International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 25, 1889
Faith and Works
FAITH is the first great essential of the Christian life, and there are not a few who suppose that faith (by which they mean simple belief) is all that is necessary to salvation; but the Scriptures do not so teach. Says the apostle James: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works? Can faith save him?" And again: "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
The idea is that true, or living faith, will work; if it does not work it is dead, and when it dies it ceases to be faith.
The apostle James does not stand alone in teaching that faith will manifest itself in works. John says: "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments." 1 John 5:1, 2. Faith in God cannot be separated from obedience to God, for "he that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4.
PETER'S CONFESSION OF CHRIST.
By Ellen G. White
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
JESUS made use of the few hours of seclusion with his disciples in praying with them, and teaching them more definitely concerning the nature of his kingdom. He saw that, in their human weakness, they were inclined to desire that his reign should be a temporal one. Their earthly ambition had caused them to become confused as to the real mission of Christ. He now reproved them for their misconception, and taught them that instead of worldly honor it was shame that awaited him, and instead of a throne, the pitiless cross. He taught them that for his sake, and to win salvation, they must also be willing to endure reproach and contumely.
The time drew near when Jesus was to die, and leave his disciples to face the cold and cruel world alone. He knew how bitter hate and unbelief would persecute them, and he wished to encourage and strengthen them for their trials. He accordingly went away by himself and prayed for them, interceding with the Father, that in the time of that fearful test which awaited them, their faith would prove steadfast, and his sufferings and death might not utterly overwhelm them with despair. What tender love was this, that, in view of his own approaching agony, reached forward to shield his companions from danger!
When he again joined his disciples, he asked them: "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Questioning still closer, he inquired, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter, ever ready to speak, answered for himself and his brethren: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the114living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven."
Notwithstanding the faith of many had utterly failed, and the power of the priests and rulers was mighty against them, the brave disciple thus boldly declared his belief. Jesus saw, in this acknowledgment, the living principle that would animate the hearts of his believers in coming ages. It is the mysterious working of God's Spirit upon the human heart, that elevates the humblest mind to a knowledge above all earthly wisdom, an acquaintance with the sacred truths of God. Ah, indeed, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee."
Jesus continued: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The word Peter signifies a loose stone. Christ did not refer to Peter as being the rock upon which he would found his church. His expression "this rock," applied to himself as the foundation of the Christian church. In Isa. 28:16, the same reference is made: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation." It is the same stone to which reference is made in Luke 20:17, 18: "And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Also in Mark 12:10, 11: "And have ye not read this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"
These texts prove conclusively that Christ is the rock upon which the church is built, and, in his address to Peter, he referred to himself as the rock which is the foundation of the church. He continues:—
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven." The Roman Church makes a wrong application of these words of Christ. They claim that he addressed them specially to Peter. Hence he is represented in works of art as carrying a bunch of keys, which is a symbol of trust and authority given to ambassadors and others in high positions. The words of Christ, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven," were not addressed to Peter alone, but to the disciples, including those who compose the Christian church in all ages. Peter was given no preference nor power above that of the other disciples. Had Jesus delegated any special authority to one of them, we would not find them so frequently contending among themselves as to who should be greatest. They would have at once submitted to the wish of their Master, and paid honor to the one whom he had selected as their head.
But the Roman Catholic Church claims that Christ invested Peter with supreme power over the Christian church, and that his successors are divinely authorized to rule the Christian world. In still another place Jesus acknowledges the same power to exist in all the church that is claimed to have been given to Peter alone, upon the authority of the text previously quoted: "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven."
Missionary Work in China
Missionary work is said to be becoming easier and more promising in China. Some apprehension is felt, however, that it may be hindered should the Chinese Government retaliate upon Americans for the exclusion of the Chinese from this country.
Sunday Legislation in Richmond
The Virginia correspondent of the Examiner (Baptist), writes to that paper that Rev. W. F. Crafts has recently spent several days in Richmond in the interests of National Sunday legislation. Of Richmond he says: "Now and then there are violations of our Sunday laws, but our police are very faithful in watching for such outrages, and when they are discovered our courts punish them with unsparing severity."
Ireland and the Pope Proscribed
Ex-Judge Maguire's new book, "Ireland and the Pope," has offended the Vatican, and is about to be proscribed, or be placed on the "Index Expurgatorius;" the book is claimed to be "entirely at variance with the doctrines of the Catholic Church." Only the works of Catholic authors are thus proscribed, generally after the author has had the privilege of calling in the first edition, and altering the book to suit Rome. Novels are not taken account of. All Protestant works are condemned in toto. This act will probably increase the circulation of Judge Maguire's work.
Youth and Crime in Paris
If the world is growing better, it ought to be manifest among the youth. From them are to come the society of the future. But the outlook is a hopeless one indeed, for the betterment of society, if the following from the Daily News of London is indicative of society generally. Paris is not much wickeder than other cities:—
"Of 26,000 criminals arrested in Paris in the course of the year—the figure itself seems incredibly large—16,000 had not attained the age of twenty. There is just now an epidemic of crimes of violence perpetrated by young men; and if the thieves and assassins at present confined in French prisons, were sorted according to their age, it would be found that the very large majority were made up of youths between sixteen and twenty."
Sunday Worship Protected Without Sunday Law
By Editor
ONE of the reasons for which Sunday laws are demanded is that they will protect the people in their worship. And some are credulous enough to believe that first-day people are really in danger of having their Sunday services broken up, because there is no law to protect Sunday. But a law to protect a Sunday institution is quite a different thing than a law to protect individuals, or societies, in their worship. California has no Sunday law, but the following item from the San Francisco Examiner of the 15th inst. shows how thoroughly people are protected in their worship:—
"Frederick Schwartz and John Johnsen, who on Sunday morning last entered St. Patrick's Church, on Mission Street, and disturbed the services, were fined $50 and $30 respectively by Judge Lawler yesterday. In default of payment Schwartz spends fifty days in the county jail and Johnsen thirty days."
Resurrection, Not Natural Immortality
According to the Scriptures, all future life for those who have died, or who shall yet die, is dependent upon the resurrection. Job was a perfect and an upright man, "one that feared God and eschewed evil," yet he was a stranger to the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul and of going to Heaven at death. When apparently on the brink of the grave, he asked, "If a man die, shall he live again?" and immediately answered his own question thus: "All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come. Thou shalt call and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands." Job 14:14, 15. Where he expected to wait till his change, the change to immortality, should come, is told in chapter 17:13: "If I wait, the grave is mine house." And that his hope was a hope of the resurrection is shown in chapter 19:25, 26: "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."
In exact harmony with Job's testimony are the words of the apostle Paul: "If the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." 1 Cor. 15:16-18, 32.
SUP WITH ME.
AND wilt Thou sup with me? My morsel hard,
My cup so bitter, that my hand would fain
Put it aside untasted; wilt Thou come
Into this lonely dwelling of my heart,
Whence earthly peace and joy have taken flight,
And left it desolate? Then come, sweet Guest!
There's room for Thee, for there are none beside;
And if the dwelling be not swept so clean,
Nor garnished as I fain would have it, Lord,
Do thou forgive; and while thou dwell'st with me,
Meeten, and purify, and fit my soul
(E'en if with trouble, so it be thy will)
To dwell in light hereafter, in that home
Where those thou lovest shall sit down with Thee.
—Sunshine at Home.
DEATH THE WAGES OF SIN.
By R. F. Cottrell
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6: 23.
ALL men, whether saints or sinners, are subject to death as the result of Adam's sin: "For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1 Cor. 15: 22. It is evident that this death would have been the final and everlasting end of all the human race, had there been no redemption provided, which should bring men back to life. By a resurrection, all are restored to life, and by this arrangement each person is put upon an individual probation for eternal life in the world to come. If he fails to secure eternal life by faith and obedience, the wages of his personal sins is death—the "second death." He dies once as the result of Adam's transgression; but being raised to life by the resurrection, he dies a second time for his own sins; and this death is final and eternal. The second death is thus declared by the prophet: "When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for the iniquity that he hath done shall he die." Eze. 18: 26. That is to say, if a man die in sin, for his sin he shall die a second time. Thus we are taught that all the wicked shall die the second death. We read, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." Rev. 21: 8.
Life and death were set before man in the beginning. We read, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen. 2: 16. By transgression man forfeited life, and was returned to the earth from which he had been taken: "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen. 3: 19.
But redemption from this first death has been graciously provided, and God still says to man, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that thou and thy seed may live." Deut. 30: 19. Again, an apostle says, "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Rom. 6: 16. "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death." Verse 21. James speaks in the same way: "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Chap. 1: 15. Death is the final result of sin. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Again he says, "He which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death." Chap. 5: 20. The converted sinner is not saved from the first death, which is the common lot of all, but from the second, the final fate of the sinner. The Lord says, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life." Rev. 2: 7. Again, "He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death." Verse 11.
Let the words life and death have their proper and primary signification, and all is plain, harmonious, and easy to be understood. The "common people," such as heard Jesus gladly, the poor, to whom he said the gospel is preached, and even children, can understand the teaching. But give these words a spiritual signification only, in all the promises of life to the righteous, and in all the threatenings of death to the sinner, and the sense of these passages is destroyed. For example, if the death threatened is a spiritual death, that is, a state of sin, then the wages of sin is to be a sinner; as if God should say, If you sin, you shall be a sinner; which is simply a matter of course. No, the denunciation against sin is punishment, and that punishment is death. God gave life to man in the beginning. This life he forfeited by sin; and death to all the race was the consequence. But by the redemption of Christ, man is to be raised from death, and pardon and life everlasting are offered in the gospel. If the offer of pardon is rejected or neglected, and a continuance in sin is preferred, the second death, a death without a resurrection, will follow. This is just, and it is merciful. The incorrigible sinner is destined to utter perdition and eternal oblivion; but those who turn from all their sins, accept the offered pardon for the past, and persevere in the way of well doing, shall receive freely the precious and priceless gift of eternal life.
R. F. COTTRELL.
IMMERSION.
By Philip Schaff
ON strictly exegetical and historical grounds, baptism must be immersion. Without prejudice, no other interpretation would ever have been given to Bible baptism. It is the most natural interpretation, and such we must always give. Immersion is natural and historical; sprinkling is artificial and an expedient for convenience's sake. All the symbolism of the text (Rom. 6:3, 4), and everywhere in the Bible, demands the going under water and coming up out of it to newness of life. Sprinkling has no suggestion of burial to sin and resurrection to holiness. In order to be true to its original meaning, and its vital relation to redemption through Christ Jesus, baptism must be immersion. Why do you wish to get rid of it? Eminent theologians have wasted their learning attempting to defend infant sprinkling. Imposition is not exposition. All the early defenders of Christianity taught that nothing but immersion was baptism, and all the Greek or oriental churches continue to immerse to this day.—Dr. Schaff.
Christ Must Be Lord of All
By J. Hudson Taylor
UNLESS Christ is Lord of all, he is not Lord at all, to you; unless you acknowledge his right to everything, you have not owned his right to anything.—Rev. J. Hudson Taylor.
LIFE IN HEAVEN.
THE Bible teaches that life in Heaven is the real life, and that life on earth is the unreal and shadowy one. It is here that we see through a glass darkly or in a riddle; it is there that we see face to face. It is here that we know only in part; it is there that we shall know even as we are known. The theory that Heaven is unreal, intangible, and figurative finds no support in sacred Scripture or sound reason. Incarnate things are always the more unreal ones. . . .
The Bible nowhere teaches that Heaven is a figurative place or a land of intangible spirits, or that it is a place where "congregations ne'er break up and Sabbaths have no end," as stated in one of the old hymns; or that there the saints will forever stand upon a sea of glass and sing; or that in our Father's house each child will be assigned a sixteen-foot room, as some have calculated; or that Heaven is a place where we shall know nobody, not even ourselves, only as happy spirits—as though anybody could lose his own identity and everybody else's and be happy!
Heaven is God's throne and dwelling-place. It is the home of the holy angels. It is a land of rest, not idleness. It is a country represented by the old Caanan. In it is the city called the New Jerusalem. It is an eternal home, without worthless tenants or money-loving landlords. The society there will be the best in all the realms of Jehovah. It will be composed of holy angels of all orders, and redeemed men from every age, country, and clime. That we shall know each other in Heaven is both reasonable and scriptural.
As to what we shall do in Heaven it is not given us to know here only in a general way. Our chief end is to "glorify God and enjoy him forever." But here we may do this in our whole lives as well as in the special acts of prayer and praise, and I believe this will be so in Heaven. I do not believe we shall spend eternity in simply singing psalms or in congregational worship. Of course the direct worship of our heavenly Father and the adoration of the Redeemer may come first, but this will not be all. Not being environed with mortal necessities, we shall have all our eternity to devote to higher pursuits. Most of our time here is spent in trying to prolong and make comfortable our existence. This will not be necessary there. No toiling for food and raiment, no preparation for entertaining and maintaining the family relation; no time spent in caring for the sick and burying the dead; no part of our thoughts or exertions spent in devising means of travel; and not even time spent in erecting churches, or preaching and agonizing for lost sinners, for all there are forever free from sin, and in no danger of the wiles of the enemy. What then shall we do? In a general way it may be safe for us to hope—
First, to see God's face, be brought into the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and pour out our souls in love and adoration.
Second, to meet and know our friends who shall be counted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the dead, and to enjoy their society forever.
Third, then in all eternity to study the works of God and to glorify him through and in them.
The universe will be spread out before us, and by the highest principles of true science, and from the data of the immortals, we shall study the principles and history of all the galaxies of worlds, the many mansions in our Father's house. But who can really describe the Christian's conception of Heaven? In all the rapturous flights of the morning-stars of creation, in all the ecstatic acclamations of the elder sons of God, the thought is not expressed; and though they tune their harps a thousand times and swell their voices in full chorus in countless efforts, the theme will not be reached.
"Come, then, expressive silence, muse its praise."
—Rev. A. Martin (Disciple).
God's Appointment and Disappointment
By Margaret E. Sangster
This thing on which thy heart was set, this thing that cannot be,
This weary, disappointing day, that dawns, my friend, for thee,—
Be comforted; God knoweth best, the God whose name is Love,
Whose tender care is evermore our passing lives above.
He sends thee disappointment? Well, then, take it from his hand.
Shall God's appointment seem less good than what thyself had planned?
'Twas in thy mind to go abroad. He bids thee stay at home?
Oh! happy home; thrice happy if to it thy guest He come.
'Twas in thy mind thy friend to see. The Lord says, "Nay, not yet."
Be confident; the meeting-time thy Lord will not forget.
'Twas in thy mind to work for him. His will is, "Child, sit still;"
And surely 'tis thy blessedness to mind the Master's will.
Accept thy disappointment, friend, thy gift from God's own hand.
Shall God's appointment seem less good than what thyself had planned?
So, day by day and step by step, sustain thy failing strength,
From strength to strength, indeed, go on through all the journey's length.
God bids thee tarry now and then, forbear the weak complaint;
God's leisure brings the weary rest, and cordial gives the faint.
God bids thee labor, and the place is thick with thorn and brier;
But he will share the hardest task, until he calls thee higher.
So take each disappointment, friend; 'tis at thy Lord's command;
Shall God's appointment seem less good than what thyself had planned?
—Margaret E. Sangster.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS.
WE cannot be too careful of our words. We do not know what effect they may have. A word lightly spoken may make an indelible impression on some mind, and lead to results of a most serious character. Especially should we guard against light and trifling words in regard to solemn and sacred things. On such subjects we should always speak with reverence and thoughtfulness. While a word fitly spoken may be productive of much good, a careless, irreverent word may prove a moral poison, destructive to some soul. The apostle speaks of some in his day whose words did eat as a canker. We should set a guard upon the "door of our lips," and be careful that our words be "seasoned with grace."—Recorder.
MANY at the present day believe in what they are pleased to call a present salvation. This is well enough if salvation is not considered as absolutely completed, and the person does not think himself beyond the reach of danger of being liable to fail, or that no new duties may present themselves which demand obedience. It is not uncommon nowadays to hear people say, "I am a sinner saved by grace," "Christ has saved me," "I am fully saved," etc., meaning far more than any Bible phrase will warrant. Such persons generally have no use for the if of the text above.
Do not let it be understood that the use of the terms noticed are wrong in themselves considered, for all sinners are saved by grace, but only absolutely when they have "endured to the end." The assurance of final salvation till that time is in a conscious obedience to, the divine will, and a ready mind to yield to new obligations, or step out upon increasing light. Christ has saved sinners as the children of Israel were saved out of Egypt, yet their carcasses fell in the wilderness, and the doom of saved sinners will be just as fearful if they do not continue "rooted and grounded in the faith," and hold fast the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end.
There is no belief so destructive in its consequences as that which places less value upon the word of God than upon the raptures of the mind; it is a deception that will cause the severest anguish of soul in the day of God. Too many think that because the Lord has once granted them pardon and peace, henceforth they are privileged persons, forgetting that the same course that brought so priceless a boon is the only means by which it can be retained.
A son may merit, and receive, the approbation of his father, yet how inconsiderate would it be for that son, at any future time, to presume upon his father's good will, and transgress his plain commandment. How foolish for him to say that, having once the evidence of his father's love, nothing he could henceforth do would displease him! How much better to say, "I will endeavor now to even anticipate his desires."
When the law of God is presented in some of its claims, a deceived heart will sometimes answer, "The Lord Jesus has saved me. He saved me five or ten years ago; he saved me as I am, and I am saved now." The word of God has no weight; the simple statement, accredited as fact, although a delusive falsehood, admits of no argument, and the soul that is completely filled with a counterfeit glory cannot be touched by precept.
A flight of feeling is not religion, not even an evidence of it, nor yet a necessary concomitant; for the souls of the best of men have, in all past time, been bowed down with a weight of woe, of care, and of tears. Instead of letting feeling decide whether one has religion, let the word declare if the feeling is inspired by the Spirit of God. Thousands upon thousands, to this day, are carried away with an infatuation, the seductive snare of feeling. Then let us say, not that my feelings shall be my guide, but, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." If it be so, now and forever, the if is virtually removed, and then only.
D. H. LAMSON
"FORWARD AND NOT BACKWARD."
By The Westminster Teacher
THERE are some things that we are always leaving behind us as we move forward in life. It is just as when we go on a journey; we are ever coming up to new scenes, looking at them a moment, and then passing them by. We do not linger anywhere. We are but pilgrims forever on time's endless journey. We build and settle down in no permanent abiding-place. We dwell always in tents, and are forever pulling up the tent-pins and moving forward.
As we go on, we do not carry with us anything but memories and impressions. In the mysterious chambers of the brain, we hang away pictures of all that we have seen. Then everything that touches us ever so slightly or transiently leaves its mark upon us in some way. These marks or impressions we carry with us forever,—either scars or lines of beauty. But we really carry little else with us out of all the busy, fleeting life through which we pass day by day.
The wisest life is that which best realizes the pilgrim idea, and ever stretches forward and presses on. Looking back is not usually a profitable or healthy exercise. It was disastrous for Lot's wife, and it has proved just as disastrous for many others since her day. Countless lives, with noble possibilities, have been caught in their wistful backward gazing, or in their morbid, indolent dallying by the way, and the path through this world is thickly marked with its pillars of salt. Many people insist on stopping by the way whenever any startling thing interrupts them, and standing still, while the quick march of life moves on. Then they are either thrust aside and left there, or they are trampled down in the dust of defeat.
For example, some people are never willing to leave their sorrows behind them. If joy of theirs is laid away in the earth, they stop by the grave and stay there, inconsolable in their grief. There are lives that never rise again from a crushing sorrow. Then others are arrested in their course by defeat or failure, and, losing all hope, and all incentive to further effort, sit down amid the ruins in utter despair.
There is nothing noble or manly in such living. The true, heroic life is that which cannot be crushed by any disaster. It buries its dead with loyal love and sincere grief, and, dropping its tear upon the grave, moves on, with a spirit chastened, and a heart softened and enriched by the sorrow, to the next duties which wait to be done. We do not best honor our dead by allowing the floods of grief to overwhelm us. The Lord's word to Joshua when Moses was dead, had in it a meaning for more than the one man to whom it was then spoken, "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise." The mantle of the dead leader fell now on the shoulders of the one next to him. The great workman was buried, but the work must be carried on by those who were now sorrowing by his grave. The death of a friend, instead of being a call to inconsolable grief, is a call to new duty. What our friend was doing yesterday must be done to-day by us.
Or it may have been care alone that was laid down, as when a mother puts a little baby away into the grave. No work drops out of the dead hands for her to take up. But may we not then say that, since God has emptied the hands of their care and duty, he has some other work for them to do? He has set them free from their own tasks that they may serve others. In any case, we should not sit down in the shadows of sorrow and let the night darken over us into the gloom of despair; we should turn our faces away toward the light, and quicken every energy for better duty, and truer, holier service. Grief should always make us better, and give us new skill and power. It should make our hearts softer, our spirits kindlier, our touch more gentle. It should teach us its lesson, and then we should go on with its ordination to new and better life.
So with failure. If there were no second chances in life, we might despair when once we have failed. But it is the glory of the gracious dispensation under which we live, that though we fall we may rise again; that our very failure may become a stepping-stone on which we may plant our feet to climb higher. Most people, at least, who ever rise in life, who grow noble, strong, and helpful, reach their place through victories over difficulties, and over their own failures and defeats.
"We rise by the things that are under our feet;
By what we have mastered of good or gain;
By the pride deposed, and the passion slain,
And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet."
"Forward, and not back," is one of the wisest life mottoes. There are always in any and every life better things on before, toward which we should press with unwearying earnestness. No one ever does absolutely the best that he might do; there is still a better possible for him. No achievement or attainment, therefore, should ever satisfy us. No disaster should ever cause us to give up in despair. There is always something left, and we should gather up the fragments that remain and begin anew; even though the failure seem utter, so far as earth is concerned, this life is not all. Through the grace of Christ we, who turn to him in our failure, may in the endless years there rise into great beauty and blessedness.
"Forward, and not back." Let no past enchain our eyes or our thought. Let us leave behind all that is behind, and let us bend every energy toward the brighter, better things that are before.
THE HUNTED HART.
By Forbes
I ONCE stood and watched a hart being pursued by hunters, and a most painful sight it was. The poor creature staggered along, its eyes hot and bloodshot, while the great tears streamed down its face. Its flanks were torn by the prickly foliage through which it had rushed. It knew its only safety was in the hills, and laboriously it staggered upward. By the time it had reached comparative safety, it was thoroughly exhausted, and wildly sniffed the air for water. Soon it came to a stream, into which it plunged. There it stood, almost immersed, and when it stepped from the water it looked quite fresh and strong, and began quietly to nibble the herbage on the bank. And I thought: This is just a picture of the sinner as he rushes through this life, pursued by the world, the flesh, and the devil. He is torn by the briars and thorns and evil habits. With bloodshot eyes and gasping breath, on, on he goes; the pursuers close in upon him; his only safety is on the blessed hill of Calvary. There he will find security, and plunging into the living stream which flows from the cross, he will emerge a new man, and his cry will be, "As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."—Forbes.
WE ARE NOT CONVINCED.
By Editor
SOME people are trying hard to convince the Seventh-day Adventists that it is wrong to work on Sunday in violation of the civil law. The argument is easily made; it is this: We are to be in subjection to the "powers that be;" to obey rulers, etc. By this rule we are under obligation to abstain from labor on "the venerable day of the sun."
At the risk of being considered somewhat obdurate, we must say we are not convinced. We think, however, it is not because of obduracy in us, but that we have studied the word of God too intently to be misled by any such misapplication of its teachings. It is a well-known saying, that "a little learning is a dangerous thing;" and this may prove true in the case of some people, whose knowledge of the Bible is too superficial to be of benefit to themselves or others.
We are reminded of the debater who once undertook to prove that it was duty to baptize (or rhantize) children. The proof offered was considered positive beyond the possibility of evasion. It is found in 1 Peter 2: 13: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man." But we are hardly prepared to adopt this rule without the limitations which the Scriptures put upon it. We have adopted the Scriptures to use, but do not choose to abuse them in the manner indicated by such arguments.
If we are wrong in working on Sunday for the reason stated, then Moses was wrong for not yielding to the laws of Pharaoh; the three Hebrew children were wrong for disobeying the law of Nebuchadnezzar, by reason of which they were (very justly, it must be supposed) cast into the fiery furnace; Daniel was wrong in disobeying the law of Darius, and of course he was deservedly thrown into the den of lions. And the apostles of Christ were wrong when they persisted in preaching "Jesus and the resurrection," after the rulers had strictly prohibited such seditious conduct. Many like instances may be presented. And it must seem strange to these modern expositors of the word of God, that in all these cases the Lord vindicated them in their wrong-doing (?) and put the rulers to confusion. How will they account for this?
We can easily solve the difficulty. In these cases the rulers were enacting laws which were contrary to the law of God; which, if obeyed, would lead to a violation of the law of God. Such laws must not be obeyed. When "the powers that be" are "a terror to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well" (Rom. 13), then it is the Christian's duty and delight to yield obedience to them; but when they turn aside and make themselves a praise to evil doers and a terror to them that do well, then our answer is always found in the answer to the rulers in Acts 4: 19: "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye."