REV. F. E. BOSTWICK, Sunday-school missionary for Dakota and Montana, gives in the Chicago Standard the following interesting account of his struggles against tobacco and his final victory over it. There are few who would be obliged to fight a harder battle to overcome the appetite:—
“The question of tobacco was a serious one to me, but other Christians used it, those who were active in church work, and so I stifled conscience and continued a slave to the habit. Ultimately I felt called to the gospel ministry. Again the question of the use of tobacco annoyed me. I realized that I was not fully consecrated to the blessed work into which a remarkable Providence had led me. But I resolved to stop using it. I tried. For a few months I succeeded, but the appetite had become a part of my life, and when the temptation came I was too weak to withstand it and fell. I resolved again and again to put it away. I prayed earnestly over it, but not until then did I realize what a firm hold it had upon my whole being. The more I tried to get rid of the appetite the firmer the hold seemed to be. I would wrestle with God in prayer that the temptation might be removed, but my will power upon this was gone. The sight or smell would make me desperate and determined to have it, and I would fall again. I would beg or buy a little, use part of it, throw the rest away, and go down upon my knees before God in penance and sorrow, and the victory would seem to be complete. But again, as I would come in contact with it in the business world, the old appetite would at times arise and overwhelm me.”
“No one but God and myself, or perhaps those who have passed through a similar experience, know the torture and suffering of those years. Finally with a full sense of the awful sinfulness of my life, I came to that point when I must give up the habit or the ministry. And that hour when I cast myself, for the last time, upon this question, at the foot of the cross, I could see the crowned brow, and under it the saddened face of Him who said to the poor stumbling Peter, ‘Wilt thou also go away?’ I felt the pulsation of that great heart of love against my own as never before. My cry was only this: ‘Save, Lord, or I perish.’ What new-born soul can describe its first hour of joy and perfect peace in its entrance into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus? Such were my feelings as I realized a complete deliverance from this awful bondage, saved, saved!”
“A long time has passed since then, and with each succeeding year I hate tobacco with a hundredfold more intensity than I ever loved it, and oh, how it helps me in my work to present a perfect Saviour, ‘able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him.’”
News and Notes.
By Editor
RELIGIOUS.
—The Revised Version of the Old Testament will appear early in May.
—The American Presbyterian mission in Shan-Tung, China, has a membership of 2,070.
—The Jewish feast of the Passover commenced Monday night, March 30. Its services last one week.
—The Cherokee Indians have a Baptist membership of 2,000. Three hundred additions to this faith were made the last year.
—The pope has made another appeal for more Peter's pence. The contributions to this fund have been very light in the past few years.
—The International Sunday-school Lesson Committee is to meet in Cincinnati, April 15. Earnest discussions are in progress as to what lesson plans they should adopt.
—The Wesleyan missionaries in the Fiji Islands have 1,200 congregations, 1,730 local preachers, 1,070 head teachers, 11 European ministers, 51 native ministers, and 32 catechists.
—The pastor of the Lutheran Church at Allentown, Pa., has served the congregations of that church for a period of fifty-eight years without intermission. This case is probably without a parallel in this country.
—The General Annual Conference of the Mormon Church convened at Logan, U. T., April 4. The attendance is reported moderate, none of the three first priests of the church being present. The prospect is that an effort will be made to compromise in some way their views on polygamy.
—Some leading facts about the Baptist denomination are subjoined: Associations, 1,178; ordained ministers, 16,678; churches, 28,599; membership, 2,507,733; received by baptism, 135,740; Sunday-schools, 10,994; officers and teachers, 82,247; scholars, 792,780; value of property, $25,685,959.
—The President has again surprised the denizens of Washington, this time by passing by all the uptown fashionable congregations, and securing a pew in a small, unpretentious church on Four-and-a-half Street. The pastor, Dr. Sunderland, was formerly pastor of a Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, where Mrs. Cleveland, the President's mother, attended.
—A vessel which recently sailed from Boston, bound for West Africa, carried 132,000 gallons of rum as a part of her cargo. What a disgrace to this country has this vile traffic become! Men are not satisfied to debauch themselves, but must place before the heathen of poor darkened Africa, an insurmountable barrier to the spread of the gospel. 'How art thou fallen!'
—At the annual meeting of the American Tract Society lately held, the treasurer's report showed the receipts for the year to be $357,470; expenditures, $345,983; number of books, tracts, and periodicals circulated, 9,250,000; colporters employed, 161, who made 155,225 family visits, and circulated 133,463 volumes; 56,000,000 pages of tracts, to the value of $37,150, were distributed.
—A popular New York church has taken the initiatory in a programme for church service. The exercises are much varied, and interspersed with frequent singing. The discourse occupies but twenty minutes! Evidently that congregation does not mean to be troubled with much moralizing from the minister. The innovation is said to be very popular, as is shown by the largely increased congregations.
—The Waldensians at present number 17 congregations, with 12,800 members; 195 day schools, with 5,500 scholars and 200 teachers; 70 Sunday-schools, with 3,600 pupils. The principal stations of these people are Turin, Florence, Rome, Naples. The Waldensians are increasing but slowly, and the schools are becoming smaller, because the Roman Catholics are everywhere planting schools near theirs, and thus drawing off many of the children.
—The Chicago Presbyterian ministers have been discussing the use of an optional liturgy. They find nothing in their 'Directory for Public Worship' which forbids responsive reading of the Scriptures, or the use of written or printed forms of prayer, if any church decides to adopt such forms. The prospect is, therefore, that not long hence a liturgy will be prepared for the churches of that persuasion that wish to use it, and many of them will fall into line with the ritualism of the Episcopalians and Roman Catholics. What next?
Clove Poisoning.
An Eastern lady who had for many years been in the habit of taking cloves, by degrees increased the habit until she kept one in her mouth continually, and in the course of a day contrived to eat a considerable quantity. One day she was seized with violent symptoms which indicated poisoning. The doctor was sent for, and found her in a critical condition, the cause of which he was at first unable to understand; but on inquiry he discovered that she had become so great a slave to the clove habit that she had taken on the day of her illness a quarter of a pound of cloves. By diligent efforts her life was saved, and it is to be hoped that she, and others who are addicted to the unwholesome practice of clove-eating, may take warning and reform.—Good Health.
Enter Not the Path of the Wicked
"ENTER not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men." Prov. 4: 14.
RECEIPTS.
CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE FUND.—Petaluma $26.90, Arbuckle $18, San Francisco $243.40, El Monte $20, A Friend $13.
CHURCH DEBT FUND.—Geo Vickery $10, E A Chapman $20.
CASH RECEIVED ON ACCOUNT.—Wisconsin T and M Society $300, C W Gibbs $12.30.
AUSTRALIAN MISSION.—L H and A M West $20, C H Peach $9.65.
CALIFORNIA T AND M SOCIETY.—R H Blackwood $2, G R Wood $2, C A Newbie $3, Mrs M Mulhern, 85c.
CITY MISSION.—S P Chambers $25.
ORDERS FORWARDED.
By Editor
BOOKS SENT BY EXPRESS.—Miss Hetty Hurd, Mrs A Bullock, W W Saunders.
A MINE OF INFORMATION.
By John Nevins Andrews
HISTORY OF THE SABBATH AND FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.
BY ELD. J. N. ANDREWS.
The Bible record of the Sabbath, the secular history concerning it; the successive steps by which the change to the first day was made and the work of restoration, are given in detail.
EVERY TEXT OF SCRIPTURE concerning the Sabbath is commented on at length; and the COMPLETE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS in regard to the Sabbath and first day is given. The comparative merits of the seventh and the first-day Sabbaths are fully shown. A copious index enables the reader to find any text, or the statement of any historian.
Should be read by everybody. 528 pp. Price, $1.25.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
Or, REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich.
SABBATH-SCHOOL HELPS.
By Editor
Clarke's Commentary, 6 vols. ........................................$24 00
Barnes' Notes, 14 vols.................................................. 21 00
Smith's Comp. Dictionary, sheep ........................................ 6 00
“ “ “ cloth. ........................................ 5 00
History of Reformation ................................................. 5 00
“ “ “ (condensed) ........................................ 1 50
“ “ Romanism, cloth, ........................................ 4 00
Young's Concordance..................................................... 3 00
Cruden's “ ..................................................... 2 00
Whiston's Josephus, large............................................... 3 00
“ “ small. ............................................... 1 75
Hand Book of Bible Geography............................................ 2 50
“ “ “ “ Manners, etc ........................................ 2 50
Dictionary of Bible. ................................................... 1 75
Smith's New Testament History........................................... 1 75
Geikie's Life of Christ, large.......................................... 1 75
“ “ “ “ small ............................................... 75
Blunt's Coincidences.................................................... 1 50
Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress............................................. 1 50
Sketches of Jewish Social Life.......................................... 1 25
The Temple and its Services............................................. 1 25
From Exile to Overthrow................................................. 1 25
Life of Apostle Paul (C. and H.)....................................... 1 00
Sketches from the Life of Paul (Mrs. White)............................. 80
Giant Cities of Bashan ................................................. 1 00
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.
BIBLE-READINGS.
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
IN TWO NUMBERS.
EMBRACING A PORTION OF THE
# BIBLE COURSE AT HEALDSBURG COLLEGE.
(Including also the readings given at the State Meeting in Oakland.)
By Eld. E. J. Waggoner.
These Readings differ in two respects from other series of readings that have been published. They were prepared especially for the use of colporters and those who intend to conduct Bible-readings in missionary fields, and they present a connected chain of argument upon the fundamental doctrines of Present Truth.
NUMBER ONE contains 57 pages, embracing sixteen readings, as follows:—
Daniel 2 ....................... 93
Daniel 7 ....................... 93
Daniel 8 ....................... 69
Daniel 9 ....................... 94
The Sanctuary.................. 19
The Law of God, No. 1....... 30
“ “ No. 2....... 31
“ “ No. 3....... 28
The Law of God No. 4........ 32
“ “ No. 5........ 31
Ephesians 2:15................. 26
Romans 6:14 ................... 23
Romans 10:4 ................... 17
Galatians 3:13 ................. 19
Romans 3:20 ................... 10
Tithing ........................... 99
NUMBER Two contains 46 pages, embracing twenty-two readings, as follows:—
The Sabbath, No. 1 ............ 51
“ “ 2.... .... 49
“ “ 3 ............ 42
Colossians 2:14-17 ............ 19
Psalms 118:24... .. ........... 13
Penalty of Transgression ....10
Sanctification................. 43
Second Coming of Christ .....64
The Resurrection ............... 59
Immortality...................... 18
Philippians 1:23 ................. 5
2 Corinthians 5:8 ............. 18
Luke 23:39-43 ................. 16
1 Peter 3:18-20 ................. 10
Luke 16:19-31 ................. 37
Living Souls..................... 14
Nature of Man.................. 18
Punishment of the Wicked.... 70
Work of the Spirit, No. 1 .....47
“ “ “ 2, .... 51
Church Membership ............ 61
Missionary Labor................ 52
PRICE FOR THE TWO, 50 CENTS.
A small edition has been printed on very thin paper for the use of those who wish to paste them between the leaves of their Bibles. Price for the two, 50 cents.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland Cal.
THOUGHTS ON BAPTISM.
By Joseph Harvey Waggoner
By Eld. J. H. Waggoner.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE ACTION, SUBJECTS, AND RELATIONS OF THE ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM.
Also, a Brief Refutation of the
HISTORICAL CLAIMS FOR TRINE IMMERSION.
SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED.
Prices, post-paid,—In flexible cloth, 35 cents; paper covers, 25 cents.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
BIBLE SANCTIFICATION:
A CONTRAST OF
TRUE AND FALSE THEORIES.
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
This is a pamphlet of only 84 pages, but its value is not to be judged by its size. It is just what its title indicates: a faithful presentation of Bible truth on this important subject, and an exposure of the false theories prevailing in regard to it. Every believer in Bible truth should read it. Buy it, read it, and lend it to your neighbor. Price, 10 cents.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
Appointments.
OAKLAND.—House of worship, northeast corner of Clay and Thirteenth Streets. Sabbath-school every Sabbath at 9:30 A. M. Preaching at 11 A. M. Prayer and missionary meeting every Tuesday evening at 7:00. Seats free. Preaching every Sunday evening at 7:30.
SAN FRANCISCO.—House of worship, 912 Laguna Street, between McAllister and Tyler Streets. Sabbath-school every Sabbath at 9:45 A. M. Preaching at 11 A. M. Prayer and missionary meeting every Wednesday evening at 7:45. Preaching every Sunday evening at 7:30. Mission Reading-rooms at the church.
California T. and M. Society.
By William Ings
THE State Quarterly Meeting of the California T. and M. Society will be held in connection with the General Meeting in Oakland, April 24-30, 1885. The President, Elder Haskell, will be present at this meeting, and important matters in connection with the missionary work will be considered. It is very desirable that the districts be generally represented.
WM. INGS, Vice-Pres.
Stockholders' Meeting.
By S. C. Stickney
PURSUANT to Article 6, Section 2, of the By-laws of the Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, the tenth annual meeting of the stockholders of said Association will be held at the Office of the Pacific Press, corner of Twelfth and Castro Streets, Oakland, Cal., on Monday, April 27, 1885, at 9:30 A. M., for the purpose of electing a Board of five Directors, and transacting such other business as may come before the meeting.
S. C. STICKNEY, Secretary.
Our General Meetings.
By Editor
THE time of our general meetings is drawing near. This is the last paper which will reach many of our readers before the meetings are in progress. The first one will be,
HEALDSBURG, THURSDAY, APRIL 16.
This will hold one week. It should be attended by all the friends in that section of country. Do not be satisfied to have your churches represented; but let the churches entire, as far as possible, attend this meeting. Remember that the school year closes April 24, the time of the close of this meeting. Elder Haskell will be there. It will be a meeting of interest to all the friends of the College. The next meeting will be,
OAKLAND, FRIDAY, APRIL 24.
This will also hold one week. This will be the most important meeting ever held in this State. First, the annual meeting of the Publishing Association will be held at that time. Our publishing work is enlarging, especially of our denominational literature, and our people ought to take an increased interest in our publishing house.
Secondly, the missionary work will receive large attention. This will be an occasion of unusual interest, being so near the time when Elder Haskell and others will take their departure for Australia. Officers of the local societies should all attend; and all genuine friends of the missionary work in which we are becoming so largely engaged.
Thirdly, the Sabbath-school interest will receive special attention. We have failed in the past in this respect; the Sabbath-schools have not received the attention in general meetings that they should have received. We hope that hereafter every year may have its Sabbath-school Convention in this State. No one who is either engaged in or interested in this work can afford to miss this meeting. Two days ought to be devoted to this cause.
Fourthly, the subject of our Health Retreat demands immediate attention, and must be considered in this meeting. This institution must be pushed to success. We greatly need it now. The experience of our people in Battle Creek proves that a Sanitarium may be one of the very best means to work for humanity and the cause of truth. Let the friends come prepared to take decided action in this matter.
Lastly, the religious opportunity which will be afforded in this meeting is needed by every one.
Steps are being taken by the church in Oakland to accommodate those who come to this meeting. Young men, healthy men, will do well to bring blankets with them. Provision will be made for all; but it may be well to insure a supply of clothing. Pray for the success of this meeting.
The annual meeting of the College will take place in Healdsburg, May 1. Proxies should be prepared in season.
Oakland Sabbath-School.
By Editor
THE Oakland Sabbath-school resolved to donate to the Australian Mission its contributions for the quarter just ended. With a commendable missionary spirit in the school, the amount was larger than that given in any other quarter, being $227.25. And all feel richer for having this investment in so good a cause. This school has before donated an organ to the San Francisco Mission, and given to other enterprises connected with the cause. There are no wealthy families in this church, but there are few individuals who do not do something every week. This accounts for the success.
The question has been asked if the action of the school was not hasty in making its donation to the Australian Mission; if it would not have been well to consult the officers of the General Sabbath-school Association. We answer: That is just what was done. The president of that Association is a member of this church, and was and is fully in accord with the action of this school. And our State Association is not unmindful of other interests. It is not the intention to concentrate the entire interest of our schools on any one cause. A healthy interest is not a local one. Let our Sabbath-school scholars early learn and realize that "the field is the world."
THOUGHTS ON BAPTISM.
By Joseph Harvey Waggoner
By ELD. J. H. WAGGONER.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE ACTION, SUBJECTS, AND RELATIONS OF THE ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM.
Also, a Brief Refutation of the
# HISTORICAL CLAIMS FOR TRINE IMMERSION.
SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED.
Prices, post-paid,—In flexible cloth, 35 cents; paper covers, 25 cents. Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
The Signs of the Times.
By Editor
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, APRIL 9, 1885.
“WARS and rumors of wars” are still the order of the day in China, Egypt, Afghanistan, Manitoba, and Central America.
RAINS, very much needed, have recently visited California. Vegetation has a large growth for the time of year. And the telegraph brings news of heavy snow-storms in many parts of the East in the early days of April. In Canada railroad trains were delayed.
ALL who wish information in regard to silk culture will address Mrs. Theodore Hittell, 808 Turk Street, San Francisco, Cal. Here is work in which women and children can engage. Better than wine producing. California is well adapted to silk culture, and there is no reason why it should not be largely followed.
FOUR persons were baptized at Alameda beach on Sunday, March 29. They are members of the San Francisco church. Some who see the advertisements of bathing houses and shooting parks on Alameda beach get the idea that it is an unpleasant place for a baptism on Sunday. But it is not so. There are places on the beach, easy of access, away from the public resorts, quiet and every way pleasant for such a service. The beach is clean sand, and the water always smooth. It is the only place in this country, to our knowledge, where all these advantages are combined.
“Student’s Workshop.”
By Editor
NUMBER four of this paper is received. With its motto of “Labor and Study,” its neat appearance shows that the printers of Healdsburg College put study into their labor. The articles are well written, and useful, filled with good thoughts. It is an honor to the College, and ought to be taken by all the patrons of the school, and especially those in California.
Anti-Sabbath in California.
By Editor
ANOTHER anti-Sabbath pamphlet has appeared in California; this time by a Baptist minister. It hails from Santa Barbara, and comes highly recommended by a few prominent names. We received a copy some time ago with a request to notice it. We have been so pressed with work since our return from the East, that we have not read all its pages, which we hope to do by and by. But we thought we would not be in too great haste to notice it, as it would be courteous to give the Herald of Truth, the Baptist paper of this coast, opportunity to first notice this, the first considerable effort of the Baptists in this State on the Sabbath question. Let all have patience; it will come around in due time.
North Pacific Camp-Meeting.
By Editor
THE officers of the North Pacific Conference inform us that class instruction will be given on their camp-ground, which will probably be in the city of Portland, commencing June 13. These exercises will be profitable to all, and especially to those who intend to devote their time to the work of God in any branch of this cause. Ministers, licentiates, missionaries, canvassers, and colporters should be sure to attend. Parents should encourage their children, and all the young, to attend. It frequently happens that a deep interest in the truth is created in such exercises, where preaching has had no effect. There is power in the word of God. There is power attending consecration to the work. Remember these meetings for instruction will commence June 13. More full notice will be given hereafter.
Delusive Sanctification.
By Editor
THIS is the title of a tract of 27 pages, issued by C. W. Dearborn, of Oakland, Cal., being a reprint of two articles in the New York Examiner, written by Rev. P. A. Nordell, pastor of the First Baptist Church in New London, Conn. We can commend the reasoning as good in most particulars. Among the fruits of this system of perfectionism now known as the “second blessing,” or “holiness” (miscalled, we think), the author gives the following:—
“A RELAXED MORALITY.—By limiting sin to voluntary action, much that is sin in its most refined and dangerous form escapes censure by posing as involuntary infirmity. But these so-called infirmities are constantly encroaching on the territory of voluntary action. One transgression after another is palliated as infirmity, until presently the standard of moral obligation is so lowered as to permit a ‘perfectly holy’ man to do, without misgivings of conscience, what an honest man cannot do. This tendency of every form of pretended moral perfection to let down the bars of moral obligation is abundantly proved in the history of the church from the rise of Pelagianism to the latest theories of our own day.”
We have had occasion to notice this tendency when speaking of the work of the “holiness bands” in this city. It is a delusion to be feared because it comes under the pretense of earnest piety. But they who have had to deal with fanaticism will be at no loss to detect it, for fanaticism is always zealous, having self-confidence for its foundation.
But the publisher surely cannot expect a large circulation of the tract, at the price of 25 cents—about a cent a page.
The Cost of Religion and Dogs
To THOSE who feel like complaining about the expenses of religion, here is something to think of. It has been estimated that to support the dogs of this country, costs $50,000,000 annually, while the yearly cost of supporting the clergy is but $6,000,000, or about one-half a cent per annum for each individual!
Home for Sale in Healdsburg
Brother S. C. Bice, desirous of devoting himself to the missionary work, wishes to sell his home in Healdsburg. The property is well located, and consists of a comfortable house of five rooms on a lot of one-half acre, with some fruit. There is also a good stable on the place. Address, S. C. Bice, Healdsburg, Cal.