Glimpses of Sabbath Keeping After New Testament Times
By W. A. S.
Not at once did the innovation of Sunday observance set aside the Sabbath of the Lord in the practice of even the general church. And through history, when the general church had fallen away, we catch glimpses here and there of faithful witnesses to God's holy Sabbath truth.
FIRST CENTURIES
An old English writer, Professor Brerewood, of Gresham College, London, put in shortest phrase what many writers tell us:—
They know little who do not know that the ancient Sabbath did remain, and was observed by the Eastern churches three hundred years after our Saviour's passion.—Treatise on the Sabbath, page 77.
FOURTH CENTURY
Canon 29, of the Council of Laodicea (A. D. 364), shows that the ecclesiastical system was laboring to put an end to Sabbath keeping:—
Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on the Sabbath, but shall work on that day: but the Lord's Day [as they called Sunday] they shall especially honor, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they be found Judaizing, they shall be accursed from Christ.
FIFTH CENTURY
Sozomen's “Ecclesiastical History” shows Rome evidently leading in the effort to abolish any recognition whatever of the Sabbath:—
The people of Constantinople, and of several other cities, assemble together on the Sabbath, as well as on the next day; which custom is never observed at Rome, or at Alexandria.—Book 7, chap. 19.
SEVENTH CENTURY
There were Sabbath keepers in Rome itself, evidently teaching the truth of God among the people, and bringing upon themselves the denunciation of Pope Gregory the Great, who wrote “to his most beloved sons the Roman citizens:”—
It has come to my ears that certain men of perverse spirit have sown among you some things that are wrong and opposed to the holy faith, so as to forbid any work being done on the Sabbath day. What else can I call these but preachers of Antichrist?—Book 13, epistle 1, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers,” Vol. XIII.
ELEVENTH CENTURY
The Pope's legates at Constantinople (A. D. 1054) were called to discuss with Nicetas, “one of the most learned men at the time in the East,” says Bower, whose position was “that the Sabbath ought to be kept holy, and that priests should be allowed to marry.”—History of the Popes, Vol. II, page 358.
The people of north Scotland, the ancient Culdee church founded by Columba and his followers, far removed from direct papal influence, was still keeping the Sabbath in the eleventh century. Margaret of England married Malcolm the Great, the Scottish king, in 1069. An ardent Catholic, Queen Margaret at once set about Romanizing the Celtic church. Of this church Andrew Lang says in his “History of Scotland:”—
They worked on Sunday, but kept Saturday in a Sabbatical manner.—Vol. I, page 96.
Skene, in his classic work, “Celtic Scotland,” says of these Sabbath keepers:—
They seemed to have followed a custom of which we find traces in the early monastic church of Ireland, by which they held Saturday to be the Sabbath, on which they rested from all their labors.—Book 2, chap. 8.
Queen Margaret called in the church leaders and held long discussions with them. At last, with the help and autistical authority of her royal husband, and quoting the instructions of “the blessed Pope Gregory,” she succeeded in turning the ancient Culdee church in Scotland away from the Sabbath. (See “Life of St. Margaret,” by Turgot, her confessor.)
TWELFTH TO FIFTEENTH CENTURIES
Among the numerous sects of southern Europe and the Alpine valleys, who were pursued and persecuted by Rome, were at least some who saw and obeyed the Sabbath truth. Thus, of one of these bodies, the historian Goldastus says:—
They were called Insabbatati, not because they were circumcised, but because they kept the Sabbath according to the Jewish law.—Deutsche Biographie, article “Goldast,” Vol. IX, page 327.
FIFTEENTH CENTURY
Sabbath keepers in Norway drew the condemnation of a church council held in 1435:—
The archbishop and the clergy assembled in this provincial council at Bergen do decide that the keeping of Saturday must never be permitted to exist, except as granted in the church law.—Keyser's “Norske Kirkes Historie,” Vol. II, page 488.
SIXTEENTH CENTURY
With the setting free of the Word of God by the Reformation, and the protest against the doctrine of papal tradition, multitudes saw that the Sunday institution was not of divine origin; while not a few went farther, recognizing the claims of God's Sabbath. Moravia was a refuge, in those early Reformation days, for many believers in the reformed doctrines, and among these were Sabbath-keeping Christians:—
Even most prominent men, as the princes of Lichtenstein, held to the observance of the true Sabbath. When persecution finally scattered them, the seeds of truth must have been sown by them in different portions of the Continent. . . . We have found them [Sabbath keepers] in Bohemia. They were also known in Silesia and Poland. Likewise they were in Holland and northern Germany. . . . There were at this time Sabbath keepers in France [one of whom, M. de la Roque, “wrote in defense of the Sabbath against Bossuet, Catholic bishop of Meaux”]. . . . That Sabbatarians again appeared in England by the time of the Reformation, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth (A. D. 1533-1603). Dr. Chambers testifies in his Cyclopedia (article “Sabbath”).—History of the Sabbath, Andrews and Conradi, pages 649, 650.
In this century, also, Sabbath keepers appeared in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. In 1554 King Gustavus Vasa of Sweden addressed a letter of remonstrance “to the common people in Finland,” because so many were turning to keep the seventh day.
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
There was much discussion in England over the authority for Sunday observance. When other church festivals were ignored, as Easter, King Charles I wanted to know why Sunday should be kept. He wrote:—
It will not be found in Scripture where Saturday is discharged to be kept, or turned into the Sunday; wherefore it must be the church's authority that changed the one and instituted the other; therefore my opinion is that those who will not keep this feast [Easter] may as well return to the observation of Saturday, and refuse the weekly Sunday.”—Cox's “Sabbath Laws,” page 333.
It was in this time that the idea first obtained of enforcing Sunday obligation by the fourth commandment, and calling it the Sabbath. It was argued that any “one day in seven” was what the commandment meant. Of this argument, John Milton, the statesman-poet, wrote:—
It is impossible to extort such a sense from the words of the commandment; seeing that the reason for which the commandment itself was originally given, namely, as a memorial of God's having rested from the creation of the world, cannot be transferred from the seventh day to the first; nor can any new motive be substituted in its place, whether the resurrection of our Lord or any other, without the sanction of a divine commandment.—Milton's “Prose Works” (Bohn), Vol. V, page 70.
While kings and poets and ecclesiastics8discussed, here and there believers began to follow the plain Word of God and Christ's example in Sabbath keeping.
“Loved Not Their Lives Unto the Death”
In 1618 John Traske and his wife, of London, were condemned for the Sabbath of the Lord, the man being whipped, and both imprisoned. He recanted under the pressure, after a year, but Mrs. Traske, a gifted school-teacher, was given grace to hold out for sixteen years, dying in prison for the word of the Lord. An estimable woman she was, says one old chronicler, save for this “whimsy” of hers, that she would keep the seventh day. All that she asked of men, on her prison deathbed, was that she might be buried “in the fields.”
By 1661 Sabbath keepers in London had further increased. In that year John James was minister to a considerable congregation, meeting in East London, off the Whitechapel Road. As part of proceedings against dissenting sects after the restoration of the monarchy, he was arrested and condemned to death on “Tyburn Tree.” His wife knelt at the feet of King Charles II and pleaded for her husband's life; but the king scornfully rejected the plea, and said that the man should hang. Bogue says:—
For once the king remembered his promise, and Mr. James was sent to join the noble army of martyrs.—“History of Dissenters,” Vol. I, page 155.
In 1683 Francis Bampfield—formerly an influential minister of the Church of England, but later pastor of a Sabbath-keeping congregation meeting in the Pinner's Hall, London—died of hardships in Newgate prison, for the Sabbath of the Lord. An old writer says that his body was followed to burial by “a very great company of factious and schismatical people,” in other words, dissenters from the state church.
“Sabbatarian Baptists,” these English witnesses to God's Sabbath were first called in those times, and then Seventh-day Baptists. In 1664 Stephen Mumford, of one of these London congregations, was sent over to New England. He settled in Rhode Island, where the Baptist pioneer of religious liberty, Roger Williams, had founded his colony. In 1671 the first Sabbatarian church in America was formed in Rhode Island. Evidently this movement created a stir; for the report went over to England that the Rhode Island colony did not keep the Sabbath—meaning Sunday. Roger Williams wrote to his friends in England denying the report, but calling attention to the fact that there was no Scripture for “abolishing the seventh day,” and adding:—
You know yourselves do not keep the Sabbath, that is the seventh day.—“Letters of Roger Williams,” Vol. VI, page 346 (Narragansett Club Publications).
Through the following century numbers of Seventh-day Baptist churches were founded in America. Then, as the events of the ending of the long period of the papal supremacy had moved Bible students to the earnest study of the prophecies, and as the predicted signs of the near approach of Christ's coming began to appear, there arose the great advent awakening in the earlier decades of the nineteenth century.
The prophecies regarding the work of the Papacy in seeking to change the law of God began to be understood, and it was seen that the last message of the everlasting gospel was a call to turn from human traditions to the New Testament standard of “the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12. Then began the great movement for Sabbath reform and the proclamation of Christ's second coming, which has given rise to the Seventh-day Adventist people, with a work spreading through all lands, leading thousands every year to take hold of the Lord's blessed Sabbath day.
Soon Christ is to be revealed in righteousness and judgment. One burden of God's message for the last days is:—
“Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.” Isa. 56:1, 2.
Through all the dark centuries, the Lord had somewhere a little remnant keeping the light of the Sabbath truth glowing. They, too, overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, loving not their lives unto the death. Now, with the clear light shining from the open Book, it is for Christians everywhere to turn from tradition to the way of God's commandments and the example of Jesus Christ. W. A. S.
Outward and Inward Adorning
By D. H. KRESS
D. H. KRESS, M. D.
“Be not conformed to this world;” another version reads, “Do not follow the customs and fashions of the age.” God’s people are in the world, but they are not of the world; they are a distinct and separate people. This distinction becomes more marked as they near the end of time, for then, if ever, shall ye “discern between the righteous and the wicked.” The child of God aims to make the virtues of Christ, the inward adornment of a meek and quiet spirit, his chief attraction.
A certain artist, it is said, spent much time and anxious labor in painting a picture of Christ. He tried to make the face just as expressive as possible. Seated around Christ at the table were his disciples, having before them golden cups. After the great work of art was finished, it was put on exhibition. The artist stood by to hear the comments of spectators as they passed by. Several women halted before the picture admiringly. One of them enthusiastically exclaimed, “See the beautiful golden cups!” The artist took his brush, and with a few strokes obliterated the cups, saying, “I will have nothing in the picture that will detract from that face.”
It should be the aim of every true Christian to wear nothing and do nothing that will attract the attention of the world from Christ to himself. He will not be content until everything about him that tends to do this is removed. It is the inward adorning that is to him of great value. Some of our modern churches have become exhibits for jewelry and dress. What churches lack in spirituality they try to supply in outward splendor. The most worldly churches have the largest organs, the greatest choirs, and the most imposing structures in which to assemble for worship. The less of the inward adorning one possesses, the more the outward appears.
Outward adorning is always a confession of inward poverty. Those who are in possession of that valuable treasure, a meek and quiet spirit, are not the ones who seek outward display. Their dress is neat, yet simple and modest. Young professors of religion should spend the time in looking into the mirror of God’s Word, with a view to adorning themselves inwardly in harmony with God’s revealed will, that they now spend at the mirrors in their rooms in the arrangement of their dress. If they would study as diligently the garment of Christ’s righteousness as they do the fashions, how different would be their experience.
We are living in the examination week of this world’s history; all are preparing for their final examination. Angels of God are passing from one to another with the measuring rod of God’s Word. The outward adornment—the wearing of gold, the arrangement of the hair, the style of the hat, etc.—is sufficient to witness before angels and men that the inward adorning, which alone is of value, is absent. Therefore the admonition is, “Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”9
Your adornment ought not to be a merely outward thing, as the plaiting of the hair, the putting on of jewelry, or the wearing of beautiful dresses. Instead of these it should be a new nature within—the imperishable ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is indeed precious in the sight of God. For in ancient times also this was the way the holy women who set their hopes upon the Lord used to adorn themselves. This is the adornment that is needed in our homes, and is the adornment that should impress the stranger as he attends the place of worship on the Sabbath.
Thoughts on Consecration
By W. H. Saxby
COMPILED BY W. H. SAXBY
“Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, . . . that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.” Ex. 32:29.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Rom. 12:1.
Consecration is simply living in the constant recognition of the fact that we are the Lord’s, and not our own. “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Cor. 6:20.
“Why do we not consecrate ourselves to God? Entire surrender to the Lord is something that is revealed in the daily life, and it exerts an influence upon other lives.”—Mrs. E. G. White, in Gospel Herald, August, 1912. “The world’s greatest need is consecrated effort for the salvation of souls.”—Id., in Week of Prayer Readings, 1907.
“The surrender must be complete. Every weak, doubting, struggling soul who yields fully to the Lord, is placed in direct touch with agencies that enable him to overcome. Heaven is near to him, and he has the support and help of angels of mercy in every time of trial and need.”—“Acts of the Apostles,” page 299.
“The time demands greater efficiency and deeper consecration.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 27. “Everything in the universe calls upon those who know the truth to consecrate themselves unreservedly to the proclamation of the truth as it has been made known to them in the third angel’s message. That which we see and hear calls us to our duty. The working of satanic agencies calls every Christian to stand in his lot.”—Id., pages 25, 26.
“The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with his glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, whole-hearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of his Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God.”—Review and Herald, July 21, 1896.
“I speak to our church members in every place. You must reach a higher standard of consecration to God. If you will seek the Lord, by putting away all evil speaking and all selfishness, and continuing instant in prayer, the Lord will draw nigh to you. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that will give efficacy to your efforts and your appeals. Humble yourselves before God, that in his strength you may rise to a higher standard.”—Id., March 1, 1906.
“In our schools the youth are to receive an education that will result in full consecration to God.”—“Appeals for Unity,” page 12. “There is no limit to the usefulness of the one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.” “God’s ideal for his children is higher than the highest human thought can reach.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VIII, pages 19, 63. “Just in proportion to man’s consecration to God in this life, will be his advancement in the future life.”—Southern Union Worker, June 6, 1912.
“The Lord now calls upon Seventh-day Adventists in every locality to consecrate themselves to him, and to do their very best, according to their circumstances, to assist in his work.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 132.
“Satan does not want any one to see the necessity of an entire surrender to God. When the soul fails to make this surrender, sin is not forsaken; the appetites and passions are striving for the mastery; temptations confuse the conscience, so that true conversion does not take place.”—Id., Vol. VI, page 92.
“He who does not give himself wholly to God is under the control of another power, listening to another voice, whose suggestions are of an entirely different character. Half and half service places the human agent on the side of the enemy, as a successful ally of the hosts of darkness.”—“Mount of Blessing,” page 139.
“All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord’s, to be consecrated to his service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives himself to us.”—“Christ’s Object Lessons,” page 116.
“Our consecration to God must be a living principle, interwoven with the life, and leading to self-denial and self-sacrifice. It must underlie all our thoughts, and be the spring of every action.”—Review and Herald, Jan. 2, 1900.
“What we all need is a consecration and a faith that will stand the day of test and trial.”—“Appeals for Unity,” page 7. “The Saviour comes very near to those who consecrate themselves to God. If ever there was a time when we needed the working of the Spirit of God upon our hearts and lives, it is now. Let us lay hold of this divine power for strength to live a life of holiness and self-surrender.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 166.
“All who consecrate body, soul, and spirit to God’s service will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical, mental, and spiritual power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the breath of his own spirit, the life of his own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind.”—Id., Vol. VI, page 306.
“I would be, dear Saviour, wholly thine;
Teach me how, teach me how;
I would do thy will, O Lord, not mine;
Help me, help me now.
“What is worldly pleasure, wealth, or fame,
Without thee, without thee?
I will leave them all for thy dear name,
This my wealth shall be.
“As I cast earth’s transient joys behind,
Come thou near, come thou near;
In thy presence all in all I find,
’Tis my comfort here.
“Wholly thine, wholly thine,
Wholly thine, this is my vow;
Wholly thine, wholly thine,
Wholly thine, O Lord, just now.”
Obeying the Truth Under Difficulties
FROM AN ISOLATED MEMBER
[The following letter from one of our isolated Sabbath keepers, a devout sister living in a remote region far separated from those of like precious faith, tells of the trying experiences under which she is endeavoring to live out her conviction of duty. In her own home for many years she has suffered great opposition, amounting almost to persecution. Her experiences represent the experiences through which others of our devout members are passing. Let us pray God to bless this sister and give her strength and wisdom to meet the trying situation in her home. And let us remember also the scores of other lonely ones, who, in the midst of unbelief and opposition, far separated from those of like precious faith, are endeavoring to answer the call of God in obedience to his message for this day.—Ed.]
THE blessed third angel’s message was brought to me more than five years ago by a dear, humble canvasser. It was late in August, after a summer of the most trying experiences through which I had ever passed. Precious experiences they were, though fiery; for by them I was prepared to receive with joy the heaven-sent message.
When the canvasser came to my home selling “Christ’s Object Lessons,” she found me in need of help and sympathy. I was much impressed with her sweet, humble spirit and her faith in God’s precious promises. After looking through the book, I was anxious to buy it, but hesitated on account of my husband, who had gone to the mountains for a rest, admonishing me to be very careful in spending the little sum of money he had left with me. But I finally decided that I needed spiritual food as much as any other, and bought the book. After an hour or so of conversation, mostly on10the subject of God’s care for his children and the mission of suffering, the canvasser rose to go. When I asked her to what denomination she belonged, her answer was, “I am a Seventh-day Adventist.”
I knew nothing of this people except that they observe Saturday. When I asked why the Adventists keep Saturday instead of Sunday, she said, “Because it is the original day that God set aside and made holy, commanding man to keep it.” I invited her to come again, and she left, promising to see me again soon. After her departure my thoughts ran something like this: Suppose the Adventists are right in keeping Saturday, should I be willing to obey if the light came to me?—O, yes; but I am sure Sunday must be the right day to keep holy, for there would not be so many deceived. I tried to dismiss the subject from my mind, but it would not leave me. Over and over again these words came to me: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. . . . The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” until I became so concerned about settling this question that I sat down with my Bible and looked up every reference I could find pertaining to the Sabbath. I was surprised to find so much said regarding its sacredness, and the many promises to those who keep it holy. After this investigation the question uppermost in my mind was, Who changed the Sabbath?
The following Saturday, while I was busily engaged in preparing for Sunday, there came a knock at my door; and when I answered it, I was delighted to see the canvasser waiting for me to invite her in. Almost the first thing I said was, “Can you tell me who changed the Sabbath to Sunday?” We sat down with our Bibles and spent the rest of the day studying the subject, and before the sun set I was convinced that Sunday is not the Lord’s holy day, as I had believed, and promised that by his help I would never keep another.
I invited the canvasser to spend the next week with me for the purpose of studying God’s Word with her. She came, and O, the precious hidden truths that were revealed to my hungry soul! We kept the following Sabbath together at my home, and I verily believe that it was the happiest day of my life. The Bible had become a new book. Life had changed from darkness to brightness and hope. My soul was thrilled with the thought of a soon-coming Saviour, and I wished for my dear husband to come home and hear the glad tidings.
Two weeks elapsed before his return. In the meantime I took a severe cold, which my overtaxed system could not resist, and I was compelled to take to my bed. Before I was able to be up, my husband came home, and found me being tenderly cared for by an Adventist sister. I was surprised and hurt by the coldness of his greeting to this dear friend. I had not written him of the new light which had come to me, preferring to tell him face to face. However, he heard of it before reaching home, and came in an unhappy frame of mind. He was kind to me, however, and did not mention the subject.
For several days I refrained from speaking to him of the things so dear to me, and prayed continually for wisdom to present the subject at the right time and in the right way. One evening when we were alone, I told my husband that since he went away I had studied the Sabbath question, and found that Sunday was not the true Sabbath of the Lord, and asked if he would investigate with me and see for himself. He remained strangely silent for a while, and then said, in substance, “If you are going to take up with such foolishness, we shall have to separate.” For a few moments I felt almost stunned; then I said, kindly but firmly, that nothing could keep me from living up to God-given light. From that hour until the present time—over five years—he has fought the truth.
Often when my poor husband is indulging in cutting speeches, there comes the sweetest peace and assurance to my soul. Frequently comforting passages of Scripture come to me almost like a voice. I praise the Lord for every point of truth contained in the third angel’s message, especially for the principles of health reform and what they have done for me. Before coming into the truth I was in poor health, not able to do half the work for four children. Now I am comparatively strong, and do nearly all my housework and sewing, with six children.
A little more than three years ago we moved from the city to a small country village, fifty miles distant, where I could have no church privileges and no association with those of like precious faith. By God’s grace and help I am trying to hold up the banner of Christ in this wicked village. There are only about twenty-five families in the whole valley, yet two saloons are flourishing. By conducting a little Sunday school, scattering the printed page, visiting the needy, and trying to live a righteous life, I hope to win some precious souls for Jesus, including my dear husband, who would be a valuable worker if converted to Christ.
The Reward of the Righteous
By C. P. BOLLMAN
C. P. BOLLMAN
PRIMARILY the reward of the righteous is eternal life. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6: 23.
Life was lost in Adam; it is restored in Christ. “To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life” is awarded. Rom. 2: 7.
Christ’s mission is to give life: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10: 10. “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Cor. 15: 22. The life that was lost in Adam is restored in Christ. It was lost through Adam’s sin; it is restored through Christ’s righteousness. And if it is again lost, it is forfeited, not for Adam’s sin, but for the sin of the individual—sin unforgiven, because unrepented of and unforsaken.
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.” “When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.” Eze. 18: 20, 26, 27.
But this is not all; eternal life means more than eternal, conscious, animated existence. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17: 3.
To know God means more than to know about God; it means having a living connection with him; partaking of his divine nature, being filled with his life-giving Spirit. This is primarily the reward of the righteous, and this is the meaning of our Saviour’s word, “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” John 6: 47. The apostle Paul expresses the same thought in these words: “Your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Col. 3: 3, 4.
But while life is fundamental, eternal living, yea, even eternal righteous living, is not all there is of eternal life. We have seen that eternal life means eternal union with God, eternal, living connection with him. And this means eternal felicity. Says the psalmist, “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Ps. 16: 11.
When God created man, he gave him a beautiful home with beautiful surroundings, and dominion over all the earth, a dominion that might have been eternal. That home man lost, that dominion he forfeited by sin. But that which was lost in Adam is restored in Christ. “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” Isa. 45: 18. Again we read: “And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4: 8, A. R. V.
The restoration of the lost dominion was bound up in the promise recorded in Gen. 3: 15. The bruising of the serpent’s head involves his destruction, and the recovering from him of the usurped dominion, the stolen territory. This is the meaning of the promise to “Abraham and to his seed:” “The land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.” Gen. 13: 15. “He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.”11“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3: 16, 29.
In Rom. 4: 13 the prophet tells us plainly that the promise to Abraham was that he should be heir of the world. Evidently the psalmist so understood it also, for we find it plainly stated five times in the thirty-seventh psalm alone, as, for example, in verse 11: “The meek shall inherit the earth.” These words appear in Matt. 5: 5 as one of the beatitudes. In 2 Peter 3: 13, the apostle, after telling of the destruction by fire of the world that now is, says, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness,” or as some render it, “wherein the righteous dwell.” Neither the thought nor the form of expression was original with Peter, for he refers to “his promise;” and in Isa. 66: 22 we find it in almost the exact words used by the apostle: “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 finally, the prophet John, when bowed with age, and banished to lonely Patmos “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ,” was given a vision of this new or renewed earth, the eternal home of the redeemed:—
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Rev. 21: 1-7.
“We have heard from the bright, the holy land,
We have heard and our hearts are glad;
For we were a lonely pilgrim band,
And weary, and worn, and sad.
They tell us the saints have a dwelling there;
No longer are homeless ones;
And we know that the goodly land is fair,
Where life’s pure river runs.
“They say green fields are waving there,
That never a blight shall know;
And the deserts wild are blooming fair,
And the roses of Sharon grow.
There are lovely birds in the bowers green,
Their songs are blithe and sweet;
And their warblings, gushing ever new,
The angels’ harpings greet.
“We have heard of the palms, the robes, the crowns,
And the silvery band in white;
Of the city fair, with pearly gates,
All radiant with light.
We have heard of the angels there, and saints,
With their harps of gold, how they sing;
Of the mount, with the fruitful tree of life,
Of the leaves that healing bring.
“The King of that country, he is fair,
He’s the joy and light of the place;
In his beauty we shall behold him there,
And bask in his smiling face.
We’ll be there, we’ll be there in a little while,
We’ll join the pure and the blest;
We’ll have the palm, the robe, the crown,
And forever be at rest.”
— H. W. Hyde.
