Earlier text: THE BANE OF UNSANCTIFIED AMBITIONTHE DECALOGUE.
By J. W. Watt
This commandment is short in words, but very broad in meaning. The Lord did not desire that there should ever be any death in His fair universe; all death is contrary to His will. When the law of God condemns a sin, it goes to the lowest depths, and condemns the last fiber of the root of the matter. There is left absolutely nothing; it is utterly uprooted. There is no excuse for sin anyway; it has come into the universe of God as an intruder. When a man goes out with knife or gun in hand, and takes the life of his fellow-man, he has committed the overt act of killing. But this was not the beginning of the matter; the desire to do the deed was in his heart for days, weeks, or months before he committed the act. And a desire to harm our fellow-man is a violation of the sixth commandment. This is shown by our Saviour in Matt. 5:21–24. Judging, condemning, or speaking evil of others is also a violation of this precept. “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matt. 7:1, 2. “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” Luke 6:37. God has not given to man the work of judgment, for man is not capable of judging; he can not look into the heart of his fellow-man and discern the motive that prompted the act. God only can do this; therefore man has not been given any such work to do. Yet how often this is done! “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; who art thou that judgest another?” James 4:11, 12. When we speak evil of our fellow-men, we judge the law of God, but can we judge the law without judging the One who gave the law?—No, we can not. Therefore in the act of speaking evil, we set ourselves above the God of heaven, judging Him to be an incompetent Lawgiver, and unworthy of our respect and obedience. This is an awful thing for any one to do. If we ever enter heaven, we must learn to keep all the commandments of God, and this one says, “Thou shalt not kill.”5 “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.” Isa. 1:15. If we should meet a man on the street with his hands literally besmeared with human gore, we should be horrified; we should flee from him, feeling that he was a dangerous man, and ought not to have his freedom. But we can sit down and listen quietly for hours to an evil report some one is peddling about the country, and we do not feel horrified at all. Yet in the sight of God both are guilty, and must repent of the sin of murder, and obtain forgiveness, before God can take them to heaven. It is a very dangerous thing to engage in evil-speaking, or to associate with those who do so. There is another phase of this subject which we must not overlook. Men sometimes take their own lives. This also is a violation of the commandment we are now considering. There are many ways that men may take their own lives. Some shoot themselves; others take poison; others cast themselves into the water, and are drowned. All this is very bad, and we are sorry for one who takes such a course. But by the use of tea, coffee, tobacco, opium, alcohol, and stimulants of various kinds, men and women bring upon themselves disease and premature death, shortening their lives by ten, fifteen, or twenty years. Have such persons violated the commandment which says, “Thou shalt not kill”?—They certainly have. By overeating, men sometimes shorten their lives. The writer once knew a man who ate so much ice-cream that he died in a few hours. He was young, strong, and vigorous. Did this man violate the law of God? Others have overworked, and have died prematurely. God in His mercy may save some of these persons who have violated His law in the different ways spoken of, because of their ignorance of the true character of His law; but light is now shining upon the world, and God is leading His people to an understanding of His law, that they may prepare characters that will fit them for citizenship in His kingdom. How broad and deep are the thoughts of God expressed in His law! How pure these holy principles are! Only by the aid of the Holy Spirit, which is given to us through Christ Jesus, can we ever meet the divine standard. But, praise the name of the Lord, in Him and by His strength we can reach the “measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” True Religion's Fixed Principles
By The Presbyterian
TRUE religion is no variable product. It is a system of fixed principles and abiding truths. It calls for a constant exemplification. Faith and practise must go hand in hand. There is but the one Saviour for us all, and the one Bible for the enlightenment and guidance of heart and life. Christianity was never given to be readjusted to human notions and ideas with advancing eras, but to be accepted and exemplified as the years come and go. It needs no new light thrown upon it, but man needs its fresh light thrown upon his changing conditions. He must conform at all times to its standard. THE SHEPHERDS AND THEIR DOG.
By W. N. G.
JESUS CHRIST announced Himself as the "good Shepherd." John 10:11. The preeminent virtue of the good Shepherd is that He "giveth His life for the sheep." His peculiar manner of caring for the flock is to lead them; "He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him; for they know His voice." Verses 3, 4. This represents Christ's manner of work. The Scriptures also represent His ministers as shepherds. Peter exhorts the elders to "feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Peter 5:1-4. If the under shepherd be true to his calling, he will follow the example of the chief Shepherd. He will do his work on the same plan, following the same principle, as that of his Master. He will use the same means that the Master used, feeding the flock with the same food with which the Master feeds them. He will go before the sheep, having the Spirit and therefore the voice of the Master; and He will feed them, as the good Shepherd did, on the Word of God. See Matt. 4:4; John 6:63; 17:14. The under shepherd who does not work in this way, and is not willing to give his life for the sheep, is a "hireling," and "careth not for the sheep." Now there are two ways of "herding" sheep in vogue among men. The oriental way, to which Christ likened His work, is to lead the sheep out to pasture, and lead them back to the fold. The Western way is to drive them back and forth. For this purpose dogs are used to a great extent. But the latter system gradually found its way into the church in the early centuries, and the shepherds began driving their flocks by means of the civil law. This system became almost universal, until the Reformation reintroduced the Gospel idea. The method of driving with dogs was considerably modified, as the head of the system received a "deadly wound." See Revelation 13. But for some time the prophecy of the healing of this wound has been in process of fulfilment. The wounded "head" has so far recovered as to be able to wield a very extended influence. In the United States we have the image to the "beast," or power, "which had the wound by a sword and did live." Therefore we see an ever-increasing inclination on the part of professed shepherds to use dogs in "herding" their flocks. The most popular dog is named Sunday Law. It is a kind of combination animal—the head is religious, and the body political. It is also undenominational and non-partisan. In fact, it is about the only point on which there is anything near "church unity." This dog will come at the beck or call of any one, religious or non-religious, who may entertain a prejudice against those who keep the Sabbath of the Lord according to the commandment. It will bark furiously at this class of people, and if sufficiently urged will bite quite savagely. But his masters—who claim to be shepherds under Him who sacrificed His own life instead of the liberties of his opponents—are training their dog Sunday Law to still further utility. By its help they hope soon to be able to "round up" not only their individual flocks of sheep but all other flocks, and even all the goats in the country. And then, on the "Christian nation" pretense, they will endeavor to turn in the whole lot to the chief Shepherd as actual sheep. In furtherance of this far-reaching purpose, these nominal under shepherds are feeding their flocks, and others as far as possible, not on the Word of God, but on a specially-prepared diet. Not only is it designed to strengthen the dog for a larger sphere of operations, but the people must be drilled to willing obedience. They have heard that the flock should obey the voice of the chief Shepherd, which is the commandment of God; but their professed shepherds are teaching them to obey the voice of the State in religious matters—beginning with the Sunday law as an entering wedge. This specially-prepared food which is being fed to "the flock," and the people in general, in lieu of the Word of God, is in the form of "Lord's Day Papers," and literature with other like alluring titles. There are two points which the professed under shepherds hope to gain as a result of a free use of this literature: (1) They hope to stimulate the people to such an extent that they will demand of the California Legislature a Sunday law for the State, and demand of Congress a national Sunday law. (2) They hope, by a great cry of, "Vox populi vox Dei!" to coerce the aforesaid Legislature and the national Congress to pass the required laws, on penalty of political boycott forever after. However, whether the game be successfully played this winter or not, the Word of the Lord is sure: the good Shepherd goes before His own sheep, and they follow Him: "for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers." John 10:1-5. Now any voice that is not the voice of the "good Shepherd" is the "voice of a stranger," no matter whether it be the voice of the State in reference to religion, or the voice of the "hireling" shepherd, or the voice of this shepherd's dog Sunday Law. We expect these professed shepherds will one day gain all they demand. We believe that prophecy plainly indicates that such will be the case; and our object in promulgating the truth concerning this Sunday-law movement is that the people may be faithfully warned that the voice which utters such a law is "the voice of a stranger," and not of the "good Shepherd." The voice, or law spoken by the voice, of God says that "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord." And the Lord has positively added, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." But we are not contending that the State has no right to interpose its voice in matters of religion merely because Sunday is not the Sabbath. It has no right to add to or take from the law of God in regard to any day; and in doing so it puts an implement of persecution in the hands of any prejudiced or unprincipled individual who may be inclined or have opportunity to use it. And it is certain that they who seek such advantage over those who oppose their scheme, do so for the purpose of using that advantage. The good Shepherd never sought such advantage over any one, and no true disciple of His ever will. No, He did not sacrifice the sinners, but sacrificed Himself in behalf of sinners. OTHER GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.
WE have considered, in brief, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors. To these the apostle adds, in Eph. 4 : 11, “teachers.” The religion of Jesus Christ is a religion of progress. The life of the true Christian is one of advancement. The greatest Teacher the world ever knew was Jesus Christ. He knew God; He came to reveal God; and He taught the things of God “as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” He was taught of God; and of the children of God it is said, “They shall all be taught of God.” This does not mean that all shall receive direct from God, with no human instrument between; but it does mean that the human instrument shall be God’s instrument, possessing God’s gift of teaching, and that those who receive from Him shall take it as coming from God. 1 Thess. 2 : 13. Men were as truly taught of God who listened to Jesus Christ as tho they had heard the Father speak from heaven; for “He whom God sent speaketh the words of God.” And just as truly do those who listen to the men sent of Christ hear the words of Christ. Those who fulfil His mission will “preach the Word.” Those who truly believe will receive the Word as from God, and so will be taught of Him. The teacher of God must teach the character, the purposes, the doctrine, of God. In other words, he must teach God. Christ gave Himself that men might “know” “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent.” To properly teach, men must know. To teach God, men must know God. Is this true in many of our theological institutions? God is not the God of an abstract science of religious philosophy. Christianity is not some theoretical scheme of saving men. Jehovah is the living God. His Word is a living Word. Christianity is a life; and every true child of God knows the life power flowing unbroken from the throne of God. Such a God, such a religion, was taught of old in the schools of the prophets. It was taught by the prophets to the people. It was taught by Jesus and His apostles. God would have it taught to-day. Every Christian should teach it in his home, in the church, in the neighborhood, in the great world. The Lord would have our religious schools and seminaries, modern schools of the prophets of God, in which the Word of God shall be standard, and the mighty, blessed Spirit, chief instructor. “Higher Criticism,” philosophical dissertations, comparative theology, would all be submerged in the all-absorbing theme and object of knowing Christ and imparting His life. “That I may know Him,” says the apostle, “and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings;” and knowing Christ he could preach Christ, “warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ.” Solemn, indeed, is the position of him or her who assumes to teach for God in college or church or Sabbath-school. Let them first know what they would teach, and then use their gift to God’s glory. And, reader, if you are not taught Christ by those who profess to teach Him, seek elsewhere. Go to the Word for yourself. “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” IN view of both the elevating effect of "words fitly spoken," and the defiling effect of evil and impure words, the Master has told us "that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matt. 12:36, 37. Not only are our words an index of what is in our hearts, but they leave their lasting impress upon the minds of others. And if the life has been given to impure thoughts and evil speaking, the judgment will take into account the long train of sin produced in other minds by these words, as well as the evil that is clinging to the one who thus lends himself to Satan as his instrument of unrighteousness. That vulgar joke may seem funny to the carnal mind when it is uttered. But when the harvest-time comes, the judgment day revealing what that harvest really is, how will it appear then? Perhaps a little boy or girl heard your filthy words, and those words lodged in the young mind. They may have seemed to lie dormant; in fact, it may have appeared that they were forgotten—and you may have forgotten them yourself—but still they are there as seeds in that mind. By and by the youth breaks out into a blasphemer, a liar, a thief, an adulterer, a murderer. Everybody wonders why it is. They say he is "a child of a good family," and they don't see how it is possible for him to do such wicked and disgraceful deeds. Ah! but this is the harvest! Who planted the seed that produced it? Possibly a father or mother who ordinarily is kind, and who in public is very careful of his words, has been sowing these seeds all imperceptibly. The careless words spoken in private which we thought amounted to nothing have been lodged in listening and innocent ears, but how ugly is the fruit in the sad time of the harvest! Often the Sabbath-school teacher, the church deacon, or the minister, who is all decorum and precision in public, thinks it no harm to indulge privately in words of questionable import. But since only the best should be expected of such persons as these, when they indulge in vile language it cuts its way all the deeper into the mind and heart of the listener. It is reasoned, "If the Sabbath-school teacher or the deacon or the minister uses such words, they can not be very wrong." And thus Satan works to have your private life overthrow what you do in public. But how much better is the "word fitly spoken"! How pure and ennobling are those beautiful "apples of gold in baskets of silver"! And every one who professes the name of Christ should seek the divine power that will enable him to say, "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." Isa. 50:4. "The Lord God hath given" you this rich promise. Do you accept it? If so, then, like your Master, you will be prepared to utter the "word fitly spoken." No soul will be wrecked by your idle speech, but instead a river of purity will flow through your mind from the angels of God, spreading the joys of righteousness and truth. T. THE POWER OF HYPNOTISM.
By T.
THAT there is power of some kind in hypnotism no well-informed person will deny. But just what that power is neither the cultured scientist who experiments with it nor the quack who amuses the people with it for his personal gain, seems to understand. The notion is entertained that one mind can act upon another without any material means of communication. And with this belief firmly fixed, the individual surrenders his will, the one force by which the intellect is governed, to the hypnotist. But any one who will make such a surrender of the will does a most dangerous thing; for he absolutely gives up all personal control, and is entirely at the mercy of another. And this is true, no matter whether the hypnotist is a traveling quack, or a doctor, or purely a scientist. It may be suggested to you that hypnotism is a power in many respects like electricity,7 and that the study of this hypnotic power is still in its infancy. But do not be deceived by any such talk. Hypnotism, tho not under that name, has been a favorite subject for study from the days of the most ancient magicians. Mankind seems strongly inclined toward the mysterious and marvelous. And the most cultured men, even of this intellectual age, are not without their superstitions, unless through the power and enlightenment of the Word of God these superstitions have been driven away. It is true that many look upon the actual believer in the literal Word of God as being highly superstitious; but such persons do not know that the Bible is the one thing that dispels all superstition by planting the truth in the mind. And he who pities the believer in the Word of God should not overlook the real superstitions that he himself possesses. He may claim that the mind that believes in the literal truth of the miracles of Jesus is superstitious; yet he would not think of launching a ship without breaking a bottle of wine over her bow. He looks upon the believer in the story of the Flood as a child of superstition; yet he would not begin a journey or commence a piece of work on Friday, and fears that the demons of evil have placed a magic charm that bodes disaster about the number 13. He thinks that the fairy tales of the nursery are about on a par with the Bible stories of angel visitors; and then he turns away to a spiritist seance, and positively recognizes the unseen presence that is there. Such are some of the inconsistencies of us poor mortals, when our anchorage is broken away from the Word of God. And it should be distinctly stated that no one is anchored to God's Word who merely has a nominal faith in it. The worst superstitions that the world has ever seen have been harbored by those who have professed faith in the Bible. But to profess faith in the divine Book does not make one a possessor of that faith. If we avail ourselves of the benefits of Bible truth, we must take the Bible as the literal words of the heavenly Father speaking to us direct. In every sentence and word of the inspired Book we must hear the voice of God speaking to our souls. We commune with God through His Word as a friend converses with friend. Anything short of this is not the fulness of faith in the Book of books. And he who possesses true and unqualified faith in God's holy Word is no toy to be tossed about by every superstition that evil angels through the medium of ignorance or a diseased imagination may impose upon the world. But hypnotism is more than a superstition; there is a real power manifested by the hypnotic agent. And if men would lay aside their curiosity and think soberly upon the subject, they would have nothing to do with it. For hypnotism is not, and, in the very nature of things, never can be a real science. And those who are studying it for a science are fooling themselves. They will find in a little time from now that they have done more than lose their time while experimenting with it; they will find that they have lost themselves. The man who exercises such a power as hypnotism upon others is under the same power himself, tho he is unconscious of it. And sometime when he seeks to break away from it he will be made to realize the presence of the chains that he had not before recognized. The evil of hypnotism acts in both ways; it is just as harmful to the operator as it is to the one who is operated upon. To be sure, it will be suggested that there have been those who have offered warnings and opposition to every advancing science. Superstition and ignorance are, of course, a barrier to light and progress. But this does not say that everything that claims to be light and progress is such in reality. And he who looks at hypnotism from the standpoint of truth—not having his eyes blinded by the hope of gain, nor his mind prejudiced by the bigotries of false science—will surely see the evil that is lurking behind this bewitching subject. But more on the question next week. THIS paper is published for a definite purpose. While behind it, supporting it, stands a religious denomination and organization, the object of the paper is not to build up a particular sect. It is not to multiply converts to a denomination. Its one great object is to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for this present hour, and so to win souls. The preaching of the Word of truth, the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, the sounding forth of God's message for this generation, that is our part; the effect which this message will have upon those who read and hear and see, rests with them and God. He is anxious to save every one, in proof of which Christ died for every one, and His Spirit calls for every one. But the human choice and will are free. That responsibility rests with you, to whom the message comes. You are to take the message; you are to compare it with the Word of God; you are to take the awful responsibility of accepting or rejecting it if it be found in harmony with the standard, the Word. As children of a common Father, as brothers and sisters of "one blood," as sinful, dying creatures, needing justification and salvation, may we not plead with you to examine, in the light of heaven, and weigh in the balances of God's sanctuary, that which we in this paper lay before you? And may the Spirit of truth guide you into the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. *"Enquire and make search and ask diligently." Is it right for a Christian to take life in defense of property entrusted to his care? A postal employee is under oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the U. S., and his oath is taken without any purpose of evasion. Can a Christian take such oath, and then allow constitutional laws to be broken in his official presence, that is, when he is in charge of Uncle Sam's property? Feeling that I have no right to take up carnal weapons against my fellow-men, have I a right to make such oath? It is not the object or desire of THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES to point out each man's particular duty. It is our purpose to preach the Word, to honor God's law, to lift up Jesus Christ as the Saviour, the great example, the One able to make man in all things obedient. But He wants men to know their duty from Him, and to do it for His sake. What would Christ do in respect to the above questions? Would He tie Himself up in any employment of life so that He would be forced to take life rather than lose property? In other words, would He place His conscience at the disposal of men? A Christian may do many things in a public capacity and be true to God; but he must do it all "as to the Lord, and not unto men." If he be a Christian, he is bound to be faithful to God "without any purpose of evasion." "Ye were bought with a price; be ye not the servants of men." "THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN."
By T. Adams
SIN is always saying to us, "Just this once more." We have a bad habit that we propose to leave off sometime; but sin says, "Only indulge this once, then you will quit." No matter what the form of evil that besets us, when our conscience condemns us and the Spirit of God through His Word is urging us to reform, sin continues to whisper in our ear, "Only this once." This evil commences with childhood and follows us until we, in the strength of the Lord, say to Satan with his temptations, "Get thee hence." The little boy or girl desires some indulgence, and father and mother say that it is not good. But the child pleads, "Just this once, and I will never ask it again." Fathers and mothers, if they have wisdom from God, will seek at the first manifestation of this evil to explain to their little ones that it is nothing less than the deceitfulness of sin that is prompting them to plead, "Only once." When a temptation confronts us, Satan seeks to make it appear that the peculiar circumstances are such that it would be best to yield "just this once;" and then after this we will be strong. Indeed, we feel perfectly sure that it will be only for this one time that we will yield. We feel very weak before the temptation now because of the "peculiar circumstances;" but how strong we feel while indulging in our sinful habits, because of the thought that to-morrow we will surely conquer! But how foolish we are to allow ourselves to thus be led along in sin! The plea when the temptation comes is, "Only this once." When it comes again, it is, "Only this once." And while it continues to come week after week and month after month and year after year, it is never anything but, "Just this once." The apostle's admonition is, "Exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Heb. 3:13. It is a part of the "deceitfulness of sin" to keep saying to us, "Only this once." For in this way a habit is formed, and the longer that it can be kept up by Satan's persuasive and seemingly plausible argument, the more confirmed and hardened do we become. "Only this once" is without doubt the most cunning and at the same time the most successful trick that Satan has ever invented. It is positively dangerous to take another step in that direction. Stop now.
T. ADAMS. THEY THAT PROPHESY FALSE DREAMS.
By T.
THERE always have been those who claim to be teachers sent of God, but whom the Lord does not own. "Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord." Jer. 23 : 32. The Lord being "against them that prophesy false dreams," and the Lord also being able to perfectly read the future, He will of course fully expose all these false prophets in His Word—the Bible. We are now in the perilous times of the last days, and many false doctrines are being urged upon the world. These deceptions of Satan can be detected only by a knowledge of God's Word and an abiding faith in that Word. Do not fail to study the Bible every day. If the tithe belongs to the Levite, how had the man a right to use it for what his soul lusted after? The tithe referred to here is a second tithe. The first tithe belonged to the Levite and priests. Num. 18 : 24-28. After that a second tithe was taken, which was eaten before the Lord the first and second year, and in the third year was given to the poor. Deut. 14 : 28, 29. In the fourth and fifth years it was again eaten by the owners, and in the sixth year given to the poor. The seventh year—a sabbath to the Lord—all things were common. Ex. 23 : 10, 11. A people who were living in the light would not lust after things displeasing to God. 895. The Kings of the East.
In Rev. 16:12 we read that the river Euphrates was dried up, "that the way of the kings [that come from the sun rising] of the East might be prepared." What country do they come from? From the territory east of Turkey and Persia, where the Euphrates River is. It may come to mean such powers as England, Germany, France, Russia, and the United States, when they divide up Asia among themselves, and the last power takes the Philippines. Thus the kings of the West become the kings of the East.