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Signs of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 3.

SOME THOUGHTS ON EPHESIANS 5:1-10
Earlier text: CHURCH SERVICES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI

OUR FATHER’S CARE

Lesson VI.—Sunday, February 6, 1898.

OUR FATHER’S CARE.

Note.—The present lesson is a most practical and valuable one. Let it be borne in mind while studying it that worry never oils the wheels of anything that makes for our good. It is not only destructive to temporal peace and physical health, but to our spiritual welfare as well. The continual anxious thought fills our bearings with emery dust and wears us out before our time. The scene of the present lesson is on a mountain west of the Sea of Galilee. The time is supposed to be midsummer, A.D. 28. He will teach this lesson best who teaches from experience.

Lesson Scripture, Matt. 6:24-34, R. V.

24 “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise 25 the other. Ye can not serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? 26 Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more 31 clothe you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Golden Text: “He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What impossible thing does the Saviour bring to mind in verse 24? (2) What will be the person’s attitude toward the two masters? Same verse. Note 1. (3) What does He say it is impossible to do? Same verse. Note 2. (4) What, therefore, does the Saviour enjoin upon His followers? Verse 25. Note 3. (5) What comparison does the Saviour bring to view in this verse? (6) What illustration does He use to show God’s care for His creatures? Verse 26. (7) What does He say of them? Same verse. (8) Yet how are they provided for? Same verse. (9) What is the object of the comparison made in the last clause of this verse? Note 4. (10) What question does the Saviour ask in regard to the growth of the body? Verse 27. (11) About what other thing should they not take anxious thought? Verse 28. (12) What illustration does He use to show God’s care for the raiment of His creatures? Same verse. Note 5. (13) What does He say of the raiment of the lilies? Verse 29. (14) What assurance may we draw from this fact? Verse 30. (15) What anxious questionings should the Christian refrain from cultivating? Verse 31. (16) Of what class of people were such things a characteristic? Verse 32. (17) What does the Lord know in regard to our needs? Same verse. (18) What does His knowledge of our needs imply? (19) What is it essential that we first seek? Verse 33. Note 6. (20) What will certainly follow such a course? Same verse. (21) How are we to relate ourselves to what will transpire on the morrow? Verse 34. (22) What may we be sure of in relation to the morrow? Same verse. (23) Why should we not bring the troubles and evils of the morrow into to-day? Same verse. Note 7.

NOTES.

1. He will hate the one, and love the other.—The word here translated “the other” does not express simply another person, but another kind of person, of different quality, different character. No one can both love and hate the same thing at the same time, neither can one love at the same time two characters which are diametrically opposed to each other. If we truly love God, we can not at the same time love that which is opposed to God and His work in part or in whole. Likewise we can not love the two qualities of goodness and evil. The love of one necessarily places us in opposition to the other.
2. Mammon.—The Syriac word for wealth or riches.
3. Be not anxious for your life.—This is the true rendering of the thought embodied in the original words of the text. The word “thought” expressed that meaning when the Common Version was translated, but does not do so now. “Thought” at that time meant anxiety, worry. The same remarks apply to verses 27, 28, 31, and 34, where the same difference occurs between the rendering of the Revised and Common Versions.
4. Are not ye of much greater value than they?—The argument is, if God cares so much for these things will He not also care for you who are of much more value than these can possibly be? The Great Teacher is not teaching slothfulness or improvidence by the illustration which He uses. The “fowls of the air” fulfil the mission which God intended, and He provides for them in doing it; but if man, who was created with a different mission and different capabilities, should refuse to do anything for his own maintenance, the Scriptures would at once condemn him. See I Tim. 5:8; Prov. 6:6; 20:4; Heb. 6:12.
5. Consider the lilies.—The fields were full of them at the time of year that the Saviour was speaking. They were all around His hearers, most gorgeous flowers. They were as much more perfect than the decoration of the king as God’s work is superior to man’s. Examine a king’s raiment under a microscope, and it will appear coarse and unfinished; examine this beautiful flower with the same instrument, and its beauty is increased to the eye more than the diameters it is magnified. And yet all this was only for a day or two at the most, while man was destined for eternal existence. How positive we may be, then, of God’s care for us.
6. Seek ye first.—Seeking above all things else the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will be decked, robed, in that spotless apparel which will admit us within the heavenly gates, even the righteousness of Christ. That will be a more beautiful garment to consider than that in which God robed the flowers of the field; but while seeking that earnestly, we have the assurance of God’s care for our temporal needs.
7. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.—There is plenty of evil in the present day without bringing the supposed evil of the following day into the present, especially when much that we anticipate in our worry never transpires. Worry, in many cases, manufactures evil which would not otherwise exist, and by worrying we suffer from that evil which was created by our own imagination.
Thessalonica, a city of Macedonia, where the apostles raised up a most interesting church. It was at first called “Thermae” (hot baths), but Cassander rebuilt the city and called it after the name of his wife, Alexander the Great’s sister, Thessalonica. It is now a Turkish town, known by the name Salonika.
Thessalonica, a city of Macedonia, where the apostles raised up a most interesting church. It was at first called “Thermae” (hot baths), but Cassander rebuilt the city and called it after the name of his wife, Alexander the Great’s sister, Thessalonica. It is now a Turkish town, known by the name Salonika.

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DANGERS AND THE REFUGE.

The Portland Oregonian, which, so far as our limited observation goes, never seems satisfied in presenting its menu before the public without some attack, direct or indirect, upon religion, has an article in its issue of January 1 on “The New Year.” It condemns the optimist for looking at grave dangers too lightly. It condemns the pessimist for bemoaning the nation’s drink bill, its immorality, etc., which the Oregonian insists are improving. Nevertheless, the Oregonian sees dangers, grave dangers. It says:—
“The mercurial sanguine observer is too flippant, for there are serious questions before the country for solution. The selfish, stupid jealousy and hatred of capital; the still vital craze of free silver; the rage for dishonest class legislation and lunatic paternalism; the immigration question; the negro problem, whose black cloud still overcasts the otherwise bright sky of the south; the increasing tendency to suffer mob law and arbitration by the pistol to usurp the authorized machinery of justice, are some of the things that make the judicious lover of his country grieve for its present and weaken his confidence in the felicity of its future.”
But some of the above may not be evils. Those that are, are the direct outgrowth of the immorality over which the so-called “pessimist” mourns, the increasing selfishness in the hearts of men. Paternalism in government and class legislation are human expedients, or patent medicines to cure deep-seated disease of the body politic and social. Of course they will not cure; they can not; but an optimistic declaration that there are no evils, or that evil is growing less, is equally foolish. The broad view is the Bible view of prophecy. It points out the root evils in sin. It shows the sure result,—destruction. But it is not pessimistic. It presents before us a better time, a better land, a better state, a better reign; but it is not brought about by human devices,—“the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Even unbelievers see some of the dangers. Would to God all could see the refuge—eternal and sure.

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We Rejoice and Are Glad

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We Rejoice and Are Glad at the good reports which are coming from our workers and friends in all parts of the field concerning the work which the SIGNS is doing. It comes from palace and cottage, from halls of justice and prison cells, that God has touched and changed hearts by the message which it bears. To Him be all the glory.

Witnessing to Christ’s Saving Power

Christian messenger, the only proof you have of God’s power to save, the only thing to which you can bear witness, is what He has revealed to you and in you. He is the Saviour from sin. Matt. 1:21. You believe that because His Word declares it; but do you know it? Has He saved you from your sins? If so, surely you can witness to the most hopeless that He saves “to the uttermost.”

Paper Quality in This Issue

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We regret that a part of this issue of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES must be printed on an inferior grade of paper. We thought that we had sufficient time in which to order our stock, but western mills on which we formerly depended could not furnish the paper; we purchased all we could find in San Francisco; but nevertheless we were short, and are compelled to go to press as we are. This will not hurt the truth, but our illustrations will necessarily fall off in quality. Our regular stock will, we trust, be on hand next week.

The Largest Church in the World.

One of the youngest delusions in the world in name is “Christian Science.” Its Boston parent church now numbers 10,000. January 2, 2,400 members were added. Its church building cost $221,000, built on land valued at $40,000. The rapid spread of this perversion of both Christianity and science shows the unsettled condition of the religious world, and the little hold true common-sense Bible religion has upon many. This is one of the signs of the last days. Persecution or misrepresentation will not cure those who are under its spell; only the pure, mighty Gospel of Christ is effectual.

What Shall Our Youth Read?

“What shall our youth read?” is a question asked by many an anxious father and mother. “What periodical shall we take for them?” Do you wish the advice of the SIGNS? It is this: The best paper we know, we believe it to be the best paper in the world for youth and young people, is The Youth’s Instructor, published at Battle Creek, Mich. It is a weekly, illustrated magazine, published at the price of $1.00 a year. Its editors are live, experienced, broad-minded Christian men, in sympathy with youth. Send for a sample copy. May the publishers’ hopes of a hundred thousand subscribers be reached, and may every issue meet the high standard aimed at by its editors.

Good Advice.—

It is good advice given in McClure’s Magazine for January, article, “The Life of the Railroad Man,” by H. E. Hamblen. It was counsel given the writer when he began his experience: “Keep your eyes and ears open; obey orders strictly, whether you can or not, and be careful never, under any circumstances, no matter how big a hurry you are in, to step upon a railroad track anywhere, without first looking both ways; and if you see anything approaching near enough so that there is any doubt about your being able to cross in perfect safety at an ordinary walk, don’t go; always give everything on wheels the right of way.” This advice is worth much more than the magazine costs. “Obey orders strictly, whether you can or not,” is a good motto for a Christian. God will supply the power.

The Way, the Truth, the Life

“The Way, the Truth, the Life,” is the title of a most interesting little tract, published by the Review and Herald Publishing Company, Battle Creek, Mich. It is Words of Truth Series, No. 8. It contains “A Story of Healing,” by Mrs. S. M. I. Henry.

The Hour of God’s Judgment

Our Lord, when He preached the Gospel, spoke of the judgment day as the last day. John 12:48. The apostle Paul, when he preached the Gospel, spoke of that great day as future, the “judgment to come” (Acts 17:31; 24:25); but when the Gospel is preached in the last days, the Word declares it shall bear the message, “The hour of God’s judgment is come.” Rev. 14:6, 7. It is no longer future; it is here. This is the message of God going to the world now.

MAKING VOID GOD’S PROMISES.

The Eliezers and Hagars.

God promised Abraham that by his seed—a lawful seed presumably—all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Surely, said Abraham, as Sarah is barren, I must adopt this Eliezer, the Damascene. Not so, said the Lord; the promised seed shall be thine own. And then Abraham talked it over with Sarah, and the expedient was devised that Hagar should become Abraham’s concubine. In later years the fruit of the mistake was reaped when Abraham’s heart-strings were torn by separation from his son Ishmael; and the world reaped the result in the begetting of a race at war with all mankind. (See Genesis, chapters 15 to 17.)
How many times since have the above expedients been repeated in various forms among the people of God! God has placed His church in the earth, His own divine, simple organization, so amply supplied with spiritual gifts as to meet every emergency, so flexible as to adapt itself to every need. But how many times its leaders, the representatives of the church’s Head, under the supposition that the church is barren, turn to the State, or some altar of Damascene pattern (2 Kings 16:10–13), and say, Surely this Christian State must do the work; or they make to themselves concubines of their own human organizations, which result in the persecution of the lawful wife, or final separation from associations and begettings which rupture human heart-strings!
O, that men would believe God; that they would realize “that the church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object upon which He bestows His supreme regard.” She may seem to be barren, but power can be obtained only from God. Of every human expediency He says, “This shall not be the heir.” God has called His church to liberty, and to proclaim liberty from all sinful and earthly bondage.

Could “Christian” Nations Do Better?

—In speaking of the present situation in China, and the killing of the two German priests by Chinese banditti, the Chinese minister to America, Wu-Ting-Fang, in an interview printed in the Thrice-a-Week World of December 31, says:—
“We do not invite these people to China, but when they are there my government protects them by extraordinary laws and permits them special privileges not enjoyed even by its own subjects.
“If extraordinary difficulties arise it is not just that China should suffer. Her civilization is the oldest known, and at the same time she freely permits foreigners to exploit their ideas.
“What more can be done than to rectify wrongs? I feel sure, therefore, that when the position of my government is made known it will be seen that Germany has no cause for complaint.”
Do “Christian” nations, so called, do as well? Has America been as willing to right wrongs done to Chinese as China is to rectify wrongs done to foreigners? And when China does as far as lies in her power to rectify wrongs, ought not that to be sufficient to a “Christian” nation without dividing up her territory? Righteousness and justice inhere in the act, not in the character of those toward whom they are exercised.

A Better Country

The Pacific States are great in territory and resources if not in population. Here also great papers are published. The great dailies of San Francisco meet their peers in the Los Angeles Times and the Portland Oregonian. The last-named issued a special January 1, devoted to the Klondike region, and the wealth, resources, and industries of Oregon. It gives what is said to be the latest and best map of the Alaskan gold fields, with excellent reports of various matters of interest, even to weather, which averages in its lower dips in winter over forty degrees below zero, and frequently touches fifty-nine and sixty degrees below. Oregon is truly a great State, and presents many an opening to the settler; but the thought forces itself on our mind that there is a better country, even a heavenly, open to all; and in the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ are warranty deeds to all who will prove title, a matter in which He will help us if we desire, free of charge.

Not Mercy but Justice.

—China, voiced by Li Hung Chang, asks not from Germany mercy, but justice. That old statesman inquires:—
“Is it just to oppress us while we are struggling to emerge from the restraints of our ancient civilization, while improvement and progress steadily continue? Should China be distressed by having her shores invaded and her territory occupied because of an occurrence which western countries would deal with by law and not by war—an unexpected incident, deplored by my government and followed by full redress?”
But will the fearful earth-hunger of the Russian bear and the German vultures be satisfied with justice? In other words, is it justice they are seeking, or pretext for territorial enlargement? And China is heathen and Germany and Russia are called “Christian”! The Christian will grant not only justice but mercy.
Continue reading: A Man Hunt