Signs of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 12.
"COME YE, BUY AND EAT."Page 1
Earlier text: ARE COMMANDMENT-KEEPERS LEGALISTS?"THEN SHALL THE SANCTUARY BE CLEANSED."
THOSE who read in last week's SIGNS the article entitled "The 2,300 Days of Daniel 8," need not be told that those days, or years, rather, ended in 1844 A. D. It was shown in that article that the seventy weeks, or 490 years, cut off upon the Jews, ended A. D. 34; then of course the remaining 1,810 years would bring us to 1844 A. D., the year which was marked by the great Advent movement under the leadership of William Miller, and by the disappointment experienced by those who looked for the Lord to come at that time. The angel said to the prophet: "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. 8:14. Taking this text, and computing the time just as we have computed it, and in the only way that it can be properly reckoned, and finding that the time ended in the autumn of 1844, Mr. Miller concluded that the second advent would take place in that year. That his computation of the time was correct, has been repeatedly demonstrated; that he was mistaken as to the event, was shown by the passing of the time, and it appears also from the teaching of the Scriptures. The event to take place at the end of the 2,300 years was not the destruction or cleansing of the earth by fire, as those supposed who looked for the coming of the Lord at that time, but the cleansing of the sanctuary; and this naturally suggests the question, What is the sanctuary? This is a question which is most satisfactorily answered in the Scriptures. We read in Heb. 9:1 that the first covenant, the one made with the children of Israel at Sinai, had "ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary," "which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Language could scarcely be plainer than this; and by reading the whole chapter we learn that the earthly sanctuary, the tabernacle set up in the wilderness, and later the temple in Jerusalem, was only a type of the heavenly sanctuary, or holy places, and that the work of the Jewish priests in offering sacrifices was only typical of the work of Christ, our great High Priest, which he was to accomplish in heaven for his people. We have not room for an extended argument upon this point, and indeed one is scarcely necessary since the apostle speaks so plainly on this subject in the chapter referred to. The sanctuary of the first covenant was the earthly sanctuary, but the sanctuary of the second or new covenant, the covenant promised in Jer. 31:31-34, is in Heaven. Under the old covenant, the priests offered the blood of bulls and of goats, typifying the blood of Christ which he offers for his people continually under the new covenant. "Seventy weeks," said the angel to Daniel, "are determined [cut off from the 2,300 days] upon thy people [the Jews] and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy;" which is only to say that 490 years were cut off from the 2,300 years and given to the Jews and to the earthly sanctuary. It follows, therefore, that the remainder of the 2,300 years belong to the "sanctuary and the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man;" and that the cleansing at the end of the 2,300 days was not a work to be accomplished on earth, but something to be done in Heaven, which would answer to, and be in fact, the antitype of that part of the work in the earthly sanctuary known as its cleansing. After describing the two apartments of the earthly sanctuary as erected in the wilderness, the apostle says: "Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people." Heb. 9:6, 7. Here the apostle refers to the daily round of service in the earthly sanctuary, and to special service upon the great day of atonement, described in Lev. 16. Under the old covenant the penitent brought his offering to the altar of sacrifice before the door of the tabernacle; then, placing his hands upon the head of his offering, he confessed his sins, thus signifying their transfer to the animal. This done he took the life of the victim, thus acknowledging that he justly merited death because of his sins. Here the priest took up the work, and, bearing some of the blood into the sanctuary, he sprinkled it before the vail that concealed the ark in which was the law of God that the sinner had violated, and which demanded his death. By these acts the sins of the penitent were transferred from the head of the sinner to the most holy place in the sanctuary. This work was carried on for 359 days; but on the tenth day of the seventh month there was a change in the service. On that day the priest, after offering sacrifices for himself, chose a goat with which to make an atonement and cleanse the sanctuary. (Please read all of Lev. 16.) By this service the sins of the people were removed from the sanctuary and sent out of the camp into the wilderness. Of course this work was done only in figure. Pardon under the old covenant was real; "his sin shall be forgiven him," was the divine promise; but it was forgiven only in virtue of the promised offering to be made under the new covenant. The blood of bulls and of goats could not take away sins, but the promised blood of Christ could, and did, even as it does now, cleanse from all sin. It may be asked "Of what use, then, were the offerings under the old covenant?"—They were of service to assist the faith of the worshiper and to enable him as he took the life of an innocent victim to realize something of the sinfulness of sin and of the certainty of the penalty threatened against it: "The wages of sin is death." In the earthly sanctuary the blood representing the forfeited life of the sinner was borne into the sanctuary, but in the heavenly sanctuary the record of the sinner's life is taken in and presented before the Judge. The Scriptures teach that the angels take a record of our lives; and we are to be judged out of the things written in the books. Rev. 20:12. In the type the sins of the people, though forgiven, were supposed to remain in the sanctuary till the tenth day of the seventh month of the Jewish year; and just so it is with our sins, though forgiven they are not blotted out till the great day of atonement. Said the apostle: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you." That sins are not185 blotted out when they are forgiven is also shown by the parable in Matt. 18:23-35. The servant which owed his Lord ten thousand talents was forgiven (verse 27), yet when he refused to forgive his fellow-servant, "his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him." Verse 34. "So likewise," said the Saviour, "shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Verse 35. C. P. B. AFFAIRS IN EUROPE.
By J. H. W.
PEOPLE have become accustomed to associate the idea of cyclones and disasters with the United States; and it is true that our prairies offer great opportunities for displays of the power of the winds, and the great extent of our territory, and the rapid increase of railroads, render it impossible that the same watch should be kept over railroad travel that is exercised in the Old World. Yet the Old World is by no means free from disasters. The following from a London paper of February 7, under the head of "Disasters for the Week," will give an idea of what England has recently been subjected to:— "The past week has been full of startling disasters. Severe gales and snow-storms have prevailed. A very serious collision took place in the English Channel off Dover on Sunday night, between the steamship Nereid, of Newcastle, and the full-rigged iron ship Killochan, of Greenock. Both vessels sank, and twenty-four lives were lost. On Sunday morning there was a railway accident in Belgium, near Brussels, in which fourteen were killed and fifty seriously injured. In addition to these there have been many minor disasters. The gale which has been blowing more or less for several days has left its mark on many places. On Sunday evening, in the middle of the service, the Salvation Army barracks at Derby were wrecked. The roof was blown in and two persons were killed and several wounded. The roof of Trinity Church, at Matlock, Bath, has been blown in. At South End, near Matlock, massive pieces of rock became loosened from the heights above, and rushed down the hill-sides, falling with tremendous force upon the highway. No one was hurt. At Southport early Monday morning the receding tide cut a new channel four feet wide adjoining the pier, carrying away thousands of tons of sand and stones, many of which became deposited on the chains of the new surf life-boat, thus holding her under water. The foundation of the pier also gave way, wrecking the refreshment room on the pier. Several small boats are buried in the débris. At Pudsey, Yorkshire, on Sunday evening, a part of the tall spire of the Congregational Church was dislodged by a furious storm, and fell with a tremendous crash through the roof into the midst of the congregation. The service was at once stopped, and a rush was made for the doors, but no one was hurt. A cottage was also partly blown down at Pudsey, the family being rendered homeless. At Bolton, part of the Church of the Holy Infant, Astley Bridge, was blown down, causing the greatest consternation, but fortunately injuring no one. About half of one side of the church was wrecked, and the structure is in a dangerous condition. At Sunderland on Monday the roof of a house fell in, and covered a man who was sleeping in bed, seriously injuring him. On Sunday evening the parish church at Hanmar, Flintshire, valued at £30,000, was destroyed by fire; also the parish church of Arbuthnot, Kincardineshire, was burned on Sunday. These are only a few specimens of the many disasters which have taken place throughout the United Kingdom, but these are quite sufficient to show the intensity of the gale which has been prevailing." The Crown Prince of Austria recently committed suicide. This is a crime that is alarmingly prevalent, and on the increase, throughout Europe. Human life seems to be considered but of little worth. Dissipation and vice of all kinds combine with the immense preparations for war to lessen the sense of the value of life. Doctor Stöcker, the German court preacher, is an able man, and has enjoyed great popularity, but he is somewhat losing caste in court circles because of his outspoken opposition to the union of Church and State. His opposition comes from a source from which it would least be expected, and cannot fail to exert some influence. A recent number of the German Evangelical Church Journal contained remarks from which the following extracts are taken:— "The secular authorities are of divine appointment as well as the church. But the former deal with the appointments of nature, whilst the latter has to do with the appointments of grace; those work with the weapons of law and compulsion, these with the means of grace and liberty. And out of this profound difference between both institutions, arises the biblical injunction not to combine or intermingle them. Render to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, and to God the things which are God's. This word of Christ separates the realms of religious life from those of the State life; but in our State churches they are falsely united with one another." He then notices the objection that, humanly speaking, the Reformation was saved by the interference of worldly powers, but he says: "Nevertheless, history cannot invalidate a divine principle." It is not certain that the doctor yet sees, what others see very clearly, that the union of Church and State throughout Europe, has undermined every principle, and is fast reversing every fact, of the Reformation. After the conviction, in Germany, of Pastor Thümmel for speaking against the institutions and doctrines of the Catholic Church, there was a general inquiry concerning the rapid rise of the power of Romanism in that empire, and the State church organs plead for an increase of State expenditures for the support of the State church. But the Evangelical Alliance called their attention to the fact that their connection with, and dependence upon, the State was the real cause of their weakness. It is, in fact, a repetition of the cardinal principles of the Roman Church, and can be expected to bear only the same fruit. Consistency requires that in a State church the highest officials should be considered members of the church. And so it is. The king or queen of England is the head of the church, without regard to his or her personal standing religiously. And so of others. Of this fact Dr. Stöcker speaks as follows:— "That worldly princes should rule, and the mighty among them have power, is an indisputable divinely-willed fact of secular arrangement. 'It shall not be so among you,' says the Saviour. But it shall thus be, after all, says the adherent to State-church principle. When that enlightened prince, Frederic William IV., felt his position in the church to be, beyond all dispute, 'unlawful and unchristian,' he stood on the side of Bible truth. Attempts have been made to maintain this truth by recognizing the authority of the Government, not as a secular power, but as being a prominent member of the church, and vested with ecclesiastical power. But in the first place, the holy Scriptures give no recognition to church-members, simply because they are prominent in worldly positions; this is no reason that they should be prominent in the church also. For in the life of the church not ruling but serving gives the pre-eminence; neither is worldly position, but living faith, held in esteem. Secondly, we find it indisputably true that ecclesiastical power was not vested in the Government, that is to say, the head of the State, as a personal matter. That anyone, simply because he is a distinguished person, wholly aside from his faith and walk, should be granted a pre-eminent place in the church, is such an absurdity that it never should have been maintained. Such a view is judged by the spirit as well as the letter of the Bible." And yet such a view is the natural outgrowth and necessary associate of national religion. The Reformation in Europe was built upon the declaration that the Scriptures are a sufficient guide, and upon the right of private judgment in matters of faith. These are now denied in every State church in Europe—in Russia, in England, in Prussia, in Scandinavia, and even in Switzerland. A State church, or, which is the same thing, "national religion," is in its very nature antagonistic to the right of private judgment, and to freedom in worship. Basel, Switzerland, February, 1889. THE POPE'S TEMPORAL POWER.
SPEAKING recently to a correspondent of the New York Herald concerning the late demonstrations in Rome in favor of the temporal power of the Pope, Signor Crispi, the Italian Prime Minister, said:— "As well talk of the obsolete Governments of the Middle Ages. The temporal power is now a thing of the past—a toy for dull hours of mimic and would-be statesmen. Italy has no dread of the matter ever being revived au serieux. The Pope, however, is in no danger, so far as the Government is concerned. He has ample guarantee, but on the other hand he stands in great danger if the populace should be over-excited. It is, therefore, as much to the interests of the Vatican as it is to that of the Government of his Majesty, the king of Italy, that the demonstrations of the last two months should be firmly repressed and prevented. These demonstrations are fomented by foreign elements. Italian workmen do not belong to these societies." It will not do to hastily conclude from this that the restoration of the Pope's temporal power is out of the question. Very likely the sentiment of Italy is against it; but public sentiment in the rest of the world, and especially in Europe, is rapidly taking form in favor of the claims of the Papacy; and should the demand be made by the combined powers of the Old World, to say nothing of the sympathy which the Pope will receive from the United States and Canada, Italy would yield. Let us not for one moment deceive ourselves with the idea that the Pope is without political power and influence. (Lesson 14, April 6, 1889.) 1. WHILE Moses was in the mount, what did God tell him to say to the children of Israel? "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering; of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering." Ex. 25:1, 2. 2. Of what was their offering to consist? "And this is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and rams' skins died red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate." Verses 3-7. 3. What were these offerings for? "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Verse 8. 4. Who only were to bring an offering? "Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord; whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass." "And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him up, and everyone whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments." Ex. 35: 5, 21. See Ex. 25:2. 5. What sort of things did they bring? "And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought bracelets, and ear-rings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold; and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. Everyone that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord's offering; and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it." Ex. 35: 22-24. 6. How did they come to have so many valuable things? "And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment; and the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians." Ex. 12:35, 36. 7. What did the women do? "And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair." Ex. 35:25, 26. 8. What kind of service was all this?
"The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work,186 which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses." Verse 29. 9. How are we exhorted to give? "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2 Cor. 9:7. 10. What kind of a giver does God love?—Ib. 11. Cite another instance where the people offered willingly to the cause of God? "Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite." 1 Chron. 29:6-8. 12. How was it that the people were enabled to give so willingly? "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Verse 9. 13. Is there danger of coming to poverty through generous giving to the cause of God? "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." Prov. 11:24, 25. 14. What is God able to do? "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." "Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God." 2 Cor. 9:8, 11. 16. Then when people make offerings to God, whose property do they give? "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own." 1 Chron. 29:14-16. 17. What was the result when the people gave with a willing heart? "And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; and they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make." Ex. 36:4, 5. 18. What proclamation had to be made? "And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing." Verses 6, 7. 19. How many have known of such an instance in the history of the cause? 20. Is there in this record any lesson for us? AFTER the covenant with Israel had been made and ratified, the Lord called Moses up into the mount, where he remained forty days and nights in the presence of Divinity. Ex. 24:8, 12, 18. It was during this time that God gave him the instructions concerning the sanctuary, which are recorded in chapters 25 to 31. The beginning of this instruction pertained to the sanctuary to be built, showing how particular God was in that which pertained to his worship; and he concluded this holy interview by giving the law, written on two tables of stone, yes, graven there by the finger of God. Ex. 31:18; 32:15, 16. The object of all worship, all services, all remedies, is to bring men into harmony with the holy law of God. WHEN Moses was absent, Aaron and Hur acted as his deputies, even as they were his chief assistants at the time of the battle with Amalek, recorded in Ex. 17:8-15. It was very fitting that these men should thus act. Aaron was of the tribe of Levi, in which was vested the priesthood. This tribe belonged to God. Num. 3:1-13. Hur was probably the chief prince of the tribe of Judah. Ex. 31:1. An eminent and good man evidently, as the Lord chose from his descendants a skillful man to build the most sacred vessels. Judah was the tribe from which was to come the royal line and our Saviour. Gen. 49:10. Thus the supporters of Moses were the chief priest and chief prince. Of the offerings brought, there is some difference of opinion among scholars in regard to the meaning of some of the original terms. The brass of the Bible was doubtless copper, which was abundant in Palestine, or an alloy of copper and tin, forming bronze. As these materials were brought from Egypt, the brass here mentioned was doubtless bronze, which was common in Egypt. The blue, purple, and scarlet were materials which could be spun and woven into cloths (Ex. 35:25), the color being put for the material. This material was doubtless cotton or wool. See, Heb. 9:19. Rams' skins dyed red are supposed by some to mean leather, colored and dressed like morocco. By others it is supposed to mean skins dressed with the wool on, either of a red color, or dyed red. "Badgers' skins" does not have reference to the skins of those animals. The Bible Commentary, edited by Canon Cook, says: "The [original] word bears a new resemblance to the Arabic tuchash, which appears to be a general name given to the seals, dugongs, and dolphins found in the Red Sea (Tristram), and according to some authorities, to the sharks and dogfish (Fürst). The substance spoken of would thus appear to have been leather formed from the skins of marine animals, which was well adapted as a protection against the weather. . . . The skins of the dolphin and dugong are cut into sandals by the Modern Arabs, and this may explain Eze. 16:10." "Shittim wood" was a kind of acacia, very hard and strong, and also light. "The LXX. call it 'wood that will not rot.'"—Id. THE gold and silver were largely in the shape of jewels (Ex. 35:22), which the Egyptians had given them on that memorable morning after the slaying of Egypt's first-born. Israel, in asking for these valuable things, only demanded their just wages. Consequently when they gave them to God to build a sanctuary for him, they gave that which had cost them years of toil and sufferings. It was a willing sacrifice on their part. They felt as did David when he refused the gift of Araunah's threshing-floor. "Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing." 2 Sam. 24:24. It is willing-heartedness that God loves. In fact, no other offering but that given with the whole heart is acceptable to God. First, he demands that the individual yield himself. "Son, give Me thine heart," is the request which God makes. Those who do this, realizing that they are not their own, but "bought with a price," will not give grudgingly. They will only regret that they could not give more. They will first give themselves (1 Cor. 8:1-5), and in giving themselves, they give all. What a contrast this is to the popular ways of raising means in vogue at the present time. What efforts are many times put forth to induce professed Christians and worldlings to give. What artifices are used to make them believe that they are getting in some way the worth of their money here, in fun or in suppers, in prizes won at bazaars, or in some other way. All these ways are contrary to the spirit of divine benevolence. The people gave and gave willingly of their very best. So God gave his only begotten Son. That which is bestowed grudgingly upon the cause of God is not a gift. The Lord does not need it, and it is of no advantage to the one who thus bestows it. IN his second epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul makes the grace of Christ the grand spring of all Christian giving. Giving that is prompted by anything else is not Christian giving. As an incentive for them to give liberally, the apostle said: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." 2 Cor. 8:9. The plan of salvation begins and ends in a gift. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Christ "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:14. And when the work of redemption shall have been completed, the saints will share a glorious immortality as the free gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. This consideration should incite to prompt and cheerful giving. Indeed, it will lead to such giving on the part of every soul who feels the worth of the Saviour's love. Surely it is a slight thing to give the temporal riches which come from God in the first place, and belong to him, when he so freely gives to us eternal riches. "The riches of his grace" is an expression often used by the apostle Paul. But the grace of God is a gift, and consists wholly in giving; we are exhorted to be "good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10. The spirit of willingness to give is a grace, and a manifestation of the grace of God. See 2 Cor. 8:4-7. A converted church must be a liberal church. A revival that does not increase the contributions of a church is not the right kind of a revival; for those who, like the brethren in Macedonia, first give themselves to the Lord, will, like them, abound in liberality, even in deep poverty. See 2 Cor. 8:1-5. This is further proved by the experience of the people in the time of Hezekiah. See 2 Chron. 30 and 31, comparing especially chapter 30:18-20 and 31:4-11. THE great lesson which God would teach man, and which man needs to learn, is that all belongs to God. From him all came, to him all belongs. He created them by his mighty power; they were redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus. He who recognizes this, and truly yields himself to God through Christ, has learned the great lesson. All service for God will then be willing service; all offerings will be willing offerings. Selfishness will be swallowed up in love. He will be happy, not because he thinks of self, but because he has forgotten self in his love for God and for souls for whom Christ died. He will not ask, How little can I do and be accepted? but, How can I render back to God the least of all his mercies? Notes on the International Lesson.
By Ellen G. White
(March 31.—Eph. 5:15-21.)
“SEE then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” In harmony with these verses are the words of the apostle in his letter to the Corinthians; he says: “What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Cor. 6:19, 20. Paul’s argument is that we are not our own. We have187 been purchased with a dear price, even the sufferings and death of the Son of God. If we could understand this, and fully realize it, we would feel a great responsibility resting upon us to keep ourselves in the very best condition of health, that we might render to God perfect service. But when we take any course which expends our vitality, decreases our strength, or beclouds the intellect, we sin against God. In pursuing this course we are not glorifying him in our bodies and spirits which are his, but are committing a great wrong in his sight. HAS Jesus given himself for us? Has a dear price been paid to redeem us? And is it so, that we are not our own? Is it true that all the powers of our being, our bodies, our spirits, all that we have, and all we are, belong to God? It certainly is. And when we realize this, what obligation does it lay us under to God to preserve ourselves in that condition that we may honor him upon the earth in our bodies and in our spirits which are his. WE are in a world that is opposed to righteousness and purity of character, and to a growth in grace. Wherever we look, we see corruption and defilement, deformity and sin. And what is the work that we are to undertake here just previous to receiving immortality? It is to preserve our bodies holy, our spirits pure, that we may stand forth unstained amid the corruptions teeming around us in these last days. And if this work is accomplished, we need to engage in it at once, heartily and understandingly. Selfishness should not come in here to influence us. The Spirit of God should have perfect control of us influencing us in all our actions. If we have a right hold on Heaven, a right hold of the power that is from above, we shall feel the sanctifying influence of the Spirit of God upon our hearts. SAID the apostle: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Those who engaged in running the race to obtain that laurel which was considered a special honor, were temperate in all things, so that their muscles, their brains, and every part of them, might be in the very best condition to run. If they were not temperate in all things, they would not have that elasticity that they would have if they were. If temperate, they could run that race more successfully; they were more sure of receiving the crown. BUT notwithstanding all their temperance,—all their efforts to subject themselves to a careful diet in order to be in the best condition,—those who ran the earthly race only ran at a venture. They might do the very best they could, and yet after all not receive the token of honor; for another might be a little in advance of them, and take the prize. Only one receiveth the prize. But in the heavenly race we can all run, and all receive the prize. There is no uncertainty, no risk, in the matter. We must put on the heavenly graces, and, with the eye directed upward to the crown of immortality, keep the Pattern ever before us. He was a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. The humble, self-denying life of our divine Lord we are to keep constantly in view. And then as we seek to imitate him, keeping our eye upon the mark of the prize, we can run this race with certainty, knowing that if we do the very best we can, we shall certainly secure the prize. MEN would subject themselves to self-denial and discipline in order to run and obtain a corruptible crown, one that would perish in a day, and which was only a token of honor from mortals here. But we are to run the race, at the end of which is a crown of immortality and everlasting life. Yes, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory will be awarded to us as the prize when the race is run. "We," says the apostle, "an incorruptible." And if those who engaged in this race here upon the earth for a temporal crown, could be temperate in all things, cannot we, who have in view an incorruptible crown, an eternal weight of glory, and a life which measures with the life of God? When we have this great inducement before us, cannot we "run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith"? He has pointed out the way for us, and marked it all along by his own footsteps. It is the path that he traveled, and we may, with him, experience the self-denial and the suffering, and walk in this pathway imprinted by his own blood. "I THEREFORE so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." There is work here for every man, woman, and child to do. Satan is constantly seeking to gain control of our bodies and spirits. But Christ has bought us, and we are his property. And now it is for us to work in union with Christ, in union with the holy angels that minister unto us. It is for us to keep our bodies under, and bring them into subjection. Unless we do this, we will certainly lose everlasting life, and the crown of immortality. And yet some will say, "What business is it to anybody what I eat or what I drink?" They forget the divine admonition. "Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." SOME cannot be impressed with the necessity of eating and drinking to the glory of God. The indulgence of appetite affects them in all the relations of life. It is seen in their family, in their church, in the prayer-meeting, and in the conduct of their children. It has been the curse of their lives. You cannot make them understand the truth. God has bountifully provided for the sustenance and happiness of all his creatures; and if his laws were never violated, and all acted in harmony with the divine will, health, peace, and happiness, instead of misery and continual evil, would be experienced. "LET us," says the apostle, "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." May the Lord help us, for his name's sake. The Missionary.
By Mrs. L. A. Fero
UPPER COLUMBIA TRACT AND MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
REPORT FOR QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1888. No. of members, - - - - - 204
" " added, - - - - - 10
" reports returned, - - - - 88
" missionary visits, - - - - 364
" letters written, - - - - 153
" pp. of tracts distributed and sold, - 87,698
" periodicals distributed, - - - 3,940
" subscriptions obtained, - - - 48 Rec'd on donation and membership, - - $ 34 50
" on sales, - - - - - - - 380 55
" on periodicals, - - - - - - 121 43
" on reserve, tent, and mission fund, - 547 00
" on first-day offering fund, - - - 56 36
" from agents, etc., - - - - - 161 81
" for International T. and M. Society, - 6 80
" for foreign missions, - - - - 10 00
Total, - - - - - - - - $1,318 45
MRS. L. A. FERO, Secretary. AGE is opportunity no less
Than youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.
—Selected.