Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 5, 1896
REASON AND FAITH.
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
"FINALLY, brethren, pray for us, . . . that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for all men have not faith." (2 Thess. 3:1, 2.)
FROM this we learn that the unreasonable man is the man who has not faith. He is both unreasonable and wicked; for "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Sin is unreasonable. In the Bible sinners are characterized as foolish persons. "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:28.)
"WITH the heart man believeth unto righteousness." (Rom. 10:10.) The heart, therefore, and not the head merely, determines whether one is or is not reasonable. Foolishness is more a matter of the heart than of the head. Some of the most foolish people have very good intellectual faculties, but a depraved heart deceives them.
"FAITH cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17. The connection between faith and the word is shown in the text first quoted. "Pray for us, that the word of God may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you; and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men, for all men have not faith."
THE unreasonable and wicked man is the man who has not faith; and the man who has not faith is the man who does not accept God's word without question. The really reasonable man is not the one who can argue every point, and can answer every question out of his own head, but the man who believes God. An unlettered plowboy may thus have more right reason than a cultured philosopher. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord." (Isa. 1:18.) How often that text is used to justify strife and debate and quibbling over the word of God. Many people take it as tho it read, "Come now, and let us argue together, saith the Lord." No; it says, "Let us reason together;" and when the Lord begins to talk, the most reasonable thing for man to do is to keep still, except as he responds, Amen.
THE remaining portion of the text shows that this is all that is expected of man in reasoning with the Lord. He continues: "Tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; tho they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isa. 1:18-20.)
Now WHAT can anybody say to that?—Only that he believes and accepts it, or that he does not. To say the latter is to say that God is a liar, and that is the height of folly. Manifestly, therefore, when the Lord calls us to come and reason together with him, he means us to listen with reverent humility, and to accept what he says without any gainsaying.
MIND that it is not our conception of what God means, that we are to accept. That would be simply to set up our wisdom in opposition to God's, which is the height of presumptuous folly. It is to say that we can not venture to accept anything from the Lord without first submitting it to the test of our superior judgment. But God's mind is not to be measured by man's. He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." (Eph. 3:20.) What God is able to do, that he does. He is infinite, and there is not a word or an act of God that does not contain more than the mind of the wisest man can fathom. What impudent folly, then, to presume to pass God's word through the sieve of our feeble intellect before accepting it!
NICODEMUS started in on that line with the Lord. When Jesus spoke about the new birth, he asked, "How can these things be?" an endeavor to show that the thing was impossible. He afterwards, however, learned true wisdom by attending to the word.
When Jesus spoke about the necessity of eating his flesh, the Jews asked, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" They thought that that question settled the matter.
NOTICE that pure human reasoning, as expressed in the preceding questions, is doubt. It is negative. It does not build up anything, but only endeavors to tear down and obstruct. It tends to make more narrow the narrow field of vision that one already has. But God's thoughts are infinite, and when they are received in simple faith, without any attempt to dissect and analyze them, they expand the mind. There is no limit to the development of the mind that reasons according to the Lord's plan.
THE word is given to all; it carries its own credentials, so that faith comes by it; therefore faith is given to all. The only reason why any men have not faith is that they have not kept it. It is both sword and shield—a mighty weapon. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations [or reasonings, margin], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Cor. 10:4, 5.) E. J. W.
The Lord Is My Strength
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him." Ps. 28:7.
Our Great High Priest,
THE CONTROVERSY OF THE AGES. NO. 5.
Our Great High Priest.
IN our last we considered the "Son of God," the One with the Father before the world was, the Son of God in the beginning in his very nature and essence. We learned a little of how his Sonship was disputed, how the Son of God emptied himself of divine majesty, and demonstrated his right to all that God had given him by his life in a flesh of sin. His work and sacrifice manifested and demonstrated the infinite and eternal love of God to the world, and his resurrection "determined him to be the Son of God," the victor over sin and death. He ascended to the Father, and the portals of the Eternal City opened to him as the King of Glory. The power of his resurrection and his ascension was the power of his righteousness. The glory that he manifested was the forthshining of the righteousness and love within. Possessing this power, clothed in this glory, the Man child of the prophets sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Father,
Our Great High Priest,
the Head over all things to the church, the Head of every man (see Rev. 12:5, 10; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 4:14; 8:1; 1 Cor. 11:3),—the all in all to every believing child of God. It is thus that the prophet speaks of the victory of Christ and the time of the beginning of his priesthood:—
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Wo to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Rev. 12:10-12.)
How We Overcome.
Verse 10 was considered in our last. But as there intimated, the Son of God did not win his victory for himself. He overcame in the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth, that he might overcome in the flesh of every soul who would yield to him. And through faith his mighty power was manifest in them. "They overcame him [Satan] by the blood [the life] of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony."
Faith connects the child of God with infinite power. The trolly of the electric car connects with the live wire overhead; it brings the power flowing in that overhead channel down to the receptive car, and makes the car a thing of power and motion. From the great Fountain of Life flow ever the great streams of life to all the universe of God. Faith reaches up and forms the open channel by which that life may flow into the person of the believer in its own normal way, and thus makes him a living man. The blood represents the life (Lev. 17:11); the blood of the Lamb represents the life of Jesus Christ, which he has given in himself, in his word, and in all his works for every soul. Faith appropriates the life and lives.
But to receive of Christ's life is not alone sufficient for overcoming, for perfecting of character. It is not the law of God's life to ever receive and never give. That were but selfish.
"That man may last, but never lives,
Who much receives, but nothing gives;
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,
Creation's blot, creation's blank."
God's law of overcoming comprehends giving as well as receiving. Abram was blessed that he might be a blessing. (Gen. 12:2.) The sun shines, the trees grow, the flowers bloom, the rain falls, the brook gurgles its way through grassy meads, not for themselves, but for blessings to others. God revealed his Son in Paul that Paul might preach him among the heathen. (Gal. 1:16.) And so God has chosen all his people that they "should show forth the virtues of Him who" called them "out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9.) Therefore they overcame, not only by the blood of the Lamb, but "by the word of their testimony." The same truth is thus stated by another: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness [faith appropriates the power of Christ's righteous life]; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation [the believer permits that life to work out in him the virtues of Jesus Christ]." (Rom. 10:10.) There are no dead Christians. A lighted lamp in an airtight receptacle soon burns dim and low, and dies; and he who would selfishly shut the love and grace and blessing of God up in his own selfish heart would so pervert God's life that it would become death. The healing medicine would become a virulent poison. The normal life of the Christian is shining, living, confessing, blessing. "Freely ye have received, freely give."
"But he who marks from day to day,
In generous acts, his radiant way,
Treads the same path his Saviour trod—
The path to glory and to God."
The Spirit in all Christian life is the
## Spirit of Love,
as expressed in the latter part of the verse, the whole of which we quote once more from the Revised Version: "And they overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their life even unto death." Bought and nourished by the life of the Lamb, receiving it ever fresh, because ever giving, by simply witnessing the word given them, they value their own life as naught compared with his life. His life is love. The love of God is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, which is given to the child of faith; and as Christ gave his life in love for them, so all who are truly his give their lives in word and deed, yea, even to death if he but call them, for the love they bear to him and other purchase of his blood. The life of the Christian is love, and God's love is life.
Rejoicing and Wo.
Everlasting rejoicing in heaven; wo for a little time upon the earth! Rejoicing among the angels that Michael their Prince was triumphant, that Lucifer's character was unmasked, that they were saved from his deceiving power, that God's character was vindicated by the power of everlasting righteousness, and that sin and the accuser were forever debarred from heaven!
Wo to the inhabitants of the earth for yet a little while! Previous to our Lord's victory, Satan planned, plotted, longed, hoped, to destroy him as he had the first Adam, and to destroy the race. His great power and subtle craft was bent to that end. While he tempted and warred against God's people, his mightiest efforts were to destroy the Man in whom rested the hope of the world. In this he failed. Wherein he dealt proudly, even in death itself, the Lord was above him. He conquered Satan in his own realm. Conquered by Christ, Satan turns his baffled and hellish rage against those who believe in Christ. He will use every power and device of which he is capable to prevent souls from believing, and to destroy the faith and influence of those who do believe. He will deceive, misinterpret, falsify, pervert, persecute. O inhabitants of earth, the devil has come down unto you! He knows that the Christ of God is beyond his power; he will prevent you from obtaining that birthright which Christ has purchased for you. He feels that as Christ conquered, so may the word be fulfilled that he himself shall be destroyed (Eze. 28:18, 19); but before that time he will, so far as in him lies, during the last days of his existence, during the short time that remains, destroy as many of Christ's followers as his diabolical ingenuity and Satanic power make possible. He may even hope that he will still tempt Christ to depart from the principle, Right is Might. True, Christ did not in all his temptations and cruelty against himself; but Christ loves his people even more than he loved himself. Is it not possible that he can tempt him to strike before the time at the injustice and oppression and cruelty and wrong of Satan's agents? But Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, to-day, and all days to come; so while Satan may bring his "manifold temptations" (1 Peter 1:6), God gives his "manifold wisdom" (Eph. 3:10), and "manifold grace" (1 Peter 4:10) to meet the "manifold temptations."
Persecutions Manifold.
The wo to the people of God in the earth comes by persecution.
"And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the Man child." (R. V.)
These persecutions began immediately after the resurrection of Christ. It was but a little while and the devoted deacon Stephen sealed his testimony with his blood. (Acts 7:54-60.) Persecution extended to the whole church, led by the zealous, energetic, but misguided Saul. (Acts 8:1-4.) But while the persecution scattered the people of God, and forced them, mayhap, from comfortable homes and pleasant surroundings, it also scattered the truth of God. Within the space of a dozen years one of the chief of the apostles—James—gave his life as a witness to Christ. (Acts 12:1, 2.) As the truth spread, and its power was manifest, Satan stirred up the devotees of the false gods of Pagan Rome, and cruel persecution followed. It was given to the children of God to choose between the good and the evil—the persecution with God's approval, or3relief from it with the approval of man. With the persecution from the Jews, it was to renounce Christ for dead traditions. With the idolaters it was Jehovah or Jove, Jesus or Apollo, Christ or Diana. It needed oftentimes but a word, the sprinkling of a few grains of incense, a bowing of the head, a refraining from doing a Christian act, to save one from cruelest persecution; but the child of God could not conscientiously submit to do an act, or conscientiously refrain from doing one act, which might seem to deny Christ.
By Nero, who accused the Christians of setting fire to Rome, they died, according to Tacitus, "in torments, and their torments were embittered by insult and derision. Some were nailed on crosses; others sewn in the skins of wild beasts, and exposed to the fury of dogs; others again, smeared over with combustible materials, were used as torches to illuminate the darkness of the night." Under Trojan and his governor, Pliny, others were put to death. And in fact, persecution continued, to a greater or less extent, under Pagan Rome. The worst of the persecutors among the emperors were Nero, Marcus Aurelius, Decius, Valerian, and Diocletian, the worst of all. Many under his reign were burned alive, in some cases whole congregations perished in their churches, and "droves of them," says Haydn, "were bound together with ropes and driven into the sea."
Why Persecuted.
The cause of all these persecutions—of every persecution by law—was a union of religion with the state, or a legalized religion. It was as enemies to the Roman state, whose duty it was to uphold the honor of the gods, that Christians were persecuted. Pagan Rome did not call it persecution, but the simple execution of Roman laws, demanded by the oath of office and the honor of the state. Behind it all, even as he had been behind the death of Christ, was Satan, the old dragon, and Pagan Rome was but one of his heads through which he uttered his persecuting decrees.
Wickeder Persecutions.
But worse persecutions were to follow. Paganism had become old. The gods had multiplied till they had become a burden, and unbelief was fostered by the multiplication. Gods were so common as to be of no account. The devotees of such a religion did not put enough of zeal and perverted conscience into their persecutions to suit his Satanic majesty, the mover behind the scenes. He would pervert Christianity, connect it to the state, and operate through that. This he did, and the twelve hundred and sixty years of papal persecution followed, beginning in 538 and continuing to 1798. This time is referred to in verses 6 and 14 of Revelation 12, as "a thousand two hundred and three score days," and "a time, and times, and half a time." This is the record:—
"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place ['place prepared of God,' v. 6], where she is nourished for a time, and times, and a half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood." (Verses 14, 15.)
As this will be more fully considered in comments on the next chapter, but little space will be given it here. In the figure of eagles' wings is symbolized the power of God to protect his people, evident reference being made to Ex. 19:4 and Isa. 63:9. The wilderness doubtless refers to the mountain fortresses and deserted places of the earth, in which God preserved many of his people and his truth from utter extinction. The flood of water from the mouth of the serpent is a fitting symbol of the corruptions of the truth of God, and the persecutions waged against those who cherished that truth, during that dark period. "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Isa. 59:19.) This was done by the Reformation of the sixteenth century, and the persecution was stayed by the opening of new and unexplored regions of the earth, as in America, and the abolition of persecuting laws, as in England, Germany, and Austria. The prophecy declares respecting this:—
"And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth."
It is a notable fact that the ceasing of persecution was coincident with the decree of toleration in Austria by Maria Theresa, and with the Declaration of Independence in America—1776. The New World became the asylum for the faithful and oppressed, who preferred to brave the perils of the unknown wilderness and the cruelty of hostile savages to the religious tyranny and bondage of the Old World.
But this is not all of the persecution the church has to suffer. As the end nears, and the Gospel message goes forth to the world, calling the attention of men to the falsehood of traditions and the rubbish of error, and holding up the light of the truth of God to prepare men for Christ's coming, it stirs again the wrath of Satan. And thus we read:—
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Rev. 12:17.)
The remnant of anything is the last of that thing. The remnant of the seed of the woman is composed of the last of her seed, the last church on the earth. That church has two prominent characteristics: It keeps the commandments of God, and thus honors him; and it has the testimony of Jesus (the spirit of prophecy, Rev. 19:10), and is thereby warned of Satan's devices. The last church will be a persecuted church, but in it is wrought the righteousness of God, and righteousness is life everlasting.
The Eternal Cause
"God is eternal; the cause that he espouses never dies; those who die in service under his leadership will rise to die no more."
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
JESUS CHRIST said: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14: 6.) There is then no other way, no other truth, no other life. All other ways apart from him are the byways of sin, are the ways of error, are the ways which lead unto death. He who rejects Christ's way rejects Christ. He who rejects the truth taught by our Lord rejects him who taught it. He who professes to have life in himself, thereby rejects the life, the only life, which is found in Christ Jesus alone. He who truly accepts Christ Jesus accepts him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the all in all; and he who rejects him in part rejects him in all.
Made Lower than Angels
By A. T. Jones
"THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION." No. 2.
IN our study of this Catholic dogma last week we saw how completely it puts Jesus Christ away from men, by giving Mary a nature infinitely beyond any likeness or relationship to mankind, and teaching that from her Jesus Christ received the same nature, totally unlike mankind. This is absolutely the opposite of truth.
Made Lower than Angels.
In the first chapter of Hebrews, Jesus, the Son of God, is presented in his divine nature as equal with God and as God indeed, the Creator and Upholder of all things, as "so much better than the angels," that he has "a more excellent name than they," and as so much higher than the angels that "all the angels of God worship him." In the second chapter of the same book, he is presented in his human nature as "lower than the angels," even as man himself. Thus it is written:—
"One in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitiest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels."
Thus, instead of his human nature being "beyond comparison" higher than angels, cherubim, and seraphim, it was made as much lower than they as man himself was made lower.
Nor is it only as man was lower than the angels before he sinned. It was not as man was lower than the angels in his sinless nature, that Jesus was made lower than the angels in his human nature; but as man was lower than the angels in his sinful nature, as he is since he by sin became subject to suffering and death. For so it is written: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, . . . that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
Partook of Our Nature.
Thus, as man in his sinless human nature was made a little lower than the angels, and then by sin stepped still lower to suffering and death; even so Jesus, that he might bring him back to the glory of God, in his love followed him down even here, partakes of his nature as it is, suffers with him, and even dies with him as well as for him in his sinful human nature. For "he was numbered with the transgressors"—he died as a malefactor between two malefactors. This is love. This is Jesus our Saviour, for he comes to us where we are, that he may reach us and lift us up from ourselves unto God.
Yet this blessed saving truth is even more plainly stated, thus: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." He, in his human nature, took the same flesh and blood that we have. All the words that could be used to make this plain and positive are here put together in a single sentence. See: The children are partakers of flesh and blood. Because of this he took part of the same. But that is not all: He also took part of the same flesh and blood as the children have. Nor is this all: He also himself took part of the same flesh and blood as we. Nor yet is this all: He also himself likewise took part of the same flesh and blood as man.
Thus the Spirit of inspiration so much desires that this truth shall be made plain and emphatic that he is not content to use any fewer than all the words that could be used in the telling of it. And therefore it is declared that just as, and just as certainly as, the children of men are partakers of flesh and blood, he also, himself, likewise, took part of the same flesh and blood as we have in the bondage of sin and the fear of death. For he took this same flesh and blood that we have, in order "that through death he might . . . deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
Blood-Relationship.
Therefore, instead of its being true that Jesus in his human nature is so far away from men, as they really are, that he has no real likeness nor relationship to us, it is true that he is in very deed our kin in flesh and blood relation—even our brother in blood-relationship. For it is written: "Both he which sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren."
This great truth of the blood-relationship between our Redeemer and ourselves is clearly taught also in the Gospel in Leviticus. There was the law of redemption of men and their inheritances. When any one of the children of Israel had lost his inheritance, or himself had been brought into bondage, there was redemption provided. If he were able of himself to redeem himself or his inheritance, he could do it. But if he were not able of himself to redeem, then the right of redemption fell to his nearest of kin in blood-relationship. It fell not merely to one who was near of kin among his brethren, but to the one who was nearest of kin who was able. Lev. 25: 24-28, 47-49; Ruth 2: 20; 3: 12, 13; 4: 1-12.
Thus there has been taught through these ages the very truth which we have found taught here in the second chapter of Hebrews—the truth that man has lost his inheritance and is himself also in bondage. And as he himself can not redeem himself nor his inheritance, the right of redemption falls to the nearest of kin who is able. And Jesus Christ is the only one in all the universe who is able. He must also be, not only near of kin, but the nearest of kin; and the nearest of kin by blood-relationship. And therefore he took our very flesh and blood, and so became our nearest of kin. And so also, instead of being farther away from us than are the angels and cherubim and seraphim, he is the very nearest to us of all persons in the universe.
He is so near to us that he is actually one with us. For so it is written: "Both he which sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one." And he and we being one, he being one with mankind, it is impossible to have a mediator between him and men, because he and mankind are one and "a mediator is not a mediator of one." Gal. 3: 20. And as certainly as Jesus Christ is one with mankind and "a mediator is not a mediator of one," so certainly this truth at once annihilates the "intercessions" of all the Catholic saints in the calendar even tho they were all alive and in heaven instead of being all dead.
He Feels Our Infirmities.
But the scripture does not stop even yet with the statement of this all-important truth. It says further: "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." "For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb. 4: 15. Being made in the human nature, in all things like as we are, he could be, and was, tempted in all points like as we are.
As in his human nature he is one with us, and as "himself took our infirmities" (Matt. 8: 17), so he could be "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." He felt just as we feel and knows all about it, and so can help and save to the uttermost all who will receive him. As in his flesh, and as in himself in the flesh, he was as weak as we are, and of himself could "do nothing" (John 5: 31), when he "bore our griefs and carried our sorrows" (Isa. 53: 4), and was tempted as we are, feeling as we feel, by his divine faith he conquered all by the power of God which that faith brought to him and which in our flesh he has brought to us.
Immanuel: God with Us.
And thus "what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh" did. The law could not bring us to God, nor could it find in the flesh the righteousness which it must have, because the flesh had fallen away from God and could not reach him again. But tho the sinful flesh could not reach God, yet God in his eternal power and infinite mercy could reach sinful flesh. And so "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth." "God was manifest in the flesh," even "sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8: 3, 4.
O, his name is called Immanuel, which is "God with us"! Not God with him only, but God with us. God was with him in5eternity, and could have been with him even tho he had not given himself for us. But man through sin became without God, and God wanted to be again with us. Therefore Jesus became us, that God with him might be God with us. And that is his name because that is what he is.
Therefore and finally, as certainly as in his human nature, Jesus Christ is one with us, and as certainly as God with him is God with us, so certainly the nature of the Virgin Mary was just like that of all the rest of us, and so certainly the dogma of the immaculate conception is an absolute falsehood.
O, then, receive him. No ladder is required to reach him, for he himself is the Ladder which reaches from the earth where we are, to the highest heaven. No bridge is needed. There is no abyss between us and him, for he is of ourselves as we are on the earth. And "with his divine arm he grasps the throne of God, and with his long human arm he gathers the sinful, suffering human race to his great heart of love," that we may be one with God.
Confess to him your sins; he will never take advantage of you. Tell him your griefs; he has felt the same and can relieve you. Pour out to him your sorrows; "he hath carried our sorrows," he was "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;" he will comfort you with the comfort of God.
COMING.
By George E. Price
BY GEO. E. PRICE.
Coming down majestic
Through the parting sky,
See the King of glory;
See the angels fly,
Gathering up his people
From this world of sin,
Taking them to Jesus,
Ever more to reign.