p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 51. (12/23/1903)

LESSON 1.—JANUARY 3.—THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS.

Lesson Scripture, Luke 2:40-52, A. R. V.

(40) "AND the Child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him."

(41) "And His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover. (42) And when He was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast; (43) and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the Boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and His parents knew it not; (44) but supposing Him to be in the company, they went a day's journey; and they sought for Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance; (45) and when they found Him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking for Him. (46) And it came to pass, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions: (47) and all that heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. (48) And when they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said unto Him, Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? behold, Thy father and I sought Thee sorrowing. (49) And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me? knew ye not that I must be in My Father's house? (50) And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them. (51) And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and He was subject unto them: and His mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

(52) "And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Verse 52.

Golden Text.—"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Verse 52.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What does the lesson say of Jesus as a child? Verse 40. Note 1. (2) To what feast did His parents go every year? Verse 41. Note 2. (3) At what age did Jesus go to the feast? Verse 42. Note 3. (4) When the feast was ended, what did Jesus do without the knowledge of His parents? Verse 43. (5) Where did they suppose He was? How long did they go without looking for Him? Verse 44. (6) When they failed to find Him with their friends, what did they do? Verse 45. (7) How long were His parents in seeking for Him? Then where did they find Him? How was He engaged? Verse 46. Note 4. (8) What impression did Jesus make upon those who heard Him? Verse 47. (9) How were His parents affected when they saw Him? What did His mother say to Him? Verse 48. Note 5. (10) How did Jesus reply to His mother's query? Verse 49. Note 6. (11) How did the parents of Jesus regard His reply? Verse 50. (12) What was the further course of Jesus? What impression did His words have upon His mother? Verse 51. Note 7. (13) What is said of His progress in life? Verse 52. Note 8.

NOTES.

1. "Filled with wisdom."—The reason that Jesus was filled with wisdom is that He was brought up to conform His life to the law of God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do His commandments." For this reason "great grace" (the favor of God) was upon Him. As Jesus said of Himself, "I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." And such is the privilege of His disciples. John 15:10; 1 John 5:3.

2. Every year all the males were required to attend this feast, and many of the women also attended.

3. At the age of twelve years the Hebrew boy had a fair education. He was not only taught the law and the Scriptures at home, but it was customary to have day-school in the synagogues which the child began to attend at the age of six years. There they learned to read and write. In Palestine they learned three languages—Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. The Aramaic was the common language of Palestine. The Scriptures were a leading study, and this of itself would tend to develop a very intelligent boy at the age of twelve years. An obedient boy, such as Jesus was, would be unusually intelligent. At that age the boy was reckoned as a "son of the law;" that is, he must enter upon the duties and personal responsibilities of adherence to the services of the church. He must needs go up to the feast.

4. These great convocations were occasions when the great teachers discussed important matters, and gave instruction to the people. Jesus was in one of the companies gathered to hear instruction, and by His questions, and answers to questions, greatly amazed all who heard Him.

5. How natural it is to lay the blame of one's own negligence upon an innocent party.

6. The reply of Jesus would clearly indicate that there was no reason for their being obliged to search for Him. He had not hidden from them. Had they appreciated the value of their charge, and they realized that he was indeed the Son of God, they would have instinctively looked for Him at His Father's house, engaged in His Father's business. But they had become so used to look upon Jesus as their own boy, and in a common light, that they grew careless of the responsibility even from that standpoint. So it is always a great spiritual loss to depreciate Christ to any degree below the position of a full and efficient Saviour.

7. "He was subject unto them."—Throughout His youth and manhood, until the age of thirty years, Jesus was a dutiful member of the home family, contributing by His labor to its support. But it is safe to say that this honest, industrious, pious, sociable young Man lost no opportunity to do good to those outside of His family.

8. A young man's growth in true wisdom naturally contributes to a healthful body; and the fact that Jesus grew in favor with both God and man, would indicate two things: (1) that His character was upright; (2) that His religion was not morose or austere, or in any way pharisaical. He faithfully did His part toward the welfare of the community. Moreover, He must have had a genial disposition, for the little children loved Him.

THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL.

LESSON I.—PROPHECY ILLUSTRATED BY NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM.

(Study for Sabbath, January 2.)

QUESTIONS.

1. Repeat Deut. 29:29. What things does this text say belong unto God? To whom do those things belong which have been revealed? What is a revelation? 2. Repeat Amos 3:7. Through whom does the Lord here promise to reveal His secrets? 3. Repeat Hosea 12:10. Through whom does the Lord say He has spoken? Has He given more than one vision? What has He made use of in thus giving light through the prophets? What word might be used in place of "similitudes"?—Symbols. 4. What prophetic book in the Old Testament deals most largely in similitudes or symbols?—The book of Daniel, written in the days of Babylon and of Medo-Persia? 5. By what symbol was the future revealed in the dream of Daniel 2? Dan. 2:1, 31. 6. Describe the experience of the king in seeking an interpretation of his dream. Verses 2-10. What confession was wrung from the wise men of Babylon? Verse 11. 7. Were there any in Babylon who had knowledge of a God able to make known His ways in human flesh? Relate their experiences. Verses 13-23. 8. What bold request did Daniel make of the chief captain, and with what result? Verses 24-30. Note 1. 9. What was the dream of the king? Repeat verses 31-35. 10. What kingdom was symbolized by the head of gold? Verses 37, 38. 11. What metal represents the second universal kingdom, and what is said of that power? Verse 39, first part. What power followed Babylon? Dan. 5:28. 12. What did the brazen portion represent? Dan. 2:39. What kingdom followed Media and Persia? See Dan. 8:20, 21. 13. What metal represented the kingdom symbolized by the legs and feet of the image? Give the prophet's description of this kingdom. Dan. 2:40-42. What power answers to the symbol? Note 2. 14. Will these smaller kingdoms that have arisen out of the fourth monarchy of Rome ever be joined as one again? Verse 43. Note 3. 15. What will be the next step in the prophecy? Verse 44. Is there any doubt about it? Verse 45. How sure is prophecy declared to be? 2 Peter 1:19-21. 16. Repeat first sentence of Dan. 2:28. Then for whose special benefit was this prophecy given?

NOTES.

1. The special providence of God is seen in giving the dream; in causing it to make such an impression on the king's mind that he could not forget that he had had a remarkable dream; in thus exposing the fraud of the so-called wise men of Babylon; in causing the king to overlook the wisest man in all Babylon, when he summoned the wise men to make known the dream; in causing the king to grant Daniel time (verse 16), which he had refused to do for the others; in thus bringing the king to acknowledge the true God (verse 47); in thus promoting Daniel to an exalted place in the kingdom, for the further accomplishment of the divine purpose.

2. The mighty empire that followed Grecia was Rome. Gibbon, the historian, adopts the very symbolism of the prophecy to describe the character of this crushing power as the successor of the earlier universal kingdom, speaking thus: "The arms of the republic, sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations or their kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome." Later in its history the strength as of iron was weakened, and after the division into lesser kingdoms, the empire was indeed "partly strong and partly brittle," as the marginal reading puts it.

3. It is well known that, by intermarriage, the royal houses of Europe are more or less closely related; but by none of these matrimonial alliances have ruling houses been able to reunite the divided empire, which is to remain divided until the stone smites the image.

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Items of Interest about

By Editor

The Million-Copy Edition of the

SIGNS of the TIMES

"THE WORLD'S NEED MEASURES IT"

The following is from a letter just received from Elder Clarence Santee, president of the Southern California Conference:—

"I received your last letter speaking of an effort to reach those living in cities and towns where there are none of our people. In reply will say that we have encouraged quite a number of the more advanced students (from the Fernando College) to go out along the different lines of railway and by wheel. This has been a good experience for them, and at the same time has placed many copies of the SIGNS in the hands of people who have never seen it before.

"Our Conference has already taken more than its quota of 1,000,000 copies, and I am told there are more to follow. I do not think that a certain quota can be the standard, but the world's need measures it."

Here the key-note of the whole effort to turn the minds of men from earthly strife to heavenly rest is struck—"the world's need measures it." What a motto for those who have the truth for this time on the great subject of Capital and Labor! Yes, indeed, the world's need measures our individual responsibility to it. Will we recognize that need in the portion of the world lying nearest to us?

HOW THE WORK IS GOING FORWARD

It takes work to circulate a million copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, as every one who has had experience with the Capital and Labor number can testify. We are glad to say, however, that there seems to be no objection to this, either from those employed in the publishing house or those working in the field. As an evidence of this we note that many of our publishing house workers after putting in extra hours in making and mailing the paper are going out evenings to sell it. But as a still wider evidence of the work required and the interest manifested in this truth-filled number we will quote from a letter just received from Elder C. McReynolds, president of the Kansas Conference:—

"Your communication regarding the SIGNS work came to hand this evening. I have just returned from a two weeks' effort to get every one to take hold, and in many places the work is moving forward nicely. We have now ordered about 20,000 copies and expect that this is hardly half of what we will use. We have at least four workers in towns that have never been worked with the paper and where we have no churches. Elder A. R. Ogden, who has just returned from South America, will work all the towns on the Missouri Pacific Railway from Salina west to the Colorado line and then back on the Union Pacific to Ellsworth, which is nearly half way across the State on two roads."

"I trust the Lord will give us wisdom and power with the people that the work may be kept going from this good beginning, ever increasing in volume till every neighbor has been fully warned; and every city, town, hamlet, and country place has had the light of the special message for to-day."

The circulation of a million copies of the Capital and Labor number of the SIGNS depends upon just such earnest, energetic, and carefully-planned campaigns as this one which Elder McReynolds describes. Shall we not each have a part in a similar one?

ON THE STREETS

We have been surprised at the success attending the efforts of those working in stores and on the street, especially Saturday nights. Men and women with absolutely no experience have been very successful in work of this kind.

For the benefit of those desiring to continue selling the paper either on the street, in offices, or from house to house, we will furnish free a ribbon badge with the words, "SIGNS OF THE TIMES," printed upon it. Of course these would not be given simply to those who sell a few copies of the special number, but are intended for those who make a business of selling every issue of this paper.

MAILING THE PAPER TO FRIENDS

We wish our readers might see the long lists of names which are being constantly received at this office with the request that copies of the special number be mailed to them. We have been greatly interested in this line of work, because it opens an opportunity for any one to circulate the paper. If you do not have the names of a large number of friends to whom you would like to mail a copy you can easily secure a list of names of people who would not likely receive an opportunity to purchase. We can supply such names if you desire us to do so. These may be sent to us and we will promptly address, wrap, and mail as directed.

FOLLOW UP YOUR WORK

"I will write to our workers asking them to make the securing of subscribers a prominent part of their work. If this is done it will be much more fruitful than simply placing one copy in the hands of the people." So writes one of our conference officers who is in charge of the work for this special number. We think this is an important part of the campaign and trust it will be remembered by all.

NO TIME LIMIT

We hope our friends everywhere will bear in mind the fact that this number of the SIGNS does not grow old. Labor troubles are increasing day after day, and with them the demand for the truth on the subject. There is no reason why this paper should not sell for the next two months.

PROFITS ON THIS NUMBER

It may be of interest to our readers to know that one-half the profits realized from the sale of this number go to the Mission Board for carrying the truth to foreign lands.

RATES

Single copies, 5c. Five to twenty copies, 4c. Twenty-five copies or more, 3c.

For mailing papers to lists of names of from five to twenty-five, 5c each; from twenty-five to one hundred, 4c; more than one hundred, 3½c.

WHERE THEY HAVE GONE

The following is a statement of the circulation of the Capital and Labor number of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. This report, so far as states are concerned, does not include papers sent to regular subscribers, to editors, or to single addresses. It simply includes quantity orders. It closes with December 8th.

| Alabama | 1,247 | Maryland | 2,903 | Rhode Island | 1,099 | | Arizona | 4,372 | Massachusetts | 8,554 | South Carolina | 225 | | Arkansas | 3,023 | Michigan | 26,434 | South Dakota | 9,721 | | California | 47,449 | Minnesota | 10,953 | Tennessee | 3,316 | | Colorado | 17,994 | Mississippi | 1,100 | Texas | 4,555 | | Connecticut | 2,150 | Missouri | 10,666 | Utah | 1,475 | | Delaware | 594 | Montana | 2,457 | Vermont | 4,100 | | District of Columbia | 2,771 | New Jersey | 7,508 | Virginia | 2,211 | | Florida | 425 | New Mexico | 1,143 | Washington | 15,927 | | Georgia | 658 | New York | 15,507 | West Virginia | 2,685 | | Idaho | 2,861 | North Carolina | 2,112 | Wisconsin | 19,194 | | Illinois | 14,027 | N. Dakota | 2,266 | Wyoming | 1,075 | | Indiana | 21,079 | Nebraska | 24,020 | Canada | 7,748 | | Indian Territory | 1,349 | Nevada | 250 | Hawaii | 575 | | Iowa | 20,981 | New Hampshire | 309 | Mexico | 125 | | Kansas | 20,446 | Ohio | 9,082 | British Columbia | 1,281 | | Kentucky | 1,731 | Oklahoma | 9,700 | Foreign | 410 | | Louisiana | 788 | Oregon | 12,107 | Alaska | 75 | | Maine | 3,787 | Pennsylvania | 26,436 | TOTAL | 417,036 |

Copies mailed to regular subscribers and single names, approximately, 40,000. Early in January we hope to publish another report showing the copies taken by each state since December 8th. May we not expect the above figures to be doubled?

Address your orders to your State Tract Society or # Pacific Press Publishing Company OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

The Rights of Nonunion Workers

By Editor

"The Signs of the Times" believes in the right of men to organize into trades unions, guilds, associations, or what not. If a man desires to submerge his individuality and choose a union boss or walking delegate to represent him, he has that privilege. He may make that union or organization so good and desirable that all may wish to join it, but he has no right to compel men to join. The rights of him who elects to stay out are as sacred as the rights of the unionist. He has a family to support, perhaps, as dear to him, as intelligent, and worth as much to humanity. Surely he should have equal right to work as he will, for whom he will, and for what he will, as the unionist. If any organization under the sun can not succeed on its merits in winning and holding and controlling its members, and in convincing others without violence or coercion, it is worthy only to die. And this is as true of any religious institution as it is of an organization. If it be of God it will survive, if it be not of God and truth and justice it deserves to die. Brethren of the labor unions, are you not willing that unionism should meet this test? If not, why not?

Turning the Tables

By Editor

Turning the Tables.—Of late a disposition seems to be growing among some employers of labor to "carry the war into the enemy's country." This was seen in Brooklyn, N. Y., on December 10, when a great hat manufacturing concern decided never again to employ any member of the hatter union. This action was taken because of the action of the men in repudiating their agreement with the company in complete disregard of their signed obligations. It is claimed that the company is getting good men at a rapid rate to supply the strikers' places. In San Francisco trouble of a somewhat similar nature has arisen in the restaurant business. The majority of the restaurants have closed their doors indefinitely because a strike was threatened contrary to agreement. At the recent resumption of operations on the Chicago street railways the managers ordered that no union buttons be worn by the men while on duty. We have not learned the outcome of this matter. In line with these actions is the decision of Judge Holden at Chicago in placing a fine of $1,000 against the Press Feeders' Union of Chicago for interfering with the business or employees of ten printing firms, members of the Chicago Typothetæ. In imposing the penalty, the judge said:—

There has been no discrimination between the sexes. Women have been assaulted and terrorized, and followed to their homes, and their families intimidated. Murder has even resulted from the unlawful acts of the union and its striking acts. From affidavits in evidence in this case it appears that more than fifty people have been, since the inception of the difficulties set forth in the bill, assaulted, intimidated, called opprobrious epithets, and threatened with more harm, simply because they worked in a place voluntarily vacated by members of the Franklin Union, No. 4.

The work of organizing the employers is in harmony with the same movement and continues to progress. The strike situation in Colorado remains unchanged. Martial law is now in force in the strike districts there.

Omitted Departments and News

By Editor

Our Mission department is omitted from this issue, also our regular news and notes.

Capital and Labor

By Editor

This issue may well be called our sub-special on Capital and Labor. It is worthy a large circulation. It deals in foundation principles.

Principles of Capital and Labor

By Editor

We ask a careful reading of the principles set forth in this number by our brethren in the great labor world, as well as all others; for all are vitally interested.

The Boyhood of Jesus

By Editor

The Sunday-school lesson in this paper is on the Boyhood of Jesus, the childhood of Him who gave His life for the world. We hope that this may be remembered in this jubilant, oftentimes saturnalian, holiday season. God gave the best for you, what are you giving Him? In Him we wish all our readers the compliments of the season, and the greater happiness which comes by truly unselfish giving.

The Union Shop

The "Union" Shop.—The American Federation of Labor in its recent convention in Boston, on November 19, declared for the union shop in government as well as private enterprises. And yet the greater part of the citizens of this republic are not trades unionists. Carried out this means that eventually only a "union" man can get work at all. The first charge brought against Miller, the Washington printer, was that he was not a union man, and President Roosevelt was asked to approve of his discharge. Now President Roosevelt is asked to reconsider his decision to reinstate him, on the ground that he "is totally unfit to be in charge of working people." A resolution to the effect that labor unionists be obligated to use only union-label goods was voted down. In some cases they might starve to death.

Individualism

Individualism.—There is much talk nowadays about Socialism, applied Christianity, the authority and selfhood of the State, its personality, etc. Do not be deceived. The only just government or system of government, the only true religion, is that which recognizes the rights of the individual, be that individual who he may. Among these rights, as our forefathers declared, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These include the worship or non-worship of God, the profession or non-profession of religion. Man can not of right deprive himself of this right, nor has any man or combination of men the right to deprive him of his right to freely choose. This right is God-given. God does not compel choice. He sets before man the two ways, and says, "Choose ye." And the only just human government there can be must be on the plan of individualism. For when the rights of each one is conserved, the rights of all are conserved. But if any system deprives a single soul of his equal rights with all men, the system is false, and will, if operative and dominant, extend to others, and eventually work ruin. The only true ism of government is individualism.

Like Methods.

The controversy between labor unionism and capital is not so much of principle as strife for the mastery. They both use the same methods. An advocate of unionism in the New York Independent says:—

Strikes and Extortion

When business is good and all the members of the union are at work, the desire of the workers to declare a strike is the strongest. They feel that the time when their employer needs them most is the best time to demand higher wages. In this they are merely using good business judgment and following the example of the financier, who charges a higher rate of interest because money is tight and his customers are obliged to borrow or face bankruptcy.

So in either case it is holding a man up and extorting money from him when he can't help himself. When extortion becomes generally recognized as "good business judgment," then the highwayman may be deemed a legitimate business man.

Society's Dilemma and Alternative

By Editor

Society's Dilemma and Alternative.—Mr. Mitchell tells us that "society's efforts should be directed not to crushing combinations of capital or combinations of labor;" but in the light of the developments of the year that has passed since Mr. Mitchell uttered those words it looks from a human view-point that society's, or the public's only way out of the difficulty is to crush or be crushed, to crush out these great combinations or be crushed by them both. In the one case it is the mere crushing of human machines, in the other case it is the crushing of men. It is the old conflict between men and things, and the organizations are bound to win, and mankind will again be crucified between the thieves of capital and labor trusts. But in Christ is there resurrection.

The Golden Rule in Labor Conflicts

The absence of the Golden Rule will account for all the difficulties that occur between man and man. At least one party must ignore its provisions or there would be no conflict. This fact is especially manifest in the bitter controversy between capital and labor—especially as these forces are respectively represented by the world's great corporations and the labor unions. The best arbiter of human controversies is this: "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

Civil Law and Social Causes

He who demands the support of civil law to promote a social or religious cause has little faith in the justice of his cause or in the life-principle inherent in justice.

Labor Unions Corner the Labor Supply

A real aim of labor-union leaders is to corner the labor supply, as the wheat or corn speculators corner the supply of wheat or corn. While professedly seeking the welfare of the laboring class, they seek to build up a union class—limited to a supply a little short of the demand, and then make it unpopular for employers to utilize any other labor. They do not want the mass of laborers in the unions, for the supply would be too great for them to corner, just as in a year of plentiful crops the grain speculators can not corner the grain. A short supply is what the labor speculator is seeking as a prevailing condition. Thus they seek to establish a line of caste, and to heap reproach on four-fifths of the wage-earners in the country. Some day the ranks of labor unionism will learn that they are being flattered into a mass of the veriest chatteldom.

For Whom Does the Laborer Work?

A significant question is, "For whose interest is a union laborer supposed to work, that of his employer or that of his union?" Recently a union paper-hanger in this city was doing a job for which his employer had a contract. Shortly before quitting-time on the second day the employer came around to see how the work was progressing. Looking about the rooms a moment, he expressed the opinion that there was not as much done as there ought to have been, and then went away. Then the workman remarked to the lady of the house: "The boss thinks I haven't done enough to-day; I would work a while after hours, but I am afraid some union man would go by and notice that I was at work." Here was a man who tacitly acknowledged that the "boss" had some reason to expect more, and was willing to make up the lack; but he did not dare to uphold the interest of the employer for fear of the union. If that is not tyranny, where would we go to find it?