We came from Ind. to Hillsdale Aug. 29, and commenced a series of meetings the 30th inst., which continued over Sept. 1, in the house of worship of the Seventh-day Adventists, with good interest. Besides the general gathering of the church, on first-day, a number of strangers listened, with interest, to our position, and the last warning message. We hope they were benefited.
After the public meetings the church came together and manifested their unwavering confidence in our position as it is; and also sister White's communication issued in Review of Aug. 27, by a unanimous rising vote. We trust the ridiculous fashion which has been a screen to iniquity, therein referred to, will no more effect the church in H.; and we do hope it will become extinct throughout all the churches of the Seventh-day Adventists.
I was much gratified in witnessing the manifest improvement in the church at H., since Brn. Loughborough and Waggoner were with them, when they organized themselves into a society to legally hold their house of worship, and manage their own temporal affairs. It will be evident to all the remnant, that the work of organizing was uncalled for until believers were gathered under the proclamation of the third angel's message, in numbers sufficient to constitute churches.125
In Burlington we also held meetings Sabbath and first-day, Sept. 7 and 8. On first-day and evening our numbers were considerably increased, with a manifest desire on the part of those who came in, for further understanding of our position. The brethren here much desire to be organized, and are expecting they shall be when Bro. Waggoner (whose home is among them) returns from the field of his western labors.
Sept. 9 we came to Battle Creek. Brn. all well. The walls of the office building nearly ready for raising the roof. Structure and appearance are every way commanding, and thus far done in a workman-like manner, and none too large to accomplish the mighty work which now is, and will be, required to finish up the mystery of God.
JOSEPH BATES.
Batle Creek, Sept. 10, 1861.
DID OUR SAVIOUR BREAK THE SABBATH?
By Editor
QUESTION. Some contend that John, in chap. v, 18, says that Jesus broke the Sabbath. Do you understand John to say so? G. W. COLCORD.
ANSWER. We do not. John only records the charges made against Jesus by the Jews. The Jews accused him of breaking the Sabbath, but he answered them with a most triumphant vindication of himself from all their accusations. This cannot be better set forth than in the following which we give from the forthcoming History of the Sabbath:
"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath-day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." John v, 16-18.
Our Lord here stands charged with two crimes: 1. He had broken the Sabbath. 2. He had made himself equal with God. The first accusation is based on these particulars: (1.) By his word he had healed the impotent man. But this violated no law of God; it only set at nought that tradition which forbade anything to be done for curing diseases upon the Sabbath. (2) He had directed the man to carry his bed. But this as a burden was a mere trifle, like a cloak, or mat, and was designed to show the reality of his cure, and thus to honor the Lord of the Sabbath who had healed him. Moreover, it was not such a burden as the Scriptures forbid upon the Sabbath. (3) Jesus justified what he had done by comparing his present act of healing to that work which his Father had done HITHERTO, i. e., from the beginning of the creation. Ever since the Sabbath was sanctified in Paradise, the Father, by his providence, had continued to mankind, even upon the Sabbath, all the merciful acts by which the human race has been preserved. This work of the Father was of precisely the same nature as that which Jesus had now done. These acts did not argue that the Father had hitherto lightly esteemed the Sabbath, for he had most solemnly enjoined its observance in the law and in the prophets; and as our Lord had most expressly recognized their authority, there was no ground to accuse him of disregarding the Sabbath, when he had also followed the example of the Father from the beginning. The Saviour's answer to these two charges will remove all difficulty:
"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." John v, 19.
This answer involves two points: 1. That he was following his Father's perfect example, who had ever laid open to him all his works; and hence as he was doing that only which had ever been the pleasure of the Father to do, he was not engaged in the overthrow of the Sabbath. 2. And by the meek humility of this answer—"The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do"—he showed the groundlessness of their charge of self-exaltation. Thus in nothing was there left a chance to answer him again.
SOUTHERN IOWA TENT.
By Joseph Harvey Waggoner
We closed our meetings in the tent in Monroe Co. on Sept. 1. Although the tent did not stand so long as in many places, yet our meetings were held night and day the first two weeks; much of the time the congregation being about as large in the day as in the evening. I had also given six lectures in the same neighborhood a few weeks before, by which some were quite well convinced of the correctness of our position. The "carnal mind" was plainly manifested in some who seemed to regard our labors with favor at first; while others, who could not believe there was much of value outside of their own organization, yielded to the power of truth.
Sunday, Sept. 1, seven more were baptized, one of them a sister 78 years of age, and as we were making preparation to leave on the 3rd, a sister, who was detained by the sickness of her husband, sent a request to be baptized before we left. She had been immersed before, but was not satisfied with the baptism of a gospel of disobedience. Accordingly on the afternoon of the 3rd, we again repaired to the river, and two were buried in the likeness of our Saviour's death.
Bro. Luke was not permitted to be with us the last two days of the meetings, on account of sickness. So we appointed a meeting of the brethren and sisters at his house for Monday evening. This was a blessed season. Faith was in prayer. Bro. L. was relieved, and rejoiced before God. All spoke of their new joys in the truth; some who had been church members for years, now for the first time arose to speak in their Master's cause. We pray that they may go on from strength to strength.
I am now waiting for Bro. Snook, expecting to pitch the tent again on his arrival, if providence favors. Though I am suffering from a very severe cold, so that I cannot labor at present, yet I hope to be able to resume soon. The church of Pleasant, Monroe Co., will be glad to have Brn. call on them. Those wishing to visit them will cross the river at Eddyville, and take the county line road south about four miles. Inquire for Bro. Luke, Hornaday, or Kirfman.
J. H. WAGGONER.
SHALL WE THROW AWAY THE BIBLE.
By Moses Hull
NICODEMUS said to Jesus, "We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him." Jno. iii, 2.
I have long felt the necessity of having the evidences of our holy religion portrayed before the readers of the Review. Yet I shall not attempt it in this article. I simply want to inquire whether we would be better off without the Bible than with it.
We are now being attacked from every direction, no less from infidels, than from those of our opposers who profess to believe the Bible. Infidels are expert, logical, and eloquent in their denunciations of the Bible. Many of them that cannot quote one text correctly, declaim as learnedly against the absurdities and inconsistencies of the Bible, as if all knowledge of the Bible would perish with them.
We should be as active in building up as they are in tearing down. Ours is a laborious task; theirs is not; but we should not avoid the conflict on that account. We should not refrain from building because there are incendiaries whose business it is to tear down. The fact that "one sinner destroyeth much good," should not hinder God's servants from doing all the good they can.
But while it is the duty of the servant of God to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints," it is not our duty to stand and reply to the infidel clamor against the Bible. When they ask us to renounce our religion and the Bible, we should compel them to give us something in its stead. Something better, more pure, more holy, more reasonable, more lovely, and more true. And if they refuse to do this, we should treat them as knaves, as villains, trying to swindle us out of our religion, and our hope.
Suppose the infidel proves to me that the Bible is a forgery, Christ an impostor. The apostles and early Christians are then all liars. Will that administer the sweet consolations of religion to me? Will that afford comfort in a dying hour? Will derision and scoffs against the Bible and the God of the Bible sustain me when passing into the valley and the shadow of death? Volney, Hume, Voltaire, and Paine all tried it, but scoffing did not sustain them in a dying hour. I do not wish to venture to cross the stream in the scoffer's leaky boat.
Infidels and deists have been in the world ever since Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?" Ex. v, 2. But what have they done? If infidelity or deism be the true religion, then infidels and deists should be the most pious people in the world; they should be living examples; but where have they been such? Where have they established missionaries, built churches, enlightened or exalted a nation? Ah, that is not their business. Pious deists, praying infidels, sober drunkards, and honest thieves go together.
Now, friendly infidel, if you do not wish to bring all the horrors of the French Revolution upon America; if you do not wish to see blood flow through the streets of New York and Cincinnati, as it once did through the streets of Paris; "let us reason together" a little, before I decide to throw away my Bible.
Have you good clothing? a comfortable house? a market? and grain to take to market? Have you a school in your village, to which you can send your children? Have you the privilege of stopping into the "chariots which rage in the streets," and going from thirty to fifty miles per hour? Do you live in a land of liberty and improvements? Have you good honest neighbors? If so, to say the least, you have this many more blessings than the people of Hindostan or India have. Do you ask the reason? I answer that we have a book in this country which they have not. To this book you owe these favors. This book we call the Bible. Shall we throw it away?
"O," says the infidel, "I do the Bible no harm by rejecting it." That is true. The Bible does not need you, nor your influence. But you need it. "He that believeth not shall be damned."
Again are you sure that your unbelief is doing no harm to your neighbors? You are doing all you can to make them as ungodly as yourself. So it is not your fault that the whole world are not as unbelieving and ungodly as yourself. Now suppose the whole world should follow the infidel's example and throw away the Bible, what would the consequence be? Let us see.
If we go back to ancient Egypt, Greece, or Rome, where the people were not troubled with, nor imposed upon by the Bible, we find the people of one village worshiping a fish, while they of another are bowing to a dog, and another a serpent, while others are worshiping crocodiles, bulls, cats, rats, reptiles, and even onions and leeks, and sometimes the people of one city burning incense to thirty thousand gods.
But if the infidel wants a better comparison, let him compare the enlightened countries of Europe and America with those which are now in heathenish darkness. Turn your eyes to India and behold the millions of human beings there without the Bible, worshiping trees, rocks, rivers, and hills, elephants, tigers, crocodiles, monkeys, serpents, beetles, and ants.
See them cast their children and themselves under the car of their God "Juggernaut," and let it run over them and crush them to pieces. Behold the worshipers of that God measuring the whole distance of their weary pilgrimage with their own bodies. See them cramming their eyes full of mud and their mouths full of straw in obedience to a shapeless block of wood. See them standing all day on their heads with their feet in the air to appease the wrath of their God. Behold them cutting off their tongues and gouging out their eyes. Finally behold them feasting on human flesh, and you have a specimen of what the world would be without the Bible. With this array of facts before us, I ask again, Shall we throw away the Bible?
"Skeptic spare that book,
Touch not a single leaf,
Nor on its pages look
With eye of unbelief."
MOSES HULL.
REPORT OF MEETINGS.
By John Byington
DEAR BRO. WHITE: We left home Aug. 28, and, according to appointment, met with the church in Colon in the evening. Some brethren came five or six miles to an evening meeting, and seemed anxious to be doing; but the church there are in trial and cannot go forward while things remain as they are. When will brethren learn to remedy small difficulties and put them away forever before they become large ones. Next evening we had a season of refreshing with Bro. Strickland and family. A few of his neighbors came in to meeting. The following Sabbath and first-day we met with the church in Salem, Indiana. The church here had not been visited for more than two years. Some had fallen asleep in Jesus, and their number was somewhat reduced; and a feeling of discouragement was with them. But our meetings were truly refreshing. The Lord manifested himself in our midst. At the close of our meeting on the Sabbath two arose that had not before said they would obey the truth. On first-day three were baptized. We had meetings the following week nearly every evening in different neighborhoods, and such was the interest we concluded to remain another Sabbath, when a number came into our meeting who were not obeying the truth, among whom were the entire family of our dear sister Chaffee, whose husband now sleeps. At this meeting I believe all in the house that had not before made a move, arose in testimony that they would obey the truth.
On first-day we had a meeting in the school-house at Turkey Creek, where sister Chaffee resides. We would have had a meeting in the evening but ill health prevented. We have promised these dear friends we will return soon if they will prove faithful.
Bro. Bodley and wife, our aged sister Locke, and ourselves, went some eight miles to visit a brother who has been reading our tracts, and takes the paper, and is well nigh convinced we have the truth. This Bro. is a preacher in the church called the "Church of God;" is of a very friendly spirit and inquiring mind. I trust he will yet obey all the truth
I would ask forgiveness of my brethren for being so unwilling to make effort, and so unbelieving. I never saw the necessity of every one making every possible effort in the right direction as I do now.
JNO. BYINGTON.
Burr Oak, Mich., Sept. 9th, 1861.
"AFTER THE WORKING OF SATAN."
By Uriah Smith
In 2 Thess., second chapter, occurs a passage which has been the occasion of some embarrassment and some study. We read in verses 8 and 9, "And then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming; [even him] whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." The question has been, Whose coming is referred to in verse 9, which is to be after the working of Satan with all power? and what is meant by this latter expression? It will be observed that the words "even him," are supplied words, constituting no part of the original text, and not necessary, we think, to be supplied in this instance. Omitting these words, the passage would read thus: "Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming, whose coming is after the working of Satan," &c. In Greenfield's New Testament it reads thus: Τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ· οὗ ἐστιν ἡ παρουσία κατ' ἐνέργειαν τοῦ Σατανᾶ; a literal rendering of which might be given thus: "By the brightness of the coming of him, of whom the coming is after the working of Satan," &c. The only construction which it seems possible to put upon such language as this, is that the relative pronoun 'whom' refers to the pronoun immediately preceding, and that the 'coming' of verse 9, is identical with that last mentioned in verse 8, which is the coming of the Lord. This has been the general view we believe with Advent believers, and is undoubtedly correct. The question then arises, What is meant by the coming of Christ being after the working of Satan? The answer to this question has been based on the reading of our English version, 'after' being taken in its present most common and literal acceptation, as signifying, later in time. Taking the working of Satan with all power to be the wonders of Spiritualism beginning to be developed, immediately after which the coming of Christ would take place, and we had both a seemingly natural interpretation of the text, and a remarkable sign and precursor of the coming of the Son of man.126
But a flaw was discovered in this exposition from the fact that κατά, the word translated 'after,' never has the meaning now commonly attached to that word, or is never used to denote subsequence in time. What then could it mean? The definition seized on in this dilemma was that by which agency or instrumentality is denoted, namely, 'after,' by means of, or through the agency of. But a difficulty at once arose here; for if the coming referred to is the coming of Christ, how can that be said to be according to, or through the agency of, the working of Satan? What then was to be done? Should we adopt the arbitrary insertion of the words, 'even him,' as the translators have done, and make the language refer to the man of sin? This, the construction, as already noticed, will hardly allow; besides, if applied to the man of sin, it would not be true in fact; for the man of sin was not developed by Satan's working with all power, and signs, and lying wonders. The mystery of iniquity began to work, it is true, in Paul's day; but it worked gradually and silently, spreading like leaven, and undermining in the hearts of men, the truths of the gospel. Let it be noticed also that the signs and wonders here brought to view, are not lying wonders in the sense of being false in themselves, mere tricks and deceptions, but they are real wonders, bona fide miracles, wrought to prove a lie. The miracles claimed to have been done in behalf of the man of sin, were tricks and pretences; they could not therefore be the signs and wonders of the scripture under discussion.
Then the coming of verse 9, cannot be the coming or revelation of the man of sin, for the reasons just adduced, namely, that the construction cannot be made to convey such an idea, and if it referred to him the passage would not be true in fact, since the manifestation of that power was not connected with the working of Satan with all power, signs and lying wonders, in any sense expressed by the word here translated 'after.' The coming must be the coming of Christ. But the objection still remained, viz., that his coming could not be according to the working of Satan, &c., and we could not explain it by saying that his coming was to be just subsequent to the working of Satan; for the word κατά never has that meaning.
But let us look again at this word, and see if we do not find in it a solution of the difficulty. Although the word κατά does not mean 'after,' later in time, it has a meaning which we think will answer the purpose of this scripture much better. Denoting time, it signifies, according to Greenfield, at, about, during. Robinson in his Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, defines it thus: "Of time; that is, of a period or point of time, throughout, during, in or at which anything takes place." Liddell and Scott say, "Of periods of time, throughout, during, for." Before proceeding further with these definitions, it may be proper to answer a question that may arise here, viz., how we know that the word in this place denotes time, so as to bear the definitions just mentioned. This is evident from the tenor of the whole chapter. Its subject is time. It was written by Paul to correct an erroneous impression in the minds of the Thessalonians brethren in reference to the time of Christ's coming. He designs to give them something of an idea of the time when their Lord may be expected; and time is the great burden of the verses under consideration. Κατά, then, in this case has one of the definitions above given; and the passage may be translated thus: "Whose coming is after [at, or, at the time of] the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." After giving a few examples of this use and meaning of the word, we will show that this will be true in fact, and that such instruction was eminently proper for the Thessalonians at that time. There are many such expressions as, κατά τὸ αὐτό, at the same time; κατά καιρόν, in due time; κατά μεσονύκτιον, about midnight, &c.; but as it may be said that the idea of time is expressed in these instances by words used with κατά, we will refer to instances where it is used in this sense with words that do not express time, any more than the words with which it is connected in 2 Thess. ii, 9. In Matt. xxvii, 15, Mark xv, 6, Luke xxiii, 17, occurs the expression, κατά ἑορτήν, at [or at the time of] the feast. Again: In 2 Tim. iv, 1, we have this passage: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead [κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ] at his appearing;" that is, at the time of his appearing. Liddell and Scott furnish the following examples of this construction: "Κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον, during, or in the course of, the war. Hdt. 7, 137. Κατὰ 'Αμασιν, about the time of Amasis. Id 2, 184. Οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς, or ἑαυτούς, our, their contemporaries [Xenophon];" that is, those living at the time we or they lived. The identity of construction between all these quotations, and 2 Thess. ii, 9, cannot fail to be seen. We may therefore regard the evidence as conclusive that the word may have this meaning in said scripture, and that the rendering above given will stand as legitimate and correct: "Whose [Christ's] coming is at the time of the working of Satan with all power, signs and lying wonders."
The question to be next considered is, Will this be true in fact? It will. The Bible expressly tells us that Satan's greatest power will be exercised near, and at, the close of his career. Rev. xii, 12; xiii, 13, 14; Matt. xxiv, 24-27; Rev. xviii, 2; xvi, 14. In the light of these declarations it is evident that 2 Thess. ii, 9, must refer to the working of Satan at the very close of time; for he is said to work with all power; and as he can never work with more than all power, and yet his greatest works are to be performed at the last, it follows that he cannot work with all power at any period previous to that time.
And what goes greatly to strengthen this position is the fact that this scripture is now fulfilling before our eyes. The working of Satan in modern Spiritualism answers well to this prophecy. Its phenomena are genuine, and its wonders palpable and real; and they are wrought, too, to prove a lie—the first and darling lie of the great deceiver that the soul is immortal, and that there is no such thing as death. This work will continue to the very last; and it is at that time that its greatest power will be manifested. The gathering of all nations to the battle of the great day of God Almighty [Rev. xvi, 14] is perhaps the greatest exercise of power, and the most potent deception of these spirits of devils. And this takes place under the sixth plague; it takes place just at the commencement of the seventh vial, when the great voice is heard out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. The army which these spirits gather, comes up to the great battle under the perfect inspiration of the Devil and his angels, and are no doubt the witnesses and subjects of a mighty power put forth by him for their preservation and further deception. Joel ii, 8. The mightiest works of these devils are performed in connection with that great multitude of apostates and blasphemers which are gathered to make war upon the Lord of hosts. And what then? He that is called Faithful and True, He that in righteousness doth judge and make war, He that sits upon the white horse, and whose eyes are as a flame of fire, rides forth to visit upon them, his judicially blinded enemies, their merited destruction. The beast and the kings of the earth, and their armies, are taken, and cast into the burning flame, and the remnant are slain with the sword of Him that sitteth upon the horse. 2 Thess. ii, 11; Rev. xix, 11-21. What then could be more accurately true than the declaration that the coming of Christ is at the time of the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders?
But why should the apostle concern himself to make this statement to the Thessalonian church? What bearing could this have upon the truth he was trying to impress upon them? Just this: He was endeavoring to correct an idea that they had by some means imbibed that the day of Christ was then at hand. Now by giving them an explicit statement of the events in connection with which the coming of Christ was to transpire, they could determine for themselves whether or not that day was then impending. He therefore tells them that the coming of Christ is to be at the time of the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders; as much as to say, Look around you, my Thessalonian brethren, and see if Satan is beginning to work in this manner now. If not, then the day of Christ is not at hand. Thus this language was relevant to the idea Paul was laboring to enforce. Such was the lesson it conveyed to the minds of the Thessalonians.
The lapse of time has made this language applicable to us, but with a far different signification. In the process of its fulfillment it tells us that the day of Christ is at hand. It bids us let no man deceive us, as that the day of Christ is not impending. It shows us that the last great manifestation of Satanic power and wonders, is beginning to be exhibited before us—that work which will only reach its culmination when the Son of man shall appear. It is to us a mine of truth, an anchorage ground for our hope, a quickener of our zeal, a consoler of our patience. May we esteem it as one of those exceeding great and precious promises by which we are made partakers of the divine nature, and endeavor to keep ourselves in the love of God and in the patient waiting for his Son from heaven.
U. SMITH.
THE CAUSE IN SOUTHERN N. Y., & PA.
By N. Fuller
DEAR BRO. WHITE: It has been some time since I have reported in regard to the state of the cause in this country. First Sabbath in Nov. last we had a conference in this place. Brn. B. F. Robbins and E. L. Barr were present with us. We enjoyed a good season. Bro. J. L. Baker was set apart for the work of the ministry by ordination, which was sanctioned by the Holy Spirit. May the Lord make him a faithful and successful laborer in the cause.
I will not speak of all our meetings since that time. We have had some profitable seasons. Quite a number have been baptized and added to the church. The cause is rising in Pa., and N. Y., as far as I know.
I met with the church in Catlin, Chemung Co., N. Y., in June. They are trying to press on to the kingdom. Four put on Christ by baptism. The Lord bless the lambs of the flock, and save them from the devouring wolf that so often seeks their destruction.
We have had some prejudice in this country in regard to organization. I think we have been trying to steady the ark. I have had some severe and unnecessary trials in regard to this matter. I hope the Lord and the dear saints will forgive wherein I have been wrong, and I will try to be careful where I bestow sympathy. This people is my people; their God is my God. I am satisfied that this truth is destined to triumph; and it is time for us to press together and try to save the honest from the dreadful impending storm that is gathering over this guilty world.
This generation must drink the bitter cup of the wrath of God. This generation will see the sign of the Son of man. This generation will hear the blast of the archangel's trumpet. This generation will see every man's hand against his neighbor, and every man's hand against his brother. Is not the state of the nations indicative that the time is at hand?
Let us be faithful, dear brethren and sisters, and stablish our hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. The great day of the Lord is at hand, and it hasteth greatly. I am trying to carry this truth forward to the best ability the Lord has given me. There have quite a number taken hold of the truth the past year in this country; but I want to see the angel of Rev. xviii light up the earth with his glory in a powerful manner. Lord, hasten the time and come quickly.
Yours in hope of eternal life.
N. FULLER.
Ulysses, Pa.
LOVE.
By G. W. Colcord
"God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." 1 John iv, 16. Love should be the main-spring of all our actions. Dear brethren, who of us can say, I fulfill the intent of the above text. I fear but few of us. Unless God dwells in us, a profession of the present truth will avail us nothing. But, say you, how can I tell whether God dwells in me or not? Very easily: John informs us in his first epistle thus, "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected." Chap. ii, 5. See also verse 15. We should love God supremely. Matt. xxii, 37; Deut vi, 5. We should love our neighbor as ourselves. Matt. xxii, 39; Lev. xix, 18; Gal. v, 14.
The law of God is a law of love. Compare Ex. xix, with Gal. v, 14. The law is still binding [Matt. v, 17-19; Rom. vii, 7, 22]; therefore we can love God by keeping his commandments. Paul speaking of hope, faith, and charity (fervent love), says love is the greatest. Then let the love of God burn in your hearts. Develop actions of love daily toward God and man, and you will see that you dwell in God and he in you. Hatred is just the opposite of love. If we are the children of hatred, we are the children of the Devil, but if of love, then the children of God.
I would here quote a little from the writings of Richard Baxter: "Love is the attractive of love. Few so vile but will love those that love them. . . . . Scripture assures that God is love; that fury is not in him; that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Much more hath he testified his love to his chosen, and his full resolution to save them. Oh that we could always think of God as we do of a friend; as of one that unfeignedly loves us, even more than we do ourselves; whose very heart is set upon us, to do us good, and hath therefore provided for us an everlasting dwelling with himself; it would not then be so hard to have our hearts ever with him." Baxter's Saint's Rest, Chapter ii, p. 330.
Let us who have put our hand to the plow not turn back,127but go on in the path of love till Jesus comes and victory is gained.
G. W. Colcord.
New Genesee, Ills.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
By Uriah Smith
QUESTION 1. I am unable to see whether the 2300 days should be reckoned from the year before Christ 457, or from the time when the angel spake concerning them [Dan. viii, 14], which was in the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar.
Question 2. Admitting that the judgment or cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary commenced in 1844, and is now taking place, does it follow necessarily that our Saviour is soon to come? Is the cleansing of the sanctuary identical with the marriage of the Lamb?
Question 3. There is some difficulty in my mind yet in regard to the application of Babylon. It seems to be a very appropriate name for the various different sects with which the world abounds; but of Babylon it is said, "She is the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth;" and can this be said of all these different denominations classed together? If so, what constitutes the harlots spoken of in Rev. xvii?
G. P. WILSON.
Answer to Ques. 1. The key to the 2300 days of Dan. viii, is the seventy weeks of Dan. ix. The seventy weeks are the first 490 of the 2300 days, consequently where the 70 weeks begin, there begin also the 2300 days. But we are expressly told in Dan. ix at what point the seventy weeks begin, namely, from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem; and this commandment went forth in the year B. C. 457. Ezra vii, 13. From this point therefore we are to date the 2300 days.
Answer to Ques. 2. In the type, the cleansing of the sanctuary occupied only one day out of the year. After 364 days' ministration in the first apartment the yearly service was completed by one day's service in the second, or most holy place, which was the cleansing of the sanctuary. If this work was thus short in the type, we may reason from analogy that the work in the heavenly sanctuary will be correspondingly short; that, at any rate, when that service commences, we are near the close of the work of salvation for the world. Taken in connection with other scriptures, there is no room for doubt on the point. The marriage of the Lamb is understood to take place immediately after the close of Christ's ministration in the sanctuary. When he lays off his priestly robes, he at once arrays himself in his kingly and executive attire, and takes possession of his own throne; which is the marriage of the Lamb.
Answer to Ques. 3. We understand that the Babylon that is called the 'mother,' is the Roman Babylon. This subject recently came under consideration in the Bible Class, in this place, as we were passing through the book of Revelation, and the following conclusions were arrived at: That Rev. xvii, and xviii, bring to view two great branches of mystic Babylon; that chap. xvii treats exclusively of Romish Babylon, while chap. xviii deals with Protestant Babylon. Then that which is called the 'mother' is the old Papal church, while the 'harlot daughters' are the multiplied and confused sects that have sprung forth from her communion. This view renders these two chapters harmonious and clear.
U. SMITH.
Extracts from Letters.
Sr. M. Palmer writes from Milford, Mich: I want to be ever found in the path of duty that I may be able to render up my account with joy and not with grief. It is not quite a year since I commenced to keep the commandments of God, having been early led to believe that the Sabbath was changed when Christ rose from the dead, and never having so much as heard a question on the subject till Brn. Lawrence and Frisbie came to Milford last fall. My prejudice was very great when I first heard of their being in the place; but after a few evenings I went from curiosity, and to my great surprise the Bible was presented in such a manner that no honest-hearted person, as it seemed to me, could reject the doctrine. The Sabbath question was soon solved, as I could not find anything to contradict it, and since that time I can truly say that I have been rejoicing in the commandments of God and the truths contained in the third angel's message.
Christ's second coming was not such a mystery to me; but I can now look foward to that time with more pleasure than before, and am determined with the assisting grace of my heavenly Father to press my way onward and upward that I may be permitted to stand with the remnant upon mount Zion.
I have belonged to different denominations, and have sought for the pure religion of Jesus Christ, feeling that there was something beyond what the professed churches were trying to attain; and I can say that my expectations are met in the little company of Sabbath-keepers. Prejudice is very great in this place; but my trust is in the Lord who will bring us off more than conquerors through him that loved us. I think I can say that the little church here all feel the necessity of having on the whole armor that we may be able to stand in the evil day, which we believe is not far distant.
Sister S. Sargent writes from Haverhill, Mass.: "I know I love God, and his children, and his cause. I do not guess at it. I do rejoice in the hope of the coming kingdom, and in the resurrection morning, when all the saints on earth and those who sleep in the dust will come forth. Blessed resurrection morning! How this hope cheers us on in our pilgrimage! We shall see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham had the promise because he kept God's commandments and laws. We see the signs fulfilling which denote that Christ's coming with power and great glory is near. The wicked are doing wickedly and do not understand. The 2300 days have ended, and our great High Priest is now cleansing the sanctuary, and when that has been finished he will say, 'It is done; let him that is filthy remain so;' and there will be no intercessor. What a state the poor sinner will then be in! no mediator to plead for him. O, that they could see their darkness and error, and the gathering storm which hangs over them. They will then call for the rocks and mountains to fall on them when too late! May God have mercy on us all, and save all that he can save consistent with his glory, is the prayer of your unworthy sister."
Sister E. Hough writes from Rochester, Mich.: "When I look around and see how fast troubles are thickening around I feel that it is high time to awake out of sleep and gird on the whole armor of God. I rejoice that I have been led to hear the truth as it is in Jesus; and I feel to look up and lift up my head, and rejoice, knowing that my redemption draweth nigh. Since the day set apart for prayer and fasting, I have been greatly strengthened to press my way on to Mt. Zion."
Bro. I. Smith writes from Ashfield, Mass.: "Nearly forty years of my life I have belonged to the Close Communion Baptists. It has been some over four years since I commenced keeping the true Sabbath in preference to the traditions of men. I have been slow to believe all the truths connected with the third angel's message, having been taught from a child to believe in the endless misery of the wicked, and also the conscious state of the dead; but by searching the word of God, and reading some books from the Office, light has been shed on these subjects, and though seventy-six years of my frail life has passed, I rejoice to-day in the light of present truth. I want the tried gold, and white raiment, and eye-salve, that I may see. I would here express my gratitude for the Review, which I hail as a welcome messenger. May it still go forth on its message of love and mercy, imparting light to thousands."