Earlier text: Our Publishing WorkGovernment Subsidy for Religious Teachers
THERE is at least one member of the existing national legislature who openly advocates a union of church and state in the United States, in the form of a subsidy granted by the government to religious teachers in the Philippines. This legislator is Congressman Bourke Cockran, a Roman Catholic. Mr. Cockran, says the New World (Catholic), “has been making an extended study of conditions in the East” (as a member of the Taft party), where “the conviction was forced upon him that the Catholic Church alone can solve the problem of restoring peace, contentment, and harmony in our Eastern colonial possessions.” In a recent speech on the subject of preparing the Filipinos for independence, Mr. Cockran, as reported by the New World, said:— The surest and best way of educating the Filipinos up to a point of prosperity where they would be capable of independence is to subsidize the Catholic missionaries. . . . It is said that the government can not subsidize any church or religious institution. Yet the government is bound to spread civilization by all means available if its promise of independence shall be taken for more than a promise. To guide the natives for their own interests we must rule them in peace, and to do so we shall have either to educate or kill them. Believe me, it will cost twice as much to kill them as to educate them. Every Filipino killed so far has required an expenditure of from two hundred dollars to three hundred dollars for his putting out of the way. Suppose that each man who educated a Filipino got a subsidy of from fifteen dollars to twenty dollars, would it not serve to bring to these islands the men needed for that work? I do not advocate the subsidizing of our own church alone, but I call on the government to avail itself of the machinery of the church, which was the first institution in the world to maintain the superiority of voluntary labor over coerced labor. It would be a fine thing, thinks this congressman, for the government to use the machinery of the Catholic Church for its purposes, and then, of course, it would only be fair reciprocity for the Catholic Church to use the machinery of the government for her purposes. There is altogether too much prospect of such reciprocity. Christian Nations and Their Evidence
ONE of the objects of the great interchurch federation recently launched in New York City, is to furnish evidence that the United States is a Christian nation. The National Reform party, which has long labored to this same end, would furnish this evidence by having “all Christian institutions and usages of the government” placed “on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law.” Evidence of this sort already exists in proof of the Christianity of the nations of the Old World, which have long had their “Christian institutions and usages” established by law; hence the great world powers are quite well agreed among themselves that they are Christian nations, in fact if not in name. But there is a great class of people on the earth, comprising several great nations which are not Christian either in name or in fact, who are not convinced by the evidence which they see in support of the Christianity of these powers. A representative of this class made an address recently before the National Civic Federation in New York City, in which this point was made clear. The address was deemed worthy of note by the Washington Post, which speaks of it thus:— Perhaps the most interesting of all the addresses delivered before the immigration conference of the National Civic Federation in New York, the latter part of last week, was that of Poon-Chew, editor of a Chinese paper in San Francisco, who, after a critical survey of Western civilization in the twentieth century, concluded that “a nation has no right except what she can enforce by might.” That is not highly flattering to Christianity, but it must be conceded that the treatment received by the Chinese from some of the Christian nations at the time of the Boxer outbreak and on several other occasions could not reasonably be held to justify exuberant compliments. But Editor Poon-Chew is hopeful of what he calls “a more advanced civilization” for the four hundred millions of the Celestial empire. Hence he says: “China is preparing now to be able some of these days to be a great nation, so as to kill the largest number of men in a given time with the least expense to herself, and then, and not till then, will she be looked upon as a great nation.” It is China’s chief anxiety to-day to become “great” so as to be able to protect herself from the aggression of her western neighbors, who have so long looked with greedy eyes upon her territory. Apostasy
By Ellen G. White
Lessons From the Life of Solomon—No. 14
For many years Solomon walked uprightly. Heavenly wisdom was given him to rule over God’s people with impartiality and mercy. But his life, after a morning of so great promise, was darkened with apostasy. History records the melancholy fact that he who was called Jedidiah (Beloved of the Lord),—he who had been specially honored by God with tokens of divine favor so remarkable that his wisdom and uprightness gained for him world-wide fame,—he who had so often given wise counsel to others,—turned from the worship of the true God to bow before the idols of the heathen. Solomon’s apostasy was so gradual that almost before he was aware of it, he had wandered far from God. Gradually but surely, he lost sight of the necessity of implicit obedience to the plain precepts of Holy Writ, and conformed more and more closely to the customs of the surrounding nations. Yielding to the temptations connected with his prosperity and his honored position, he forgot God, and the conditions of success. Hundreds of years before Solomon came to the throne, the Lord, foreseeing the perils that would beset those chosen as rulers of Israel, gave Moses special instruction for their guidance. Directions were given that he who sat on the throne of Israel should “write him a copy” of the statutes of Jehovah “in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.” In connection with this instruction, the Lord particularly cautioned the one who should be anointed king not to “multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” These plain warnings were familiar to Solomon. And for a time he heeded them. His greatest desire was to live and rule in accordance with the statutes given at Sinai. His manner of conducting the affairs of the kingdom was in striking contrast with the customs of the idolatrous nations of his time,—nations who feared not God, and whose rulers trampled under foot his holy law. The beginning of Solomon’s apostasy may be traced to his violation of the plain commandments of the Lord. God had given the king of Israel wonderful prestige in the surrounding nations. Had Solomon continued to trust the Lord fully, his fame and the greatness of his nation would have constantly increased. But he began, almost imperceptibly at first, to trust less and less in the guidance and blessing of God, and to put confidence in his own strength. This is seen in his effort to gain power and dignity by allying himself with the nations round about him. In seeking to strengthen his relations with the powerful kingdom lying to the southward of Israel, Solomon ventured upon forbidden ground. He “made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David.” From a human point of view, this marriage, although contrary to the teachings of God’s law, seemed to prove a blessing; for Solomon’s heathen wife was converted, and united with him in the worship of the true God. Furthermore, Pharaoh rendered signal service to Israel by taking Gezer, slaying “the Canaanites that dwelt in the city,” and giving it “for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife.” Solomon rebuilt and fortified this city, and thus apparently greatly strengthened his kingdom along the Mediterranean seacoast. The barrier was further broken by Solomon’s marriage with other heathen princesses. He flattered himself that his wisdom and the power of his example would lead his wives from idolatry to the worship of the true God, and also that the alliances thus formed would draw the nations round about into close touch with the people of God. Vain hope! How fatal was Solomon’s mistake in regarding himself strong enough to resist the influence of heathen associates! And how fatal, too, the deception that led Solomon to hope that a disregard of God’s law on his part, would lead others to revere and obey its sacred precepts! Alliances and commercial relations with many heathen nations brought Solomon renown, honor, and the riches of this world. He was enabled to bring gold from Ophir and silver from Tarshish in great abundance. More and more he came to regard luxury, self-indulgence, and the favor of the world as indications of greatness. Beautiful and attractive women were brought from Egypt, Phœnicia, Edom, Moab, and from many other places. These women were numbered by hundreds. Their religion was idol-worship, and they had been taught to practise cruel and degrading rites. Infatuated with their beauty, the king neglected his duties to God and to his kingdom. His wives exerted a strong influence over him, and gradually prevailed on him to unite with them in their worship. Solomon’s course brought its sure penalty. His separation from God through communication with idolaters ruined him. As he cast off his allegiance to God, he lost the mastery of himself. His moral efficiency was gone, as power is gone from a paralytic. His fine sensibilities became blunted, his conscience seared. Association with idolaters corrupted his faith. The instruction that God had given to serve as a barrier for his safety,—“neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold,”—was disregarded, and Solomon gave himself up to the worship of false gods. He became the tool of Satan and a slave to impulse. “It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.” On the southern eminence of the Mount of Olives,—opposite Mount Moriah, where stood the beautiful temple of Jehovah,—Solomon erected an imposing pile of buildings to be used as idolatrous shrines. To please his wives, he placed huge idols, unshapely images of wood and stone, amid the groves of myrtle and olive. There, before the altars of the heathen deities, were practised the most degrading rites of heathenism. He who in his early reign had displayed so much wisdom and kindly sympathy in restoring a helpless babe to its unfortunate mother, fell so low as to consent to the erection of an idol to whom children were offered as living sacrifices. He who in his youth was endowed with discretion and understanding, and who in his strong manhood had been inspired to write, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death,” in later years departed so far from purity as to countenance the licentious, revolting rites connected with the worship of Chemosh and Ashtoreth. He who at the dedication of the temple had said to his people, “Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God,” himself became an offender, in heart and life denying his own words. He mistook license for liberty. He tried, but at what cost, to unite light with darkness, Christ with Belial, purity with impurity, good with evil.9 From being one of the greatest kings that ever wielded a scepter, whose wisdom made him renowned throughout the world, Solomon became a profligate,—the tool and slave of others. His character, once noble and manly, became enervated and effeminate. His faith in the living God was shaken and supplanted by atheistic doubts. Unbelief marred his happiness, weakened his principles, and degraded his life; gloomy and soul-harrassing thoughts troubled him night and day. The justice and magnanimity of his early reign were changed to despotism and tyranny. Poor, frail human nature! God can do but little for men who lose their sense of dependence upon him. Christ Thy Strength
By John S. B. Monsell
Fight the good fight with all thy might,
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally. Run the straight race through God's good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek his face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the path, and Christ the prize. Cast care aside, lean on thy Guide;
His boundless mercy will provide;
Trust, and thy trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life, and Christ its love. Faint not nor fear, his arms are near;
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.
—John S. B. Monsell. Denominational or Undenominational?
By W. J. Stone
There have been times in the history of our work when persons have felt it would be an advantage to conceal the fact that the work they were doing was denominational, or was being conducted by a certain denomination, and in the interests of that denomination. I have heard some who were giving instruction to our canvassers teach that it was better to evade a direct answer to the question whether it was a denominational book they were selling. I have even known of some ministers who have felt in the past that in going into a new field it was better to keep in the background the fact that we were Seventh-day Adventists, carrying the idea that the truths we preach are general Bible truths. But I am glad there has come a change, and that there is inscribed upon the banner of those who are giving the third angel’s message, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” And this characteristic is distinctively denominational; it applies to no other denomination. And that which is true upon this point is equally true on many other points of our faith. The facts are that every phase of the work of Seventh-day Adventists is distinctively denominational. And whenever one attempts to take out from this denomination any special line of work connected with it, and tries to carry it forward disconnected from this body, and not in the setting that God has given it, that work becomes a failure, and sooner or later results in confusion, and comes to naught. This has been witnessed over and over in the history of this denomination, and should be a lesson to any who are tempted to carry forward, disconnected from this body, some special phase of the work committed to this people. The Spirit of the Lord—the testimony of Jesus—has brought out and developed every phase of the message which we hold as a denomination. It has placed every phase of this truth in a certain setting, and it is impossible for a person who does not believe the whole message to give any part of it, or carry forward any branch of the work entrusted to us, correctly or in harmony with the mind of the Spirit. For example: There are many people in the world who believe in and teach the soon coming of Christ; but this generation has, in the third angel’s message, the teaching that the hour of God’s judgment is come, that probation ends before Christ comes, that during the millennium the saints will reign in heaven. The true preaching of the second coming of Christ and of the gospel of the kingdom, as brought to view in Revelation, is distinctively denominational; and when taken from its proper setting, and where God has placed it, it is not preaching the truth, but the very opposite. Again: the true Sabbath is observed and taught by other people, yet not in the setting in which the Lord has placed it for these last days; consequently, there is no special power connected with it, and those who hear it are not moved to obedience. Thus every point of present truth, and every branch of our work,—educational, medical, or religious liberty,—has its special setting, and is distinctively denominational, and must go with the denomination. Separated from the denomination, it no longer serves God’s purpose in his present message to the world. Is the sanitarium work as conducted by Seventh-day Adventists denominational? What is its history? Has not God, by his Spirit, guided in the building up of the sanitarium work in this denomination? If Seventh-day Adventists had adopted these principles forty years ago, they would have stood at the head in these reforms in a greater measure than they do to-day. If this is true,—and it is,—the sanitarium work as given to this people, and as God intended it should be carried forward by this people in all the world, is distinctively denominational, and can not be carried forward in harmony with the mind of God, and as God intended it should be, when taken out of its proper setting in the denomination. God has ordained that our medical work should be connected with the evangelical work. None but consecrated persons, those who have the spirit of the Master and a love for souls, can properly minister to the afflicted and sin-sick, and point them to the Source of life, the One who heals all our diseases of both soul and body. The consecrated nurses are many times the instruments, in God’s hands, of ministering to afflicted souls the one thing needful, more than the physician, but both alike should be consecrated Christians, in order to perform the highest type of medical missionary work. So I say again that the more closely the medical work can be linked with the evangelical, the greater will be its efficiency. In “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, page 289, we read: “The medical missionary work should be a part of the work of every church in our land. Disconnected from the church, it would soon become a strange medley of disorganized atoms.” Take it out of its proper place, and it can not fulfil the purpose of God; it becomes a medley. The world may conduct hospitals, and do much in relieving the sick and the suffering, but it is not doing the work committed to Seventh-day Adventists. Neither can it do it, even though it might employ some of the same methods. And professed Seventh-day Adventists who conduct sanitariums for gain, and adopt the spirit of commercialism, disconnecting themselves from the body, can not meet the design or mind of God in this great work which is designated as the “right arm” of the message. Truly, the Lord has said, “Disconnected from the church, it would soon become a strange medley of disorganized atoms.” The truthfulness of this statement is being demonstrated at the present time; and it will appear more apparent as time passes. Every line of work carried forward by Seventh-day Adventists, and every point of our message as outlined and directed by the Spirit of the Lord for the past forty years, has been distinctively denominational, and, under the guidance of the Spirit, it has prospered, and accomplished much for God. Separated from the denomination, it has come to naught. Our work is one of reform, a fulfilment of prophecy, under God, to accomplish a special work which was not being done by any other people or denomination in the world. And this fact again designates our whole work as denominational. And, dear brethren and sisters, let us not try to get away from this idea; for if we do, we shall only pull away from the message; and that means our eternal loss. The Seventh-day Adventist denomination is the embodiment of the third angel’s message. Nearly two thousand years ago God permitted John to behold the closing scenes of this world’s history. He also inspired John to write what he saw. The word of God as10 penned by John is being fulfilled before our eyes, and has become a living message, filling all the world, in the organization of the Seventh-day Adventist church. This church is the message, and God will never reject his church and people, but he will purify them, and in the process some will be shaken out. Not that the true Israel will be called out. There is a difference in being called out and in being shaken out. The Lord has shown the company mightily shaken, then others filling the ranks, and going forward to victory. The third angel’s message comprises a system of truth. Every phase of the message sustains the same relation to the message itself that the organs of the body do to the body. The eye is not the whole body, neither is the spirit of prophecy the third angel’s message, but an important part of it. The arm is not the whole body, neither is the medical missionary work the whole message, although an important part of it, even sustaining the same relation to it that the right arm does to the body. And it is intended by the Lord that it shall be a mighty factor in carrying forward this great message as a whole. But when any single phase of our work is pushed to the exclusion of other branches, and becomes the all-important thing, not only that branch of the work is in danger, but those connected with it are in danger of becoming one-sided, and not developing symmetrical characters. All phases of our work are important, and it is by the combination of the whole, without any schism, that the work is to be performed, and God’s purpose fulfilled. May the Lord give us all breadth of mind to take in the whole message. Bible Similes
By WM. COVERT
PAUL teaches that material things, visible to men's eyes, if properly studied, may aid us in obtaining a knowledge of the true God. See Rom. 1:19, 20. It seems that every creature has a mission, and every object a lesson. The rocks and the rills, the hills and the dales, the mountains and the plains, the rivers and the seas, the days and the nights, the clouds and the storms, the heavens and the earth, with all their elements, instruct in divine lore. David, hiding from King Saul behind the ramparts in the mountains, said, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Ps. 18:2. As an impenetrable rock, the Lord stood between David and his jealous pursuer. The jagged hills provided the fugitive with fortresses on all sides, and he believed the Lord was using them as a means of defense from the stroke of his enemy. Through these agencies the Lord was speaking to his servant of deliverance from a foe more wily than the Benjamite king, and from a fate more to be feared than death by sword or javelin. Every object that served as shield or tower spoke to him of salvation from sin; yes, told of triumph over death. Through constant dangers he was led to praise the Lord for manifold blessings. The last minor prophet referred to the sun as an emblem of Christ's righteousness, and restoration from the effects of sin. Through him the Lord says to his people that the “Sun of Righteousness” shall “arise with healing in his wings.” As the rising sun dispels the darkness of the night, it renews the assurance of salvation day by day. The chasing away of night tells anew from sun to sun the story of redemption. Judah's weeping prophet saw in the gushing spring an emblem of the Saviour. He is a “Fountain of living waters.” Jer. 2:13. Often as he quenched his thirst at the stream that came from the rock, his mind would appropriate the truth regarding the Spirit of life. To the seer of Patmos, the shining in their seasons of each “morning star”—Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn—was an emblem of Christ the Lord. Rev. 22:16. As the herald came to view, it told the lone apostle that day was dawning. The shining planet was heaven's banner leading the day up the eastern steep of the sky. As the Lord's servant watched earth's shadows recede, he beheld in the day-star a figure of Jesus bringing life to men out of earth's dark night. The devout student of nature sees in the “rose of Sharon” and the “lily of the valley” an object-lesson setting forth the beauty of character possessed by the Lord. The blooming althea among the graceful shrubs speaks to his mind of the rich grace which adorned the life of the Carpenter of Nazareth. Christ said of himself, “I am the true vine.” All branches of this Vine bear fruit. He is the “good olive tree.” He is that great Shepherd of the sheep, the one who owns all the sheep in every fold. He is priest, and he is king. He is man's peace and joy. He is man's song and exceeding great reward. He is a father, helper, brother, creator, redeemer, and everlasting father. He is wisdom, sanctification, righteousness, and redemption. He is “alpha,” the beginning, and “omega,” the ending, the source and the sun of all things. An impressive emblem of the Lord's care for his creatures is found in the rainbow. After the flood of waters had receded from the earth, the Lord placed a bow in the heavens which spoke of safety. As he displayed it, he said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” Gen. 9:12-15, R. V. The shining of the sun through the falling rain-drops makes the bow, but there must be a cloud to produce rain, else the bow is not seen. But there is another bow more brilliant than the colors of the arch which follows the receding storm, which the pen of inspiration likens to the rainbow. The prophet describes it as “the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain.” Eze. 1:28. John in vision beheld the same glory, and said, “Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne: . . . and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” Rev. 4:2, 3. The emerald is one of the precious stones, and is greatly prized for the purity and richness of its coloring of green or bluish green. The bow that radiates from the throne has behind it a cloud intensifying the glory. “For,” says the Lord, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.” Isa. 44:22, 23, A. R. V. Once more he speaks, saying, “Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” Isa. 38:17. These sins are dark clouds which have spent their fury, but in the horizon they point toward the fleeing gale. The Lord has so ordered nature that man can look upon the bow of promise, and see in it an emblem of eternal peace. The bow in the heaven is to man a bright symbol of the everlasting covenant, a visible illustration of his salvation. It is hung out in plain view for all to study. It announces that the storm has abated, and that the sun is shining again. It is the Lord's memorial of peace, a variegated banner of love stretching across the sky, a token in the window of heaven inviting us home. Posture in Prayer
By G. B. Thompson
THERE is no doubt but that the Lord will hear the earnest supplications of any heart, regardless of the particular attitude the person may be in while praying. But that we should reverently bow down before the great and terrible God seems indeed most fitting. Just in proportion as spirituality wanes in a church, and the worship becomes cold and formal, the practise of kneeling during prayer is abandoned. The preacher stands, and the congregation11 sit. But surely nothing can be more fitting than that the congregation should kneel when the blessing of the great Master of assemblies is being invoked. Anciently in times of special humbling of the heart, we find the servants of God lying prostrate before the Lord. We can not conceive of Elijah sitting or standing while he sought God to send rain upon the earth, at the close of the terrible struggle with the prophets of Baal. 1 Kings 18: 42. The following instances are sufficient to indicate the mind of the Lord, and the teaching of his Word concerning this matter:—
“And he [Jesus] . . . kneeled down and prayed.” Luke 22: 41. “And he [Jesus] went forward a little, and fell on his face, and prayed.” Matt. 26: 39. “And [Solomon] kneeled down upon his knees before all the assembly of Israel.” 2 Chron. 6: 13. Ezra fell upon his knees, and spread out his hands unto God. Ezra 9: 5. Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” Dan. 6: 10. Paul “kneeled down, and prayed with them all.” Acts 20: 36. “But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed.” Acts 9: 40. The believers at Tyre, when bidding Paul farewell, kneeled down on the beach, and prayed. Acts 21: 5. When being stoned, Stephen “kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” Acts 7: 60. “And there cometh to him a leper, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Mark 1: 40. “And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son.” Matt. 17: 14, 15. “Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth.” Phil. 2: 9, 10. “By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Isa. 45: 23.
“O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker.” Ps. 95: 6. Life’s Ups and Downs
By Margaret E. Sangster
If life were a uniform level, broken by no vicissitudes and no disasters, with no strange and baffling problems alternating with its seasons of tranquillity and success, it would be, perhaps, less trying than it generally is, but also much less interesting. Nothing is more tedious than monotony. Nothing wears on the nerves like a stirless calm. The wildest gusts and storms are more acceptable to the mariner than the inaction which is compulsory when the wind moves not. I once met an old, old lady who said that her whole life had been as placid as a summer sea. At long intervals some member of her family had died, but as she had no children, the most intimate and deep of afflictions had been spared her, and her husband still survived. Strange to say, I did not feel that she was to be envied. Without pain in this world’s economy there is little reaching forward to the heights of joy; without suffering there is seldom intensity of thankfulness; without birth-throes there is little apparent growth in the spiritual realm. Life all a plain road, no hills to climb, no obstacles to surmount, no vicissitudes to endure, is not so desirable, on the whole, as life which has its struggles, its sorrows, and its losses, preliminary as they come to the final realization of its triumphs, its consolations, and its everlasting gains.—Margaret E. Sangster. Everything or Nothing
By John M. Hopkins
The third angel’s message is everything, or it is nothing. It is the most solemn, the most important thing in all the world, or it is absolutely unworthy of the least attention. The threefold message of Revelation 14 proclaims the judgment hour, the fall of Babylon (the moral and spiritual fall of the many professed Christian churches), and the denunciation of heaven against the worship of the beast and his image. The fourteenth chapter of Revelation, in the most intimate connection with this great threefold proclamation tells of the coming of Christ, and the end of all earthly hopes and prospects. It speaks in the most positive terms of the consummation of the Christian’s hope,—the resurrection of the righteous dead, and the translation of the living saints, and the utter destruction of sin and sinners. Now what can be of greater importance than such wonderful declarations as these? It seems to me that they should arrest and hold the attention and engage the most earnest efforts of every intelligent person. Every person of every tribe and nation in all the world has an interest in these solemn events, whether he realizes it or not. Every man, woman, and child in all the world, will, in a very few years, be saved in the kingdom of God, or else be swept out of existence by the judgments of God. There is absolutely no alternative. There is no escape. It is the life or death message, the life or death warrant from the throne of God, to every living creature on the earth. So we repeat and emphasize: The truths contained in the great threefold message of Revelation 14 are everything, and our souls should be stirred to their very depths by them. Those professing to believe these things, to be consistent, should devote all their time, energy, and means to their proclamation. Everything they do should be done with reference to this message, for it concerns all they do. It is to the world a savor of life or of death. It will most certainly save or condemn every man and woman on earth. It is everything, or it is nothing. Reader, which is it to you? We know it is true. We know it is God’s truth, his message for the world now. We know that in a very short time, a few years at the longest, the plagues will be poured out upon the earth, which for one thousand years will be one vast desolation inhabited only by Satan (Revelation 20), the antitype of the scapegoat, the Azazel of Leviticus 16, margin; that cities, mansions, wealth, and finally the very earth itself, will be burned up. 2 Peter 3. This is just what this message of warning means to the inhabitants of the world. Friend, what is it to you? Everything? or nothing? Do you wisely accept, live, and obey it? or do you, to your eternal ruin, reject it? This is just what it means to you personally, and you can not by any possible means evade it. In a short time you will be rejoicing with the redeemed of all ages in the city of God, or you will be swept out of existence by the terrible destruction that will be the portion of all the ungodly. Which will it be? You will make the decision yourself. Acceptance means life, rejection means death, and that quickly. Be admonished, for your own sake, for the sake of those who are dear to you, for the sake of everything worthy a moment’s consideration, be admonished to accept and obey this message, and through the merits of the crucified One, receive the forgiveness of sin, and a home in the soon-coming kingdom. It is everything or nothing. She Gave Her God Her Best
AN officer in the army some years ago witnessed this incident in India. He was walking along the banks of the Ganges, the sacred river, when he heard behind him a moan of agony. He turned round, and there before him was a Hindu mother, with two children. One was a lovely boy; the other a puny, weak, miserable little girl. He asked what was the matter. The answer of the poor woman was, “The gods are angry with me.” “Why?” he said. “Because they have given me this miserable little girl.” He replied, “But you have that boy.” All she would say was, “The gods are angry.” He passed on, not knowing what the woman meant. Presently he returned. There was the same woman, the same little girl. But where was the boy?—Thrown into the Ganges! She had given the fruit of her body for the sin of her soul. He turned to her in astonishment, and said, “Surely if you had to give one, you would have given the girl?” Listen to her answer: “Sahib, do you think I would give my god anything but the best?” Her religion broke her heart. Ours binds up the broken-hearted, comforts those that mourn, wipes tears from off all faces. Yet which of us has given the best?—C. M. S. Intelligencer.