Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 8, 1883
The Resurrection of Christ.
By Ellen G. White
THE priests who ministered before the altar had gloomy presentiments as they looked upon the vail, rent by unseen hands from top to bottom, and which there had not been time to replace or to fully repair. The uncovering of the sacred mysteries of the most holy place brought to them a shuddering dread of coming calamity. Many of the officiating priests were deeply convicted of the true character of Jesus; their searching of the prophecies had not been in vain, and after he was raised from the dead they acknowledged him as the Son of God.
During that memorable passover the scenes of the crucifixion were the theme of thought, and the topic of conversation. Hundreds had brought with them to the passover their afflicted relatives and friends, expecting to see Jesus and prevail upon him to heal and save them. Great was their disappointment to find that he was not at the feast; and when they were told that he had been executed as a criminal, their indignation and grief knew no bounds.
The multitudes of sufferers who had come with the expectation of being healed by the Saviour sank under their disappointment. The streets and the temple courts were filled with mourning. The sick were dying for want of the healing touch of Jesus of Nazareth. Physicians were consulted in vain; there was no skill like that of Him who lay in state in Joseph's tomb. The afflicted, who had long looked forward to this time as their only hope of relief, asked in vain for the Healer they had sought.
The revenge which the priests thought would be so sweet had already become bitterness to them. They knew that they were meeting the severe censure of the people; they knew that the very persons whom they had influenced against Jesus were now horrified by their own shameful work. As they witnessed all these proofs of the divine influence of Jesus, they were more afraid of his dead body in the tomb than they had been of him when he was living and among them. The possibility of his coming forth from the sepulcher filled their guilty souls with indescribable terror. They felt that Jesus might at any time stand before them, the accused to become the accuser, the condemned to in turn condemn, the slain to demand justice in the death of his murderers. Every preparation had been made at the sepulcher to prevent any surprise or fraud being perpetrated by the disciples. The night had worn slowly away, and the darkest hour before day-break had come. The Roman guards were keeping their weary watch, the sentinels pacing to and fro before the sepulcher, while the remainder of the detachment of one hundred soldiers were reclining upon the ground in different positions, taking what rest they could. But angels were also guarding the sepulcher, one of whom could have stricken down the whole Roman army by the putting forth of his power.
One of the most exalted order of angels is sent from Heaven; his countenance is like the lightning, and his garments white as snow. He parts the darkness from his track, and the whole heavens are lit with his resplendent glory. The sleeping soldiers start simultaneously to their feet, and gaze with awe and wonder at the open, lighted heavens, and the vision of brightness which approaches. The earth trembles and heaves; soldiers, officers, and sentinels all fall as dead men prostrate upon the earth. The evil angels, who have triumphantly claimed the body of Christ, flee in terror from the place. One of the mighty, commanding angels who has, with his company, been keeping watch over the tomb of his Master, joins the powerful angel who comes from Heaven; and together they advance directly to the sepulcher.
The angelic commander laid hold of the great stone which had required many strong men to place in position, rolled it away, and took his seat upon it, while his companion entered the sepulcher and unwound the wrappings from the face and head of Jesus. Then the mighty angel, with a voice that caused the earth to quake, was heard: JESUS, THOU SON OF GOD, THY FATHER CALLS THEE! Then he who had earned the power to conquer death and the grave came forth, with the tread of a conqueror, from the sepulcher, amid the reeling of the earth, the flashing of lightning, and the roaring of thunder. An earthquake marked the hour when Christ laid down his life; and another earthquake signaled the moment when he took it up again in triumph.
Jesus was the first-fruits of them that slept. When he came forth from the tomb he called a multitude from the dead, thus settling forever the long-disputed question of the resurrection. In raising this multitude of captives from the dead, he gives evidence that there will be a final resurrection of those who sleep in Jesus. The believers in Christ thus receive the very light they want in regard to the future life of the pious dead.
Satan was bitterly incensed that his angels had fled from the presence of the heavenly angels, and that Christ had conquered death, and shown by this act what his future power was to be. All the triumph that Satan had experienced in witnessing his own power over men, which had urged them on to insult and murder the Son of God, fled before this exhibition of the divine power of Christ. He had dared to hope that Jesus would not take up his life again; but his courage failed him when the Saviour came forth, having paid the full ransom of man, and enabled him to over-
come Satan in his own behalf in the name of Christ, the Conqueror. The arch-enemy now knew that he must eventually die, and that his kingdom would have an end.
In this scene of the resurrection of the Son of God is given a lively image of the glory that will be revealed at the general resurrection of the just at the second appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Then the dead that are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth to life; and not only the earth, but the heavens themselves, shall be shaken. A few graves were opened at the resurrection of Christ; but at his second coming all the precious dead, from righteous Abel to the last saint that dies, shall awake to glorious, immortal life.
If the soldiers at the sepulcher were so filled with terror at the appearance of one angel clothed with heavenly light and strength, that they fell as dead men to the ground, how will his enemies stand before the Son of God, when he comes in power and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels from the courts of Heaven? Then the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and be removed as a cottage. The elements shall be in flames, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.
At the death of Jesus the soldiers had beheld the earth wrapped in profound darkness at midday; but at the resurrection they saw the brightness of the angels illuminate the night, and heard the inhabitants of Heaven singing with great joy and triumph: Thou hast vanquished Satan and the powers of darkness! Thou hast swallowed up death in victory! "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, who accused them before our God day and night."
The casting down of Satan as an accuser of the brethren in Heaven was accomplished by the great work of Christ in giving up his life. Notwithstanding Satan's persistent opposition, the plan of redemption was being carried out. Man was esteemed of sufficient value for Christ to sacrifice his life for him. Satan, knowing that the empire he had usurped would in the end be wrested from him, determined to spare no pains to destroy as many as possible of the creatures whom God had created in his image. He hated man because Christ had manifested for him such forgiving love and pity, and he now prepared to practice upon him every species of deception by which he might be lost; he pursued his course with more energy because of his own hopeless condition.
Christ came to earth to vindicate the claims of his Father's law, and his death shows the immutability of that law. But Satan thrusts upon man the fallacy that the law of God was abolished by the death of Christ, and he thus leads many professed Christians to transgress the Father's commandments, while they assume devotion to his Son.
The Christian world is not sufficiently acquainted with the history of Satan and the terrible power that he wields. Many look upon him as a mere imaginary being. Meanwhile he has crept into the popular mind; he sways the people—he assumes the character of an angel of light—he marshals his trained forces like a skilled general—he has gained profound knowledge of human nature, and can be logical, philosophical, or hypocritically religious.
He now prepared to work upon the minds of the priests in regard to the event of the resurrection of Christ. He knew that, having already fallen into his trap, and committed the horrible crime of slaying the Son of God, they were entirely in his power, and their only course to escape the wrath of the people was to persist in494denouncing Jesus as an impostor, and to accuse his disciples of stealing away his body that they might declare him to be risen from the dead.
After the exceeding glory of the angelic messenger had faded from the heavens and from the sepulcher, the Roman guards ventured to raise their heads and to look about them. They saw that the great stone at the door of the sepulcher was removed, and they arose in consternation to find the body of Jesus gone and the tomb empty. They turned from the sepulcher, overwhelmed by what they had seen and heard, and made their way with all haste to the city, relating to those whom they met the marvelous scenes they had witnessed. Some of the disciples, who had passed a sleepless night, heard the wonderful story with mingled hope and fear. Meanwhile a messenger was dispatched to the priests and rulers, announcing to them: Christ whom ye crucified is risen from the dead!
A servant was immediately sent with a private message summoning the Roman guard to the palace of the high priest. There they were closely questioned; they gave a full statement of what they had witnessed at the sepulcher. That an awful messenger had come from Heaven with face like the lightning for brightness, and with garments white as snow; that the earth shook and trembled, and they were stricken powerless; that the angel had laid hold of the immense stone at the door of the sepulcher, and had rolled it away as if it had been a pebble; that a form of great glory had emerged from the sepulcher; that a chorus of voices had made the heavens and earth vocal with songs of victory and joy; that when the light had faded out, and the music had ceased, they had recovered their strength, found the tomb empty, and the body of Jesus nowhere to be found.
When the priests, scribes, and rulers heard this account, their faces were blanched to a deadly pallor. They could not utter a word. With horror they perceived that two-thirds of the prophecy concerning Messiah had now been fulfilled, and their hearts failed them with fear of what might be about to take place. They could not question the evidence of the witnesses before them. Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one, had indeed risen from the dead.
When they had recovered from their first shock at hearing this news, they began to consider what course they would best pursue, and Satan was present to suggest ways and means. They felt that they had placed themselves where they had no alternative but to brave it out, and deny Christ to the very last. They reasoned that if this report should be circulated among the people, they would not only be stripped of their honor and authority, but would probably lose their lives. Jesus had said that he would rise from the dead and ascend to Heaven; they determined to keep the people in ignorance of the fulfillment of his word. They thought this could be done if the Roman guard could be bought with money.
They found upon trial that the guard could be induced by large bribes to deny their former report, and to testify that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus in the night, while the sentinels slept. It was a crime punishable by death for a sentinel to sleep at his post; and in order to secure the evidence they wished, the priests promised to insure the safety of the guard. The Roman soldiers sold their integrity to the false Jews for money. They came in before the priests burdened with a most startling message of truth, and went out with a burden of money, and with a lying report upon their tongues which had been framed for them by the priests.
Meanwhile a messenger had been sent, bearing the news to Pilate. When he heard what had occurred, his soul was filled with terror. He shut himself within his home, not wishing to see any one; but the priests found their way into his presence, and urged him to make no investigation of the affirmed neglect of the sentinels, but to let the matter pass. Pilate at length consented to this, after having a private interview with the guard, and learning all the particulars from them. They dared not conceal anything from the Governor for fear of losing their lives. Pilate did not prosecute the matter farther, but from that time there was no more peace or comfort for him.
"We have waited for him;" we have watched the signs
Which proclaim his coming near,
As one by one, like the tender leaf
Of the fig-tree, they appear.
We have seen the sun in the heavens grow black;
The moon withdraw her light;
And the stars in the blue expanse above,
Fall from their dazzling height.
The angel has flown through the midst of heaven,
And his message we all have heard
Proclaiming to every nation and tongue,
The truth of the prophet's word.
We have waited for him, Lo, this is our God.
We have waited and us he will save.
O Death! where now is thy cruel sting?
And where is thy victory, Grave?
We have waited for him; we have kept the truth;
Let us enter his gates with praise.
The reproach of his people is taken away,
And the tears of their waiting days.
Oh, soon will these words be ours, we know!
Let us watch till the Master come.
Be ready to meet him with burning lamps,
And share in the "Welcome home!"
The Makes-no-difference Theory.
By R. F. Cottrell
BY ELD. R. F. COTTRELL.
IF any citizen should say, "It makes no difference whether we obey the laws of the State or not," he would be esteemed wickedly lawless, or insane. Yet this is the way the law of God is spoken of by men of all classes, the clergyman and the layman, the non-professor and the skeptic. In the latter classes, it is not so much to be wondered at; for they do not profess to revere the Almighty, and, to the shame of the former, the latter have learned it from their lips, and only reiterate what they have heard from the pulpit and the pew. Ministers have said, deacons and private members have repeated it, and it is no wonder that worldlings of all degrees should join them in full chorus,—"It makes no difference which day you keep as the Sabbath if you only keep one day in seven;" "it makes no difference whether you believe what the Scriptures teach of the second coming of Christ, if you are only ready;" and a large number of various classes sound the refrain, "It makes no difference whether you keep one day, or no day, or whether you have any faith in Christ, or not." Some may listen with pious regret to this refrain, but they have sounded the key and the others fully harmonize; they have set the ball in motion, and they cannot stop it; they have laid down the premises, the others only bring out the legitimate conclusion.
And why do Christians thus encourage the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme? It is simply because they find themselves, by the traditions of their fathers, out of harmony with the law of God, and rather than turn and obey the law as it is, they manufacture arguments to excuse themselves in disobedience, and in offering to God a substitute for what he has commanded, impiously contending that it makes no difference. They would not dare treat the Governor of the State in this way; but they seem to think that God is a great way off, and will not notice so trivial a matter. "Offer it now unto thy Governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts." How applicable to the case are the words of the Lord by the mouth of the prophet: "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore I have made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law." Mal. 2: 7-9.
It is worse than folly, it is impiety, to assert that the fourth commandment is binding—that the Sabbath of that commandment should be kept—and yet that it does not bind men to the observance of a particular day. God sanctified, set apart, appointed, the seventh day, because it was his Sabbath, the day on which he rested from the work of creation. He rested only on the seventh day of the seven; therefore his Sabbath is no other day than that one of the weekly cycle so definitely and infallibly pointed out. And it will be finally discovered, to the infinite loss of many, that it makes a vast difference whether we obey God or not. It is extremely silly, as well as wicked, to attempt to undermine the fourth commandment, and circumvent Infinite Wisdom, by beginning where you please to number the weekly cycle, and so make any day you choose the one required to be kept holy—the Sabbath of the Lord, that is the day on which the Lord rested. It is attempting an impossibility; it is a flagrant violation of common sense; a thing that never would have been undertaken, but from the direst necessity to excuse self and maintain a tradition that had usurped the place of the Lord's Sabbath and made void the fourth precept of his law.
Ignorance will be the ground upon which many who lived in time past will be forgiven the sin of making the Lord's holy Sabbath a secular day; but light has come, the time of ignorance is fast passing away, and those to whom the light has come cannot be excused on the same ground. The Judgment is at hand; and men will be weighed in the just balances of the law of God. The gospel will save those who have repented of their sins, found pardon through Jesus Christ, and have followed the example of Him who said, "I have kept my father's commandments."
Jesus is soon coming. The signs of the times, which are the fulfillment of the predictions of Jesus, prophets, and apostles, declare it in language too plain to the believer to be misunderstood. The Jews were condemned as unbelievers because they did not discern the signs of their times. Christians of our day will have their faith tested also on the signs of the times. Faith in Christ embraces the promise of his return, and accepts the fulfillment of the signs he promised, and which have been fulfilled. It is becoming too late to say, It makes no difference whether we believe in his promise and the fulfillment of the signs he gave, on the fulfillment of which he bids us know that his advent is at hand, even at the doors. The inquiring, observing Christian lacks no evidence on this point. Nothing but stubborn unbelief can much longer excuse itself from believing, saying, "It makes no difference, if we are only prepared." It will be found too late, by many, that that excuse is only a hiding place for unbelief in the words of Jesus, and that it is vain to hope to be prepared for his coming while having no real confidence in his words. Yes, it will make a vast difference whether we be found in faith or unbelief. "Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
Working for God
The Christian esteems it his greatest pleasure, and highest privilege, to work for God; the sinner considers such expense lost.
Walking by Faith.
A GENTLEMAN sailing down the Atlantic Coast came on deck one morning to find the air pervaded by a fog so thick as to shut off the vision for even a few yards from the steamer. He had been aware during the night of a peculiar vigilance and activity on board, and ascertained that the fog had lasted since the previous evening. On inquiring of the captain concerning their whereabouts, he was told that they had past Cape Hatteras in the night. "How did you know that? Could you see the light?" "Oh, no; not in a fog like this." "Well, you could certainly take no observations without a star in sight." "No; but we have other ways of seeing where we are than those you have mentioned." "How?" "By the lead. Our soundings told us that we were off the cape, and when we had passed it."
The spiritual have other means of seeing than what we call our sight. They see by the lead. That lead is faith. All distinctively Christian seamanship consists in the use of this "vision and faculty divine." There are nights when the heavens seem walled above our heads, and no light shines from the shore; when through the moaning and midnight seas we pass the stormy and perilous crisis of our life. But we go on, sounding the depths that encompass and imperil us, finding the rocks and shoals themselves our chart and our security. "For we walk by faith, not by sight."—Sel.
Abuse of Moses.
I HEAR of a man traveling around the country exploding this book (the Bible), and showing up "the mistakes of Moses," at about two hundred dollars a night. Moses being dead, cannot defend himself. It would be worth something, after hearing the infidel on the mistakes of Moses, to hear Moses on the mistakes of the infidel. When Moses could talk back, he was rather a difficult man to deal with; Pharaoh tried it, and sank like lead beneath the wave. Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, and, it is said, were buried in the earth. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram tried it, and went down so deep that they have not yet got back. But Moses is dead, and it is easy to abuse him. It does not take a very brave beast to kick a dead lion. It would be interesting to hear a military leader and legislator like Moses, the man of God (who, after he was eighty years old, commanded for forty years an army of 600,000 men), give his candid opinion concerning the mistakes of the Colonel, whose military career is said to have consisted in one single engagement, in which he was chased into a hog yard, and surrendered to a boy of sixteen. After which, as soon as exchanged, he heroically resigned his commission in the face of the enemy, and subsequently gave his attention to managing a whisky ring, discussing theology, blaspheming God, and criticising the dead man who cannot answer back.—Sel.
Rest Makes Labor Productive
PROPER rest does not hinder labor, but rather makes it productive.
Spiritual Food.
By E. Hilliard
THE harvest laborer returns from the field at noon, his garments moistened with perspiration, and his body tired and weak with the forenoon's toil. He finds a table loaded with wholesome food to satisfy his hunger, and a pitcher of good, cool water awaiting to quench his thirst. No one has to urge him to sit by and eat, but with a good will and strong appetite he partakes of the repast. It is just as essential to a growth in grace that we have spiritual food, and just as necessary to perform spiritual labor, that we drink deep of Christ, the living fountain, as it is that we have daily food and drink to supply our temporal wants.
Privation, perplexity, and suffering, is the lot of all Christ's followers in this life. Paul says, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him." He who shuns to work for Christ because it incurs suffering, must, in the day of Judgment, experience a deep anguish of spirit and physical suffering that is not to be compared with that endured in this brief life. It is a fearful thing to know all these things, and then not be willing to do and bear all that is required of us for Christ's sake. The punishment of the forgetful hearer who is not a doer of the word, will be far more severe than that experienced by those who have not had the privilege of knowing the truth of God's word. "And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes."
The Bible reveals to us God's will, and how are we to know it and do it without studying its sacred pages. Many will be held responsible in the Judgment for their ignorance of God's requirements through neglected opportunities in studying the sacred volume. "Search the Scriptures," said our Saviour. Search does not mean to give them a cursory perusal. It does not mean to mechanically read a chapter for the morning and evening worship; it does not mean to read them merely to escape the penalty of God's wrath set forth in them. It means to peruse them diligently with an inquiring mind, "for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they that testify of me."
An invitation to the great marriage supper of the Lamb in the kingdom of God, is given through the Scriptures to all the inhabitants of earth, with a promise that, if we are there dressed in the wedding garment, due respect shall be paid to us. Only those who are hungry and thirsty will ever sit down to the King's repast. The Master requires that we shall give the invitation proper consideration, accept of it heartily, and make the necessary preparation to be in a presentable condition.
E. HILLIARD.
Medford, Minn.
Faith vs. Credulity.
By William N. Glenn
THE point where the Christian and the infidel part company is on faith. In all things pertaining to the word of God, the infidel refuses to believe what he cannot see. The Christian believes on the evidence of faith, which is his basis of hope. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Heb. 11 : 1. When the Christian has gone as far as he can by sight, he keeps right on with the same confidence, because he believes the word of the Lord. And it is a fact that if he walk in humble, implicit faith, he will make straighter paths than in walking by sight, for what he does see, he sees "through a glass darkly," or only "in part." 1 Cor. 13 : 12. The light of faith is the brightest light he has.
But because the Christian walks by faith, it does not necessarily follow that he walks in ignorance. Faith in God is simply trust in one who has many times over demonstrated his wisdom, truthfulness, goodness, and power. When we trust in his promises, we trust in that which has been proved reliable ever since man existed. We have the record of those who, in all ages of the world, have exercised implicit confidence in God, and not one of them ever had his trust betrayed. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews furnishes witnesses enough to establish the confidence of any reasonable person, that trusting in the God of the Bible is no mere experiment in our day. Aside from these there are hundreds of living witnesses in our own generation who have tested and proved that walking by faith is no uncertainty—witnesses whose testimony upon any other subject would not be doubted by the veriest skeptic.
But what does the unbeliever in a living God and the Christian religion have to offer in lieu of faith as a guide? When he parts company with the Christian at the point of faith, and seeks a road that he can travel by sight, whence hath he light? Ask him, and he will point you to some "undeveloped" theory, "yet in its infancy," originated in his own generation, perhaps. If you insist upon seeing the way, he will endeavor to show you the origin of all things in some "chaotic nebula," the theory of whose "self-development" is more "chaotic" than the "nebula" itself. Ask him where his road leads to, and he gives you another refulgence of chaotic light regarding "self-organized plants and animals" under the "laws of developing sociology," ending as a result of the "survival of the fittest" in some "unknowable absolute."
Such is a specimen of the light proffered to the world by some who insist upon not believing what they cannot see. Others, having less ambition, are content to know nothing beyond what is picked up by the natural senses without any further mental effort. These also refuse to believe in any revelation from the Creator—failing even to come up to the intelligence of the untutored savage, who
"Sees God in clouds and hears him in the wind."
Amid all the beauties of nature, they are ready to deny that "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work." Ps. 19 : 1.
And upon what evidence do all classes of these opposers base their positions? Upon nothing but the speculations of men who never arrive at a definite conclusion—"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." They have no faith, for faith must have truth to rest upon; and they have ignored it, calling for sight. Their light is all darkness. They have no hope, for hope must have faith for a basis. The whole ground of their opposition to Christianity lies in their credulity—which Webster defines as "readiness to believe without sufficient evidence." They do continually that which they claim to be too wise to do—believe without evidence. Thus, while the Christian walks by faith, the infidel is led by his credulity.
W. N. GLENN.
The True Riches.
By EPSILON
WHAT a grasping after the wealth of this present earth! Alas! how men all around us are worrying and fretting to obtain it. Their one idea of life is money, money, money! What wrongs are committed on every hand! What countless millions mourn on account of the oppression and robbery of the money-graspers! If we may judge by the lives they lead, how many put their trust in riches! And it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of Heaven; but, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
It is right that we be industrious, and provide things honest in the sight of all men, and that we obtain money only for the good we may do with it. But we should never join in the mad rush of the world after wealth and earthly glory. If we but do our duty toward God, toward our fellow-man, and toward ourselves, we need not fear for food and clothing. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” [life]. He parts with it at death, and it remains behind him, to be a curse, perhaps, to his children.
But oh, the inestimable value of the true riches, the gift of God, the eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord; and with it the saints’ inheritance—the renewed earth, and the mansions which Christ our Lord prepares! When the glory of this present earth shall have passed away forever, and with it the rich oppressor; when the wicked shall be as ashes under the feet of the glorified, and “be as though they had not been,” swallowed up in eternal silence by the second death; when the former things are passed away, and all things are made new, and “Christ who is our life” shall be with us, and be our God, then will we rejoice that we have gained the true riches, the “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” EPSILON.
Postal-Card Jottings.—No. 5.
By Henry Veysey
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. Such will be the name of Judah and Jerusalem when the Lord Jesus Christ, the Branch of righteousness, shall be King of kings. As we are grafted into that living Branch, the True Vine (John 15 : 1; Rom. 11 : 17, 19, 26), we shall have this precious name, the Lord our righteousness (Jer. 33 : 16), given to us in the grand resurrection-glory, if accounted worthy. Luke 20 : 25. Christ Jesus is now made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 1 Cor. 1 : 30. Thus, his righteousness is not only imputed to us (Rom. 4 : 22–24), but, by the power of God and the inworking of the Holy Spirit, it is imparted to us, and that so thoroughly that Paul could say, "For me to live is Christ." Phil. 1 : 21. "I know nothing against myself." 1 Cor. 4 : 4 (R. V.). "Our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward." 2 Cor. 1 : 12 (R. V.). "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves." 1 Thess. 2 : 10. How was this? Because the Lord was his practical righteousness. He was crucified, dead, and buried with Christ, and said, "the life which I live in the flesh I live in faith [the faith], which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2 : 20. That which is true to faith will be practically and experimentally true. Let us be clothed with righteousness, i. e., right-doing, which means separation from the world, its ways, and its fashions. 1 John 2 : 15. Let us put on the divine panoply; let us take it to us. Eph. 5 : 11, 13 (Greek). Let us live soberly, righteously, and godly (Titus 2 : 12), then white raiment and fine linen will be ours forever. Rev. 3 : 4, 5, 18; 19 : 8.
HENRY VEYSEY.
Battle Creek College, Mich.
Righteousness.
By A. S. Hutchins
THE Scriptures represent righteousness as obedience to God's law. "And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us." Deut. 6:25. "Righteousness exalteth a nation." Upon the righteous the Lord looketh with delight. "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." Ps. 11:7. And again, "The Lord loveth the righteous." To such how comforting his promises. "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." Isa. 3:10.
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Matt. 5:6. "He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks; bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure." Isa. 33:15, 16.
Dear brethren, it is now our especial work to seek "righteousness," seek "meekness," that we may be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. Zeph. 2:1-3.
Let us perseveringly do this, and humbly walk with God, in all things obeying him, and then soon shall be heard a voice from Heaven, of the most enrapturing sweetness and thrilling loveliness, "Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in." Isa. 26:2.
Pilgrims, bound to the city of God, fresh courage take, and onward press. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
A. S. HUTCHINS.
Vigorous and Healthy Piety
The stoutest timber stands on Norwegian rocks, where tempests rage, and long, hard winters reign. The muscles are seen most fully developed in the brawny arm that plies the blacksmith's hammer. Even so, the most vigorous and healthy piety is that which is the busiest, which has difficulties to battle with, which has its hand full of good works, which has neither time nor room for evil, but, aiming at great things both for God and man, promptly and summarily dismisses temptations with Nehemiah's answer, "I have a great work to do, therefore I cannot come down."