Review and Herald, Vol. 82, No. 11. (3/16/1905)

Review and Herald

Mar 16, 1905

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 16, 1905

THE SABBATH OF THE LORD

The Sabbath Commandment

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. Exodus 20:8-10.

The Sabbath a Sign Forever

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Exodus 31:16, 17.

The Sabbath a Sign of God as the Sanctifier

Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20:12, 20.

The Blessing Upon Sabbath-Keepers

Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Isaiah 56:1, 2.

A Sabbath Reform

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride on the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:12-14.

The Sabbath in the New Earth

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 66:22, 23.

The Great Conflict of the Ages

For nearly six thousand years a severe conflict has been going on between the forces of good and evil. Where did it originate, what progress is being made, and what will be the outcome? The important publications described below answer these questions fully. Please read the descriptions carefully.

The Great Conflict of the Ages

As Illustrated in

Holy Men of Old

PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS.— This book treats upon themes of Bible History—themes not in themselves new, but so presented here as to give them a new significance. Beginning with the rebellion in heaven, the author shows why sin was permitted, why Satan was not destroyed, and why man was tested; gives a thrilling description of man’s temptation and fall, and rehearses the plan of salvation.

The deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the incidents of their forty years’ wanderings, the building of the sanctuary, the entrance into Canaan, the subjection of the land, and the continued history of the Israelite nation down to the close of David’s reign, are all related in an interesting, narrative style that charms the reader and opens up to him new beauties in the Scriptural record.

The book contains 762 octavo pages, illustrated. Price $2.25.

Also published in Danish, Swedish, German, and Dutch.

Christ and the Apostles

THE DESIRE OF AGES.— It is shown how Christ, as man’s representative, endured the temptations by which man is overcome, and conquered in his behalf, and that man, becoming a partaker of the divine nature, is enabled to overcome as Christ overcame. God in Christ, and Christ in his followers, can withstand all the power of Satan.

This volume is a study of the conflict between good and evil as illustrated in the lives of Christ and his disciples. The evil one has misrepresented the character of God, all through the ages, and has denied the authority of his law. But Christ, by his life of obedience on this earth and by his death on the cross, redeemed the transgressor, maintained the immutability of God’s law, and thus vindicated God’s character and showed his justice and love.

“The Desire of Ages” is a large volume of 866 royal octavo pages. Profusely illustrated with over 400 original half-tones. Price $3.50.

This Generation

THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.— In this book the author has selected such events in the struggle of the church as foreshadow the conflict just before it, and grouped them so that their meaning can not be misunderstood. In addition to the history thus introduced, there are several chapters devoted to history now making, and that which according to the Word of God is to be in the near future. From them we select the following:— The Impending Conflict. The Final Warning. The Time of Trouble. God’s People Delivered. Desolation of the Earth.

These chapters picture the terrible intensity of this last conflict, and can not fail to thrill the reader and to impress their solemn lesson upon every mind.

This volume is octavo in size, and contains over 700 pages. Price $2.25.

Also published in Danish, Swedish, German, and French.

To-day’s Happenings and Their Meaning

The newspapers are filled with daily descriptions of appalling loss of life by murder and suicide, political and social troubles, dissatisfaction between employer and employed, strikes and fires, wars and rumors of wars.

Many thinking people see in these things evidences of some great change which is soon to come. What this change will be and how it will be brought about are clearly portrayed from the standpoint of the Bible in the book

Heralds of the Morning

Here are some of its chapter titles: “A Remarkable Century;” “The Prevalence of Crime—A Sign of Our Times;” “The Earth Is Filled with Violence;” “Ye Have Heaped Treasure for the Last Days;” “And the Nations Were Angry;” “The Voice of the Elements;” “The Testimony of the Earth;” “Our Refuge and Fortress.”

Revised and enlarged edition, 354 pages, fully illustrated. Price $1.50.

Do Bible Prophecies Prove Its Inspiration?

It is generally admitted that certain prophecies of the Bible have been literally fulfilled; but are these isolated instances, or are they links in the great chain of prophecy, reaching to our time and beyond? If all prophetic statements referring to events now past have been fulfilled, may we not expect that those relating to the future will be fulfilled also? And are there such unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible? These questions are intelligently treated in

Daniel and Revelation

This important book contains a history of the rise and fall of nations, by means of an exposition, verse by verse, of the important prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, comparing Scripture predictions with historical facts. It makes the Bible its own interpreter, and thus arrives at the exact meaning of the sacred writers.

757 pages, with illustrations; beautifully bound. Price $2.25.

Also published in Danish, Swedish, Dutch, and German.

Review & Herald Publishing Association

Battle Creek, Mich. - - - - Washington, D. C.

Editorial

By Editor

_Battles and Victories_

A VICTORY implies a conflict. A genuine triumph can only follow an earnest struggle. A conqueror is one who has met the enemy and vanquished him. There can be no victories of faith unless we fight the good fight of faith. Those who wish to sing “the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” on the sea of glass, that song of final victory, must expect as good soldiers of the cross to press the battle to the gates in the closing campaign against the enemy. At the same time we must remember that “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds).” The instruction to be followed in order to gain the victory is very explicit, and insures a glorious outcome: “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.” The strength of the Lord and the whole armor of God mean victory for him who accepts them, but the strength of the Lord and the armor of God are provided for the battles and marches of an active campaign, and not for “flowery beds of ease.” But through all these experiences there is the certainty of victory for every loyal soldier of the cross.

“At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthem raise.”

Dangers Increasing

WITH an emphasis which is being constantly increased by terrible revelations of evil on every hand there rings in our ears the prophetic statement, “In the last days perilous times shall come.” This warning also has its application to the experiences of those who profess the truth. Not only are the times perilous on account of the almost overwhelming tide of lawlessness, the open and undisguised manifestations of the spirit of rebellion against God and his law, but not less so on account of that insidious spirit of doubt and questioning, that assertion of the apparently legitimate right of investigation of all revealed truth which is in reality a spirit of rebellion against the acceptance of a revelation not to be dominated by human reason, which easily leads to the repudiation of well-established and long-accepted truths under the plea of the individual right of private judgment. There is the false idea of the authority of the church to bind the conscience and to enforce submission to a creed which the true believer will not accept, but there is the authority of the truth as a revelation from God to which the human mind must submit. There is a vast difference between the voice of divine authority and the voice of human authority. The former is in the Word of God, the latter is in the human creeds. The truth will bear the closest investigation, but the authoritative interpretation of the Scriptures through the accredited gift of the Spirit is the check and the correction upon that restless speculation which would unsettle all the foundations of truth. Beware of that professed and loudly asserted liberty which leads the mind into captivity to Satan rather than into the true freedom of Christ. There are revealed truths which are not to be established by human reasoning. There is the peril of thorough self-assertion in a certain kind of investigation of established truth. The enemy adapts his temptations to all classes of minds. Those who have known and believed the truth need to remember that “in the last days perilous times shall come,” and they are surely here. No anchor will hold which is constantly being pulled up to examine the flukes. “These [three] messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God.” Those who have known and yet reject these messages will drift upon the rocks of infidelity.

Country and City

THOSE who have read the history of Rome know that in the last days of the republic the people deserted the country and flocked to the city, and that consequently “Rome was crowded with a rabble of poor citizens largely fed at public expense.” This was one of the conditions which made for the downfall of the republic, and opened the way for an imperial tyranny supported by a military despotism.

The same inclination to shun the country and to abandon the cultivation of the soil for the excitements of the city is exhibited in this republic to-day. Some are able to perceive the meaning of this movement. The conservative Church Standard says: “One of the most dangerous social tendencies of the age is the drift of population from the country to the towns.” It is more than simply a dangerous social tendency. It is part of a well-planned campaign arranged by the enemy of God and man, who is making ready for the final struggle.

The corrupting influences of the cities are growing terribly strong. The revelations being made week by week prove that it is now as it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Weakened by such influences, the people more easily become a prey to Satan’s temptations, and thus iniquity breeds iniquity. With the already strong tendency to the centralization of power and to paternalism in the general government in order to control those combinations of capital and influence which are robbing the people in defiance of law, this drift of population to the cities will be a strong factor in hastening the time when there may be an imperial despotism in this country, even under the forms of republicanism.

Such a thing is more than probable.

There is much significance in the fact that in the face of this situation, and just at this time, we are removing our institutions from the cities to the country. This whole country and city problem is one of the signs of the times, and it can not be argued on the basis of mere convenience and a comparison of business facilities. We are now being delivered from experiences of peril and calamity which will soon become a part of the history of these large cities. This is one of the reasons why earnest efforts should now be put forth to give the warning message in these cities. Bad as the situation is now, it will soon be worse, and a reign of terror will not make it more favorable to reach the people with the message of truth.

Every consideration of our time and its meaning emphasizes the call to this people to recognize their mission, and to throw themselves into the work to which they have been appointed. The end of all things is at hand. Do we appreciate it? In God’s message to this generation is the only hope of deliverance for souls in perplexity and peril. Shall we go on in the old way, absorbed in making and spending money, planning and working for a little more perishable treasure, neglecting the warnings and entreaties sent to us, and then awake too late to the reality of the things which have been declared to us? Brother, sister, what do you say? Will you be true to God and this advent movement in this time of crisis? Your works will answer the question.

Another Movement Against “The Greatest Socialistic Corporation”

By L. A. S.

In a recent issue of The Independent Governor Hoch, of Kansas, states the convictions upon which is based the action of the Kansas Legislature in providing for a State oil refinery, to break the monopoly of the Standard Oil trust in that State. The following extracts from his article show that while the present move against the Standard Oil monopoly is, in his view, only a defensive one, he also sees that a continuation of present conditions will sooner or later result in a popular “upheaval” against the strongholds of capital, in which all forms of law will be disregarded. It is significant that while leading men in this country hope and expect that the antagonisms which have arisen between the people and the plutocracy will be quieted by some legal and orderly readjustment of affairs, they nevertheless see that unless the expected solution of the difficulty is found, a second French Revolution on American soil is not far off.

The Standard Oil trust declares an annual dividend to its stockholders of from forty to sixty per cent. On this point Governor Hoch says:—

Large profits in themselves are not cause for condemnation. But when these profits are secured by the throttling of competition, in a word, by the absolute monopoly of the field of business, they are not only subject to condemnation, but are a subject for immediate legislation. Taking into account all the unused properties and the endless amount and variety of expense of this great corporation, a dividend of forty to sixty per cent is simply extortion of the people. It is exploitation of the many for the benefit of the few.

The move to establish a State oil refinery is not socialistic, says Governor Hoch, and he lays emphasis upon the statement. He has no sympathy with socialism. Socialism, he says, “is a preached heresy of extensive literature, both ancient and modern, the fundamental tenet of which, so far as material matters are concerned, is the negation of property rights in individuals, the denial of the right of individuals to hold property. Its profoundest philosophers have all taught that personal ownership of property is a crime.” The people of this nation, he says, do not object to the possession and exercise of property rights, even by the Standard Oil Company, but their objection is to the abuse of property rights. When proper business conditions are restored, the States, he says, “should not only be willing, but be glad to retire from the refining of oil, and leave that business, as well as other lines of industry, in the hands of private competition, where it legitimately belongs, but where,” he adds, “it is now impossible on account of the ‘greatest socialistic corporation now doing business on earth, the Standard Oil Company.’”

“No greater question confronts the American people,” declares Governor Hoch, “than the control of the great aggregations of capital, all of them socialistic in character, and which are antagonistic to the essential element of all national progress, the competitive system.” As an illustration of the coercive methods which these monopolies are ready to employ, he cites the recent order of the Standard Oil Company to refuse the purchase of Kansas oil. “If that order had been maintained,” he says, “thousands of good people would have been homeless and bankrupt in a short time. An economic condition which makes it possible for one man with a stroke of his pen to bankrupt thousands of his fellow citizens is inherently wrong, and will not be tolerated permanently by a free and patriotic people. It is a call for the States individually and the States collectively to do some wise thing quickly for the solution of the whole trust problem.”

And if this is not done, and present conditions go on a little longer, then, says Governor Hoch, “the protests of the people will constitute a cumulative force the release of which will sooner or later be an upheaval. It is for their own protection as well as for public good that moneyed interests of the Standard Oil class should submit to what is just and right.” L. A. S.

The Work Fitted the Time

By William Ambrose Spicer

NOTICE how exactly the progress of the Lord's work on earth fitted to the times as “the time of the end” came. By Daniel's prophecy the beginning of “the time of the end” was fixed at the year 1798. Before the end itself should come, Christ said the gospel was to be preached as a witness to all nations. In preparation for this work, Providence had been leading out ever since the great Reformation, it is true, but at that very “time of the end” there was a distinct move in the providence of God, looking toward the carrying of the gospel message to the world.

The beginning of “the time of the end,” 1798, may well stand also for the opening of the great era of modern missions. Just at that time Carey, who had landed a few years before in India, had compassed the task of establishing his work and launching the program of world-wide Protestant missions. Carey's burning zeal, and the bright beacon kindled in Bengal, awakened the church, and lighted up what he, in 1799, described as the “inextinguishable flame in England and all the Western world.” Before that time most churches had scoffed at missions, and regarded work abroad as a rival to the work at home. The missionary awakening touched all Protestant Christendom, and consecrated men and women, impelled by the inspiration of the new time, began to press into even the uttermost parts of the earth.

What Carey was to India, that Judson was to Burma, Livingstone to Africa, Morrison to China, Gardner to South America, and Williams to the island world of the Pacific. After centuries of missionary inaction, the time came when the prophecy was to be fulfilled, the knowledge of God was to be proclaimed in dark lands, many were to run to and fro, and the world was to hear the gospel message.

Just as the call of the hour and the awakening of the world led to the opening of the great missionary campaign, the providence of God was moving on hearts to found Bible societies. It was then that the little Welsh girl made that long journey to secure a Bible, which stirred men of God to begin, in 1804, the remarkable work of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the parent of

many others. As missionaries have thus learned new tongues and reduced unwritten languages to writing, their translations of the Scriptures have been hastened out by the various Bible-society organizations. Thus to-day the Word of God speaks in nearly four hundred languages. At Pentecost, the apostolic era opened with people of a score or two of different nationalities listening to the wonderful works of God, each man hearing in his own tongue. God's providence has prepared the facilities so that the outpouring of the Spirit in the closing days of this message shall cause all the earth to hear again the wonderful works of God.

Everything is ready for a quick work now. Once let the conviction take possession of the heart of every believer in the third angel's message that now is the time to finish the work, and the work can be done without delay. God pledges his power and grace for it, and he has prepared the way. W. A. S.

The School Question in Canada

A PRESS dispatch from Ottawa, Canada, under date of March 3, says:—

Not only is Premier Laurier confronted with a cabinet crisis, which has already caused the resignation of one minister, and may cause others to give up their portfolios, but Canada faces an outburst of religious fury that may shatter the confederation itself.

The difficulty grows out of the incorporation into the bill for the organization of the northwest provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta, of an alleged provision for the maintenance from the public funds of separate Catholic schools. The dispatch further says:—

The storm now brewing looks serious for Canada. Because party lines have practically been wiped out, religious animosities—always present, even though generally latent, in this country—threaten the most dangerous kind of a division both in Parliament and among the electorate.

One member of the Dominion Parliament is quoted as saying:—

Rifles will be used in the northwest if the premier does not back down. Protestants will fight to a man. A revolution is certain unless the educational clause is withdrawn from the bill.

It is further stated that “this is not the first time that the question of separate schools has agitated Canada, but the question has never been so serious as now.”

A later dispatch states that the premier, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, “has advanced a view that possibly his own retirement is what the situation calls for, that he had decided to make way two years ago, when his health had been undermined, and that should there be further resignations, his own might accompany them. . . . It is evident that Sir Wilfrid will be forced to modify the educational clauses in his bill which practically forces separate schools on the prospective new Canadian provinces.”

The present experiences in France, England, and Canada, where the plan is being tried of a partnership between the state and the church in the matter of education, ought to be a warning against any step in this country looking in the same direction. It is the teaching of the Author of Christianity, as well as the experience of history, that it is for the interest both of religion and of government that the two should be kept entirely distinct from each other.

One Phase of Church Federation

By L. A. S.

ONE of the latest manifestations of the movement for religious federation in this country, is the Religious Educational Association, which was formed two years ago, and now has a membership of two thousand. Its third annual convention, held recently in Boston, is spoken of as “an event of great moral significance.” Among those who participated in this convention are college presidents, Protestant bishops and clergymen, a Catholic prelate, and other men of prominence in religious affairs.

Bishop McDowell (Methodist) was elected president at the Boston convention, to succeed the Rev. Chas. Cuthbert Hall. The latter, speaking of the purpose of the association, said it was not revolutionary nor sectarian, but aimed solely “to gather together and co-ordinate the many religious forces in this country now working for religious interests.”

In a more lengthy definition of the purpose of the organization, given by Prof. G. A. Coe, of Northwestern University, this statement is made:—

Others would declare: “Since religious instruction has been excluded from the public schools, we have found no substitute. Therefore we are organizing to see if we can not bring back into our national education the religious element.” . . . Again, we would hear that “religious instruction in the home had declined in the last generation, and that it was desired to give to the child his birthright of a religious training.” That answer, too, would be correct. Is it not an expression of our sense that there is something deeper and better and more commanding in life than all our commercialism, than all our materialism, than even that which we are accustomed to call culture? Is not this movement an expression of this revival of religion of which we have heard?

The real significance of religious federation can be appreciated only in the light of the fact that it is a form of union foreign to the provisions of Christianity. Christianity dwells much upon unity,—the unity of the Spirit,—but has nothing to say about federation. Christian unity means oneness in belief as well as in action. Federation means unity of action with differences in belief; indeed, it aims at unity of purpose and action only. Christian unity means a oneness such as exists in heaven. A means which is foreign to the provisions of Christianity may quite possibly produce results which are also foreign to Christianity. L. A. S.

Reciprocity With God

By I. H. Evans

Most people are familiar with reciprocity in trade. Governments make treaties between themselves granting equal privileges to each other. They do not expect to give and then not receive an equivalent. When the United States says to Great Britain, “You may send into the United States, duty free, manufactured woolen goods,” Great Britain must say to the United States, “You may send into Great Britain manufactured cotton or iron goods duty free.” This we call reciprocity in trade.

There is reciprocity between men. Here are two neighbors who are farmers. Neither has all the tools needful for doing his work. Each says to the other, “You can always take any of my implements when I am not using the same.”

Two men have not sufficient capital with which to do business. They agree that they will indorse each other’s paper, and get it cashed by a third party. This is reciprocity between men.

The gospel provides for reciprocity between God and man. Here is a reciprocity text: “Freely ye have received, freely give.” Again, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.” That is reciprocity with the Lord.

The Lord has never planned that he should do all the giving. “Freely ye have received, freely give,” is the divine behest. Giving is the counterpoise of receiving. He who will not give has but little reason to expect to receive. God gives not that the receiver may be blessed alone in the receiving, but that

in being blessed, he may be a blessing to others. “Freely ye have received, freely give.” “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

You will note that God never asks a man to give what he has not received. It does not seem in harmony with the divine plan for a man to run in debt that he may give. “Freely give” is preceded by “freely ye have received.” When nothing has been received, nothing is required. He who has no blessings from God needs not to tremble because of God’s command to give. God requires gifts only from those whom he has blessed.

When any man can truthfully say, “There is no blessing that I receive from God; by my might and by my power I am what I am; God never gave me anything,” then there will be a man to whom these texts do not apply.

On the other hand, he who has any blessing from God is indebted to God for that blessing. Whatever God gives places the receiver under responsibility to God for that gift.

Every promise of God is a reciprocity treaty. He tells us plainly what he will do. He tells us plainly on what conditions he will do it. God’s spiritual promises are all conditional. Look at this: “And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” That part of the text is a promise, but the conditions of the blessing are hinged on our doing something, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse.” If you will bring the tithe, says the Lord, I will pour out the blessing. This is reciprocity with God.

Now if any one says, “I will not enter into this covenant with God; I will not pay to God’s cause a tithe,” of course he can not count himself a party to the promised blessing.

But some one says, “I do not pay tithe. Years ago I made up my mind that tithing was a humbug, and I have been getting rich ever since, without paying a dollar.” That reminds one of the saying of the old deacon who thanked God that religion was free, adding that he had been a church-member for twenty-five years, and it had cost him just twenty-five cents.

Remember every blessing of God is not temporal. The richest treasure God ever bestows upon man, is not wealth, nor honor, nor official position, but the fruits of the Spirit, “Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”

We can give to God only material things and the devotion of our hearts. In turn God gives to us all the treasures of his grace. Sometimes these treasures come with poverty and affliction. Sometimes the heart-strings are keyed so high by pain and sorrow and disappointment that earth’s melodies can not be played upon them, and we can only chant the choruses of the heavenly host.

And then God lifts us into the mount of transfiguration, and we behold the glory of the Lord passing before us, and we cry, “One hour with my Lord makes up for them all.”

Brother, are you in covenant relationship with God, so that all his promises are yours? I. H. EVANS.

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