Earlier text: THE INTER-CHURCH CONFERENCE ON FEDERATIONTHE Inter-Church Conference on Federation is in the past. As to theory, plan, and framework, it accomplished what it was called together to do. It was brought together for a definite purpose; and it was managed to that end alone. And there is no question but that it was most ably managed to that end. Before the conference was half through, there were mutterings and complaints that the delegation were given no real part in the conference, that a pre-arranged program was being put through by the managers, while all the delegates were allowed simply to sit in their seats with nothing to say, and nothing to do but listen to those who were the active ones in the pre-arranged program. They were publicly comforted with the promise that when the conference should reach the reports of the committees as to plan of federation, resolutions, etc., then the delegates would have their opportunity. And when the plan of federation was proposed, and the delegates began to propose amendments that looked toward the form of government in the federation, and thus began to say and do something, they were informed that all this was beyond their jurisdiction as yet; that this was a conference only on federation; that any amendment as to federation was proper, but anything beyond that was beyond their power now; that even in the matter of federation, when they should have adopted a plan of federation, this plan itself must be referred back for ratification, to the denominations that had sent this delegation; that when these denominations had duly ratified the Plan of Federation, then federation would be a fact accomplished; and that when the federating denominations should under the plan appoint delegates to the proposed meeting in December, 1908, and those delegates should have duly assembled, only then would the federation in its delegates be a self-governing body and qualified to take action; only then would the delegates be qualified to initiate action and discuss polity, etc. This enabled the management to put through the whole Plan of Federation in only a little over half an hour altogether. And when the report of the Committee on Resolutions was presented, and again the delegates began to express views and indicate action, as on prohibition, their attention was called to what had been previously stated, that since whatever should be done in this conference must be submitted to the federating denominations for ratification, it was not within the province of the delegation to decide what it would do, but only to adopt such recommendations as would most likely meet the approval of the federating denominations; and that since the Business Committee was composed of representatives of these denominations, and that committee had reached unanimous agreement on the resolutions presented, it would be best not to attempt material changes; also since the time of the conference was now so short, it was advisable not to consume it in discussion, at the expense of taking the time of the eminent gentlemen who at the expense of means, time, and effort, were present and prepared to present their papers as in the regular program. This enabled the management to put through the resolutions also in only a few minutes. And in view of the purpose for which the conference was assembled, and in view of developments in the conference, the course thus taken was evidently the wise one. For on material questions touched, both in the presentation of subjects in the program, and in the resolutions, there were manifestly discordant and indeed antagonistic views held, not only among the delegates but those who were on the regular program. It was therefore perfectly plain that if the conference should be let loose to the airing, and therefore the extending, magnifying, and multiplying, of these discordances and antagonisms, there would at once be an absolute end to all hope of federation by this conference and at this time. For instance several of the speakers of the regular program declared with vigorous emphasis that "the Bible must be restored to its place in the public schools;" that "the Bible must be enthroned in the public school;" and these declarations were approved with loud applause from the delegation. On the other hand there were just as positive declarations, with just as vigorous emphasis, that there must be no attempt to put the Bible in the public schools; that religion must be kept out of the public schools; that "church and state must be kept separate." And these declarations were approved with distinct and decided, tho possibly not so strong, applause from the delegation. For further instance: On the question and the resolution concerning temperance and the liquor traffic—whether absolute prohibition or the recognition of license should be the attitude—aside from the fact as stated by the chairman that "seventeen resolutions, from Carrie Nation up," had come to the committee, the differences were so manifest that, even with the curb with which the delegation was held to the one thought and purpose of federation, it required effort to shut off discussion; indeed it had to be done by simply and abruptly shutting it off. And when, in all the circumstances and under the controlling hand as to this conference, the indications were what they were, it is interesting to contemplate what will occur in their council in 1908, when the whole delegation will be perfectly free as to initiative and discussion, within limitations set only by itself upon itself. In yet further instance: It is certain that from the floor in open session, there were sent to the Business Committee more resolutions, and in the regular program there was more said, concerning Sunday observance, and "Sabbath desecration" than concerning the liquor traffic. And yet the Business Committee reported absolutely nothing on that subject. The One Purpose Federation.
These facts serve to demonstrate how decidedly the management that had secured the assembling10 of the conference, were set on accomplishing federation. This was the one transcendent note in every subject of the regular program. Toward this as the one single goal the whole conference was from the beginning engineered, and was in its action guided. This, to the exclusion of everything else, and at whatever expense of leveling or ignoring, was the one single thing aimed at. And that thing was accomplished. That is to say, as to theory, as to plan, as to framework, it was accomplished. And in a certain sense, and to a certain extent, beyond this, it was accomplished. And just what in this federation of churches, as a practical working thing, has been accomplished, is not only an interesting study, but a most important matter to this nation and to all the people. But to the telling of this another article will have to be devoted. The Bible and Life
By Joseph Parker
THE Bible flies, flies over all nations, and showers down upon listening generations the music of heaven. The Bible only needs to be compared with other books. It asks for nothing but to be read. Other religions are poetry, idealism, struggles after the impossible. The revelation of God is poetry also, and philosophy, the highest, sublimest reasoning; but if it were only that, we might lose it. In addition to that it comes down into the life, strengthening, succoring, comforting, directing, and making good all the outline, all the substance, and all the essence of life. A WORD TO THE SKEPTIC.
By James Russell Lowell
WHEN the microscopic search of skepticism, which has hunted the heavens and sounded the seas to disprove the existence of a Creator, has turned its attention to human society, and has found a place on this planet ten miles square, where a decent man can live in decency, comfort, and security, supporting and educating his children unspoiled and unpolluted; a place where age is reverenced, infancy respected, manhood respected, and womanhood honored, and human life held in due regard; when skeptics can find such a place ten miles square on this globe, where the Gospel of Christ has not gone, and cleared the way, and laid the foundations, and made decency and security possible, it will then be in order for skeptical literati to remove thither and there ventilate their views. But so long as these very men are dependent upon the religion which they discard for every privilege they enjoy, they may well hesitate a little before they seek to rob the Christian of his hope, and humanity of its faith, in that Saviour who alone has given to man that hope of life eternal which makes life tolerable, and society possible, and robs death of its terrors and the grave of its gloom.—James Russell Lowell. FEDERATION FOR WHAT?
By Alonzo T. Jones
IN the conference there were plainly two sorts of men, and two distinct lines of thinking with respect to the object of federation. One of these favored and desired federation for purely benevolent and evangelical purposes alone, these purposes to be attained by purely Gospel means. Of these were Dr. Van Dyke, Dr. Hillis, Mr. E. Laidlaw, and Robert E. Spear. No one could listen to these men and not be convinced that the only object of federation that they saw was that there should be concentrated and intensified the evangelical power and influence of the churches in the war against sin; for the winning of men from the power of sin to the love and power of righteousness. The others, and these were by far the larger part, favored and desired federation, first of all, or power—power in the public life and civic affairs of the people in the city, county, state, and nation, and even the whole world. With these, that is the one great aim—not, indeed, to the exclusion of other aims; other aims are, of course, included, but as contributory to this. And this to one great purpose over all, in order that the city shall become "the city of God," the nation become a kingdom of God, the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven. Time and again this was urged as the great practical thing to be accomplished by federation. It cropped out in many ways. Indeed, when there was being presented the "Practical Results of Federation," by one of the organizers and chief workers, the main reason presented for federation beyond the local, in county, state, and national federations, was that thus "pressure" could brought to bear upon county, state, and national authorities, and thus there be reforms secured and things accomplished that could not be if the form of federation be only local. In the Field of Politics.
Again, this appeared as the purpose of federation in the suggestion, many times and in many forms, of "civic reforms" and "civic righteousness" as a proper field for the employment of the energies of the church. Again, in the observation that "a church having many votes will receive respectful attention." Again, in the instruction that "a Roman priest is not a good adviser in political affairs; Protestant ministers must qualify for this." Again, and especially, in the sounding forth and the magnifying of the many millions of people represented in the conference, and now in federation. At the opening of the conference the number was stated as "seventeen million." This was presently magnified to eighteen million. Shortly, this was magnified to twenty million. And before the close, even this was magnified to "about one-half of the population of the United States." And that the very first thing that the federation, as such—that is the organization that now exists as the accomplishment of the conference—was ever directed to do, was to remind the Congress of the United States of the government’s pledge to the Five Civilized Tribes of the Indian Territory, for the purpose of having Congress respect the reminder and act accordingly, is strictly indicative of the object of the federation, in the minds of the vast majority of the conference. Thus, by every evidence furnished by the conference itself, it is certain that federation for public power, is, at the very least, one of the great objects of the federation. However, there is about this a peculiarity that should be observed. They are not—not just now, at any rate—proposing that the public or civil power shall be possessed by them in its actual operation. They do not propose that members of the federation or of the churches shall be the officials in city, county, state, and nation. But they do, plainly and in words, propose to control, by and through this federation, those who are the officials of the governments of city, county, state, and nation. Union of Church and State—How Viewed.
They insist that they are opposed to any union of church and state. And in the sense in which they mean it, that is true. In their being opposed to any union of church and state, they mean that they are opposed to any union of the Methodist Church, or the Presbyterian Church, or the Baptist Church, or any other particular denominational church, with the state. In that sense there is no room for question that they are opposed to a union of church and state; for it is plain enough that they would never consent that any one denomination should have the exclusive recognition, patronage, and possession of the public or civil power. Even further than this, in an uncertain and hazy sense, they also mean that there shall not be any union between this federation and the state. Yet at the same time they do mean that the "seventeen million," the "eighteen million," the "twenty million," the "half the population of the United States," church-power and influence that the federation represents, shall, by and through this federation, dictate to the state, shall guide the state, and shall control the state. While professedly holding themselves separate from the state, they do intend, by and through the federation, to dominate the state; they do intend that the state shall conform to the wishes of the church, and shall execute the will of the church, as that will shall be centralized in and expressed by this federation. And just in this lies the greater danger—to the state and to the people who are not of the federation. However sincerely these men themselves may mean that they mean no union of church and state, they simply can not escape it; for the very worst kind of union of church and state is inherent in the system which they propose. And even if these people themselves should escape it, they could not prevent its coming, in all its far-reaching meaning, by those who shall come after in the working of the federation. The possibilities—yes, the probabilities—of infinite mischief are in the system which they have proposed; and even tho these people themselves mean no mischievous workings or results, they simply can not insure that those who come after will not accomplish these mischievous workings and results, especially when these things are the direct and inevitable logic of the situation that has been created. Bishop Fowler, in behalf of the liberty of the denominations, struck a true and noble note of warning when he declared that in any and every plan and operation of federation, the perfect liberty of the denominations, from greatest to smallest, however small, must forever be recognized and respected; and when he declared that if this federation should centralize in any way to gather to itself power to control the denominations as such, then there would be despotism, cruelty, and persecution, by Protestants, as in the times before Protestantism arose, and as there has been by Protestants even since; for "human nature has not changed." What of the State and the Outer-Denomination?
This warning is true, and timely, and good, in behalf of the liberty of the denominations themselves; and this federation was established with this guarantee of the liberty of the denominations. But there is no such guarantee in behalf of the state, nor in behalf of the people who are not of the denominations. Yet Bishop Fowler’s principle is just as true as regards the state and the people who are not of the denominations, as it is regarding the denominations and the people thereof. It is just as true regarding the state and the people who are not of the denominations, as it is regarding the denominations and their people, that if this federation centralizes the church-power and influence which it represents, in a way to control the civil power in city, county, state, or nation, then there will be despotism, cruelty, and persecution here by Protestants as in times before. The sole difference would be in that the despotism, cruelty, and persecution would fall upon those who are not of the denominations; the principle would be the same, and the practise would be the same. And to centralize the power and the influence of the churches, and to use that power and influence to control the civil power in city, county, state, and nation, is decidedly one of the great purposes of this federation. It is intended that by and through this federation the ecclesiastical power shall dominate the civil. And in this connection human nature has no more changed than it has with respect to centralized power to control denominations. And since human nature—even ecclesiastical human nature in possession of centralized power—has not changed, the like results must follow that have ever followed the like thing. And the one thing above all other things that this federation system is most like, is the Papacy. In its proposals and its profession as to church and state, it is the perfect likeness of the Papacy. For who does not know that the Papacy has ever claimed that she is opposed to union of church and state? that "the church has nothing to do with politics or the state"?11She, too, claims that the church must be kept separate from the state. But at the same time she has ever claimed and practised that the church must dictate to the state, must reform the state, and must dominate the state. She, too, recognizes the individuality, the form, the polity, and the "liberty," of the orders and sects of her own pact. But wo to all who are not of her pact! The very existence of such "threatened the safety of the state;" and the state for its own well-being—"for its own safety"—must obey the dictates of the centralized church-power, and must wipe them out. This federated church-power does not believe in, and does not propose, union of church and state. She does not propose to be the state, nor to be of the state. She does not propose to unite with the state. She proposes only to be superior to the state, to dominate the state, and to use the state as her tool or her toy, for the assertion of her power and the furtherance of her aims. It is therefore plain, on the surface of the situation, that has in this federation been created, that even in the very beginning this federation is, in form, in profession, and in purpose, as relates to the civil power and the public order, in the very likeness of the Papacy in the same relations. And when this is so in its very inception, and in only its announced purposes, what less can it be expected to be when it attains to full operation and active and actual power? Upon the principle, and as that principle applies in behalf of the state and the people who are not of the denominations, equally as it applies in behalf of the denominations and their people, Bishop Fowler's warning must not be forgotten, "Human nature has not changed." ALONZO T. JONES. THE CHURCH THAT WAS AND SHOULD BE.
By Arthur G. Daniells
WHEN Christ began His public ministry, He gathered a little band of humble men about Him. He taught these men the truths concerning the kingdom of heaven, ordained them for service, and sent them forth to minister to their fellow men. He made them the nucleus of His church. At the close of His earthly ministry, when about to leave this world, Jesus told His disciples that another Helper was to be sent to take His place. This successor would not only be with them, but would be in them, to comfort, teach, guide, and empower them for the service to which they were chosen. This promised helper was the Holy Spirit. Christ "rejoiced because of the abundant help he had provided for His church. The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train." As the representative of Christ, the Holy Spirit is clothed with all the authority and power required to accomplish the purpose of God in the great plan of redemption, and is now to make actual in the hearts of men the salvation that the death of Christ on the cross made possible. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin, produces true repentance, leads to the surrender of self, transforms the life, fills the heart with God's love, brings the thoughts and desires into obedience to Christ, imparts divine life and attributes to the soul, and endues with power for effectual work in soul-winning. This is the mighty work the Spirit of God has been sent to do in sinful flesh. And it is in and through the church that the Holy Spirit is to be manifested to the world. The True Church of Christ
is not confined to any particular race, denomination, sect, or organization. It represents and embraces all who are united to Christ by regeneration. The church is Christ's body; and men and women become members of that body, not by heredity, nor by confirmation, nor by subscribing to a creed, but by union with Christ through faith, repentance, and the forgiveness of sin. The church is Christ's only visible representative on earth. And in order that he might be rightly represented among men, the Saviour prayed His Father to fill His church with the Holy Spirit. By no other means can she correctly represent her Lord. A Spirit-filled church is a church baptized and overflowing with the Spirit of God. What a mighty, moulding, saving influence such a church would have over perishing humanity! It would then indeed be the "light of the world," "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners;" it would be a "crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." Christ's promise to send the Holy Spirit to take His place in the church was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. The book of Acts is a record of the glorious administration of this Spirit in the apostolic church. Then it was that the church was "baptized with the Holy Ghost." And it was not only baptized, enveloped, overshadowed, but filled with the Holy Spirit. That was indeed a Spirit-filled church, and the record shows what the church was and did when thus filled. And what the church was and did then, it should have continued to be and do until the end of time. But a great, sad change came with the close of that apostolic, Spirit-filled church. The Spirit being denied supreme control in the church, took its departure, and terrible results followed. At no time since then has the Spirit been given its true place in the church, and at no time since then has the church been what it was in apostolic days. Here and there down through the centuries devout believers have given the Spirit its rightful place in their hearts, and their experience has shown what the whole church might have experienced. But a Spirit-filled church is still possible. Yea, more, it is called for, and apostolic compliance now with the conditions upon which the Spirit is promised, will produce a Spirit-filled church now, as of old. JESUS AT THE DOOR.
By H. A. St. John
"Behold the Saviour at the door!
He gently knocks, has knocked before,
Has waited long, is waiting still;
You treat no other friend so ill." "BEHOLD, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3:20. This language has a present application. It is thus, that Jesus comes to every heart before He comes in the clouds of heaven. And unless backsliders and lukewarm professors shall hear and heed the Saviour's voice and open the door of the heart by zealous repentance, and thus constrain the dear Saviour to come in and sup with them and they with Him; unless the soul shall experience this blessed, wonderful, and glorious feast, fellowship and walk with Jesus, they can not be sanctified wholly—body, soul, and spirit—and preserved blameless unto His coming in glory. Jesus' coming in the clouds of heaven draws near. But unless we welcome the Saviour into the soul and feel the blessedness of His loving spirit, sad will be the day of His coming in glory to reap the harvest of the earth. Our disappointment and distress will be inconceivable. If we let Him in now, the Day-star will have risen in our hearts as the harbinger of the perfect and eternal day to us. It is the coming of Jesus into our hearts and lives, that demands our first and most earnest attention. By a zealous compliance with the conditions, let us claim this wonderful promise here and now, and hold on by faith until the radiant presence of Jesus fills the soul all the time. Then, and not till then, will our works be wrought in God, and we be all ready to hear the "well done" from the lips of our glorious King when He comes in power and great glory, to gather unto Himself His own. "The coming King is at the door,
Who once the cross for sinners bore,
But now the righteous ones alone,
He comes to gather home." "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." Matt. 24:33. When the heavens above us shall roll back as a scroll when it is rolled together, and thus the great door of the heavens be opened, revealing the personal coming of our glorified Lord with all His holy angels, what a glorious and thrilling sight to all those in whose hearts the Morning Star has risen, who are filled with His love, who are ready and looking for Him! They will look up and exclaim, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us." And only such will be saved then. Reader, be not deceived. Sing not the songs of Jesus' coming as King of Kings to reap the harvest of the earth until He has come into your soul with all His heavenly graces, and you have sweet fellowship with Him in all the walks and work of life. Then, and not till then, can you sing with the Spirit and understanding the beautiful songs of His coming again to be glorified in all His saints, and to be admired in all them that love Him. "Welcome, welcome, my Redeemer,
Welcome to this heart of mine.
Lord, I make a full surrender,
Every power and thought be Thine—
Thine entirely, Thine entirely,
Through eternal ages Thine." God’s Mercies in His Own Time
By Thomas Brooks
God will always take the best time to hand out mercies to His people; there is no mercy so ripe, so beautiful, as that which He gives in His own time. Tho God delays thee, yet be silent, for there is no possibility of taking a mercy out of God's hand till the mercy be ripe for us, and we ripe for the mercy.—Thomas Brooks. ELEVEN EVIDENCES OF CONVERSION.
2. The removal of a burden of sin gradually or suddenly. John 3:8. 3. A new feeling of love for Christians and for Jesus. 1 John 3:41. 10. A growing desire to be holy and like Christ. 1 John 3:3. 11. A desire to obey Christ in all His commands and ordinances. Acts 9:6. [The following is a paper read by Elder Geo. Brown of Mexico in a meeting of missionaries in that city, and sent to the SIGNS for publication.] Its Relation to the Gospel.
IT is said that near the city of Lucerne, there is a mountain from whose summit an unparalleled view of the whole Alpine system can be obtained. From this vantage-point the whole range comes before the eye of the observer, from Mount Blanc in the Southwest to where the higher ranges slope down to Lake Constance in the Northeast. Often, however, this wonderful mountain observatory is covered with clouds, which hang heavily about it for days; so that he who would see the grand panorama that is visible only from this point must sometimes spend weary days in waiting. When at last the wind arises and drives away the clouds, and after persevering effort the traveler stands upon Mount Pilate's snow-capped peak, he feels amply repaid for his days of waiting and the long climb up the mountain; for before him in all its glory lies one of the grandest and most sublime of all earth's scenes. What before appeared to be an unrelated group of peaks now resolves itself into a system of mountains majestic in their titanic size and resplendent under the rays of the sun reflected from their snow-capped summits. In this world we often see evil apparently triumphant, and wicked men successful for awhile in carrying out their unholy schemes, while truth and righteousness seem to be unheeded, forgotten, and forsaken. Prophecy is a mountain-top, and when the Spirit of truth drives away the clouds of ignorance, which, in the minds of many, obscure the people of the prophecies; and after prayerful study the persevering seeker for truth stands upon the heights of prophetic knowledge; that which before appeared to be a mass of contradictory and partially-understood facts is transformed into a grand panorama in which we see "the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11) that man, His wayward son, may be saved. From the vantage-point of prophecy we can look beyond the present and see the ultimate triumph of truth and righteousness, catching a glimpse of man redeemed, and once more permitted to see the face of the Lord, with an eternity in which to study the great and glorious truths which now we can not grasp in their fulness because of our human limitations. In this article I shall limit my consideration of the subject to those portions of the prophetic writings which are commonly called "The Prophecies," in which the writers foretold the future. We are often told that these prophecies can not be understood, that their study is not conducive to spirituality, and that they have no value to the Christian Church of to-day. With all due respect to those who hold such views, I must differ with them. The Distinguishing Mark of God.
Jehovah offers His ability to foretell that which is to come as the great distinguishing mark between Himself and other so-called gods of the heathen (Isa. 44:6-8), and He declares that He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7), and further, that the things thus revealed belong to His people and to their children forever (Deut. 29:29). Therefore it is evident that God's people are expected to understand the prophecies—the things revealed through the prophets. In the introduction to the Revelation we read, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy" (Rev. 1:3); and again at the close, "Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Rev. 22:7). Erroneous Interpretations.
I am aware there have been, and still are, persons who interpret prophecies in all sorts of absurd ways. I have met some of these, and have listened as patiently as possible while they explained that the words found in Eze. 13:18, "Wo to the women that sew pillows to all armholes," were a prophecy against the large sleeves in vogue a few years ago. I have also seen an interpretation of Isa. 19:19, 20, in which the altar and pillar in the land of Egypt were explained as referring to the great pyramid of Cheops, and every passage and stairway and chamber in the pyramid were declared to be types of different periods and phases of the Gospel dispensation. Then there is the ever-present self-styled prophet who gains a passing notoriety by predicting the end of the world and the coming of Christ at some fixed date in the immediate future, announcing the day of month and the year. With such interpretations of prophecy I have no sympathy, for they bring the Bible and Christianity into reproach, and cause many to discount the true interpretations sent to warn the world and arouse the church. As we do not have counterfeits of coins that do not exist, or are valueless, so there would not be these counterfeit interpretations of prophecy if there were not genuine ones of real value. Value and Objects of Prophecy.
The prophecies are valuable in Gospel work because they strengthen our faith in God and in His knowledge of, and interest in, the affairs of men; because they point out clearly our position in the world's history, and the special message to be given to the world at this time; and further, because they encourage the worker with precious promises of the things prepared for those who are faithful to the end. As an illustration of the manner in which the prophetic gift has been instrumental in conversion, I wish to call attention to the case of Nebuchadnezzar, recorded in the book of Daniel. Through the interpretation of the king's peculiar dream, the prophet foretold what would befall the haughty monarch if he did not break off his sins by righteousness, and manifest his true repentance by showing mercy to the poor. Tho no doubt deeply impressed at the time, the king made no real change in his life, and the predicted calamity came upon him. When at the end of his affliction his reason returned to him, and he resumed his kingly honors, he acknowledged Jehovah as his God. The words of the prophet had been fulfilled, demonstrating in their fulfilment God's knowledge of the future, and His supreme control over the mightiest of earth's kings. This wonderful manifestation of divine knowledge and power humbled the proud king of Babylon, and he gave expression to his change of heart and newly-found faith in the beautiful language found in Dan. 4:34-37, concluding with these words: "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment; and those that walk in pride He is able to abase." The remarkable prophecy of Isaiah concerning Cyrus and his work, in which the Persian king was called by name years before he was born, together with accurate reference to the manner in which the taking of Babylon was to be accomplished, so impressed the mind of this king that he was led to recognize the Lord of heaven as the one who had given him his kingdom, and he acknowledged his duty to do the work appointed him in the prophecy, giving orders that the house of the Lord at Jerusalem should be built. Compare Isa. 44:24-28 and chapter 45:1-4 with Ezra 1:2-4. That prophecy has been the means of directing God's servants in their work, and instructing them so that they are able to do the right thing at the right time, is abundantly illustrated in the Bible. The bondage of Israel in Egypt was foretold, and the time of their deliverance made known, while Abraham still lived. Gen. 15:13, 14. Joseph believed this prophecy, and showed his faith in its ultimate fulfilment by charging his posterity to carry his bones to Canaan when they should leave Egypt, at the appointed time. Gen. 50:24, 25. When the time of the promise drew nigh, Moses was raised up to deliver his people from their cruel bondage. Acts 7:17. Thus prophecy was the basis of that mighty movement which not only gave liberty to a nation of slaves, but culminated in the organization of the "church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38), which, by divine appointment, became the depository of God's law and the teacher of the way of salvation in the Mosaic dispensation. When Saul by his disobedience had forfeited his right to the throne of Israel, God, through the prophet, indicated His choice of David for that exalted position. Tho David had opportunity to kill Saul, who was hunting him like a wild beast, he showed his implicit faith in the fulfilment of the prophecy in God's own time and way, by refusing to lift up his hand to take the king's life, tho he was urged to do so. The Lord amply repaid him for his faith, for when the time came, He inclined the hearts of the truest, bravest, and most skilful men of all the tribes of Israel to join the ranks of David's army. Of them all it could have been said, as it was said of the men of Issachar, that they "were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." 1 Chron. 12:32. In every age the true servants of God will, by the study of God's prophetic Word, have understanding of the times, and know what they should do, and thus be able to give the trumpet a certain sound. O, that there might be many like the men of Issachar in these days, of whom it can truly be said, that they have "understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do." The Jews rejected Christ because they did not know that which pertained to their time. They might have known, for Simeon and Anna and John the Baptist and the disciples recognized Him and found salvation in so doing. When Israel departed from God, He warned them through the prophets of their danger, and plead13with them to return to Him. The warnings and reproofs of the prophets did not please the people, and they turned from them to follow the easy course offered them by the false prophets who desired to please the people rather than God. These latter were the popular men of their time, and had large congregations to listen to their words. They looked upon Jeremiah and others who declared the whole counsel of God as pessimists and troublers of Israel, and even threw them into prison on the charge of treason. Jer. 37:11-15. Tho the messenger was despised, the message was true, and its acceptance was the only way of escaping the doom that hung over the Jewish nation. Had it been heeded, how different would have been the result! The faith in God's Word which led the prophet to fearlessly depict the true condition of the people, enabled him to look beyond the immediate future and see the time when repentant Israel would be restored to the promised land, so thoroughly reclaimed from idolatry that never again would they fall into it; and he showed his faith in the promised restoration by purchasing a possession in the land. Jer. 32:6-15. By this act he not only manifested his faith in the prophecy, but demonstrated that he was a patriot and a true optimist.