Earlier text: I WILL COME AGAINTHE GOLDEN RULE.
By M. G. Huffman
“THEREFORE,” says Christ, “all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets,—do unto others as we would have them do unto us; or, in other words, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” for love is the fulfilling of the law. This is generally known as the Golden Rule, called thus, perhaps, because it contains the precious gem of all righteousness, and, like gold when separated from the dross, is pure and undefiled, and will doubtless, if faithfully lived up to, give us an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. How different from the teaching of Christ is the natural order of things! The carnal heart is in direct opposition to this rule. It is painful, to say the least, to see some who profess to be of those of whom it is said, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,” walking in direct opposition to the plain teachings of Christ. Christ said, when asked which was the greatest commandment in the law, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second359 is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” If we obey the golden rule, we shall be found in harmony with the principles upon which rests the eternal throne of Jehovah; namely, love to God, and love to our fellow man. Not until we are willing to grant unto others license to speak evil of us, or to defraud us in any way, are we at liberty, according to the golden rule, to say or do anything that would be detrimental to the reputation of a brother or sister. David once asked the question, “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” Mark the answer: “He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.” What is it to take up a reproach? It must be to believe an evil report against a brother or a sister, and be ready or willing to carry the same to others, by which means the story grows and is magnified until, perhaps, it becomes necessary to call in the brother or sister who is thus censured, and ascertain, if possible, what awful crime has been committed; after a long, preliminary trial, the court adjourns until another time, having reached no definite conclusion. By such a course souls have been discouraged, the cause of Christ has been reproached, and angels have been made to weep. All this might have been avoided by heeding the injunction of our Saviour: “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.” This is the golden rule. How often we are found taking just the opposite course! Instead of following the injunction of our divine Master,—going to the brother, if we feel as if he has made a mistake, or has been overtaken in a fault, and trying, if possible, to restore him in the spirit of meekness,—we take part in criticising and magnifying the faults of the accused. We act upon the theory that every source of information should be guarded, so that the brother should never know the source of the false information. But if the brother happens to hear of the stories afloat, and makes inquiries concerning them, he is asked to believe that no harm was meant, only his good was at heart. No one can manufacture an excuse large enough to justify him in taking a different course from that which God has laid down in His word. Therefore, “if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone.” This is the golden rule. It is just what we should like to have our brother do to us; if we were to do this, acquainting ourselves with all the circumstances under which the brother or sister is laboring, we should often be led to change our minds very materially. Why do we behold the mote in our brother’s eye, but fail to discern the beam in our own eye? Let us heed the admonition of Christ, and first cast the beam out of our eye: then, and not until then, can we clearly see to cast the mote out of our brother’s eye. Our profession will avail us nothing in the end, unless we get out of the miserable business of mote-pulling, and criticising, and learn to love one another; for thus we read, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God loveth his brother also.” “Put on therefore,” says Paul, “as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” By beholding we become changed—transformed into the likeness of that which we behold. May the Lord help us who claim to be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” to rise above the vain things of this life, and attain to that position where we can receive the help that will enable us to overcome. FORGIVENESS
By Belle Beck Gibson
BELLE BECK GIBSON.
(Victoria, British Columbia.) “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” is in the very heart of that wonderful and immortal prayer taught by our Saviour to His disciples while He walked up and down this earth, a man among men, and the principle it embodies is set forth in the holy Word as of great importance to those who seek eternal life. Without forgiveness of sins, we can never hope to meet a sinless God in peace; and our forgiveness depends upon our forgiving our brother. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Can we, who are debtors to God’s holy law, hope for forgiveness from an offended God if we refuse forgiveness to our fellow men? Take the parable of the servant who owed his lord ten thousand talents: “But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desirest me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Some will say, “O, well, he never asked me to; when he confesses to me, then I will forgive him.” Is this Christ’s instruction? Let us see: “When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25. Here the thought is not whether men have confessed to us, but whether we have aught against another. Then follows the result of refusing to forgive: “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Again, in Luke 6:37, “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” “Well, I can forgive, but I cannot forget,” some one says; but the Lord says: “I, even I, am He that bloteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” After we have made our confessions to Him, does He, every time He looks upon us, think how we have wronged Him, and feel that we are still guilty? How many times, when one who has sinned against us, and afterward repented and asked forgiveness, we profess to forgive, but whenever we see him, we think of that sin, and sometimes even speak of it to others, thus keeping it ever fresh in our minds. Praise the Lord, He does not thus forgive; for He casts our sin behind His back (Isa. 38:17), so that He stands between us and our sins. I am so glad He does not turn around and gaze at them. For again He says, “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Then when we truly forgive, we must forget all the old bitterness, and put it completely out of our minds and hearts.300 Again: “How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, untill seven times: but, untill seventy times seven.” Matt. 18:21, 22. When we come to the Lord confessing that we have sinned and done wickedly in His sight, and beseeching Him to forgive us, do you think He recalls the many times we have had to come to Him for forgiveness, and feels a little hard against us, to think we have so often sinned?—Oh, no; He is infinite in mercy. When our brother has wronged us once, and we forgive him, we feel as if that is about all we can do; and if he wrongs us the second time, or the third, we are apt to say, “Well, there comes a time when patience ceases to be a virtue,” or, “I think it is time to teach him a lesson.” Ah, but, “If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.” Few of us have been thus tried. There should be a feeling of tenderness in our hearts toward the wrong-doer, as he turns to us with repentance. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthian brethren: “But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment [“censure,” margin], which was inflicted of many. So that contrari-wise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.” Oh, that there were more of this blessed principle among us! Suppose one has sinned, he is censured of many, and there is danger of his becoming discouraged or hardened. When one of the household of faith is in trouble, even by his own sin, let us rally around him with love and prayers, and thus restore him. Only one who has suffered this censure of many can know the heart-hunger for even a warm clasp of the hand, a friendly word, a kindly smile. Not that we encourage such a one in his fault, but we need the tender love and pity of Christ, that while we hate the sin, we can tenderly and truly love the sinner. No one has yet been won by censure; it only drives him farther away; only love can win. We need not be afraid that because we are seen in kindly intercourse with the offender, we shall become a partaker of his sins; if so, our blessed Saviour would never have been the friend of publicans and sinners. One does not feel the need of unusual kindness when he is smoothly sailing along with no particular trials or discouragements; but when trials come, then his heart yearns for some one to help him. At such a time he is abnormally sensitive; every one seems against him until he proves himself a friend, and we should not be too busy or preoccupied to be kind at such a time. Even our Master felt a longing for human sympathy, which He had the right to expect, when in the garden of Gethsemane He prayed alone. O my Saviour! that thou shouldst wrestle alone, denied the faithful sympathy of even the chosen three, and that when thou wast giving thy life, and sweating great drops of blood, for our sins, not thine own! O God, grant that we may see the necessity of comforting those under heavy trials. Do not let us stand aloof and speak coldly; such a course cannot but wound or harden the heart already burdened almost beyond its strength. Finally, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.” Acts 5:31, 32. OUR PRIVILEGE.
By A. Weeks
A. WEEKS. (Lakeview, Mich.) It is the privilege of every one to know, at all times, that he is “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” The Lord certainly wishes us to have this power, and bestows it upon every one who exercises faith for it. Then surely we need not sin, even though of ourselves we are weak. If Paul could say, “When I am weak, then am I strong,” because the power of Christ rested upon him, so can we. It is our privilege to believe for “grace to help in time of need” as well as for “remission of sins.” The Lord is desirous that we should not be overcome by temptation. He is faithful, and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear, but will with the temptation make a way of escape. Then let us by living faith commit all into His hands, trust Him implicitly, believing that He bestows upon us the keeping power of His Holy Spirit. “According to your faith be it unto you,” said the Saviour to the two blind men; and as He touched their eyes, they received sight. The same is said to us in the struggle against sin. The power of God is ours, if we live for it. The fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit is awaiting our demand and reception. We should earnestly pray for it, believe for it, and open the door of our hearts wide for its reception. Our Saviour encourages us to ask for it. He says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” What more could our Lord say to us to show the certainty of our receiving the Holy Spirit if we seek for it with earnestness of soul? Is it not true that as we draw near to God, He breathes upon us, saying, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”? O let us open the door of the heart by faith and welcome the heavenly Guest! Then “sin shall not have dominion” over us. “These things write I unto you that ye sin not.” Praise God for His keeping power. May all who love the Lord, receive the Holy Spirit in all its fullness without delay. Why not? Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
“LET not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.” Though the heavens were removed, and the earth should fail, and all other supports give way, on Christ, the everlasting rock, the soul can find a sure and safe foundation.” THE LORD’S VINEYARD.
By Lenna Iselin
MRS. LENNA ISELIN.
(Spring Bluff, Wis.) “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” “Go work to-day in my vineyard!” These words are sharp and imperative, and should pierce the heart of every idler in the Master’s vineyard. God has given “to every man his work;” not that He is unable to furnish workers from the corps of heaven, but it is for man’s spiritual good to put away self, and work for others. We have often heard the remark from visitors, when asked to dine, “I haven’t worked enough to gain an appetite.” So it is with the idler in the Master’s vineyard; he has not worked enough to acquire an appetite for the bread of life, so he loses the nourishment necessary to a healthy, energetic Christian. Show me an idler, and I will show you an individual whose spirituality is at a low ebb. Work being necessary to Christian welfare, God has given talents “to every man according to his several ability.” To some He has given more than to others; but He requires the one to whom He has given least—one talent—to double its value. Every man will be rewarded according to his works. The Lord has planted a vineyard here on the earth. The vines have become one mass of confusion. The Lord has placed workers in this vineyard, to bring order out of confusion, and start the clinging tendrils in the right direction, where they will find support. Every professed Christian should be a worker; but alas! how many idlers are found among them! We may have only a small corner in this vineyard,—perhaps only the neighborhood in which we live; but the smaller the corner, the more faithfully we should till it, going over the ground again and again. If every one of us had been faithful workers in our own neighborhoods, the world would have been warned, and we should now be in possession of the promised inheritance. But, says one, “I do not see what I can do; if I were a minister or a Bible worker, I could do a great deal of good.” When we read the words, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” are we willing that they should apply to ministers and Bible workers only? —Ah, no! we desire to be included; but we cannot be unless we are among those who work for Christ. There are a great many things we can do, if we watch for opportunities. We can loan a book or paper, speak a word of comfort, visit the sick, and above all, live a consistent Christian life before our neighbors. It is the small things that make up the sum of life. If we bring one sinner to Christ, and he, in turn, brings others, and so on to the end, great good will be accomplished. “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5: 20. There may be those around us who desire to live a better life; and a word spoken in due season may cause them to decide in favor of the truth. On the other hand, if we neglect to point out the way of life, and they are lost, are we innocent in the sight of heaven? Let us read Eze. 3: 18, 19: “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life: the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” The Lord regards the home as the choicest spot in His vineyard; it contains the tenderest shoots, which are easily affected by surrounding influences. If started right, the little tendrils will cling to their support as fast as they are formed, giving the vine a strong foundation when it is old, so that the fiercest tempest is unable to tear it away. But alas! how many parents are idlers in this corner of the vineyard,—small though it be! How many give no heed to the tender, clinging vines, but allow them to run in any direction, clinging to low shrubs, when they might have had a firm basis to rest upon! Parents, God has left this small spot in His vineyard in your care. He holds you accountable for the way you work it. Let us arouse ourselves and work; for soon “the night cometh, when no man can work.” We shall then see the golden opportunities that we have missed; but it will be too late for regrets. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” “CALMNESS of mind is an essential condition of well-balanced intellectual activity.” TO THE WILD CARROT BLOSSOM.
They call you only a worthless weed,
And grudge you a spot to grow;
They plow up the meadow with cruel greed,
And ruthlessly lay you low. Such beauty as yours is far too rare
For common eyes to see;
For, search through the gardens everywhere,
Your equal can scarcely be. 'Tis only the souls with cultured sight
Who own your delicate grace,
And freely accord your royal right
To the name of “Queen Anne’s Lace.” So in many a lowly human flower
God's hidden graces wait
The touch of love to reveal its dower
And lift it to kingly state. Teaching Children Neatness and Purity
“Symmetry of character is to be restored in man, and God calls upon parents with all their capabilities to co-operate with Him in this work of restoration. Uncleanness in the home is a great mistake; for it is educating in its effects, and casts its influence abroad. Even in babyhood a right direction should be given to the minds and habits of children. Teach them to keep their bodies clean, by giving them a bath as soon as they rise in the morning and before retiring at night. Show them that uncleanness, whether in body or dress, is objectionable to God. Teach them to eat in a clean manner. Constant vigilance must be exercised that these habits may become second nature to them. There must be no lax methods in the home; for the children will never outgrow what they have been allowed to become familiar with in their childhood. If they have been trained to habits of neatness and order, untidiness and slackness will be offensive to them. Impurity will be despised, as it should be.” Christ’s Religion Subdues Selfishness
“THE religion of Christ subdues the selfish spirit, and transforms the mind and the affections; it lays low the pride of men, that God alone may be exalted.” Prayer and Heavenly Grace
PRAYER is the conduit-pipe between my soul and heaven. It is the outlet upward for gratitude and yearning desires for blessing; it is the inlet through which supplies of grace pour downward into the heart.—Cuyler. “WHEN I have time, the friend I love so well
Shall know no more these weary, toiling days.
I’ll lead her feet in pleasant paths always,
And cheer her heart with words of sweetest praise,
When I have time. “When you have time! the friend you hold so dear
May be beyond the reach of your intent,
May never know that you so kindly meant
To fill her life with blessed sweet content,
When you had time.” NOT MINE, BUT THINE.
By Ella Wheeler Wilcox
ALL those who journey soon or late
Must pass within the garden's gate;
Must kneel alone in darkness there,
And battle with some fierce despair.
God pity those who cannot say:
“Not mine, but thine;” who only pray,
“Let this cup pass,” and can not see
The purpose in Gethsemane.
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox. WHY HAVE WE BEEN SO BLESSED?
By Ammy W. Welsh
While reading in a recent number of a popular journal on cookery, which is clubbing this year with many of the leading periodicals in the United States, I felt impressed to copy the following paragraph, which I hope will increase our thankfulness for the light we have received. It was on a page which was filled with recipes for dishes, the majority of which we should call “dietetic abominations:” — “How is it that these poor, who are always with us, are generally so much richer in rude health, and perhaps in common sense, than the rich? How is it that the so-called pauper laborers of European lands sustain their health, strength, and vigor on a diet as costless as it is plain? How is it that the native laborer in India does more hard work than the well-fed American, though his only food is three-cents’ worth of rice a day? These things are mysteries to most of us, who are out-and-out fools when it comes to a battle between our health and our appetites. At school we learn pretty nearly every useless thing in the books, only to find out, on leaving, that we know nothing about the ‘one thing needful’ to a live man, namely, how to live.” Dear sisters, does not this pertinent inquiry, and frank confession of ignorance and weakness, on the part of those schooled in all the learning and wisdom of the world, seem pitiful to you? Should not our hearts be stirred to give them the desired knowledge? Many of us have had but meager advantages in school education; but we have been wonderfully blessed and honored in having the advantages of the “school of Christ,” in these last days, when the fullness of the light of the gospel of Christ is shining into the moral darkness of this “land of the shadow of death.” If we realize, as did our Pattern Missionary, that of our own selves we can do nothing, we shall be taught of God how to use the one or more talents with which He has intrusted us. We have taken satisfaction in the thought that we “are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [purchased] people;” but I wonder if we do not often forget our exalted privileges and high calling in Christ Jesus; or else, in self-exaltation and pride, imagine they are ours because of worth or merit in ourselves, and so lose sight of the fact that they are given us that we should show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Not because He selfishly desires praise, as do we; but because, as He is the source of all light and life, He desires us to show forth His praises (virtues, marginal reading), so that others may be “called out of darkness into His marvelous light,” till all who will accept the call shall become children of light. The message He bids us show forth in life and word, He says is His power to save from sin and its consequences (Rom. 1:16); and so it must contain all truth necessary to restore man spiritually and physically. Do we appreciate it? have we received the love of it into our hearts? and are our own lives being transformed by it? If so, we cannot rest content to enjoy its benefits ourselves alone, but will desire the good of others also. In proportion as we value it, will be our desire to give it to others. Satan is working with the energy of desperation hopelessly to enslave man in the bondage to fleshly lusts and appetites. But we can proclaim liberty to the captives, for we are not debtors to the flesh. “The power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” is still the same as when Jesus was here in person, and still operates miraculously whenever God sees best. Great light has come to us on healthful living, hygienic treatment, etc., and if we accept and make use of this light, Christ will bless us physically. These truths He expects us to become acquainted with, not only for our own good, but also that we may teach them to others; nor can we neglect or despise them except at our soul’s peril. In 1 Peter 2:9, 11, we read, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. . . . Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” It is our blessed privilege in Christ to keep our bodies “under.” I GET what is called “Rub no more.” It costs only five cents a package. I put a tablespoonful of this in a little soft water, into which I slice as much soap as I think will be needed. After the soap has dissolved, I put the liquid into the boiler, and add enough cold water to make the boiling suds. Then I wring out the clothes from the cold water where they have been soaking, and put them into the boiler. After boiling a few minutes, I take them out and put in others, of course boiling the least soiled ones first. After the boiling, I suds and rinse, and my clothes look as nice as if I had rubbed them through two waters before boiling. It is sometimes necessary to rub spots out of some of the clothes after the boiling. “Let labor for souls become a part of your life.” EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE.
My husband has not been in the truth until this winter. He has now kept the Sabbath about three months. He will receive baptism soon. I praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy toward us all. I do love the REVIEW, and take much comfort in reading it, especially the Woman’s page. I would like to ask the prayers of the sisters for my husband, who is still an unbeliever. In answer to your request, I will send my REVIEW to any one who you think will be benefited by receiving it. The REVIEW is dear to us. It is the only teacher we have. I have been watching the requests for prayer for others, and have been praying for them, too. I wish the sisters would pray for my father, who is an old soldier, kind and good to his family, and not prejudiced against the truth, but does not realize the necessity of obedience. Within the last year I have moved from my old home to this new country, as it seemed best to do so. There are none of our faith near me, and I am indeed thankful that I can have the Bible and our good papers and books, so that I can still keep in touch with our people. The country is thinly settled, and we are so far from the post-office that we do not get mail more than once a week, sometimes not as often as that. I live entirely alone, but have a married son living near. There is no school near, so I am teaching his two stepchildren, aged fifteen and seventeen years respectively. We are using “Christ’s Object Lessons” as our reading book, and enjoy it very much. A PRAYER FOR PATIENCE.
By Washington Gladden
Teach me thy patience; still with thee
In closer, dearer company;
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong;
In trust that triumphs over wrong;
In hope that sends a shining ray
Far down the future’s broadening way;
In peace that only thou canst give—
With thee, O Master, let me live!
— Washington Gladden. “I desire the prayers of our people for my sister, who is a Methodist missionary. Pray that she may accept more truth.” “Please pray that I may be restored to health in mind and body, and that the way may open for my son to go to school.” “I ask the prayers of the sisters for my dear children. My oldest daughter’s husband is unkind to her. Pray that the Lord will convert him.” “I desire the prayers of the sisters in behalf of my husband and two sons, all of whom have been members of the church, but have backslidden, and are now living in sin.” “Please join with me in prayer for my husband, who is a Seventh-day Adventist, but does not realize the solemnity of the times in which we are living; also for my mother, whose religion is opposed by my father.” “A few days before my son died, he called me to his bedside, to talk with me. He said, ‘Do not forget to pray for Charles and Myrtle,’ his brother and wife, who are out of the truth. I ask the dear sisters to join me in prayer for them.” “Please pray for my only brother. I always remember him in my prayers, but he has not given himself to the Lord yet. He believes the truth, but seems careless about his soul’s salvation. Also pray that my husband’s people may become truly converted to God.” “I ask the prayers of our sisters for two boys who need help. They wandered from home and mother when young, and have fallen into many bad habits. But they still have tender hearts, and God’s Spirit is working with them. Pray earnestly for them.” “I have long been carrying a great burden, and desire to offer to this praying band my oldest boys as subjects of prayer. They left home about five years ago, and have been wandering in paths of sin ever since. They once were members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We have heard nothing of the younger one for two years, and do not know whether he is dead or alive. Please pray that if he is still numbered with the living, the Spirit of the Lord will find him, and he be won over by God’s love.” A SHOUT FROM THE WATCHTOWER.
There is a call to be made and answered in the last days, deemed of such importance that Inspiration has seen fit to spread it upon the prophetic page. It is described as the “burden of Dumah,” expressed by a voice out of Seir: “Watchman, what of the night?” made emphatic by repetition: “Watchman, what of the night?” Such is the thrilling appeal made to the watchman. Evidently the signs are startling; some change is impending, and the traveler’s mind becomes anxious. What are the portents? What are we to look for next? The watchman responds, “The morning cometh, and also the night.” And the anxious inquirer is encouraged to press his inquiry. “If ye will inquire,” that is, if you have a disposition to inquire, if you desire to know the nature of the times, the aspect of the night, and what the prospect is, it is your privilege to inquire again: “Inquire ye, return, come.” As in a business meeting, a motion may be renewed after intervening business, so here, after every change of the kaleidoscope, when the fore-tokening heavens present a new aspect, the inquiry may be renewed, What of the night? what of the night? The answer indicates that a condition is impending which will specifically affect two classes: a time of light, and consequently of joy and rejoicing, like the breaking of the morning; for the watchmen, speaking for the Lord, says: “The morning cometh.” But it would be an incomplete and deceptive picture to leave it there; for “when the saints’ rest comes, then the world’s distress comes.” When the morning of life breaks for the children of light, for another class who love darkness rather than light, the night follows hard after; and the watchman immediately rounds out his instruction by adding the chilling note, “and also the night;” that is, the night is also coming. How startling is that declaration! What fearful scenes of desolation and woe are bound up therein! It is well that the coming of the morning should be named first; for in that is hope and joy and delight, for which the Church has long waited. But the other part cannot be omitted; for in that, the night, is bound up the sudden ruin which comes upon those who cry peace and safety when sudden destruction is just ready to burst upon them. I Thess. 5:3. There is the sudden awakening of men who presume with all confidence upon the favor of the Lord, saying that in His name they have cast out devils, and have done many wonderful works, when He shall say, “I never knew you.” Matt. 7:23. There is weeping and gnashing of teeth among the enemies of the Lord, when they shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God, and they themselves thrust out. Luke 13:28. And over the darkness of this night that is coming, there shall flash and flicker those lurid fires which, prepared and designed only for the devil and his angels, shall sweep at last into their fiery folds all those who have cast in their lot and destiny with the rebel hosts. Remember what is coming. The morning cometh, and also the night. The night is calculated to wean us from earthly things. Do the wicked prosper and flourish like a green bay tree? Remember that they shall be cut down. Do millionaires flaunt their glittering tinsel before the eyes of fawning multitudes? Think of our Lord’s question, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Matt. 16:26. Let us who are of the day, and are not in darkness that it should come upon us like a thief, prepare for the morning. Warning is now given in time to prepare; but when the shadows of this world’s last night close in upon us, it will be too late.