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Signs of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 41.

Prayer for His Coming
Earlier text: An Assurance

Is the World Growing Better?

THIS is a question frequently, sincerely, honestly asked. And the reply often is, Surely it is greatly improved.
“Who is it mourns for the days that are gone, When a noble could do as he liked with his own?” And all the rest of Mackay’s poem is dragged into service as proof.
“But it is true, isn’t it?”—Yes, the times have altered in many respects for the better. There are many better laws; and better conditions in many ways prevail. The old-time slavery does not exist, and men are not executed for sheep-stealing. But this does not answer the question. No mere outward observations will answer it. The light which men have, the instruction and advantages of the times, must receive consideration; and, after all, to Christians, the Bible must be the determining factor.
In the light of the Bible, is the world better?—No; for the world has ever been at enmity with God. Says an apostle, “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” James 4:4. Now if friendship with the world (not meaning a friend to worldlings, but sympathy and union with world-principles, aims, motives) is enmity with God, certainly the world is not His friend. Therefore the injunction: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” 1 John 2: 15-17.
That is the sum of the animus, the motive, of the world—“the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the vainglory of life.” What will please the desires of the flesh, the superficial, the sensuous, the artificial, the merely pleasing, is of the world. It is that which contains its own corruption, its inevitable decay and destruction, within itself. It looks to the present, to the pleasing, to the sensuous, with little regard for the beyond, unless that future promises a larger return, a greater profit to selfishness. All this is foreign to Christianity in its very essence. Out of it have grown by a natural development, if such a thing can be in that which is essentially abnormal, all the evil deeds of the ages. These are set forth in “the works of the flesh” in Gal. 5: 19-21; Mark 7: 21-23; Rom. 1: 29-31; 2 Tim. 3: 1-5.
It is the spirit of the world, it is the lusts of the world, which have led to the cruel, baleful fruits of unrestrained tyranny in the past; to the judicial torture; to the enslavement of men; to all the brutality and vice of the ages.
There is no conversion of this world. God has never promised to convert it. There is no intimation of such teaching in His Word. It is the WORLD ever. To His disciples, Jesus says, “If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:19. Jesus prays for His disciples: “I pray not that Thou shouldest take them from the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” John 17: 15, 16. And again He declares to a worldly governor, “My kingdom is not of this world.” John 18: 36.
The manifestations of the worldly spirit have been much more evident in some ages than others, in some countries than others, in some districts of the same countries than others. There are various reasons for this, the chief of which has been the influence of the true religion and light from God, often perverted and filtered through great moral darkness. The people of the world to-day pride themselves on the improved laws and methods and conditions prevalent in modern civilization, contrasting them with the darker past; but they forget that all of the better things have come through the indirect influence of the Bible in remolding the lives of men. The infidel often boasts of his superior standard and moral conduct, forgetting that it has all come about through the influence of Christianity. If the old regime of worldly idolatry had persisted, his wife and daughter might have been devotees of the licentious worship of Baal or Bacchus, while he might be offering his eldest son as a sacrifice on the altar of Moloch. The better manners of the world to-day are owing to the influence of Bible teaching; and wherein they are at all better is not a result of self-development, but an unconscious imbibing and restraint of the religion of the Bible.

Ever the Same

But the world is the world still. It has higher standards, but it is no nearer the standard now than it was to its standards three hundred years or three thousand years agone. Take it the last fifty or one hundred years, for instance. Are men more honest now than then? Can their word be depended on now better than then? Their garments, perhaps, were rougher, their manners more uncouth, their words less refined and polished; but are their hearts now kinder? Are they more virtuous? Are their homes more hospitable? Are their daughters purer? Are government officials cleaner? Is the probity of business men more marked? Is there less shoddy in goods, less adulteration in food? Is life safer now? A thousand questions might be asked. These are sufficient. Answered in the light of the Word and the awful, serious facts before us, it is putting it mildly to say that the world is no better.
The great, serious fact facing every soul to-day is not that the WORLD is worse or better: for in the words of Holy Writ, “The world passeth away.” Of itself it is ever essentially the same. The sad fact is that the world is in the church, by the consent of the church; and that God’s arraignment of the world lies against the church, because the church is the friend of the world. Do you want the evidence? Read, then, the two indictments of Holy Writ; the one on the left a description of the heathen world in the days of the apostle Paul; the one on the right Paul’s prophetic description of the religious world to-day:
HEATHEN WORLD NOMINAL CHRISTIAN
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.” Rom. 1:28-31. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.” 2 Tim. 3:1-5.
What is the essential difference in these indictments?—There is none save that one was spoken of the heathen world in the first century, the other of the professed Christian church in THE LAST DAYS; for the eighteen different sins are among those who have a FORM of godliness which HAS power, but they DENY the power in their worldly lives. We all know that these sins are prevalent. We know that they are fostered and some of them defended.
And it is this which makes the times perilous. Moral standards are debased. Moral barriers are thrown down. The world is justified in its rejection and enmity of God. The worldling can not respect a religionist who has a lower standard of morals than himself.
The great, sad answer to the question is that the world is no better, and that the church and the world are arm in arm.
And yet to these—backslidden Christians and pleasure-loving, gain-seeking worldlings—there is hope for each and all. Christ died to save you from the evil principles which will destroy. He invites each of you to leave the world, and find in Him cleansing and peace and strength and everlasting life. We know the Master; we know He will not disappoint you.

All Things Work Together for Good

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

Where Is the Promise of His Coming?

His coming; that the very question they ask, the very statement they make, based on the unproved and unprovable geological hypothesis of uniformity in change, has been predicted by Holy Writ for nearly two thousand years. Read:
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:3, 4.
How the truth of the prophecy—its very fulfilment—has been repeatedly vindicated by the scoffers in every class—rich and poor, learned and unschooled, religious and unreligious and irreligious! Why do they do this? The same apostle continues: “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world [cosmos] that then was, being overflowed with water [by the Word], perished; but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
We may honor men who are as grass, we may ignore the rock of God’s Word as the dust of our feet, but sometime (God wants it now to our good) we shall learn that “the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the Word of the Lord endureth forever.”

The “More Sure Word of Prophecy”—Its Purpose

1. What does the prophet say of God?
“He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.” Dan. 2:22.
2. Through whom does God reveal His purposes?
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.
3. To whom does the revelation belong?
“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE REVEALED BELONG unto US AND TO OUR CHILDREN FOREVER, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deut. 29:29.
NOTE.—A prophet is “one who speaks as the inspired representative of a divine being; one who delivers divine messages, or interprets the divine will.”—“Standard Dictionary.” Prophecy, according to the same authority, is (1) “a prediction made under divine influence and direction; more loosely, any prediction or foretelling; (2) discourse delivered under divine inspiration or direction; something uttered by a teacher as the representative of God and for God.” The inspiration pertains rather to the words, the writing, than to the person. It is not the prophet, but the prophecy, that is inspired—God-breathed. Prediction of future events is therefore one of its great offices. It also reveals present conditions as God sees them, and the duty of His people in view of these conditions and of our relation to Him.
4. What does the apostle call this revelation of the future and of present duty?
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” 2 Peter 1:19.
5. “More sure” than what? What is the comparison?
“More sure” than the evidences of the senses, seeing and hearing combined. See verses 16 to 18.
NOTE.—The apostle declares that the making known of Christ’s second coming was not a “cunningly devised fable;” for God revealed what it meant in the vision of the transfiguration of Christ on the holy mount; and that glory they SAW, and God’s voice they HEARD, while they were with Him there. See Matt. 17:1-9. But more than this visible, audible evidence is God’s “more sure word of prophecy.”
6. In what shall we do well?
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed.” 2 Peter 1:19.
7. What is it designed to be for the children of God, and for how long?
“Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts.”
NOTE.—The time of sin in this world is known as the night, in contradistinction to the glorious reign of Christ to come, known as the day. The morning, or breaking, of that day, is the rising of the Sun of Righteousness, the second coming of the Master. To that coming day belong His children of light; and until that day dawns, and He comes into life and heart and experience of His people such as has never been known before, God’s prophecy lights their way. See Rom. 13:11, 13; 1 Thess. 5:1-8.

For the Latter Days

8. Did the prophets themselves always understand the things revealed?
“And I heard, but I understood not; then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” Dan. 12:8.
9. What reply was made to him?
“And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.” Dan. 12:9, 4.
10. What would then occur?
“Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Dan. 12:4.
11. In view of the importance of prophecy, what admonition should we heed?
“Despise not prophesyings.” 1 Thess. 5:20.
12. What should we do regarding claimed prophecies?
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thess. 5:21.
13. By what test are we to try the prophets?
“To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20.
14. What is the result of rejecting the prophecies of God’s Word?
“And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling-place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.” 2 Chron. 36:15, 16.
15. What blessing is pronounced upon those who heed His prophetic word?
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Rev. 1:3.
16. What then is our duty and privilege?
“Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” 2 Chron. 20:20.

Social Conditions Then and Now

By A. O. Tait

By A. O. Tait
THE condition of society just before the Flood is set forth in the Bible in a few brief sentences. Things at that time became so hopeless, that the only thing the Lord could do to preserve the race of mankind, was to sweep away all the wicked of those days by a flood. The social condition that made this necessary is described as follows in Genesis:
“And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” “And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.” Gen. 6:5, 11, 12.
The imaginations of men became evil, and only evil. All flesh corrupted their way, and then the anarchy of violence followed. Such was the condition of things that led the Lord to overthrow the old world by the Flood. When like conditions prevail again, it must be evident to any one, that the Lord would be driven to visit destruction because of it.
When we consider the facts in regard to the vast amount of corruption of every description that is polluting the world, the question at once arises, How can such a course be continued without bringing visitation of destruction from the Almighty? It is not necessary to particularize in regard to the evil that is flooding the world. Every heart that has left in it the true sense of right and wrong, is made sick by the daily recital of bribes and defalcations and robberies and murders, without mentioning the dens of licentious vices and unspeakable iniquities that are fostered without molestation in so many places.
When the old antediluvian world became absolutely corrupt, the Lord in His majesty arose and destroyed it. And in like manner, were the Cities of the Plain destroyed for their iniquities. And the apostle Jude tells us that these cities were set forth for an example. Then, following the plain example that the Lord has given, we may conclude that the only thing that can be before the world, is its destruction. It is the only reasonable thing to expect. The prophecies have pointed to the closing days of time as a period of great violence and lawlessness, and this is to be visited with destruction from the almighty Father.
A contemplation of these facts may not be pleasant to the lawless ones, but they are true nevertheless, and right-thinking men and women should seek the Lord and stand with Him in this time of the world’s peril. There is perfect safety with Him for every one, and those who see the danger should avail themselves of the Lord’s protection. There are vast multitudes who are so taken up with the affairs of this world, that they will not see anything in this, and so they will laugh at it. But those who see the dangers that are threatened by the violence and the lawlessness of these times, should know from the Word of God what it means, and they should also know that the infinite power of the Creator’s protection is theirs for the asking.

An Evidence of His Coming

MANY are asking, “Where is the promise of His coming?” From the bishop in his gown to the drunkard in his rags, from “Christian” to infidel, the question is asked. It is not asked in inquiry, not to elicit information, but asked as an unanswerable argument; and immediately the question is followed by the statement that all things continue as they were from the beginning. These dear souls do not know that they themselves are a sign of

Beginning of Sin

By William Smith

'Tis fearful building upon any sin: One mischief entered brings another in; The second pulls a third, the third draws more, And they for all the rest set ope the door: Till custom takes away the judging sense, That to offend we think it no offense. — William Smith.

Intellectual Arrogance of the Speakers

A gentleman competent to estimate what he hears, who attended several sessions of the Summer School of Theology at Harvard, says that he was greatly impressed with the intellectual arrogance of the speakers. While experts in certain lines, they spoke with equal authority on all subjects, especially upon those with which their very training rendered them least familiar.—N. Y. Christian Advocate.

The Sunday Rest-Day Movement

The Rev. George W. Grannis, General Secretary of the “Lord’s Day Alliance,” in the United States, is making a tour of the Northwest with the purpose of better Sunday observance, and declares that “anything short of fifty-two full rest days a year for all who are toiling will not satisfy us. We are fully aware that we can not go before legislative assemblies, ask the enactment of laws merely upon the grounds that the Bible prescribes a day of rest, and that the churches stand for it in interest of the special work they are attempting to do; for in this sense our Government is not Christian. We feel that we have the right to demand that to all men there may be guaranteed one full day of rest in every seven, and for uniformity’s sake as far as possible these rest days be given on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday.” When analyzed, this statement shows just this, that they believe Sunday to be the religious day, and tho they can not get the Government to recognize that, they will try to secure recognition in a way that will result in the same thing. The whole thing is religious intolerance. Why not let the workmen say as to whether they want a day or not? Why should all of the agitation come from ministers? Why not let men exercise their manhood and choose for themselves? It would be a system of slavery if men were compelled to work seven days in the week. Sunday advocates know this, and know that no one is compelled to work seven days in the week. Of course, if a man does not, he may lose his job. He ought to be willing to do that for conscience’ sake. The fact that he will stand for duty conscientiously when it costs him something, would make him all the more valuable man to many other employers. If half of the effort were put forth to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ as He has revealed it in His Word, we would hear nothing of asking for laws to enforce religious dogmas. Men would find in quickened consciences that which is worth more than all laws. Furthermore, if they would but candidly examine the only ground in the world for Sabbath observance, namely, the Scriptures, there would be no demand for Sabbath legislation. They would find that God’s Sabbath is sufficient and His law all that is necessary; for true Sabbath-keeping can never be enforced Sabbath-keeping.

How Catholics Look Upon It

THERE are a great many Protestants, and they are continually increasing, who not only admit, but contend that the Roman Catholic Church is a Christian church, a sister church. They do not quite believe all her doctrines; they still believe her, however, to be a Christian church. They feel greatly offended if the Catholic Church is criticized; but one finds no such sentiments on the part of Roman Catholics. The coming together of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism is all on the part of Protestantism. Take for instance an editorial in The Western Watchman of September 9. In discussing a marriage between a professed Catholic and a Protestant woman, the editor says: “There was a time when Catholics could validly marry outside the church, but that time is past. For over a year every Catholic who marries before any other than a priest is not married. His partner becomes a mistress, and the children, if any are born to them, are declared illegitimate. The laws of the little state of Missouri may consider them married, but the whole Catholic world pronounces the union a concubinage.” “When a Protestant marries a Catholic outside his church, she consents to pose before the whole Catholic world as a mistress and only a mistress.” “Those children can not be denied baptism, but they must be recorded as illegitimate. A man posing as a Catholic who asks a woman to marry him before a squire or a Protestant minister, simply insults her. He wishes her to become his concubine. To marry him and preserve her self-respect, it would be necessary for him to publicly renounce his Catholicity.”
Certainly this is clear and unequivocal. Protestants know just where Roman Catholics stand. The Western Watchman is one of the leading Roman Catholic papers in the United States; and the acknowledged dean of Catholic editors is the Rev. D. S. Phelan, who has charge of it.

Conflicting Views of Christianity in China

The Eighty-fifth Year Book of the Berlin Missionary Society, quoted from by The Literary Digest of September 18, declares that the sentiment of the Chinese Government is distinctly hostile to Christianity. “The Wai-Wu-pu, or Board of Foreign Affairs, at Pekin, has issued a decree forbidding any Chinese to found an independent church, or to collect any funds for the church. A general desire seems to prevail that the extension of Christianity in China should be checked.” This certainly is a discouraging aspect; and yet another gentleman recently from China, the Rev. Lord William Gascoigne-Cecil, declares that he found great friendliness to his work throughout China, and that there is no bitter feeling against Christianity in China; and yet in the light of both of these statements there is probably great difference of opinion in the Chinese Empire regarding Christianity.

Training Boys for Armageddon

A correspondent, Dr. Charles A. Boyd, of Los Angeles, sends us a clipping regarding “Boys’ Brigades,” supported by ministers, and says: “Every pastor of every church in the United States in America should be warned and enlightened as to what he is helping along. Does he appreciate that he is helping to fit up and train our young boys for that great battle of Armageddon?” And this is true. The strongest elements in the natural heart of man tend to warfare, savage, militant, brutal energy; and such organizations as the “Boys’ Brigade,” while disciplining the boy, is also nurturing within him the desire to kill. What ought to be taught the children is the kingdom of peace. Where they ought to be disciplined is in carrying the message of peace to a world at strife with God.

A Priest’s Bargain with Saloon-Keepers

The Hoboken, New York, “Observer” of September 13 tells the story of a priest in Jersey City who had held a lawn party for four consecutive nights, and who complained bitterly because the saloon-keepers did not patronize him better. In his complaint he declared that he could have closed many of these saloons because they were running illegitimately, that he could have had saloon-keepers arrested for keeping open on Sunday, that he could have had them indicted for selling beer to minors, but he overlooked all these because he did not want to be hard on them, the sequel of which proved that he expected their support. What can be expected of a religion which runs on the basis of such motives? The saloon-keepers, however, were most of them members of that particular church.

The Outlook

By Carl J. Warden

'Tis coming, sir, a mighty civil war, Again its din shall darken this blest land! 'Tis coming, sir, I see it from afar, The armaments and wrath are at command.
O millionaire, O miser, thou must face Thy brother laborer unjustly wronged; And, Labor, thou assert thy self-deemed place To wreak the awful vengeance thou hast longed.
Thou art extreme, O brother, with thy gold; Thou art extreme, O brother, laboring; Into a golden mean society should mold, For only that is just in anything.
Too late for Justice thus to rule the world, The elements are warring in the sky! O Christian, let your banner be unfurled That all to Christ, the Refuge sure, may fly. St. Louis, Mo. CARL J. WARDEN.

A Businessman’s Testimony to Missionary Work

Mr. E. Alexander Powell, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, recently home from a world trip, tells us that the missionaries and their heroism is appreciated, and cites the case of an English business man in India who gave to a Y. M. C. A. missionary a check of about $100,000. The missionary afterward found him drunk, did his best to sober him up, and asked him why he drank. The business man responded that he was no churchman, did not pretend to be, gambled now and then, drank when he was thirsty; told the missionary that all his talking would not stop him, but he gave to the work of Christianity because that meant pounds and shillings and pence to him. The reason was that his workmen were honest and he could leave them with his work, he could trust them, he could know that it was just as they said; and he concluded the interview by asking the missionary to “come and have a drink.” Such a testimony as that ought to lead Christians to be more earnest and zealous and faithful in their work.

Halley’s Comet Soon in Sight

The famous tramp comet, Halley’s, will soon be in sight. In 1835 it was seen last. It can be traced back to 240 B.C. It was not until 1759, however, that it was named, and named after Professor Halley, of Oxford, England. Since last April astronomers all over the world have been looking for Halley’s comet; and September 14 it was photographed by Professor Curtiss of Lick Observatory. We are told that it will not come any closer to us than ten millions of miles, but that it will be seen very clearly.

Manchester’s Remarkable Ship Canal Aqueduct

A tremendous feat of engineering has recently been completed in Manchester, England, where the Manchester ship canal is crossed by an aqueduct which flows over a drawbridge. The aqueduct weighs 14,000 tons, and has a water-tight gate at either end. When one of the big boats in the canal below finds it necessary to pass the aqueduct, the gates are closed and the water is held back while the bridge is swung, just as any other bridge would be moved. When the boats have passed, the bridge swings back and the water in the aqueduct flows on its way.

The Extravagance of the Times

As showing the extravagance of the times, the following item from Harper’s Weekly is pertinent: “The latest ‘estimate’ of the cost of the Panama Canal is $500,000,000. The first was $140,000,000. The last, in our judgment, will approach a billion. But that is not why the Government needs money. Eight years under Cleveland cost the country $2,519,524,867; eight years under Roosevelt, $4,627,855,383, a difference of more than two billion dollars. The army and navy under Cleveland cost $551,559,393; under Roosevelt, $1,781,426,471, a difference of nearly a billion and a quarter. And fifteen years hence not a single battle-ship now afloat will be fit to go into action.”

A Society Woman’s Seven Marriages

A daily paper tells us of a wealthy society woman who has been married seven times and divorced six times. Two of these marriages were to one man, and three to another. She has been married and divorced from four in all, and the three to whom she is not married now are still unmarried and eligible. Such steps could hardly be called that of marriage. It really needs an uglier term.
A Five-Story Watch-Tower on the Wall of Canton, China
A Five-Story Watch-Tower on the Wall of Canton, China

Steward and Debtor

By B. L. Anderson

EVERY person who receives the “eternal Gospel,” becomes a steward and a debtor. The living recognition of this fact has in the past resulted in a great blessing to the church and to the world, and if adhered to in this age, will yield the same beneficent results.
People who have been born in Christian lands, been reared in Christian homes, heard and believed the Gospel from infancy, often do not comprehend nor appreciate the great blessing that has been transmitted to them by their forefathers. The Gospel which is so full of hope and consolation to rich and poor alike, has come to be looked upon as a common and natural thing, its value scarcely considered; until our stewardship of “the way of life” is lost sight of, and the debt we owe to those less favored than ourselves, is of little concern.
The attitude that Christians should sustain to the Gospel, is strikingly set forth by the apostle Paul, both in word and in act. Writing to the church at Corinth, he confesses himself to be a “steward of the mysteries of God.” And with zeal and earnestness he “delivered unto” them that which he, as a steward, “had received” in trust of the Lord Jesus. Again, “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians, both to the wise, and to the unwise.” Thus on the one hand, he is impressed with the sense of the responsibility toward the Gospel itself, as a message of truth to be propagated among men; and on the other hand, with a sense of the responsibility to all nations to whom the Gospel must be preached. This twofold responsibility found expression in the manner and method by which he carried the Gospel to all peoples. His preaching tours were not at random; but in this all-important work which he was forwarding, there was a deep-laid purpose of reaching places of influence. At such centers as Antioch and Ephesus, he spent much time. And when at Troas, he heard and obeyed the call to plant the message of the cross in the continent of Europe. Macedonia was the road to Athens and Corinth, centers of learning. But this was not enough, to have preached the Gospel fully “from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum;” the Gospel of Jesus must also be preached at the world’s center of power—Rome. The great apostle knew that all roads led to Rome, and to this center of power and civilization came delegations from “every nation under heaven.” It was therefore of far-reaching importance that the Christian church be established in this influential place, to which all eyes were turned.
Over eighteen hundred years have passed since Paul preached at strategic points; but the urgency of disseminating the “everlasting Gospel” from national centers has not passed. To-day there is a mute call from a third of earth’s population. Peking, Canton, Shanghai, and Hankow are centers of influence in the Chinese Empire, where the Gospel should be firmly established, and that right soon. China in the past has been little known and scarcely heard of; but to-day she is demanding the world’s attention, politically and religiously.
She is indeed the “Middle Kingdom,” and has become the center of attraction. It is now scarcely necessary for the missionary to spend his time and energy in combating the idols of the land, as the government itself is taking this question in hand, cleaning the temples of their idols and turning their spacious halls into schools. But there is a work that rests heavily upon every steward and debtor, and that is the work of supplying the teacher and the teaching.
There is an urgent demand for competent teachers, both foreign and native, male and female. And for us to live up to our privilegethere must necessarily be many like Isaiah—“Here am I; send me.” And on the other hand it will require many like minded with Zacchaeus to come forward and say, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give” for the establishing of the “everlasting Gospel” in strategic places of China.
B. L. ANDERSON.

Son of God, Eternal Saviour

By Anonymous

SON of God, eternal Saviour, source of life and truth and grace, Son of Man, whose birth incarnate hallows all our human race, Thou, our Head, who, throned in glory, for Thine own dost ever plead, Fill us with Thy love and pity; heal our wrongs, and help our need.
Bind us all as one together in Thy church’s sacred fold, Weak and healthy, poor and wealthy, sad and joyous, young and old. Is there want, or pain, or sorrow? Make us all the burden share. Are there spirits crushed and broken? Teach us, Lord, to soothe their care.
As Thou, Lord, hast lived for others, so may we for others live. Freely have Thy gifts been granted, freely may Thy servants give. Thine the gold and Thine the silver, Thine the wealth of land and sea; We but stewards of Thy bounty, held in solemn trust for Thee. — Anonymous.

Our Work and Workers

THE Review and Herald reports the following conference officers elected: for the Nebraska Conference, A. T. Robinson, president; C. H. Miller, vice-president; M. E. Ellis, secretary; Anna M. Peterson, treasurer. For the Vermont Conference, O. Montgomery, president; Western New York Conference, H. W. Carr, president; New York Conference, F. H. De Vinney, president. All three of these presidents were reelected.
THE Daily Reporter of Petoskey, Michigan, from August 26 to September 3 inclusive, has come to us giving quite full reports of the Seventh-day Adventist camp-meeting for North Michigan. Description of the grounds, report of the people in the Conference, and good synopses of the sermons, are presented. There were seventy-seven family tents on the ground, seemingly an excellent attendance. We are glad to note the progress which the truth is making in North Michigan.
THE new Pacific College at Angwin’s, eight miles from St. Helena, was dedicated September 29. We have not as yet the full reports of the dedication. Taking part in it were Prof. C. W. Irwin, Pastors H. W. Cottrell, S. N. Haskell, W. T. Knox, A. O. Tait, J. O. Corliss, C. L. Taylor, W. C. White, Mrs. E. G. White, and others. The property having been purchased late, it seemed almost impossible to hope for any kind of attendance this year; but last reports indicate that there will be an excellent attendance, as much as can well be accommodated. We are glad that the new school starts out under such auspicious circumstances, and glad to see the young men in attendance. From four to six students will attend from Mountain View.

Mexico Business Address

All business pertaining to our publishing work in Mexico, Mr. L. E. Borle, the manager, writes us, will be done in the future under the name “Imprenta de la Verdad,” 1420 Avenida 20, Tacubaya, D. F., Mexico.

Wanted for Missionary Work

T. GODFREY, of Richwood, W. Va., post-paid, clean copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Watchman, Liberty, Protestant Magazine, and tracts. These will be very much appreciated.

The Ten Commandments

By Editor

The Ten Commandments.—We have a beautiful four-page folder, tastily printed in blue and gold on tinted cardboard, giving the Commandments as found in the Authorized Version. This attractive little folder makes a very desirable gift for birthday or Sabbath-school class. Price, post-paid, 5 cents. Address this office.

The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection

“The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection.” A correct understanding of the work of Christ, our “faithful High Priest,” is quite necessary to a knowledge of the times in which we live. “The Consecrated Way” clearly shows the relation of Christ to the work of the Gospel, and brings out the facts concerning His present ministry and second coming to this earth in a most convincing manner. 129 pages. Price, post-paid, 50 cents. Address this office.

Every Day Dishes

“What Shall We Eat?” is still a vexing question for the housewife. “Every Day Dishes,” by Mrs. E. E. Kellogg, will help settle the question. It contains a large number of recipes beside a fund of information concerning the value of different foods. 206 pages. Price, post-paid, 75 cents. Address this office.

Science in the Bible

“Science in the Bible,” the A B C of teaching the Bible in Nature and Nature in the Bible. In this little book the Scripture references are alphabetically arranged so that the student of nature may readily find any text bearing on true science as founded in the Word of God. 113 pages. Cloth bound. Price, post-paid, 30 cents. Address this office.
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