTY years since,” says the Missionary Review of the World, “the average number of colporteurs employed by the British and Foreign Bible Society did not exceed 150, and the average yearly circulation by colportage was about 150,000 copies. To-day the society’s colporteurs distribute by sale one out of every three copies issued, and the 870 men employed throughout 1902 circulated no fewer than 1,833,000 copies, in over two hundred different languages. Of these colporteurs, twenty-nine were at work in Turkey and Greece, forty-seven in Austria-Hungary, fifty-one in France, fifty-one in Korea, eighty-eight in the Russian empire, one hundred and fifty in India and Ceylon, and two hundred and thirty-eight in China.” Liquor Dealers and Church Membership
THE question whether liquor dealers are disqualified for membership in the Christian church was recently seriously discussed in Brooklyn, N. Y., where it was raised by the admission of a wine merchant to membership in a Congregational church. The pastor of the church justified the act as being “in accord with the spirit of Jesus and the teaching of Paul,” but the assistant pastor and several members of the congregation protested against it by resigning. The Brooklyn Presbyterian is “inclined to believe” that applications from liquor dealers to join the church “should as a matter of Christian expediency not be encouraged.” It would seem that but one answer could suggest itself in any Christian mind to the question whether a man engaged in a business engineered by the devil is a fit subject to be received into the body of Christ. The Aglipay Movement in the Philippines
The independent Catholic Church in the Philippines, otherwise commonly designated as the Aglipay movement, has taken at least one million Roman Catholics out of the old Roman Church, says the Missionary Review of the World. “Whole provinces have ‘gone over’ to the new church, taking with them their members, priests, and church property.” A feature of this movement which separates it in character from the papacy and allies it with Protestantism is that it seeks to make the Scripture the basis of faith and the guide in morals. “Archbishop Aglipay and his supporters have bought and put into circulation among their people thirty thousand Scripture portions since Nov. 1, 1903. Some of his bishops are prescribing the New Testament as the book which all candidates for confirmation must study until such time as they have a regular catechism.” Sunday Laws and Tobacco Necessity
A recent decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court touching the Sunday law in that State, holds that tobacco is a necessity, and hence that the sale of tobacco on Sunday can not be interfered with by the statute. This is in line with decisions that have been given in other States. We do not know of any Sunday law which cuts off the sale of tobacco. It is all right, from the Sunday-law standpoint, to prohibit honest work; that is not a “necessity.” It is not, from this same standpoint, a necessity for a poor man, who perchance may observe the seventh-day Sabbath, to work on Sunday to support his family. It is not a necessity that the rights of conscience should be respected; it is not a necessity itself, that the principles of free government, separating between the civil power and religion, should be upheld. But that men should indulge in the use of a noxious, poisonous weed, conducive only to unclean and unhealthful habits—that is a necessity! The law must not forbid that! What a commentary on the divine (?) wisdom which such legislation embodies! Pure as the Snow
By N. Elizabeth Hall
PURE as the white, white snow,
Drifting the vale below.
Thou, Lord, canst make, I know,
Pure as the snow. Wash from my heart all sin;
Cleanse it of every stain;
Make me all pure within,
Pure as the snow. O’er life’s dark, troubled way
Be thou my guide and stay;
Keep me, dear Lord, each day
Pure as the snow. To thy dear arms I flee,
Take me, O Christ, to thee,
Where I shall ever be,
Pure as the snow. The Blessing of Service
By Ellen G. White
God’s people are to place in his treasury all the means that they can spare. For this means, needy, unworked fields are calling. From many lands is sounding the cry, “Come over and help us.” Our church-members should feel a deep interest in home and foreign missions. Great blessing will come to them as they make self-sacrificing efforts to plant the standard of truth in new territory. The money invested in this work will bring rich returns. New converts, rejoicing in the light received from the Word, will in their turn give of their means to carry the light to others. The Lord is calling upon his people to take up different lines of missionary service. Those in the highways and byways of life are to hear the gospel message. Church-members are to do evangelistic work in the homes of their neighbors who have not yet received full evidence of the truth for this time. Let those who take up this work make the life of Christ their constant study. Let them be intensely in earnest, using every capability in the Lord’s service. Precious results will follow sincere, unselfish efforts. From the Great Teacher the workers will receive the highest of all education. But those who do not impart the light they have received will one day realize that they have sustained a fearful loss. Many of God’s people are to go forth with our publications into places where the third angel’s message has never been proclaimed. The work of the canvasser-evangelist whose heart is imbued with the Holy Spirit is fraught with wonderful possibilities for good. The presentation of the truth, in love and simplicity, from house to house, is in harmony with the instruction that Christ gave his disciples when he sent them out on their first missionary tour. By songs of praise, humble, heartfelt prayers, and a simple presentation of truth in the family circle, many will be reached. The divine Worker will be present to send conviction to hearts. “I am with you alway,” is his promise. With the assurance of the abiding presence of such a helper, we may labor with faith and hope and courage. The monotony of our service for God needs to be broken up. Every church-member should be engaged in some special service for the Master. Let those who are well established in the truth go into neighboring places, and hold meetings. Let God’s Word be read, and let the ideas expressed be such that they will be readily comprehended by all. There are others who can visit the people in their homes, and speak to them of the love of Christ. By such labor souls will be convicted and converted. Those who do this work should be able to speak and read with clearness and feeling. There are those who, because of pressing home duties, may not be able to do house-to-house work. But let them not think that they can do nothing to help. They can encourage and pray for those who have opportunity to do this work, and they can give of their means for its advancement. When Christ sent his disciples out on their first missionary journey, he said to them, “As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” And when at the close of his earthly ministry he gave them their commission, he said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Of the disciples after Christ’s ascension, we read, “They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” To Christ’s disciples to-day there come countless opportunities to minister to sin-sick souls and to those in need of physical healing. Physical healing is bound up with the gospel commission. Medical missionary work is the pioneer work of the gospel. God’s people are to be genuine medical missionaries. They are to learn to minister to the needs of soul and body. They should know how to give the simple treatments that do so much to relieve pain and remove disease. They should be familiar with the principles of health reform, that they may show others how, by right habits of eating, drinking, and dressing, disease may be prevented and health regained. A demonstration of the value of the principles of health reform will do much toward removing prejudice against our evangelical work. The Great Physician, the originator of medical missionary work, will bless every one who will go forward humbly and trustfully, seeking to impart the truth for this time. Sanitariums are to be established in many places, to stand as memorials for God. I know that the truth will reach the hearts of many who, but for the agency of these institutions, would never be enlightened by the brightness of the gospel message. Self-sacrificing workers, who have full faith in God, should be chosen to take charge of these institutions. They are to take up this work, not with the hope of gaining financial advantage, but because their hearts are weighted with the burden of the message for this time. They are to be willing to sacrifice personal gain and personal convenience for the sake of saving souls. A Work Demanding Sacrifice
The work of God is to be carried forward in self-denial and self-sacrifice. “Whosoever will come after me,” Christ said, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Christ became poor that we might be partakers of the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” We are to practise the same self-sacrifice that led him to give himself up to the death of the cross to make it possible for human beings to have eternal life. In all that we do or say, in all our expenditure of means, we are to strive with full purpose of heart to fulfil the purpose of him who is the Alpha and Omega of medical missionary work. Beside all waters we are to sow the seeds of truth, winning souls to Christ by tender compassion and unselfish interest. We are to seek to understand the necessities of those with whom we are brought into contact, and to obtain their confidence. People are eager to hear the truth from those whose lips are governed by the law of kindness. The divine word, spoken by such messengers, will be as music in their ears. Thus many of those whose minds are now filled with prejudice against present truth may be won to Christ. Our work is a great and solemn one, and it needs men who understand what it means to give themselves to unselfish effort for the saving of the lost. But there is no need for the service of men who are lukewarm. Men and women are needed whose hearts are touched with human woe and suffering, men and women who have heard a message from heaven, and whose lives give evidence that they are receiving and imparting light and life and grace. Our faith is to be broader, deeper, more trustful, than it has been. We are to bring all our necessities to Christ, knowing that he will supply our need. The deeper our appreciation of his love, the keener will be our sense of need, and the stronger our faith. And we shall receive according to our faith. Our belief in Christ is not to be a casual belief, but a belief that enters into every part of the life. Such a belief leads us to ask for his help because we realize that he is our only dependence. A casual belief admits that he is the9Redeemer, but does not honor him by receiving him as a friend, a helper. Those who have such a belief work at a great disadvantage; for they do not take Christ into their confidence. Shall we not avail ourselves of our high privilege in Christ,—sanctification through the truth? O, how greatly our souls need to be revived, quickened, spiritualized, filled with a love for the Saviour that leads us to choose his society, saying with real satisfaction, “In the Lord will I rejoice. His Word is my comfort and my guide.” A constant reliance on Christ for success gives an abiding satisfaction. It is a source of peace that the world can neither give nor take away. Laborers Together With God
By pen and voice, by the circulation of literature, by the preaching of the word, by medical missionary work, by every other agency that can be employed in consecrated service, the work of warning the world is to be carried forward. Every church-member is to do something. God’s people are to be laborers together with him. As they take up his work, there will be a manifest increase of faith and piety. There will be greater readiness to offer prayer and praise in the testimony meetings held. Our ministers may visit our churches, and may offer public prayer to God for the comfort of the sorrowing, asking him to dispel doubt from their minds, and shed light into their darkened hearts. But this will not be so effective in helping these sorrowful, doubting, sin-burdened ones, as to lead them to work for those more needy than themselves. The darkness will be dispelled if they can be led to help others. Which Is the Greater Sacrifice?
By GEO. F. ENOCH
Not long ago, we had occasion to write a letter to the homeland, acknowledging a gift sent by some of our loyal young people for the regions beyond. In writing that letter, one thought was uppermost, and that was the necessity of having sturdy, faithful believers in the homeland, “holding the ropes,” refusing to be turned aside by any of the side-tracks which are now running so close to the trunk line of the advent faith. The laborer in the message, toiling in a strange land, beneath a tropical sun, by the side of pestilential swamps and rivers, has frequently pressed upon him the question, “If I fall in the heat of the battle, are re-enforcements behind, ready to step forward and grasp the standard as it falls from my lifeless hands, and keep the banner from trailing in the dust?” He has noted those who have fallen in like circumstances, and the tardy way in which the gaps have been filled. He has noted the thousands of young people passing through the doors of our sanitariums and colleges, only to be apparently swallowed up in the great rushing world, and has wondered if they have forgotten the motto, “The Advent Message to the World in This Generation.” Does the fault lie with our institutions, our young people, or the homes of our people? Such thoughts seemed to have stirred this Young People’s Society, and one member with a tender heart said that as he saw what sacrifice others were making for this work, it seemed to him that he had never sacrificed very much for it. That came to us as an odd statement of the case, and we thought on this wise:— What Has the Toiler in the Mission Station Sacrificed?
As we thought it all carefully over, we were surprised to see how small was the list of real sacrifices. The only thing we could find was the loss of not being permitted to gather with father or mother, brother or sister, at the home circle. But that had but little weight, as, after all, whether at home or abroad, we can not stay beneath the home roof, but each one must pass out into the busy world to make his own way. Then the separation is only temporary, as there will be a glad reunion in the near future, for which the world can not look. What, then, does the missionary sacrifice? Is it gold or silver? Is it fame or honor? Is it the privilege of joining the mad rush in the battle for bread, in which the majority are wrecked, with blasted hopes and blighted lives, and the few who succeed find the prize swept from their unwilling grasp by the pitiless monster, death? All this is nothing. They gain, first of all, the blessed privilege of walking in the footsteps of their beloved Master, and enjoy the fellowship of his presence, which comes through wearing his yoke. The Lord makes friends for them wherever they turn, in the person of those whose hearts he opens; they are sharers in the joy that thrills heaven when the lost sheep returns to the fold; and when this short life is ended, they receive the crown of life, and enter the eternal home, where throughout eternity they will find joy inexpressible, in the midst of such splendor and beauty as the richest magnate of earth has never conceived. Do not name such a life a life of sacrifice. What Do Those Who Stay With the World Sacrifice?
They sacrifice the eternal world for a few short years in such a world as this; they sacrifice immortality for mortality; life for death; the joys of eternity for the pleasures of sin, which are but for a season; the wealth of earth made new, and the beautiful city of gold, for the gold and silver of this world, which are of no value when life is finally ebbing away; the undying friendship, love, and home of the purified throng, for the selfish friendship of this present evil world; the privilege of being honored by the King of the universe for the empty honors of earth! And What Have They Gained?
Nothing. Like the wise man, they can only say, “Vanity of vanities, . . . all is vanity.” To such a one the words of Jesus are, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” His sun then sinks behind the clouds of despair, only to set in unending night. The missionaries at the front do not wish to hear anything about their sacrifices. Let us hear no idle talk, asking if our missions really pay. When the missionaries in other lands faint beneath the burden of the day, let none wisely shake their heads in condemnation. Let us allow these worn and weary toilers to enjoy the rest they have earned with heaven’s blessing upon them, and let us fill the gaps, pressing the battle to the very gates, with our faces set as flint Zionward. Then when the work is done, we shall all rejoice in the harvest home. L. H. CHRISTIAN
By L. H. Christian
Sabbath-Keepers in Scandinavia Before and After the Reformation—No. 2
In Finland and Sweden the movement in favor of the Bible Sabbath assumed very large proportions, especially after the Reformation. Many historical writers have wrestled with this religious phenomenon, which seemed so strange to them. The Sabbath-keepers in Sweden appear to have published several small books in their defense; but here in Denmark I am unable to secure a copy of any of these writings. Consequently all I can write about the Sabbath-keepers of Scandinavia must be gathered from books whose authors were more or less prejudiced against them. One well-known historian who regards the Sabbath movement as a return to Judaism, writes as follows:— “We can find traces of these Judaizing doctrines throughout all Sweden, as it then existed from Finland, northern Sweden, Dolurne, Westmanland, and Neriko down to Westgothland and Smaaland. Even King Gustaf I (1544) wrote a special letter warning the people of Finland against the then widespread error that ‘people, because of the famine, ought to become Jews, and rest on Saturday.’ The king states in this writing that many among the common people refused to work on the Sabbath, but lived like Jews under the Old Testament law of Moses. They even claimed to have received this Sabbath doctrine through visions and revelations. The letter is in itself quite a theological argument by the old king against this erroneous teaching.” “The next trace of Judaism [Sabbath-keeping] is seen in Westeras in 1597. The church records of the cathedral at this place contain an account of several trials in which two Jewish teachers—a rich citizen and a peasant—were examined.” “On the sixth of April and the fourteenth of May the church dignitaries placed the wealthy citizen, Hans Jonsson, on trial because of his religious convictions. He promised to reform. On the basis of these promises a sealed agreement, a compromise, which he accepted, was made; on the seventh of November this was read and ratified in the presence of the bishop, priests, city mayor, and council. The case of Hofdesta Peter,10the peasant, was also settled in a ‘conciliatory spirit’ during the same year, and he was allowed to partake of the communion on the condition that he would continue in the true faith.” “In the archbishopric of Upsala the peasants also decided to keep Saturday instead of Sunday. In a few places they pressed the matter so urgently that their priests even agreed to grant their request by beginning to hold public services on Saturday. During the reign of King Gustaf Adolph we find this marvelous belief in many parts of Sweden.” “About the year 1625, when the religious revival and unrest had reached its highest point, we hear from Westgothland, Smaaland, and Neriko of revelations and visions wherein angels had spoken of the great importance of keeping Saturday and of warning against the sins that were so common. The movement in these districts became so strong that not only a large number of laymen, but even many of the Lutheran priests began to keep Saturday, which, so it is said, gave rise to no little dissension.”—Norlin’s “History of the Swedish Church,” Vol. I, page 357 f., and Vol. II, page 256. The origin and cause of this Sabbath-keeping in Scandinavia is a much disputed point among historians. One writer thinks the doctrine was taught by and came from the Catholic Church; another, disagreeing with this unfounded supposition, claims that it was imported into Scandinavia from Russia. But that this was impossible is shown by one author who proves by the clearest evidence that Saturday-keeping existed in Scandinavia before it was found in Russia. One of the best of the Swedish church historians admits that he is unable to explain the cause of this belief in Saturday as the Sabbath, and declares that no other Protestant country has witnessed a religious phenomenon so startlingly strange as the Sabbath movement of Sweden; for, says he:— “It does indeed seem most inexplicable that doctrines as strange as these could spread with so great rapidity among the people, and could exert such a mighty influence over the believers that many of them, as was seen in the reign of King Adolph, would rather suffer death than deny their faith in these (Sabbath) doctrines.” The historian Anjon, a very careful writer, and for several years chief bishop of Sweden, gives quite another origin, and the truer one, of the Sabbath movement in Scandinavia. He thinks that it was a natural result of reading the Bible, which, after the Reformation, became quite a common custom in Sweden. These are his words:— “The belief in the sacredness of a certain Sabbath day could without any connection with the religious movements of earlier times very easily raise the question if it wasn’t Saturday that ought to be kept holy. The people very naturally began to think that the Sabbath law really had no binding force unless it was applied to that particular day which the Old Testament designates. The great liberty that seemed to be connected with Sunday-keeping, the close application of the Old Testament which in those days was customary at the church services and Bible readings, and especially the common practise of following even in civil cases at law the law of God as given by Moses,—all these things led the people to study the commandment that demands the keeping of Saturday. One thing is certain: this belief in Saturday as the Sabbath did not generally stand alone; it was a part of the revival work of those days, and was taught in connection with a message of warning against common sins and vices.”—L. A. Anjon’s “History of the Swedish Church,” page 353 f. To those who have studied the Sabbath in history this Saturday-keeping in Scandinavia does not seem a strange, unheard-of religious phenomenon. They know that a Sabbath movement similar to the one in Norway, Sweden, and Finland has been seen in nearly every country of Christendom. And they fully agree with Archbishop Anjon as to the origin of such a movement—that people began to keep the Sabbath because they began to read and follow their Bibles. True Sabbath-keeping of to-day has precisely the same origin. Seeking After God
By Harry Armstrong
“I AM sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.” It is true, that there are many, even multitudes, outside of those who are known as Christians, who are seeking after God. They are crying out for him in the bitterness of their souls, even as did Job and the psalmist David, saying, “Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat.” “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” As the Lord causes the dry, barren ground to desire, that he may visit it with refreshing showers, even so he causes the barren soul with its unsatisfied longing to feel and sense its need of him, so that he may supply the need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ. There is nothing that gives the Lord more pleasure than to make himself known to his children. He loves the companionship of man, to dwell with him and to walk with him. He does not wait until the man expresses his desire to find in words, but he answers the soul’s need, and responds to the unsatisfied longing. He says, “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.” “Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” In this scripture the apostle Paul declares “the Unknown God” to be the creator of heaven and earth, the “God that made the world and all things therein.” And then he shows where he does not dwell, saying, he “dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” Stephen, the martyr, also uttered the same truth in his “apology,” saying, “But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet.” Turning to the prophecy referred to, we read: “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” God in His Dwelling-Place
The Lord does not look to the heaven or to the earth for a dwelling-place or sanctuary; for he says, “All those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, . . . but to this man will I look” for a dwelling-place. The Lord desires to dwell in man, to tabernacle in the flesh, for he dwelleth not in temples made with hands, but in the temple of the body. . . . “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” And so the apostle continues, saying, “And 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; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being: as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Christ the Word Is Nigh Thee
“But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth,11and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts.” This is what hinders men from finding God, even walking after their own thoughts. So long as a man follows the path of his own choosing, he walks in the wilderness of sin. “It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” It is not until a man is willing to give up his own thoughts, his own way of thinking, and forsake his own way, that he finds God. Therefore since it is true that as man “thinketh in his heart, so is he,” to give up his own way of thinking means a complete denial of self, a complete surrender of all that he is. When such a surrender is made, the man sees no man save Jesus only. The self life is crucified, and Jesus is raised from the dead to dwell in his own tabernacle of flesh. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” “Those that seek me early shall find me.” “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” To what extent a Christian should associate with those who are without is an important question. To withdraw altogether from those who are not Christians is not the best way. By so doing one will miss many opportunities to do good, and create an unfavorable opinion concerning the religion of Christ. To associate with such persons chiefly or very considerably may be harmful in another direction. Each one must decide for himself. But we are not without important help. Jesus is our example. He went into the house of a Pharisee to eat, and accepted the hospitality of a publican. He attended wedding feasts, and mingled freely with those who were of the earth earthy. But in doing so he never gave the impression that he was worldly minded. Perhaps the chief thing to be considered is our deportment while we are in the company of those who do not believe. If our conversation is exclusively worldly and trifling, we may be sure we are wrong. If we can not carry our religion with us, we are out of place. If we can not manifest our religion among unbelievers in such a way as to commend it, we would be better off in some other company.—Selected. “I Am Afraid of the Jews That . . . They Mock Me”
By T. E. BOWEN
THE words at the head of this article were spoken by King Zedekiah to Jeremiah the prophet in his last secret counsel with him. The time was a most critical one for Israel. The destiny of the city of Jerusalem, as well as of the whole Hebrew nation, hung on this decision. The word of God, by the mouth of Jeremiah, was clear and distinct, telling the king explicitly what he might do to save both himself and his people. But the real reason for not obeying the word of God to him is found in this poor flimsy excuse: “I am afraid of the Jews,” Jeremiah, “that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.” God’s word to Zedekiah was life. The army of the Chaldeans had encircled Jerusalem. Long before this, Jeremiah had faithfully portrayed what was coming, but the people would not hear. He was ruthlessly taken and thrust into prison because he advised surrendering the city to Nebuchadnezzar’s army. He was counted as a traitor, one working against Israel and for Israel’s enemy. False prophets had prophesied peace, and said that God would protect them, etc. But now, notwithstanding all these quieting predictions, the words of Jeremiah were being fulfilled to that extent that the armies had encompassed the city, and the king was becoming much alarmed. Secretly he called the faithful prophet to him, and said: “I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.” Jeremiah replied, “If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?” Being assured by an oath that his life would be spared, Jeremiah said: “Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.” By obeying the word of God, the mighty God of Israel, the Lord God of hosts, the destiny of a nation might have been at least changed; the city of Jerusalem, the pride of the Israelite, delivered; also the king’s own life saved. But rather than thus yield implicit obedience to God, thus showing that he feared God more than man, this weak, vacillating king revealed the shallowness of his character by replying to God, “I am afraid of the Jews.” I am afraid they will “mock me.” What a different history might have been written had God’s words been implicitly obeyed. Men even now fear the face of men, fear what men will say or think of them, more than they fear God, and what he will say and think of them. Zedekiah lost his crown, lost his honor, and lost his life by fearing the face of man more than he feared God. How different was the kingly life of Jesus. By fearlessly disregarding the traditions of men, and implicitly obeying the word of his Father, he earned the lost diadem that fell from Zedekiah’s brow. Men might mock him and ridicule his simple life of obedience, yet he stood unmoved, like a great rock breaking the angry billows that beat against it. Before this work closes, opportunity will be given for revealing whether our characters belong unto that class represented by Zedekiah, or whether, like Christ, we have had the fear of God before us, which alone will cause us to “stand” through the perils of the end, and to “stand” when the Son of man appears.