Review and Herald, Vol. 44, No. 18. (10/27/1874)

Review and Herald

Oct 27, 1874

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 27, 1874

Thy Kingdom Come.

By Eli. R. F. Cottrell.

BY ELI. R. F. COTTRELL.

Text: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” Matt. 6:10.

These are the leading petitions of the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples to pray. These petitions indited by the Son of God, will be fulfilled; they are prophetic of that which God has promised shall take place. The time will come when the kingdom desired will be established and the will of God will be done on the earth as it is now done by the angels of God in Heaven—sin will then have no place on the earth.

It is right to pray this prayer still? If the kingdom is already come, the petitions are fulfilled; and that which is already fulfilled should no longer be prayed for. But as we cannot believe that the will of God is now done perfectly upon earth, we cannot believe that the promised kingdom or reign has been established. Sin seems to reign on earth at present. As long as this is the case, it is evidently still right to pray, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in Heaven.

What is the kingdom? It is the one promised in prophecy. Is it a real kingdom, or only a principle reigning and ruling in the heart, which by a figure of speech is called a kingdom? Let us see. A real kingdom has these constituent parts: A king, subjects, territory, and laws. Is such a kingdom promised? Yes. The following scriptures show that Christ the Son of God is to be the king, his saints the subjects and inheritors, and the earth the territory or inheritance.

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree; the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Ps. 2:6–8. Here the Son of God is set forth by his Father as a king, and the kingdoms of the heathen, or nations, are promised to him and the whole earth as his possession.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isa. 9:6, 7. “And thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:31–33.

In these scriptures Jesus the Christ is promised a kingdom—a reign over the house of Jacob, the people of God—which is to be everlasting, or have no end. This is evidently the kingdom promised in Dan. 2:44: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” The “people” who share in this everlasting kingdom and the territory which they are to possess are plainly revealed in Dan. 7:27: “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN [that is, over the whole earth] shall be given to the PEOPLE of the SAINTS of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

We have found that Christ is the king, his people the subjects, and the whole earth the territory which they possess. Has this kingdom come? Does Christ now reign on the earth? do all “under the whole heaven” “serve and obey him”? It seems not. That the coming of this everlasting kingdom is a future event, and that it is not set up before the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the saints, is abundantly proved from the following scriptures. It had not come when Jesus taught his disciples to pray for its coming. Nor had it come when the last passover was eaten by Christ and his disciples; for he said, as he gave the cup to them, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” Luke 22:18. The converts to Christianity had not entered into this kingdom when Paul was traveling from church to church, “confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22. The kingdom was still a matter of promise when James wrote: “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” James 2:5.

The kingdom is not established till the second appearing of Christ and the Judgment. “Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.” 2 Tim. 4:1. It will not come till the saints are changed to immortality at the resurrection of the just. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 15:50–52. This change from flesh and blood, from corruption to incorruption, at the last trump and the resurrection of the dead, takes place at the return of Christ: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thess. 4:16. In the parable, Luke 19:11–15, the nobleman goes into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and return. And having received the kingdom he returns and reckons with his servants, rewards his loyal people, and punishes his enemies. Being seated upon the throne, Christ orders his kingdom, welcomes his saints to its possession, and punishes those who are not worthy to have any inheritance in it. See Matt. 25:31–46. The Son of man comes in his glory and is seated on his glorious throne. Then he says to the righteous, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

So when we pray, “Thy kingdom come,” we pray for the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the Judgment.

Are you praying for these events? Can you respond to the words of Christ: “Surely, I come quickly,” in the language of the apostle, “Amen! Even so, come, Lord Jesus”?

Is the coming and kingdom of Christ near? To give a tithe of the evidences from the prophecies and the signs of the times, that it is soon to come, will not be attempted in this discourse. We only refer to the signs as given by Jesus himself in Matt. 24:29–35. The darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars are now matters of history; and on the fulfillment of these signs, Jesus says, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”

We now come to the second part of the text: “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” The will of the Father is the law of the kingdom; and it will be perfectly obeyed. The Father gives the kingdom to the Son; and the will of the Father is the will of the Son; for says the latter, “I and my Father are one.” We have found that the kingdom is to be real; that Christ is the king; that his people made immortal are the subjects; that the territory of their inheritance is the whole earth which will be made new; and, to complete the component parts of a kingdom, we now find that the will of God is to be the law of the kingdom.

Has the will of the Father been already revealed to men? It certainly has; and the doing of it is a condition of entering into the kingdom. None but loyal, law-abiding subjects will be admitted there. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,” says Jesus, “shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.” Matt. 7:21. “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Chap. 19:17. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev. 22:14. This city is the New Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom.

What code of commandments reveals to us the will of God? This is an important question; since it will not only be the law of the future kingdom, but is made the condition of entering it. It must be the moral law of God. And we are happy to agree with all orthodox denominations of Christians, that the moral law is summarily contained in the ten commandments, the only code coming directly from God to the people, spoken with his own voice and written with his own finger in tables of stone. We quote two texts, one from the Old Testament, and one from the New, to prove that the will of God and this moral law are identical. In Ps. 40:7, 8, the first coming of Christ into the world is prophesied of in these words: “Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.” See Heb. 10:5–7. The law that is in the heart of the Son of God is the same law which the new covenant puts into the hearts of all the heirs of the kingdom. It is the law that he came not to destroy, nor to remove from it a jot or tittle. Matt. 5:17–20. But Paul makes it plain that this law is the ten commandments. Rom. 2:17, 18. “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest HIS WILL, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of THE LAW.” “What law is referred to? Let the apostle answer. “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery?” Verses 21, 22. According to this language of the apostle, the ten commandments are the law which reveals the will of God. Therefore, when we pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven,” we pray that these commandments may be kept by all the inhabitants of the earth; and this petition will surely be fulfilled. The time will come. But while we pray for the will of God to be done, to be consistent, we should do his will now. This we have seen is a condition of sharing in the kingdom in the world to come.

But it is objected that we do not see these commandments alike. Whose fault is it? All Christians agree in nine of them. There is no disagreement in any one but the Sabbath commandment; and this is more explicit than any other one of the ten; it explains itself and gives the reason. This no other one does.

Let me call your attention to some of the peculiarities of this commandment, which was placed by the finger of God in the midst of his moral law. 1. It is the only one of the ten that traces itself back to the creation, when man in his innocence was placed in the possession of Eden. 2. It was the chosen test, when God would prove his people, whether they would walk in his law, or no. Ex. 16:4–30. 3. Passing by the emphasis placed upon the Sabbath in the Old Testament, it is more frequently mentioned in the New than any other of the ten, and is always called by the sacred title, “the Sabbath;” as far as revelation extends, from the beginning to the end, it is the same. 4. But it is the only one which we are expressly informed will be kept in the world to come, the Eden restored, the kingdom of God upon earth. Here is the clear evidence: “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.”

It is self-evident that this prediction has never been fulfilled. But it will be. When? When the kingdom of God shall have come, and the will of God is done in earth, as it is done in Heaven. It will then be demonstrated that a universal Sabbath can be kept on the round and rolling world; and none will circumnavigate the globe, either east or west, to find an objection against it. They will all be agreed in the particular day. None will object against the Sabbath, which Jesus said “was made for man,” that it is a Jewish institution, and not binding upon the whole race. But the Sabbath shall gloriously stand as the grand memorial that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh; and the ceaseless ages of eternity shall not see it obliterated. It is “the holy of the Lord,” and will forever be kept holy.

In conclusion we say, When we pray, Thy kingdom come, we pray for the second advent of the Saviour as the King of kings and Lord of lords. None can pray this in sincerity and in truth but those who love his appearing, and would be glad to know that the petition will soon be fulfilled. When we pray, Thy will be done, we pray that the commandments of God may be kept, the Sabbath, as well as the rest.

Should we not then keep them? No other course is consistent. Let us remember that it is not every one that calls Jesus Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom for which we pray, but that he that doeth the will of the Father, keeping his commandments, shall enter through the gates into the city of God. While we pray, let us also do; and so we shall share in the glorious, soon-coming kingdom.

The Day Is at Hand.

Poor, fainting spirit, still hold on thy way; The dawn is near! True, thou art weary; but yon brightening ray Becomes more clear. Bear up a little longer; wait for rest. Yield not to slumber, though with toil oppressed.

The night of life is mournful; but look on; The dawn is near! Soon will earth’s shadowy scenes and forms be gone; Yield not to fear! The mountain’s summit will, ere long, be gained, And the bright world of joy and peace attained.

“Joyful through hope,” thy motto still must be, The dawn is near! What glories will that dawn unfold to thee! Be of good cheer! Gird up thy loins; bind sandals on thy feet; The way is dark and long, the end is sweet.

Prophecy No. 10: The Dragon, Leopard, and Two-Horned Beasts

By W. H. Blaisdell

Prophecy.—No. 10.

THE chain of prophecy to which we now call attention commences with Rev., chapter 12, and extends to chapter 14:5. In the few last verses here referred to, we find a company spoken of by John to whom this view was given, as being redeemed from among men. This must refer to the saints that are translated from among the living at the second coming of Christ. 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

So this line of prophecy, like the two previously examined, ends with a view of the final deliverance of the saints.

The symbols here introduced in consecutive order are the great red dragon of chapter 12, the leopard beast of chapter 13:1–10, and two-horned beast of verses 11–17.

Of the first of these symbols it is enough to say that Protestant commentators generally agree that the great red dragon symbolizes Pagan Rome, the same power that is symbolized by the legs of iron in the great image of Dan. 2; and by the great and terrible beast of Dan. 7:7, which, as has been already shown, ruled the world at the opening of the gospel dispensation, and which, through the agency of Herod, a Roman governor, made an effort to destroy the child Jesus immediately after his birth; Matt. 2:16; thus fulfilling the last part of Rev. 12:4.

Of the second of these symbols we can also say, that it is generally agreed among Protestants that the leopard beast of chapter 13 symbolizes the papacy or the Catholic power, the same power that is symbolized by the little horn of the fourth beast of Daniel 7. We have previously shown that this little horn symbolizes the papacy; and by comparing the predicted work of the leopard beast with that of the little horn, it may be readily seen that they do both symbolize one and the same power.

We can therefore see that this chain of prophecy reaches from the beginning of the gospel dispensation to the time of the translation of the saints at the second coming of Christ, and that the first two symbols of this chain bring us down to the time when the papal power went into captivity, Rev. 13:10, which took place, as previously shown, in 1798.

We can also see that the third symbol of this line of prophecy, the two-horned beast of Rev. 13, must refer to a government which is to perform its work in the world as indicated by the prophecy, between 1798 and the second coming of Christ. We will not here give the entire language of the prophet concerning this symbol, but invite the reader to a careful perusal of it, as found in Rev. 13:11–18.

IN REVIEW of July 14, in No. 2 of this series of articles, we referred to a few of the many reasons which may be given to show that this symbol represents the government of the United States. A full exposition of the subject is given in a work entitled, “The United States in the Light of Prophecy,” published at the REVIEW AND HERALD Office, Battle Creek, Mich.

On examination of the subject, it may be readily seen that this government occupies the right position in regard to territorial location; that it arose at the right time, and in the right manner; and that the government has thus far been of the right character, to be fitly represented by the symbol here brought to view.

Of these points we do not propose now to speak definitely, but will mention the few following facts concerning them:—

1. The government of the United States is confined, not to the Eastern continent, all the available territory of which has been occupied by the governments represented by symbols previously examined, but to the Western continent, and embraces territory, new, and previously unoccupied by civilized beings; therefore the beast by which it is symbolized is called, by the prophet, “another beast.”

2. In 1798, this government was in its infancy, just coming into notoriety, and gaining a position of eminence and influence among the nations of the earth; therefore it is fitly represented as coming up at the time that the papal beast went into captivity.

3. This government has not been established by subverting and overturning other governments through the means of war and conquest like those of the eastern continent which were symbolized by wild and ferocious beasts that came up out of the sea; but in a far more quiet and peaceable manner, not one square mile of all its vast territory ever having been obtained by overthrowing and destroying any other government. Thus it is appropriately represented by a beast coming up out of the earth.

4. The civil power of this nation is not that of a monarchy, or kingly government, but of a republic, a government in which the power is vested in the hands of the people. The church power of the nation is based on the pure principles of Protestantism. The protection of these two features of civil and religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution of the United States. Thus we see that the symbol of a beast with two horns like a lamb having no crowns upon them (crowns denote kingly governments, Rev. 12:3; 13:1) is peculiarly applicable to our own country.

By a proper examination of the subject, it may be most clearly seen that the history of the government of the United States has thus far furnished a record of the perfect fulfillment of the specifications of the prophecy relating to the first part of its work; and by an examination of the remainder of the prophecy it may be seen that the government here symbolized is finally to engage in persecuting the true people of God.

We are clearly taught by the prophecy, that whatever government is symbolized by this beast, it must be one that will show the features of both lamb and dragon. It is not one that will be lamblike through all its history; neither is it one that will from the beginning of its history exercise the dragon spirit; but first it is to exhibit the lamblike spirit, and afterward the spirit of the dragon.

That the United States’ government has, during the first part of its history, presented to the world a declaration of principles the most lamblike of any nation on earth we think no one can reasonably deny; and that it will yet exhibit the dragon spirit the prophecy most positively declares.

Here then we find that in the chain of prophecy now under consideration our own government is brought in to fill up the brief period of time between 1798, and the translation of the saints at the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We may find also on a further examination of the subject that there are the best of reasons for believing that we are even now in close proximity to the time when the dragonic features of the prophecy will also meet their fulfillment.

Thus far in our examination of the prophecies we have been mainly giving the evidence of the fulfillment of those to which we have referred; but here we have certain predictions concerning this nation which are not yet fulfilled, therefore we cannot of course give the evidence of their fulfillment; but we propose to give some of the evidence that very strong indications and probabilities are already seen that such fulfillment will soon be witnessed.

Let us now notice a few of the features of the last part of this prediction. We think it can be clearly shown from the prophecy what the leading questions will be that will constitute the last final issue between the people of God and their enemies.

The prophet tells us that this two-horned beast spake like a dragon; last part of verse 11. The speaking of a government must refer to its laws and decrees which are publicly set forth to the people, and to which the government requires the people to render obedience. The dragon represents Pagan Rome, which was a persecuting power. By this it is shown that the saints are yet to receive persecution from this government.

“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Verse 12.

The first beast, whose deadly wound was healed, was the leopard beast of the first part of the chapter, which symbolizes the Catholic power. Thus we see that if the government here symbolized is to exercise the power of the leopard beast, it must certainly become a persecuting power.

“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.” Verse 14.

This beast was seen coming up out of the earth; therefore the expression, “those that dwell on the earth,” evidently refers to those who are citizens, or subjects of the government, and occupy the territory where it arises. Here is still additional evidence that this symbol represents the United States; for the language here used shows that a government is referred to in which the power is in the hands of the people, it being the people who are called upon to make the image.

Then, according to this prediction, there is to be made in this country an image to the leopard or papal beast. What does this mean? The image must be a likeness, similarity, or representation, of the beast itself. Therefore but one reasonable conclusion can be drawn from the language used on this point, which is, that there must be formed in the government symbolized by the two-horned beast, a power similar to that represented by the papal beast; and as that was a power which persecuted the saints, and as our own government is the one symbolized by the two-horned beast, we may look for the development of such a power in our own country.

The papacy was the Catholic church, an apostate ecclesiastical body, clothed with civil power and authority to punish the saints (called by them dissenters, heretics, &c.) with imprisonment, torture, and death; so we may expect a union of church and State power in this government so nearly similar to the papacy as to be appropriately called an image to that power.

We learn from verse 15 that this power, when fully established, will cause or decree that all who will not obey its mandates shall be killed. We do not understand from this, that it will actually succeed in putting to death the saints of God.

We are informed in verse 16 that he causeth all to receive a mark, and yet all do not actually receive it. The saints get the victory over the beast and his image, and do not receive the mark. Chapters 15:2; 20:4. So the power here brought to view, the image beast, will pass its decrees, and enact its laws, with the view of putting the saints to death, thus becoming guilty in purpose of committing the deeds; yet we learn from evidences which we have not space here to give, that in this time of trouble and anguish to the people of God, they will not be put to death, but will finally be delivered from all their sorrows by translation at the second coming of Christ, an event which takes place soon after the formation of the image.

It may be asked right here how it can be reasonably expected, that the churches of this country which contain the people of God will ever unite with the civil power in persecuting themselves.

In answer we will say that, although God has many true saints among them, who sigh for the abominations done in their midst, it is quite often admitted by some of the eminent churchmen of the country that, as a mass, the Protestant churches generally are becoming sadly degenerate and corrupt; and God has especial truths in store for this last generation, that are already being proclaimed, which are destined to cause a separation between the true children of God, and those who are such only by profession.

Those truths will be accepted by the one class, and rejected by the other. All the true people of God of all denominations will embrace these truths, and thus become united in the observance of them. Those who reject the truths with which God will test his people, will also become united in opposition to those who receive and obey those truths; thus will the way be prepared for the corrupt and apostate church to unite with the civil power which is also becoming very corrupt, to persecute the true church. Such a power might truly be represented as an image to the beast.

W. H. BLAISDELL.

(To be Continued.)

Antiquity of the Scriptures.

By Dr. Upson

Few of us ever stop to think how old the Bible is. Yet “the Scriptures are believed by candid critics to contain the most ancient forms of truth now known to men.” With the aid of chronological tables, any one may easily make profitable comparisons between the antiquity of these books and that of other writings and events. The Scriptures contain the only authentic history of the world before the flood. We find in the Pentateuch one or two stanzas of poetry composed in the antediluvian period. The Hebrew statutes were enacted a thousand years before Justinian reformed the Roman jurisprudence. In the Bible we have the record of chartered rights secured to the people more than two thousand years before the Magna Charta. What a sensation would be produced if the first chapter of Genesis should appear for the first time in one of the newspapers to-morrow! Yet there can be no doubt that that chapter contains the oldest writing—twenty-five hundred years before the invention of printing. Xenophon’s record of the conversations of Socrates, in his Memorabilia, seems an old book to us, yet similar topics were discussed in Ecclesiastes six hundred years before. The works of Tacitus, Plutarch, and Quintilian are not modern; yet the books of the New Testament are older than they. As to the book of Job, its age is beyond conjecture. Those who make it as modern as they can are compelled to place its origin at least one thousand years before Homer. When Priam was king of Troy, Job was of remote antiquity. The name of Alexander has no modern sound for us, yet when Alexander invaded Syria, the book of Job might have been read before him as the work of an author more time-honored than the name of Alexander is now. The writings of Confucius are modern when compared with most of the Bible; and the most that the Hindoos can justly claim for their sacred books, the Vedas, is that they were written five hundred years after the death of Moses. The Koran is a book fresh from the press compared with the Scriptures.—Dr. Upson.

“To the Law and to the Testimony.”

By F. A. Buzzell

In looking over an old number of the Independent containing a Sunday-school lesson founded on Matt. 26: 59–68, I found it filled with so many pertinent and truthful statements in reference to Bible believers and their conduct when confronted with evidences of their errors in doctrines, that I deemed them worthy of a place in the REVIEW, but only quote a part, as follows:

“When Jesus, put on his oath before the high priest, affirmed that he was Israel’s promised Messiah, the high priest adjudged him guilty of blasphemy; and when others of the council were appealed to in the question, ‘What think ye?’ their answer was, unhesitatingly: ‘He is guilty of death.’ Yet he was the Messiah. His words were the truth. He was blameless.

“The very law by which he was nominally tried would have given him acquittal had it been appealed to fairly. . . . It was for his punishment, not for his trial, they had assembled. . . . In all this, their law was not at fault. Their wrong interpretation of the law was the trouble. . . . He asked only that the Scriptures should be searched and his fulfillment of prophecy tested. . . . Nothing of this kind was, however, attempted, and he for whom Israel had looked longingly as a deliverer, was rejected by the highest spiritual court of Israel without an examination of his claims to confidence and in defiance of the very law by which the members of the court supposed themselves guided; and this merely because he had not come in the way which they supposed was declared for his coming.

“There is much of this kind of judgment in religious matters. Men are often counted blasphemers, infidels, or heretics, because they read the Bible differently from the chief priests and elders of their church. They do not call the Bible in question; but they see in it what some about them fail to see.

“They deny some commonly accepted dogma, as inconsistent with the word of God. . . . All they venture is an appeal to the sacred text itself. That is too often denied them. They are condemned as violators of the very law they honor and defend. . . . If a minister denounces other evils or defends other doctrines, according to his reading of the Holy Scriptures, it by no means follows that those who profess to be guided wholly by the Bible will either accept his utterance as correct or attempt its disproof by the sacred text. If they dislike his doctrine, they are quite likely to denounce him as unsound, without testing his teachings by the only safe standard.

“Since, then, the high priest and his counsel rejected our Lord, when they might have been convinced of his Messiahship had they

consented to examine anew the Scriptures to which he appealed, it behoves every one who would avoid the error and the guilt of the Jews, and who would know the mind of Jesus, to come to the Bible with a simple desire to learn its teachings. . . .

“In this spirit of openness to the truth and this fidelity to the inspired record, every doctrine should be considered and every rule of conduct tried. ‘To the law and to the testimony,’ with each and all of these counsels, ‘if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’

“But have a care lest, from examination, you reject as unscriptural that which the law and the prophets show to be worthy and precious.”

F. A. BUZZELL.

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