Review and Herald, Vol. 5, No. 25.
THE LAW OF GOD: AN EXAMINATION OF THE TESTIMONY OF BOTH TESTAMENTSPage 1
Earlier text: The Relation which the Sabbath sustains to other Points of Present TruthWorking with God.
By F. Goode
“Work, for it is God that worketh in you.” This beautiful union of holy fear, and yet holy courage, of entire dependence upon God, and yet unabated and jealous diligence, to make our calling and election sure,” is attainable only, nay, I might say, intelligible only, to a spiritual mind. Not that there is any inexplicable mystery in their connection: men are continually acting in the affairs of life in the same way. They clear their ground, sow their crops, and go through all the toils of husbandry with unremitting diligence, and show that they can do more; they watch for the increase, they think of it, they talk of it with the deepest interest, while yet it is undeniable that they cannot make a single blade of wheat to spring up, or spear produce. The sun must shine upon it, the rain must water it, the earth must nourish it—they command none of these. God must work with them from first to last; and it is all of his good pleasure, when he will and how he will; and for aught they know, frost or flood, blight or drought may spoil all their labors in a moment. But do they therefore desist from their toil and say, It is all God, what can I do? Far from it. God has connected their labor and his blessing, and men know this; and therefore, though utterly unable to ensure the least profitable result from their toil, they rise up early, and late take rest, and work as if success depended absolutely and only upon their unassisted efforts. Alas! that men should be so wise for time, so foolish for eternity. [F. Goode. READER, there are many of the Lord Jesus Christ's people, very like Lot. There are many real children of God who appear to know far more than they live up to, and see far more than they practice, and yet continue in this state for many years. Wonderful that they go as far as they do, and yet go no further. They hold the head even Christ; and love the truth. They like sound preaching, and assent to every article of gospel doctrine when they hear it, but still there is an indescribable something which is not satisfactory about them. They are constantly doing things which disappoint the expectations of their ministers, and of more advanced Christian friends. Marvellous that they should think as they do, and yet stand still. They believe in heaven, and yet seem faintly to long for it; and in hell, and yet seem little to fear it. They love the Lord Jesus, but the work they do for him is small. They hate the devil, but they often appear to tempt him to come to them. They know the time is short, but they live as if it were long. They know they have a battle to fight, yet a man might think they were at peace. They know they have a race to run, yet they often look like people sitting still. They know the Judge is at the door, and there is wrath to come, and yet they appear half asleep. Astonishing they should be what they are, and yet be nothing more! These are they who get the notion into their minds that it is impossible for all believers to be very holy and very spiritual. They allow that eminent holiness is a beautiful thing. They like to read about it in books, and even to see it occasionally in others. But they do not think that all are meant to aim at so high a standard. At any rate they seem to make up their minds it is beyond their reach. These are they who get into their heads false ideas of charity, as they call it. They would fain please everybody, and suit everybody. But they forget they ought first to be sure that they please God. These are they who cannot find it in their heart to quarrel with their besetting sin, whether it be sloth, indolence, ill temper, pride, selfishness, or what it may. They allow it to remain a tolerably quiet and undisturbed tenant of their hearts. They say it is their health, and their constitutions, and their temperaments, and their way. Their father or mother, or grand-mother, was so before themselves and they are sure they cannot help it. And when you meet after the absence of a year or so, you hear the same thing. But all, all may be summed up in one single sentence. They are brethren and sisters of Lot. They linger. SECRET PRAYER.—Thou shouldst pray alone; for thou hast sinned alone. In the great transaction between thee and God, thou canst have no human helper.200 You can be free before God. You are not going to tell him any secret. You may be sure he will not betray your confidence. Whatever reasons there may be for any species of devotion, there are more and stronger reasons for secret devotion. Refuge for the Sorely Tried.
Deep as your present humiliation may be, you cannot sink so low but you will find that Christ sunk yet lower, and is therefore able to bear you up. Never can Christians sink beneath the everlasting arms; they will always be under you! You may be sorely tried, deeply bereaved, fearfully tempted, painfully wounded. Saints and sinners, the Church and the world, may each contribute some bitter ingredient to your cup. Nevertheless, the heart of Jesus is a pavilion within whose sacred enclosure you may repose until these calamities be overpast. Your greatest extremity can never exceed his power or sympathy, because he has gone before his people, and has endured what they never can endure. Be not tempted then to believe that your case, extreme as it may be, can exceed the limit of his compassion, power, and sympathy. Behold, what glory then springs from the humiliation and sufferings of our adorable Redeemer! . . . “Come unto me,” he says, “all ye that labor and are heavy laden; and I will give you rest.” Yes, if rest is to be found at all, it must be given. It is upon the footing of a gift that it is offered to you. Not that you are worthy to receive the present, but that it is a present worthy of Christ’s generosity to bestow. Take it; there is not a single sentence in the Bible to exclude you from this act of confidence. Be not afraid; only believe; and according to your faith will it be done unto you. You know not how ready, you know not how able, you know not how free, you know not how perfectly willing, nay, how eager and how delighted the Saviour is to receive all who “come” unto him, to listen to their complaints, to heal their disease, to supply their every want, and administer to every necessity. This is the true and faithful representation of Christ. The Good Shepherd’s Appeal
By Bishop Tehon
“I WILL seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away!” Eze. xxxiv, 16. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. xi, 28. Why, O man, hast thou left me?
Why hast thou turned from Him that loved thee?
Why hast thou again joined thyself to thy enemy? Remember that for thy sake I became flesh.
Remember that for thy sake I became poor.
Remember that for thy sake I was persecuted.
Remember that for thy sake I bore evil-speaking, reproaches, angry words, dishonor, wounds, spitting, blows, mockings, and bitter sufferings. Remember that for thy sake I suffered a cruel death. I was made low to exalt thee.
I was made poor to enrich thee.
I was dishonored to bring glory upon thee.
I was wounded to heal thee. I died that thou mightest have life. Thou didst sin, and I took thy sin upon Myself.
Thou wast condemned to death, and I died for thee. Dost thou despise my love. Instead of love, thou givest me hatred. Thou lovest sin, and not Me. Thou laborest for thy passions, and not for Me. Now what dost thou find in Me deserving of thy dislike? Dost desire good for thyself? Every good is with Me. Dost thou desire happiness? Every blessing is with Me. Dost thou desire dignity? Who is more noble than the Son of God? Dost thou seek exaltation? Who is higher than the King of heaven? Dost thou desire wealth? I have all riches. Dost thou desire wisdom? I am wisdom. Dost thou desire friendship? Who is more worthy of love, and more loving than I? for I laid down My life for all. Dost thou seek help? Who can help except Me? Dost thou seek consolation in grief? Who can console except Me? Dost thou seek rest? Come unto Me and I will give thee rest. Dost thou seek peace? I am the peace of the soul. Dost thou seek light? I am the light of the world. Dost thou seek truth? I am the truth. Dost thou seek the way? I am the way. Dost thou seek a guide to heaven? I am the guide. Why dost thou not wish to come unto Me? Dost thou not dare to come? To whom is there an easier access? Art thou fearful of asking? Whom coming unto Me with faith have I refused? Do thy sins hinder thee? I died for sinners. Does the multitude of thy sins distress thee? In Me is abundant mercy.
[Bishop Tehon.] The attainments of eminent saints are too generally looked upon as out of the reach of common Christians. The impression seems to prevail that God is not willing to give all his children the same measure of grace. But he could not have said more than he has said to convince us to the contrary. “Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.” Our Lord repeatedly assures us that God is more willing to give good things to them that ask him, than earthly parents are to give good gifts to their children. And whoever will read the memoirs of those who have made great progress in the divine life, and observe the means they used, will not be surprised at their attainments. The Bible represents the Christian as in the constant exercise of holy affections; and you should never rest with anything short of this. A writer in the "New Era, or Heaven opened to man," of May 17th, an organ of the "communicators with familiar spirits," in Boston, attempts an explanation of the "modus operandi of miracles." That of the manna in the wilderness, the widow's flour, and the cruse of oil, he explains on the ground that the materials "were obtained and brought by spirits from where they were to be had." And that of the raising of Lazarus, he resolves into a restoration from a trance—gravely affirming that, "God never did, and never will raise up from the grave, a literal, decomposing body, and re-animate it with life! 'Tis infidelity, heathenism, and gross, undeveloped nonsense to believe it!!" Another writer in the same paper, attributes to spirits the ability to manufacture by which he would explain the first-mentioned miracles; but how he would explain the latter, does not appear. Luther's Description of a Christian.
A Christian is a child of God, a brother of Christ, a temple of the Holy Ghost, an heir of the kingdom, a companion of angels, a lord of the world, a partaker of the Divine Nature. The Christian's glory is Christ in heaven, and Christ's glory is the Christian on earth. He is a worthy child of God endued with Christ's righteousness, walking in holy fear and cheerful obedience before his Father, shining as a light in the world—a rose among thorns. He is a wonderfully beautiful creature of the grace of God, over which the holy angels rejoice, and is attended and ministered unto by them wherever he goes. He is a wonder to the world, a terror to the devils, an ornament to the church, a delight of heaven. His heart is full of pain, his eyes full of tears for a perishing world, his mouth full of sighs, and his hands full of good works. The Severity of True Repentance
True repentance is a very severe magistrate, and will strip off all that shelter and covering which would make the stripes to be less sensibly felt, and reckons shame an essential part of the punishment. It is a rough physician, that draws out all the blood that inflames, and purges out the humors which corrupt or annoy the vitals; leaves no phlegm to cherish envy, and no choler and melancholy to engender pride; and will rather reduce the body to a skeleton, than suffer those humors to have a source, from whence they may abound again to infest the body or the mind. [Clarendon. Correspondence of the New York Tribune. The long expected military insurrection at Madrid, has at length been accomplished under the leadership of Generals O'Donnell and Dulce. The French Government journals hasten to inform us that, according to their dispatches, the Spanish Government has already overcome the danger and the insurrection is suppressed. But the Madrid correspondent of The Morning Chronicle, who gives a detailed account of the rising and communicates the proclamation of the insurgents, says that they have only withdrawn from the capital in order to join the garrison of Alcala, and that in case of Madrid's remaining passive they would have no difficulty in reaching Saragossa. Should the movement be more successful than the last rebellion in that town, the consequences would be to cause a diversion in the military action of France, to afford a subject for dissent between France and England, and probably also to affect the pending complication between Spain and the United States Government. It appears now that the new Russian loan has not been positively contracted for by the Messrs. Hope of Amsterdam, as I was led to believe from announcements made at the London and Manchester Exchanges; and that these bankers have not advanced any portion of the money to the Russian treasury. They merely undertook to bring it out at the different European Exchanges, but at no risk of their own. The success of the loan is reported to be very doubtful, and we have news that at Berlin and Frankfort it has met with very little favor. The Hamburg Senate has prohibited its official quotation, and the English diplomatic agents and Consuls, according to The Morning Chronicle, have issued warnings to British subjects not to become subscribers to a loan “intended for carrying on war against the Queen.” The intelligence of the movements of the Russian troops since the abandonment of the siege of Silistria is contradictory. The Moniteur having announced the retreat of the Russians behind the Pruth, the Vienna Presse states that there was not the slightest reason to believe in the fact of such a move. It appears, on the contrary, that not even Wallachia is intended to be evacuated, General Liprandi having taken up a position at Plojeshti and Kimpulung, with his outposts stationed at the entrance of the Rothenthurm Pass, while the main army, retiring by Slobodzie and along the left bank of the Danube, is stated to have halted at Brailow. On the other hand, the corps of Luders occupying the Dobrodja, has not yet abandoned the line of Trajan's Wall, and it is not likely that even in the case of further retreat, they will surrender Matshin and Isaksha. Fresh troops are said to be pouring into Moldavia, where it seems to be the plan of the Russians to concentrate a large force. The corps of General Paniutin has entered from Podolia, and additional resources are being drawn in from Bessarabia. The entire force of the Russians in Upper Moldavia, between Jassy, Roman and Botushani, is said to amount to 60,000; and a division of 20,000 is encamped near Kischineff. “Paskiewitch,” says the Ostdeutsche Post, “has declared that in no case will he abandon the mouths of the Danube.” The retreat is explained by the Russians to be only a consequence of the plague having broken out on the Higher Danube. The movements of the Austrians are still quite undefined. The corps of Coronini is stated to have orders to embark on steamers at Orsova, and to go down the river to Giurgevo, thence to march upon Bucharest. The Corriere Italiano, an Austrian Government organ, announces that the object of this move is only to take up a neutral position in Wallachia, and yet at the same time we hear that the Austrian “ultimatum” has been declined by Russia. “The Russian Emperor,” says the despatch published in The Morning Chronicle, “in his answer to the Austrian summons, expresses his readiness to negotiate with the four powers on all points, except on the privileges of the Christian subjects of the Sultan. On this subject he will only treat directly with the Porte, and he refuses to admit the interference of the four powers. He also refuses to give any guarantees for the evacuation of the Principalities.” Where did he get that Law?
In a neat and beautiful city, in one of the Northern States, lived a lawyer of eminence and talents. I do not know many particulars of his moral character, but he was notoriously profane. He had a negro boy, at whom his neighbors used to hear him swear with awful violence. One day this gentleman met an elder of the Presbyterian church, who was also a lawyer, and said to him: “I wish, sir, to examine into the truth of the Christian religion. What books would you advise me to read on the evidence of Christianity?” The elder, surprised at the inquiry, replied: “That is a question, sir, which you ought to have settled long ago. You ought not to have put off a subject so important to this late period of life.” “Is it too late?” said the inquirer. “I never knew much about it; but I always supposed that Christianity was rejected by the great majority of learned men. I intend, however, to examine the subject thoroughly, myself. I have upon me, as my physician says, a mortal disease, under which I may live a year and a half or two years, but not probably longer. “What books, sir, would you advise me to read?” “The Bible,” said the elder. “I believe you do not understand me,” resumed the unbeliever, surprised in his turn; “I wish to investigate the truth of the Bible.” “I would advise you, sir,” repeated the elder, “to read the Bible. And,” he continued, “I will give you my reasons: Most infidels are very ignorant of the Scriptures. Now to reason on any subject with correctness we must understand what it is about which we reason. In the next place, I consider the internal evidence of the truth of the Scriptures stronger than the external.” “And where shall I begin?” inquired the unbeliever. “At the New Testament?” “No,” said the elder, “at the beginning—at Genesis.” The infidel purchased a commentary, went home, and sat down to the serious study of the Scriptures. He applied all his strong and well-disciplined powers of mind to the Bible, to try rigidly, but impartially its truth. As he went on in the perusal, he received occasional calls from the elder. The infidel freely remarked upon what he had read, and stated his objections. He liked this passage, he thought that touching and beautiful, but he could not credit a third. One evening, the elder called and found the unbeliever at his house or office, walking the room, with a dejected look, his mind apparently absorbed in thought. He continued, not noticing that any one had come in, busily to trace and retrace his steps. The elder at length spoke: “You seem, sir,” said he, “to be in a brown study. Of what are you thinking?” “I have been reading,” replied the infidel, “the moral law.” “Well, what do you think of it?” asked the elder. “I will tell you what I used to think,” answered the infidel. “I supposed that Moses was the leader of a horde of banditti; that having a strong mind, he acquired great influence over a superstitious people; and that on Mount Sinai, he played off some sort of fire-works, to the amazement of his ignorant followers, who imagined, in their mingled fear and superstition, that the exhibition was supernatural.” “But what do you think now?” interposed the elder. “I have been looking,” said the infidel, “into the nature of that law. I have been trying to see whether I can add any thing to it or take any thing from it, so as to make it better. Sir, I cannot. It is perfect.” “The first commandment,” continued he, “directs us to make the Creator the object of our supreme love and reverence. That is right. If he be our Creator, Preserver and supreme Benefactor, we ought to treat him, and none other, as such. The second forbids idolatry. That certainly is right. The third forbids profaneness. The fourth fixes a time for religious worship. If there is a God, he ought surely to be worshiped. It is suitable that there should be an outward homage, significant of our inward regard. If God be worshiped, it is proper that some time be set apart for that purpose, when all may worship him harmoniously and without interruption. One day in seven is certainly not too much; and I do not know that it is too little. The fifth defines the peculiar duties arising from the family relations. Injuries to our neighbor are then classified by the moral law. They are divided into offences against life, chastity, property and character. And,” said he, applying a legal idea with legal acuteness, “I notice that the greatest offense in each class is expressly forbidden. Thus the greatest injury to life is murder; to chastity, adultery; to property, theft; to character, perjury. Now the greater offense must include the less of the same kind. Murder must include every injury to life; adultery every injury to purity, and so of the rest. And the moral code is closed and perfected, by a command forbidding every improper desire in regard to our neighbor.” “I have been thinking,” he proceeded, “where did Moses get that law? I have read history: the Egyptians and the adjacent nations were idolaters; so were the Greeks and Romans; and the wisest and best Greeks or Romans never gave a code of morals like this. Where did Moses get this law, which surpasses the wisdom and philosophy of the most enlightened ages? He lived at a period comparatively barbarous, but he has given a law, in which the learning and sagacity of all subsequent time can detect no flaw. Where did he get it? He could not have soared so far above his age, as to have devised it himself. I am satisfied where he obtained it. It came down from heaven. I am convinced of the truth of the religion of the Bible.” The following has been before in print, but however well the picture might have answered to its time, none will pretend to deny, but it will suit the present state of society.—Phil. Times. “Honesty has fled from the world, and Sincerity has fallen asleep. Piety has hidden herself, and Justice cannot find the way. The helper is not at home, and Charity lies sick. Benevolence is under arrest, and Faith is nearly extinguished. The Virtues go a begging, and Truth has long since been buried. Credit is turned lazy, and Conscience is pinned to the wall.” Recent letters from the venerable city of Hebron, calling upon Sir Moses Montefiore for relief, say that the land of Judea is “consuming its people,” that “the dearth which prevails is unparalleled in the annals of the country. Failing harvests are superseded by drought, so that the face of the earth is literally scorched and the wail of the famished multitudes is heard by day and night, and our streets are thronged with starving children, who vainly implore for food.” Enforcing Sunday-Keeping.
“The Legislature of Texas, has passed a bill to establish ‘the Christian Sabbath,’ which provides for the punishment, by fine, or imprisonment of such persons as may perform any labor or procure any to be done on Sunday.—Watchman and Reflector.” The Am. Baptist copies the above, with the following note:— “An oppressive enactment corresponding in character with the legislation, or the edicts which in some Catholic countries demand conformity to the dominant Religion. Laws to enforce the observance of ‘the Christian Sabbath’ are no less repugnant to the principles of religious liberty, and violative of the rights of the people, upon whom they are imposed, than would be laws to enforce the observance of Easter or good-friday, or the practice of infant baptism.”