Earlier text: Mortifying Abnormal TraitsVISIBLENESS OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE.
By Burdett Hart
CONSECRATION to Christ must reveal itself and justify itself in the visible conduct of life. Our Christ is a revealed Christ. He is a Christ of the world and for the world. He is not a cloistered Christ; he does not keep himself in the clouds, nor in the dazzling light of heaven. His work, his great redeeming work for us, was done in the sight of men, in the conspicuous places of the world. . . . Gethsemane and Calvary have inspired poetry of the people by their voices of pathos and agony beyond any other great endurances of heroes and martyrs, because the memory of his voluntary and priceless sufferings reverberates and thrills in their enduring and unforgotten names. He was in the world; he was seen among us. The tones of heaven were in his human voice. The light of heaven was in his pitying eyes. The help of heaven was in his hand. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father. Since he went away, his followers, by open confession and conduct, have reproduced his life, in lowly and unworthy ways it may be, but in methods and experiences which he has graciously accepted and blessed. . . . It is not enough to experience religion in the closet. It is not enough to come alone to God in repentance and faith, and to make loyal vows in private. They who follow the Master will follow him openly, before kings and populace, in country and in city, in the temple and by the well-side. He would have no disciple ashamed of him. He would have all who love him confess him before men. St. Paul's life was a life of declaration. He said: "I stand unto this day, having obtained the help that is from God, testifying both to small and great." He was an open confessor. He wanted to know Christ and the fellowship of his sufferings. He would have gone into another Gethsemane and borne a cross up another Golgotha. He said: "I fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ for the church." He knew what was meant when he wrote, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Gal. 6:17. We, too, if we are Christ's, must know something of this. Our Christian life must be lived out before the world. As, in olden time, men saw him on their streets and in their homes and in their assemblies, and knew that the Christ was visible, so must they see us in places of business and study, in all places where men are, and must know that the Christ, in the person of one who loves and serves him and represents him to them, is verily present. They must see him in us. We must speak his language. Such words as these that reached the intellect of Nicodemus and the conscience of the woman of Samaria; as revealed the young ruler to himself and made Pilate fear; as fell on the sad hearts of the multitudes, who in their hunger and thirst hung on his lips; as led officers, awed by his language, to say, "Never man so spake," must be our words to our associates and to strangers. We must speak the language of heaven amidst the Babel tongues of the world. Christian songs have often awakened responsive tones in dull souls, and Christian testimony has convinced gainsayers of the reality of personal faith in Christ. We must also interpret the meaning of discipleship by the visible fruits of discipleship. From us men must learn that it means Christ reproduced in his loving spirit, in his tender sympathy, in his attractive grace. They must see that religion is not mere profession, but that it carries a large, generous, winning practice. Light must so go out from us into darkened and wretched souls that duty shall be made clear to them; that they shall see the peril of sin and the way of deliverance, the attractions of the cross and of heaven. There was profound meaning in the words of Him who was the Light of the world, to his disciples, when he told them, "Ye are the light of the world." Moreover, we must make it clear that our religion is one of helpfulness. Help was laid on One who was mighty to save, when our salvation was laid on Christ, and the pitiful cry of the heavy-laden to him was, Lord, help us. Men need it now. Involved in sin, tangled in the meshes of worldliness, taken captive by Satan at his will, they want the helping hand of a brother for their rescue. It is for us to give it in his name. The joy of giving it, the joy of helping to save a brother, is the sweetest joy this side of heaven; it is akin to the joy of Christ, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. Jeanie Dean's words, in the "Heart of Mid-Lothian," are, "It is na when we sleep soft and make merrily oursels, that we think on other people's sufferings. But when the hour o' trouble comes to the mind or to the body, and when the hour o' death comes to high or low, then it is na what we hae dune for oursels, but what we hae dune for others, that we think on maist pleasantly." This is the Christian way to live; and, so living, we shall never die. —Rev. Burdett Hart, D. D., in New York Observer. The Sun Never Sets on American Land
THE silly notion has been recently republished, that the sun never sets on American land. That is nonsense. Our domain, from Quoddy Head, in Maine, to the Western Aleutian Island, comprises 120 degrees, 46 minutes of longitude, and the globe has 360 degrees of course. In midsummer the sun is visible somewhere in our domain for 35 days of the year, when the north pole is turned toward it. The other 330 nights the sun sets. On December 21 the sun does not shine on American territory for 7 hours and 50 minutes—a pretty long lap.—Selected. THAT BLESSED HOPE.
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
"But I would not that ye should be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." There are several points that may be noted on this text: 1. Those who are dead are represented as asleep. The term is very common in the Bible. Read Job 7:21; Dan. 12:2; John 11:11-14, etc. The righteous are asleep in Jesus. 2. This being the case, it follows that the dead are unconscious, for a sleeping man knows nothing of what is going on around him. The general tenor of the inspired writings is in harmony with this idea. For examples see Job 14:14-21; Ps. 6:5; 88:10-12; 115:17; 146:3, 4; Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10. 3. It is folly to say that we cannot know anything of the future. Paul said that he would not have his brethren ignorant; if we believe his words, we must admit that something can be known of man's future. 4. It is not wrong for Christians to sorrow; the only sin is in giving away to uncontrollable grief, as did the heathen. They, having no hope, indulged in the most extravagant expressions of sorrow—tearing out the hair, rending their garments, uttering loud shrieks, cutting their flesh, etc. A Christian's grief may be even more acute than that of the heathen, for Christianity tends to elevate, and to quicken the sensibilities, but it will always be tempered by hope. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." From what place will God bring them? "From heaven," many persons say. But the apostle says that those whom he brings have been asleep, and if the view of our friends be true, it must be that the saints in heaven do nothing but sleep, and that is absurd. The psalmist says, "In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore." We think it will need no argument to convince any rational person that David's conception of "fullness of joy" and "pleasures forevermore," would not be met by a long period of unconscious sleep. Those who are asleep are in the grave, and from thence God will bring them, even as he did our Lord. Just as surely as Jesus died and rose again, so surely will God raise from the dead all the sleeping saints. "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep." Paul says, "We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord." From this some have supposed that Paul expected that the Lord would come in a very few years, and that he would live until that event; but this was not his expectation. Paul received his instruction directly from Heaven. Now to say that Paul was mistaken in regard to the time of Christ's second advent, is equivalent to saying either that he was not inspired, or that the Holy Spirit was mistaken. Neither of these positions can be taken by those who believe the Bible. That Paul had a correct idea of the time of the second advent, is clear from 2 Thess. 2:1-8. In his vivid narrative, Paul speaks of things to come as though they were present. The word "prevent" is from the Latin words pre, before, and venio, to go, meaning, "to go before," and was formerly used in this sense. It is so used in King James' version. See Ps. 88:13; 119:147, 148. But as one who went before and was able to "head him off," as it is commonly expressed, the word finally became restricted to its present signification, to hinder. The Revised Version has the passage in harmony with modern usage. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." We cannot regard this text in any other way than as a description of an actual occurrence to take place in the future. If the expression, "the Lord himself," does not mean Jesus Christ in person, but is a figure of something else, what words could the apostle have used to express the reality? If this be figurative language, then there is no literal language in the Bible. It agrees, however, with the words which the angel spoke to the disciples at the ascension of Christ. Acts 1:9-11. The last clause of the verses quoted settles an important point: "And so shall we ever be with the Lord." How shall we be with the Lord?—By the descent of Christ to raise the dead and change the living. Can we not be with him before that time?—No; for so he told his disciples when on earth. The ardent Peter said, "Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake" (John 13:27); but still Jesus did not reverse his former sentence: "As I said unto the Jews, Whither I go ye cannot come; so now I say to you." Then he comforted them with these words: "In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." This is the "blessed hope;" with these words the apostle Paul commanded Christians to comfort one another. Men should be careful how they attempt to improve on the methods laid down by Inspiration. Some time ago a religious journal of note made an admission on this text, that was fatal to the popular view (the one which it also holds), that all men have inherited immortality. It said: "It is hard for us to understand how those converts could have imagined that it was peculiarly unfortunate to die before Christ's second coming. It was because they imagined, and Paul too, perhaps, that Christ was to come soon, in the life-time of some of them [we have already shown that he did not imagine any such thing], and that his coming was physical; and they did not understand the doctrine of immortality of the soul." That is, the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is so opposed to the doctrine of Christ's second coming, that those who hold to the former necessarily ignore the latter. We believe that this is the case. But the doctrine of Christ's second coming is one of the most prominent in the whole Bible, and it must therefore follow that the Bible is opposed to the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. It was well said that "they did not understand the doctrine of the immortality of the soul;" but if Paul and his co-laborers did not understand nor teach it, whence is it that our modern teachers have learned so much about it? Have they a later revelation in which Inspiration has corrected its former mistakes? Away with a doctrine which leads men thus to treat God's word. Such teachers would do well to ponder upon Paul's words to the Galatian brethren. Gal. 1:8. "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." No argument can be drawn from this to prove that Christians cannot know anything about the Lord's coming, for the next verse shows that he comes as a thief only to those who cry, "Peace and safety,"—those who are not watching. The brethren, Paul states, are not in darkness that that day should overtake them as a thief. Christ gave his disciples very full instructions in regard to the times and the seasons (see Matt. 24), and as the whole gospel was revealed to Paul by the Lord himself, he had imparted the same information to the Thessalonian brethren. The prophecies of the Old Testament, especially the book of Daniel, give much light on the times and the seasons. On 2 Thess. 5:10, Dr. Barnes makes the following comment:— " 'Whether we wake or sleep.' Whether we are found among the living or the dead when He comes. The object here is to show that the one class would have no advantage over the other. This was designed to calm their minds in their trials, and to correct an error which seems to have prevailed in the belief that those who were found alive when he should return, would have some priority over those who were dead. 'Should live together with Him.' The word rendered 'together' is not to be regarded as connected with the phrase 'with Him,' as meaning He and they would be together, but it refers to those who wake and those who sleep, those who are alive and those who are dead,—meaning that they would be together, or would be with the Lord at the same time; there would be no priority or precedence." That is exactly the truth on this important subject. Happy would it be for Christianity if the churches had never departed from it. WHAT IS THE STATE OF RELIGION?
By M. C. W.
THE Advance of October 3 is called a "church work number," because of the information it presents on the condition, needs, and work of churches, in their various phases. Most of this matter has been written in reply to inquiries sent out by the Advance. The particular phase to which we wish to call attention at this time is the character of present-day preaching, and the condition of the churches as a consequence. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES believes that we are living in the last days, that the Lord is soon to come. It believes this because no less than thirteen different lines of prophecy testify to a demonstration that it is true; and because a multitude of independent signs now fulfilled, or fulfilling, indicate, by absolutely unimpeachable testimony, the same thing. Jesus said, "When ye shall see all these things, know that it [margin, He] is near, even at the doors." Matt. 24:33. This time is come, and these things can be seen. Shall we disregard the injunction of our Lord? Among the indications of the last days was predicted great spiritual declension. Upon this point we note the following texts, among others, all referring to the last days, as the passages or their contexts will show:— "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many [R. V., the many] shall wax cold." Matt. 24:12. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness [piety], but denying the power thereof." 2 Tim. 3:1-5.647 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 4:3, 4. Notice these texts. The waxing cold must be among those who were once warm in God's love. The abounding lawlessness, or disregard of God's law, has been the cause. By the continual transgression of one command of God, men soon come to look upon all in the same way. "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3. But iniquity, or disregard of God's law, everywhere abounding, has led men to look upon sin as not so very hateful after all. This very thing leads to the condition of things named in the second passage quoted above. Every sin of the carnal heart (compare with Rom. 1:29-32 and Gal. 5:19-21) is held among those who have "a form of godliness, but deny [in their lives] the power thereof." This is what makes the times perilous. These sins among worldlings do not much injure the church of God unless they are given a place inside. Where men would shun sins practiced by the world, they will copy when practiced by the church. Multitudes have been brought into the churches who have no connection with God, who know nothing of conversion, or practical Christianity. Thousands have been brought in through pedo-baptism and infant regeneration. But there is no such thing in the Scriptures as infant regeneration or baptism. Many more join the church as a business policy, or because it is fashionable; and, as the old proverb runs, "Like people, like priest." Therefore they "heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears," who are turning them from truth to fables. Now we do not wish our word to be taken as to whether the above scriptures are or are not fulfilled in our day. We do not wish to testify ourselves alone. We are actuated only by the kindliest feelings toward all sects. But what are the facts? Here are the predictions; what are the proofs? We quote from various writers in the journal mentioned above. James Brand, D. D., on the "Coming Man," thus presents the defects in the church:— "The doctrine which the 'coming man' will specially emphasize, will depend upon the defects of the church when he comes. The great men of God, like Augustine, Luther, Wesley, and Finney, became religious leaders because they had understanding of the times, and brought to the front neglected truths. . . . What will the coming man find to-day? If I am not mistaken he will find, first, a feeble and defective sense of the moral government of God; second, a decayed sense of the guilt of sin; third, a luxurious church, lacking the self-denying spirit of the cross." Says Dr. P. S. Henson (Baptist), of Chicago, in reference to skepticism:— "The church suffers from a double liberalism. It is letting go its doctrines. There is a superficiality and gush in a certain kind of liberalism, a happy-go-lucky sort that says that everything is all right, so long as you are happy. And then there is the Christian conformity with worldly ideas. 'No odds how you live, Puritanism is dead, thank God,' they say. 'We have found how a religious man can live like a worldly man.' But there is a limit." Certainly the words of Dr. Henson do not present before us a growing church in the matter of piety, devotion, and faith. Says Dr. J. L. Withrow (Presbyterian):— "And as to special dangers to Christianity, I think they are far greater as arising from a spirit of criticism and pecking at the Bible by professing Christians, preachers, teachers, and editors, than from either agnosticism or atheism." The times are perilous, because the sins are among the people of God, and yet they are satisfied. Well did the prophet say, "My people love to have it so; but what will ye do in the end thereof?" The Rev. George Lansing Taylor is a minister of high standing in the Methodist Church. He has this year visited five camp-meetings; and this is the way the Lutheran Observer, of October 14, quotes him from Zion's Herald:— "I have learned more than ever to sympathize with the Lord's poor sheep who are hungry for good gospel hay, and get shavings foddered out to them instead! But when 6,000 hungry souls are looking up to a stand full of over a hundred preachers, many of them eminent and godly men, and then the shavings peddlers are trotted out, instead of those who could feed the flock—well—I'll stop here! I might wax uncharitable!" And the following is how some of the laymen look at it, as printed in the Advance:— "We do not want esthetics, nor even ethics, merely as such. We do want the religion of Christ, downright, positive, strong. Give us more Bible—the 'sincere milk of the word,' that word of God which 'is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.' We want a masculine, muscular, manly Christianity, which shall commend itself to mind, heart, and judgment of strong, busy men, who are sturdily grappling with the problems of life." The above call is evidence that this kind of religion is not preached. Thus writes another:— "Our church, from a worldly standpoint, I should say is prosperous. In numbers at the morning service we have nothing to complain of. The Sunday-school is good, the prayer-meeting is fairly attended. But the growing tendency in all our churches to worldliness is a most deplorable fact, and we are not exempt from it. And yet if you speak to the young people about it, they will tell you that our minister doesn't think it wrong to play cards and dance if not carried to excess, and that it doesn't hurt anyone to go to a good theater. I suppose they themselves are to be the judges. The result is that very few join the church on confession. Are we not reaping bad harvest from this kind of seed sown? Can it be that a minister is blind to the evil effects of such things? Or is it fear, or place, or position? It certainly is not scriptural, if I understand the teaching of the Bible." Says another voice from the pews:— "A large number of popular preachers have either lost their convictions, or the courage of their convictions, in presenting the teaching of the Bible in regard to sin and its punishment. The pulpit has, to a certain extent, been shorn of its power to move and save men, because its preaching seems to lack the earnestness of conviction, both in regard to the nature and importance of the truth uttered." From the above testimony, who will not say that Mr. Spurgeon was right when he said the churches were on the "down grade." Who can say that the prophecy does not apply to the Protestant churches, "Babylon is fallen" (Rev. 14:8), the term "Babylon" showing the confusion existing among the denominations as regards doctrines, and the fall denoting a moral fall. Dr. J. L. Withrow, before quoted, indicates that the Bible is but little preached, when he says:— "We ought also to preach more of what is in the Bible, and not so much of everything outside of it, of science and literature." Why should there not be confusion? And when churches should be fed on the word of God, and are not, what is there to hinder them from becoming weak and poor, spiritually? They are brought into that condition that they reject God's word when it is preached, because they do not know it. We would that the picture were otherwise. We do not mention these things to point out the faults or failings of any, but to show that the current of religion is drifting far away from God and his word; that these indications show that Christ's coming is near; that the doctrine of the world's conversion is but a pleasing fable of Satan; and that man's only hope is to return to the word of God, accept of his truth and message for these times, and live. Christ is coming. He wants to meet a people free from sin, and, through the grace of God and the power of his Christ, obedient to every commandment. That they may know this, he has given the last threefold message of Rev. 14:6-14, winged and supported by numerous others of the same import throughout his sacred word. Will men heed this message? or will they cleave to the chaff? Will they lay hold upon the power of God by faith, and thus obtain the substance? or will they clamor for religious legislation, and obtain only a form which hides sin and corruption? Thank God, some will accept the truth; few have the courage to cry out against the wickedness and license now cloaked by religion. But it is sad to know that the present indications are that the many will reject God's gracious warning; and the prophetic word confirms it. But "fear not, little flock [says the Master's voice, ringing through the centuries]; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." M. C. W.648 overpowering delusion, goes marching on, numbering its converts by millions, not of the ignorant, but of the educated. And so it will be till the churches, instead of teaching the immortality of the soul and its continued consciousness in death, accept and teach the Bible doctrines that "the dead know not anything," and that the spirits which appear are "the spirits of devils." But this the popular churches will never do; consequently Spiritualism will grow until it gathers within its foul embrace all who receive not the truth of God in the love of it. THE editor of the New York Sun thinks that Spiritualism is a fraud, and has recently published some of his reasons for thinking so. Nevertheless he says:— “That it is a fraud has been the usual verdict of science from the beginning, and yet Spiritualism has gained some of its firmest converts among scientific men who entered upon its investigation with a profound skepticism. One of the latest of these, we are told, is a distinguished professor in a New England college, and the list includes men of scientific renown in England, in Germany, and in other countries of Europe. There was no more acute intellect at the bar of New York than the late Judge Edmunds, but he was ready to sacrifice even his reputation for sanity in order to preach Spiritualism. The same may be said of Luther R. Marsh, who accepted the paintings of Mrs. Diss Debar as the work of the disembodied spirits of Rubens, Titian, and Raphael, wretched as they were in every artistic sense. The handsome reward offered in the Sun by a physician for a scientific test of the authenticity of the so-called spiritual manifestations, has only stirred up Henry Kiddle to pity for him as lacking in the inner enlightenment necessary to perceive the supernatural character of the phenomena. “The number of devout believers like Mr. Kiddle, and of those who are almost convinced, now reaches millions in the world. After Spiritualism was first carried to England by Mrs. Hayden from Boston, in 1852, it spread all over Europe, and when Home appeared in London, coming also from this country, it received a new impulse, and not so much among the ignorant and the humble as among the educated and exalted. The medium, Dr. Slade, has also secured many converts, and the Spiritualists now publish about one hundred journals, forty of which are in Spanish and printed in Spain and South America. In French and German they have fifteen or twenty. There are twenty-six in this country, and even in Australia there are four. The English Spiritualistic organs advertise Sunday meetings in sixty towns and eighty rooms. “The tendency to refer material results to supernatural causes seems to increase rather than decrease under the influence of the scientific criticism which is strengthening agnosticism in the other direction. On one side we have no belief, and on the other a belief in spiritual agencies which equals, if it does not exceed, such faith during any past period of modern history. Men and especially women of intelligence and culture are unquestioning in their reliance in the faith cure and the prayer cure, and the movement to create the anomaly of a spiritual science receives ardent support from thousands of people who take much pride in their reasoning faculties. Theosophy, too, despite the exposure of Mme. Blavatsky's impudent impostures, is still flourishing, and the progress of Buddhism in this country, and especially in Boston, is due to the fascination which the occult and the mysterious have for so many minds.” And again, after referring to the findings of the Seybert commission, and other scientists, the Sun says:— “But even scientific men trained to the closest observation of facts, are among the most deceived, and men who have been devoted to the sifting of evidence during a life-time with minds of extraordinary natural and acquired acuteness, are surrendering to the power of Spiritualism.” And thus it appears that notwithstanding all the so-called exposures, Spiritualism, that great, The Sabbath-School.
By W. N. Glenn
Notes on the International Lesson.
SIN, FORGIVENESS, AND PEACE.
"BLESSED is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." The psalmist here uses the present tense. He is speaking from experience. It is, then, a possible thing to know in our everyday life the blessedness of the forgiveness of sins,—a condition which nothing short of actual faith and experience can appreciate. The idea here expressed of sin being "covered" does not imply hidden by a deceptive cloak from the knowledge of anyone. On the contrary, it may be notoriously public. As no sin can be hidden from God, who is the Judge of all, it follows that he must do the effectual "covering," and the blessedness resulting from the covering is a blessing from God. PAUL refers to this psalm in Rom. 4:6-8, after speaking of the justification of the ungodly by faith, and stating that "his faith is counted for righteousness." Therefore when one is counted righteous by the Lord, he unquestionably is righteous, no matter what his previous condition may have been. Nor is it a condition of which one may boast; for this righteousness is imputed without works. It is a free gift, through the manifold grace of God, "lest any man should boast." Then he who boasts of his righteousness, or sinlessness, is self-deceived. The glory belongs to God. "BLESSED is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." This verse carries the thought a little further than the previous one. Here the sinner is not only forgiven, but he has a new heart. There is no guile about him. He is in perfect harmony with the law of God; for iniquity (sin) is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). If there is no iniquity imputed to him, no guile in his spirit, he is a new creature, conformed to the will of God; for "the carnal mind is . . . not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Then the new creature, or spiritual-minded man, is subject to the law of God. What says the new covenant? "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." Jer. 31:33. WE see, then, that God's people will have his law written in their hearts. And in the first psalm is a blessing pronounced upon the man whose "delight is in the law of the Lord;" and because the ungodly are not so, they "shall not stand in the judgment." Some will ask, therefore, does righteousness come of keeping the law? No, walking in the counsel of God is the result of the righteousness which is imputed because of faith in Christ. The sinner is justified by faith, and the Christian walks by faith, the Spirit having transformed the carnal mind, which was against the law (Rom. 8:7), to a mind upon which the law could be impressed. FROM the foregoing considerations we learn that the keeping of the law of God is the result of righteousness, and not the cause. The law is the standard by which righteousness is tested. See Rom. 3:21: "But now the righteousness of God without the law [that is, imputed to the sinner through faith] is manifested, being witnessed by the law." Where God does not impute sin,—on account of the sinner's faith in Christ,—the law is satisfied; it does not condemn. The law witnesses that such an one is righteous. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:1. Why is there no condemnation? Because, being spiritual, the law is written in their hearts, and they walk—live, continue—in harmony with it. "I ACKNOWLEDGED my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid." If David's sin was "covered," it was not because he endeavored to hide it; it was because he frankly confessed it. "I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." It is plain that where pardon is full and free, the law witnesses that the offender is no longer deemed guilty. But there are two important conditions which must be borne in mind: "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Here is additional evidence that God must do the covering which brings the blessing. HOW much is involved in the matter of the forgiveness of sin? There is nothing that stands between mortal man and eternal life, with all that is comprehended in that term, but sin. This one barrier out of the way, and man is in full harmony and communion with Heaven. Sin removed, and the joint heirship with Christ, with all which that comprises, is established. Truly does the psalmist add: "For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found." "MANY sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about." Here are but two classes brought to view, evidently including all there are upon the earth. There is no half-way ground. He that trusteth not in the Lord—does not walk by faith—must be classed with the wicked. This reference is, manifestly, to the final reckoning, as the same writer represents the two classes as being in just the reverse condition prior to that time: "As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." "They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men." Ps. 73:2, 3, 5. And the rich man in the parable had his good things in this life, while Lazarus had his evil things. The immutable promises for the future welfare of the faithful give force to the expression in the last verse of the lesson: "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." W. N. GLENN.