Earlier text: SIGNS OF THE TIMESMEETINGS IN THE WEST.
By Wm. S. Ingraham
DEAR BRO. SMITH: A few facts in regard to the cause where I have labored this winter may be interesting to the readers of the Review. I have visited the following places: Monroe, Cadiz, Crane's Grove, Round Grove, &c. The cause in Monroe is somewhat cheering. I think we can safely say we are gaining ground. Six in Monroe and vicinity have lately embraced the Sabbath of the Lord, and others are somewhat interested in the investigation of the truth. I am satisfied, notwithstanding we are encouraged in relation to the cause in Monroe, that we need gospel discipline and strait testimony, to bring us to that position we should occupy as a people. In the town of Cadiz our meetings have been very interesting. Our congregations were large and attentive. Here we had much opposition from ministers of different denominations. Elds. Reed, Curry, Gould and J. M. Stephenson did what they could to prejudice the people against us. Eld. Curry took some exceptions to our views of the kingdom of God, and preached a sermon against us. I reviewed him the next Sunday evening. Our congregation was very much crowded, and many stood listening at the windows. The weather was cool, and those that could not get into the house built a large fire out doors near the house, and listened to the review with attention. It was apparent that the people were satisfied that we had the truth on this point. Eld. Reed did little else than cry, False prophets, Clouds without water, &c. This slang passed for what it was worth in the same coin, being of the bogus kind. Eld. J. M. Stephenson was sent for by one of his friends to preach against us. He crowded in an appointment to preach on the law and Sabbath. His first lecture was about three hours and a half on the law. His second lecture was particularly confined to the Sabbath. His arguments were somewhat new to the people, but nothing new to us. I think he has made some improvement since his discussion with Bro. Waggoner at Crane's Grove, for he admitted that some of the commandments were binding under the gospel dispensation, and referred to Matt. xix, 16-19 as proof. In referring to this testimony, he said that the commandments quoted to the young man were enforced by Christ and incorporated into the new constitution. But this assertion was not much in his favor, for he had the commandments above quoted, enforced and incorporated into the new constitution before the law were abolished. When the ten commandments were done away, what became of J. M. S.'s new constitution? Is not such reasoning glorious? I think he must have a vail over his face, and cannot see to the end of that which is abolished! The course he pursued in this place did not reflect much honor upon himself, as a minister of Jesus Christ. In his first discourse he could not keep himself within the bounds of christian courtesy, but it was twit, and fling, and throw out about E. G. White's visions, James White, Sanborn, and J. H. Waggoner was referred to many times. After he closed his second lecture, I asked the privilege of making a few remarks. It was granted. I told the people that I had been held before them in a false light, and it was just for me to explain some things. I said a few words and sat down. Eld. J. M. S. replied. His reply was abusive. I spoke again, and he attempted a reply. He said he would have the last word if he staid until midnight. On asserting this, a gentleman present cried out, "I'll not stay to hear you until midnight!" "Come boys," said he, "let us go home." J. M. S. replied by saying, Go home then! In this manner his meeting closed. I reviewed his lectures, and the result was good. Some came out on the truth, and are living witnesses in its favor. Many more have confessed the truth, but as yet dread the cross. O, Lord, give them strength, is my prayer, to keep the holy Sabbath. There is much interest to hear the present truth. Calls come from every quarter. I am satisfied that we as a people must have more of the good Spirit in order to be successful in bringing men into the present truth. There must be a general coming up of the remnant, to see much prosperity. The body moves together. I visited Round Grove not long since. The church in that place are trying to rise out of a lukewarm state; but in order to reform effectually, heart-felt confessions should be made to God and each other. While there I was called upon to preach the funeral sermon of our aged Bro. Wick. He died in hope of a speedy resurrection to immortality. It was judged that five hundred people were present to listen to the word on this occasion. I should conclude from the interest to hear the word in this vicinity [for I had a number of meetings and all well attended] that good might be done. You see from the date of this letter that I am at Crane's Grove. Our conference commenced according to appointment. Not many present from a distance on account of bad going. Our meetings were blessed with the divine Spirit. Eld. Collings was present a part of the time. He was ready to throw in his testimony against us. His remarks were based on two verses found in Battle Creek. The first was James White. The second was E. G. White. Not much interest manifest in the congregation in listening to his slang as he struggled hard to bring forth things new and old from his text. He accused us of changing continually, giving us to understand that he had found rock bottom and was not to be moved. It is evident that the Eld. has changed himself on many points, from a sermon he preached on First-day, from Matt. xxiv. I will give some points as they fell from his lips. He declared that Jesus in verse 1, was addressing Jews. The tribulation in verse 21 was on the Jews. The people hated by all nations in verse 9 were Jews. The generation in verse 34 was the Jews. False prophets in verses 23, 24, Advent Sabbatarians that believe Jesus is in the most holy place. Signs in verse 29 would not be seen until Israel ceased to be trodden under foot by the Gentiles.133In the evening I replied briefly to some positions taken by Eld. C. I showed, 1. That the first verse proved that Jesus was talking to his disciples. 2. That verse 9 did not have reference to the Jews from the fact that they were not hated for Christ's sake. 3. That the tribulation was not on the Jews, but on the elect. 4. The false prophets are not Sabbatarians, and that his application was false, from his own reasoning. [He said the tribulation was to run parallel with the treading down of the Jews, and the Jews being still under Gentile feet, the tribulation was not ended.] The false prophets are to manifest themselves after the tribulation, consequently Sabbatarians are not the false prophets. Admitting we are the false prophets, and that his position is correct in this respect, it is fatal to his view of the extent of the tribulation, for it would prove that the tribulation had expired. 5. I claimed if the generation spoken of in verse 34 meant the Jews, all the arguments that had been introduced by Eld. C. and others in regard to the abolition of the fourth commandment were overthrown, for they have declared time after time that the Sabbath was to be perpetrated throughout their generations, [generations of the Jews] and claiming that their generations have expired, the Sabbath was no longer binding. I should not have replied if it had not been for a few honest ones that were seeking for truth. I think that the people generally could see that Eld. C.'s system of theology was but a system of error. And in reviling us, and exhorting the people to be careful or we would deceive them, for if possible the elect would be deceived, I thought he had no need to be troubled about the people at Crane's Grove, for he said the elect meant the Jews. And when he was trying to make the people believe that we were the ones that were saying Jesus was in the secret chamber, because we say he is in the most holy place, I thought we could claim him for a brother prophet, because he believes Jesus went into the most holy when he ascended to the Father. The brethren at Crane's Grove are strong in the present truth. There are a few in this place that begin to see where the truth is. It is my earnest prayer that they may have moral courage sufficient to break away from the influence of error, and go with us to mount Zion. When I see what sad work some professed watchmen make of God's word, I am very thankful that I have not been left to strong delusion, and to fulfill the prediction of our Saviour; viz., My Lord delayeth his coming. When I take into consideration the straightness of the way, and my own weakness, I tremble for fear I may be left out when the Lord calls for his people. Brethren, let us arise from our stupid condition, and double our diligence in the service of God. Yours in hope. WM. S. INGRAHAM. Help for the Cause of Truth
LET there be a coming up to the help of the Lord, brethren, against the mighty. Remember the inhabitants of Meroz, and for what they were cursed. Ours is a cause in which idleness is opposition and indifference, crime. Between us and the world there is no neutral ground. He that is not for the truth by positive efforts, openly, boldly, continually, is its effectual foe. SAID Jesus to the dying thief, "This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." Those who believe in the conscious state of the dead, regard this as one of the strong proofs of their position. But a difficulty meets them on the very threshold of this scripture; for the Saviour said, three days after he had made the above promise to the thief, that he had not yet ascended to his Father. John xx, 17. In harmony with this declaration the passage first quoted must of course be understood. In other words, Paradise must be located somewhere away from the presence of the Father, if it still be true that the spirits of Jesus and the thief went there on the very identical day on which they died. Paradise is therefore made to mean a place for disembodied spirits; simply a state of separate existence for souls, where they are kept till the resurrection. What argument they have for this position, other than a law of necessity or convenience, we are not scripturally informed. But Paradise is definitely located in the word of God; and when we hear the Scripture writers speaking of Paradise, we may know with the utmost certainty to what place they refer. To point out this location of Paradise is the object of these lines. First, Paul says, [2 Cor. xii, 2,] "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven." In verse 4, he tells us that he was caught up to Paradise. This testimony settles one fact; namely, that Paradise is located in the third heaven. Again, we read in Revelation ii, 7, in the promise of the Saviour to the overcomers in the Ephesus church, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." Another nail in a sure place. Paradise, then, we have found to be in the third heaven, and in Paradise is the tree of life. One more inquiry concerning the location of this tree of life, will definitively settle this question. In Rev. xxi and xxii, we have a description of the New Jerusalem, the holy city which is above. In chap. xxii, 1, 2, we read: "And he showed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it [the city] and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life which bear twelve manner of fruit, and yielded her fruit every month." By this testimony we learn that the tree of life, which grows in the midst of the Paradise of God, is in the holy city, fast by the river of life, which proceeds from the throne of God. Nothing could be more explicit than this. We have now found the Paradise of the New Testament. It is in the third heaven where God maintains his residence and his throne. Apply this fact to the testimony of Luke xxiii, 43, and John xx, 17. The declaration of the Saviour that he had not yet ascended to his Father, the third day after his crucifixion, is as plain and positive a declaration as could be made that he had not yet been to Paradise. And what does this prove? Does it prove that the declaration of the Saviour failed? Not by any means. It only shows that the words, "This day," in the expression, "This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," do not refer to that day on which the Saviour died; and that they err egregiously who make Paradise some convenient separate apartment, some accommodating "ante-chamber" for the reception of that creature of their imagination—the conscious disembodied spirit. THE GLORY BELONGS TO GOD.
By R. F. C.
“If any man minister, let him do it as of the ability that God giveth; that God in all things may be glorified.” 1 Pet. iv, 11. No one can claim that he has done great things in the service of God, by ministering much to the necessity of the saints, because he can give no more than God has given him. To God belongs all the glory. As for ourselves, he that gives all that God has given him, does what he can; but the glory is due to him alone. The poor widow that gave her two mites, did more than all those that gave of their abundance; for they did not give all. And this rule is not only applicable to the ministering of worldly goods, but to all our powers of body and of mind, by which we serve God. If we have abilities to labor to effect in the cause, God has given all our talents, and he alone must have the glory. None can do more than God has given him strength and talents to perform. Those that labor to the extent of the abilities that God has given, do what they can; and none can do more. The apostle Paul understood this, therefore he says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was bestowed on me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” God requires a full sacrifice of all that we have and are in his blessed cause; and when we have consecrated all to him, we have done no more than our duty—we have given nothing but what he first gave us. All is of his grace, and all the glory is his. “Where is boasting then? It is excluded.” PEEPING AND MUTTERING.
By M. E. Cornell
IN Revelation xvi, 13, 14, we learn that "spirits of devils" "like frogs" are to be manifested in all the world. And in Isa. viii, 19, they are described as "familiar spirits," or "wizards that peep and that mutter," and in Isa. xxix, 4, the voice of one that hath a familiar spirit is represented as "out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust. . . . thy speech shall whisper out of the dust," &c. Mark, it is not a voice of clearness, light and wisdom from above; but it is "low out of the dust," even "earthly, sensual, devilish;" communications that none can understand. All is confusion, mystery and darkness. As the slimy croaking multitude came up from the muddy Nile, and covered the land of Egypt, so have the spirits of devils appeared in all the world; the peeping and muttering is heard from every quarter, and the whole world is fast being turned into one universal frog-pond. God's ancient people were about to be "delivered from the bondage of corruption" in Egypt, to become a separate people. "So when the Jewish leader stretched his arm,
And waved his rod divine, a race obscure,
Spawned in the muddy beds of Nile came forth;
The croaking nuisance lurked in every nook,
Nor halls of legislation 'scaped,
And the land stunk, so numerous was the fry." So now when God hath set his hand the second time to gather the remnant of his people out of modern Egypt and Babylon, the same evidence is manifested that God's frown is upon the multitude of oppressors. The frog-like spirits have been suffered to go forth, and Babylon is fast becoming their hold and cage. The following specimen of spirit muttering is from the Mountain Cove Journal: "God the life in God the Lord in God the holy procedure organized the first Orb-Creation in form of appearing as one globular ovarium, which was the germ of the terrestrial universe of universes: and within the globular was the embryo of the external of the universal, impersonal creation, as one curvilinear ovarium; and within the curvilinear the germ of the external of the universal, personal or intellectual creation, in form of one vorticle ovarium. . . . In the beginning of the orb-formation preparatory for man-formations; vehicles of the quickening spirit into intellectual formations, the universal concavity and the universal convexity were co-enfolded and encompassed in the universal Zodiac, and within the concavity was the visible disclosure unto the germ of the terrestrial." Whether there is more intelligence in the above than in the croaking of frogs might perhaps be doubted. The likeness of the spirits to frogs is very striking in many respects. It is said that the frog has a strong current of electricity, and it is well known that modern mediums and their spirits have much to do with electricity. Many have said that Spiritualism was decreasing and would soon be no more, but recent developments prove to the contrary. It stands out as a prominent and increasing sign of the end near. A RICH merchant, of a city on the seaboard, enters his counting-room one day, and says to his chief clerk, "Would you accept the situation of supercargo of such a vessel?" (naming the ship) "When will you be ready to start?" "To-morrow morning, sir." The merchant then addressed another clerk, "Will you accept the place?" "When will you be ready to start?" "Go right aboard," says his employer, "the vessel is just ready to sail." (Some mishap had detained the supercargo first appointed.) The ready clerk stepped aboard, the cable was loosed, and the voyage being very successful, he returned, was received as a partner in the firm, and thus laid the foundation for a fortune. The above is a brief sketch of an account which I read long ago, and is correct, if I remember rightly. "That no man take thy crown," is the significant phrase of Christ to the Philadelphia church, as though there would be peculiar danger in the latter days, and crowns would be contested. I have often thought when a person refuses the strait testimony, the cutting truths of this final message of the third angel, that perhaps he would not enjoy the privilege of a second warning. The work of redemption is nearly finished, the number of the redeemed is nearly full, the last urgent call is now going forth to the highways and hedges, the guests first bidden have insultingly slighted the call, and now the call is peremptory, and urgent, and final. The angel cries, "Come out of her, my people." A. hears the call, and yields; but he wants time. The good angel is in haste, he invites B., who accepts the truth, and perhaps, too, he takes the crown intended for A. Thus the offer made to A. will probably never be repeated, and the angel hastens to complete his work. "Will you heed the counsel of the true Witness?" says some brother to his fellow Sabbath-keeper. "Will you right your wrongs, deal justly, love mercy, walk humbly and purely?" And perhaps he receives the answer, "You are out of your place. You are meddling with what does not concern you. Where did you get your ideas of duty?" Brother, do you not fear that some man will take your crown?
J. CLARKE. THE YOKE OF BONDAGE.
By G. W. A.
IN the fifteenth chapter of Acts we have an account of an Apostolic Convention, which was called to settle a controversy respecting some ordinances of the ritual law; and while Peter was giving in his testimony against Jewish innovations, he asked the sticklers for that system why they tempted God "to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear." I have often queried why Peter should say that they were unable to bear a law that was according to the commandment of God, but lately while reading Dr. Clarke's notes on this place, my mind became somewhat enlightened. Peter perhaps meant that it was an exceeding burdensome routine of services, and very difficult to comply with; but hear what the Dr. has to say on this passage.
G. W. A. Verse 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God. As God, by giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, evidently shows he does not design them to be circumcised, in order to become debtors to the law, to fulfill all its precepts, &c., why will ye provoke him to displeasure by doing what he evidently designs shall not be done? A yoke—which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. This does not refer to the moral law—that was of eternal obligation—but to the ritual law, which, through the multitude of its sacrifices, ordinances, &c., was exceedingly burdensome to the Jewish people. And had not God, by an especial providence, rendered both their fields and their flocks very fruitful, they could not possibly have borne so painful a ritual. There is a curious story in Midrash Shochar, tof in Yalkut Simeoni, part i, fol. 229, where Korah is represented as showing the oppressive nature of the law, and avarice of its priests, in justification of his rebellion. "There was," said he, "a widow in our neighborhood who had two orphan children: she had one field; and, when she began to plough it, one came and said, Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. When she went to sow it, he said, Thou shalt not sow thy field with divers seeds, When she began to reap, and to gather the sheaves together, he said, Leave a handful and the corners of the field for the poor. When she prepared to thresh it, he said, Give me the wave-offering and the first and second tithes. She did as she was commanded, and then went and sold her field, and bought two ewes, that she might clothe herself and family with the wool, and get profit by the lambs. When they brought forth their lambs, Aaron came and said, Give me the firstlings, for the holy blessed God hath said, All the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb, shall be thine. She yielded to his demands, and gave him two lambs. When shearing time came, he said, Give me the first fruits of the wool. When the widow had done this, she said, I cannot stand before this man; I will kill my sheep and eat them. When she had killed the sheep, Aaron came and said, Give me the shoulder, and the jaws, and the ventricle. The widow said, Though I have killed my sheep, I am not delivered from this man; I therefore consecrate the whole to God. Then Aaron said, ALL belongs to me, for the holy blessed God hath said, Every thing that is consecrated in Israel shall be his, i. e. the priest's. He therefore took the whole carcasses, and marched off, leaving the widow and her orphan daughters overwhelmed with affliction." This is a terrible picture of the requisitions of the Mosaic ritual; and, though exaggerated, it contains so many true features that it may well be said, This is a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. The Third Message in Norway
By Francis C. Johnson
Bro. Smith: In the Fall of 1848, when I was in my native land, Norway, I think I heard the sound of the Third Angel's Message. There was a Sweed who preached the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus in that part of Norway where we lived, and we received his preaching as truth, but did not keep the Sabbath; for we thought that we would wait till we got across the Atlantic to America where there would be no persecution. But alas, the seed that was sown was checked by the deceitful riches and cares of this world. Our folks next joined the Methodist church, where they remained until about four years ago, when a dear brother talked to my father about the Sabbath. He embraced it, and the number of Sabbath-keepers in that place has increased. But the Lord could not leave the honest souls in the state which they were in; for the time had come that the jewels must be gathered out from among the rubbish. Baptism was presented to them, and all received it except two families who rejected it, and are now gone back to Babylon. It is almost two years since I made up my mind to keep the Sabbath. I kept it in my poor way for about one year before the duty of baptism was presented to me. I received it as the third condition of my salvation, and the step by which I put on Christ; but to my sorrow I have to say that I did not walk as I had received him; for I fought that which I now consider to be truth, and embraced the theory of the future age. I became worldly-minded, and I might say dead; but thank God, I was not plucked up by the roots. I spoke hard words against the gift of prophecy which has been manifested in the church, and against the Review. I feel to confess all my wrongs to my brethren and friends, and ask their forgiveness. I have confessed my fault to the Lord, and I believe that he has forgiven my sins. I feel to praise him for his love and great mercy to me. I want always to be in possession of the spirit of confession, for the word of God says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I feel like taking a new start for the kingdom. There is a great work to be done in the harvest field, and the laborers are few. May the Lord of the vineyard send more laborers into the field. We have had very good meetings this winter in Koskonong and Oakland, the adjoining town. The Lord has been to work, and precious souls have been converted to him. There are some over twenty Sabbath-keepers of the Norwegians in Oakland, who believe in the Third Angel's Message and are trying to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. I feel to ask for the prayers of all the children of God, for I know that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Yours in hope of the kingdom.
Francis C. Johnson.
Westport, Wis. Serving God, or Mammon.
By Pract. Christian
Matt. vi, 24. Mammon is said to be the Syrian god of riches, wealth, money—like Plutus among the Romans—and as such worshiped. Whether this be true or not, Jesus plainly personifies riches, wealth, money, as a god—an idol, standing in rivalry with the true God for the love, worship and service of mankind. Covetousness, that is, the inordinate desire for riches or money, is therefore set down truly in the New Testament Scriptures as idolatry. And there can be no worse idolatry. Its fundamental maxim is, Get money, rightfully if you must, but be sure and get money. Mammon has always had a vast multitude of devoted worshipers; God our heavenly Father, but few. Why? Because, as yet, the lower and more selfish affections of mankind have greatly predominated. Men have been developed more as intellectual animals, than as loving and wise spirits. Jesus came forth on a higher plane, to teach and illustrate by example the true love and wisdom, without which man can never be eminently and permanently happy—without which he cannot fulfill his destiny. In order to this, the material must be subjected to the spiritual, and animal propensities to divine principles. The desires of the animal nature are sensual and selfish. The loves of the God-inspired soul are spiritual and unselfish. They "bless and curse not." They sacrifice self whenever it rises up against God and his righteousness, or against the good of fellow men. They find their own highest good in the highest good of all, and the highest good of all in doing the will of God who is the infinitely Loving and Wise Father of all. Consequently, as no man can serve two masters with love and fidelity, no man can serve God and mammon. One of them must be supreme, and the other subordinate. If God is first in the reverence and love of the soul, mammon must take the place of a subject, a mere convenience. If mammon is first in the soul's love and homage, God must take the place of a subject, a mere convenience. There is no other alternative. We see that this is practically true the world over. And we see that the vast majority of mankind make mammon supreme, and God subordinate. Every man who for the sake of getting or keeping money, persistently takes advantage of his neighbor—lies, cheats or deceives—grinds, oppresses or extorts—refuses or neglects to pay his just debts—refuses or neglects to relieve the distresses of his suffering fellow creatures—or hoards up wealth to doat on, or to use for any purpose contrary to the commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself—every such man serves mammon, not God. He loves mammon more than he loves God. He obeys mammon and disobeys God. He worships mammon, not God. He is a mammonite. Every such man prefers worldly gain to righteousness. The moment he is compelled to choose whether he will do right and lose money, or do wrong and save money, he goes for mammon against God and his righteousness. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." How true! How little considered! How generally disregarded, even by the disciples of Christ. It is a great thing to be practical Christians—not much to be nominal ones.
—Pract. Christian. Why Christians Fail of Success.
INDIVIDUAL Christians are beginning to work for God, as perhaps they never worked before. They are not content to pray,—"Thy kingdom come;" but they feel constrained to enter the vineyard and toil, and bear the burden in the heat of the day. When there is a will to work, the way will soon be opened. Rev. H. Alton gives some good reasons why a multitude of Christians fail to accomplish much good: Some men fail because they are not willing to do the peculiar work that they are fitted for; they are self-willed and obstinate in choosing their department of work; they do not understand their own qualifications; through vanity or blind preconception, they will either do this particular thing or they will do nothing. Being pigmies, they try to do the work of giants; or, being giants, they are contented to do the work of pigmies. And thus they "labor in vain, and spend for naught the strength" that otherwise would be a blessing to the world and the church. Some men, again, are dreamers, rather than workers; they spend their lives in building castles in the air—sublimely conceiving, it may be, but imperfectly realizing; they are always purposing histories and epics and sermons, and benevolences that shall astonish the world. Now nothing is so wasteful of work as day dreaming. It is better to realize the possible, than to sigh for the ideal; better to do the work of an ordinary man, than to dream the work of a giant. Do all you can in your present sphere. Do not wait until you become a Howard or a Whitefield, a Carey or a Williams. Do all you can now. It is your best preparation for doing more by-and-by. "It is more healthful and nutritive," says Jeremy Taylor, "to dig the earth and to eat of her fruit, than to stare upon the greatest glories of the heavens, and to live upon the beams of the sun; so unsatisfying a thing is rapture and transportation to the soul; it often distracts the faculties, but seldom does advantage to piety, and is full of danger in the greatest of its lusters." Other men fail to serve their generation because they work a mere destruction in it; they work hard enough, but it is exclusively at destroying what they deem to be, and what probably are, abuses. Just now, especially, there is a class of men who think this to be their mission; they must destroy all that the world or the church has constructed. "Raze it," is their cry, "even to the ground." Now no man can serve his generation who is merely a destroyer—a Sceva among the gods. He is not the best worker who only pulls down. All truly great men are builders. Such was Moses and Paul and Luther and Bacon. Great, genial, generous-hearted men, men who said very little about the debility and cant and unreality of their age, but whose great and earnest work it was, to build up the truth that135should unconsciously thrust out error, to regenerate humanity just as nature regenerates the face of the earth, forming the buds of the new foliage, before she casts off the old. Others, again, fail in serving their generation, because they are half-hearted in their work. They do not go lovingly to it. They need the coercion of duty. And the reason of this is that we do not look singly enough, and intently enough, upon the end to be realized by our work. We think too much of the process of working and not enough of its consummation. If we would but get our minds and hearts filled with the idea of souls saved from death, and think of this only, how intently should we watch its progress, and survey all existing and possible agencies, solicitous only for the issue. Like soldiers conducting a siege, we should be all earnestness and activity, willing, either to dig in a trench, or to man a gun, or to scale a wall. We should look upon what we did, simply as so much help rendered. Others work in self-dependence. They forget that it is "not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord," that moral results are achieved, that theirs is only "the planting and the watering; and that God must give the increase."—Sel. THE MESSAGE IS ONWARD.
By Francis Gould
As gallant ship through ocean tide,
Boldly pursues its onward course,
Spreading its wake both far and wide,
In token of its mighty force; So moves the message on its way,
'Mid perils deep and cruel foes;
With conquering power and mighty sway,
'Twill triumph sure where'er it goes. With joy we heed the gathering call,
We want a place among the blest;
God wants our hearts, our lives, our all,
To fit us for that heavenly rest. The various sects have heard the cry;
The first great call they did reject,
Which loud proclaimed the Saviour nigh;
It passed them by without effect. But they have fallen, and will receive
The final plagues and wrath of God
Poured out unmixed; there's no reprieve
From this sad doom: it is God's word. Ye remnant few, gird up your loins,
And with the message keep apace,
That you may be prepared to join
Redemption's song in that blest place. Lord, let the message go with power,
O let the latter rain descend,
Prepare thy church for that glad hour,
When sin and death for'er shall end. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another." BRO. SMITH: Although very unworthy I desire to be a witness for the Lord and the blessed truths of his word. If I had language I would love to tell the goodness of God to poor me, but I can truly say he has done great things for me whereof I am glad. My earnest desire is that I may get all right in his holy sight. He has shown himself so kind and good, but yet so pure and holy, that it has made me feel as though I never could be willing to wound and grieve his blessed, tender Spirit. I do feel that I must have the deep, thorough work, get the truth down so deep that it will be the abundance of my poor heart, and then my words will be seasoned with grace. The little church here, most of them, feel the importance of improving this last chance faithfully, and of getting all right without delay. I am satisfied for one that the time has fully come when we must heed the counsel of the faithful and true Witness thoroughly, and get overcoming power speedily, or we share the doom of the finally lukewarm. My whole being reaches out after a whole work in the soul; for that place wherein every move I make and in the very looks of my countenance I shall confess Jesus. A few weeks ago after a great blessing from the Lord, spiritually, I was taken very sick, but was raised up in answer to prayer; and I feel while I walk about among the saints that I am a living monument of God's power and mercy. Oh, that I could thank and praise his dear name just right; but I try to thank him as well as I can, and beg of him to except it for Jesus' sake. May the Lord help us all that profess the solemn truths, to live them fully, is the earnest desire of your unworthy sister. M. B. PIERCE.
Andover, Vt., March 1st, 1859. Truth, Conscience, and Love
THERE are two insuperable difficulties, which would forever hinder the restoration of mankind to truth and happiness from being accomplished by human means. The first is, that human instruction, as such, has no power to bind the conscience, even if it were competent to discover all the truth necessary for a perfect rule of conduct, yet the truth would have no reformatory power because men could never feel that truth was obligatory which proceeded from merely human sources. It is an obvious principle of our nature that the conscience will not charge guilt on the soul for disobedience, when the command proceeds from a fellow man, who is not recognized as having the prerogative and the right to require submission. And besides, as men's minds are variously constituted, and of various capacities, there could be no agreement in such a case concerning the question "What is truth?" As well might we expect two school boys to reform each other's manners in school, without the aid of the teacher's authority, as that man can reform his fellow, without the sanction of that authority which will quicken and bind the conscience. The human conscience was made to recognize and enforce the authority of God; and unless there is belief in the divine origin of the truth, conscience refuses to perform its office. But the grand difficulty is this:—Truth, whether sanctioned by conscience or not, has no power to produce love in the heart. The law may convict and guide the mind, but it has no power to soften and change the affections. This was the precise thing necessary, and this necessary thing the wisdom of the world could not accomplish. All the wisdom of all the philosophers in all ages, could never cause the affections of the soul to love the holy blessed God. To destroy selfish pride, and produce humility; to eradicate the evil passions, and produce in the soul desires for the universal good and love for the universal Parent, was beyond the reach of earthly wisdom and power. The wisdom of the world in their efforts to give truth and happiness to the human soul was foolishness with God. Christ Crucified was foolishness with the philosophers in relation to the same subject, yet it was divine philosophy, an adapted means, and the only adequate means, to accomplish the necessary end. Said an apostle in speaking upon the subject, "The Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. The Jews while they required a sign did not perceive that miracles in themselves, were not adapted in themselves to produce affection. And the Greeks while they sought after wisdom, did not perceive that all the wisdom of the Gentiles could not work love in the heart. But the apostle preached Christ Crucified, an exhibition of self denial, of suffering, and self-sacrificing love and mercy, endured in behalf of man; which when received by faith, became the power of God to produce love and obedience in the human soul. Paul understood the efficacy of the cross. He looked to Christ crucified as the sun of the gospel system. Not as the moon reflecting cold and borrowed rays; but as the sun of righteousness, glowing with radiant mercy, and pouring warm beams of love into the open bosom of the believer.—Plan of Salvation.