Earlier text: Remarkable Travel in Modern TimesNEW TESTAMENT SABBATH.
By William Covert
1. WHAT day of the week is the Sabbath of the present dispensation?
"And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun." Mark 16:1, 2. 2. How did the followers of Christ regard the day?
"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath-day according to the commandment." Luke 23:56. 3. What does the commandment say?
"But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." Ex. 20:10. 4. Why?
"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it." Verse 11. 5. What is the lesson taught by the Saviour concerning the obligation of the Sabbath in the present dispensation?
Speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in A.D. 70, he said: "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day." Matt. 24:20. 6. How was it regarded by Christ both before and after his baptism?
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16. 7. Upon what day of the week did Paul and his co-laborers attend meeting at Antioch?
"They came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and sat down." Acts 13:14. 8. What liberty was granted them?
"And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on." Verse 15. 9. What impression seems to have been made by the speaker upon the Gentiles who were at the meeting?
"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath." Verse 42. 10. How well was the meeting attended that was appointed at their request?
"And the next Sabbath-day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." Verse 44. 11. Why did they want these words preached to them? Ans.—They certainly wanted to become Christians. 12. What day did this course indicate that they intended to observe? Ans.—The one upon which they appointed their meetings. 13. When did the women at Philippi hold their meetings?
"And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river-side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Acts 16:13. 14. What custom had Paul with reference to holding meetings?
"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews; and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Acts 17:1, 2. 15. What was the result of his labors at Thessalonica?
"And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few." Verse 4. 16. What power directed Paul in his work at this place?
"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." 1 Thess. 1:5. NOTE.—Their example among these people was for the benefit of those for whom they labored. 17. What effect did his example have?
"And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost." Verse 6. 18. How far did this example extend?
"So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad." Verses 7, 8. 19. How is the example of these people seen manifested among the other churches here enumerated?
"They themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you." Verse 9. 20. What was his example in Achaia?
"After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; . . . and because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought; for by their occupation they were tent makers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:1-4. 21. If all these churches followed the example of Paul and of the Lord what day did they keep?
"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16.
"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews; and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Acts 17:1, 2. 22. To whom should all Christians look for example?
"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." 1 John 2:6. WM. COVERT.
Indianapolis, Ind. A VESTIBULE TRAIN FOR HEAVEN.
THERE are some people who seem to think they have a through ticket on a vestibule train for heaven. Having paid their pew-rent, taken a seat in the church for a pleasing Sunday service, feeling no obligation to do anything to move the church onward spiritually, they consider themselves at liberty to find fault with the minister and the choir, just as the critical complaining passenger, who, having paid for his ticket and secured his birth, looks upon the train, officers and all, as bound to be simply subservient to his individual fancy and pleasure. Is it not time that those who are divinely commanded to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling got rid of this passenger notion of getting to heaven?—The Living Church (Episcopal). Christ’s Love in Desolation
THERE is no wilderness so dreary but that Christ's love can illuminate it; no desolation so desolate but that he can sweeten it. A SCANDALOUS PICNIC.
By Editor
THE following article, under the above title, by Rev. John Mordy, of Niagara Falls, a Presbyterian, appeared some time since in a Western New York paper. It is a good illustration of much of the inner life of Rome, and the logical result of her doctrines. It will do to compare with the high claims of Catholics sometime in the future:— "In looking over the program of the picnic held by the Holy(?) Catholic(?) Apostolic(?) Church at Niagara, last Tuesday, I venture to think that it would be considered rather a strange bill of fare were it presided over by St. Peter or any of the apostles, instead of one of their modern representatives. "In the first place, you will notice that the prizes given for no less than four of the games are boxes of cigars. If these prizes are selected with a view to stimulate and direct the ambition of the youth, the great object of the Church of Rome must be to teach young men the filthy habit of smoking. This idea is confirmed by the fact that No. 15 on the program is a smoking race. Pretty business this for a holy church? Two of the prizes are bottles of wine and one a bottle of brandy. From this we naturally infer that another object of the holy church is to encourage the use of strong drink; for what should young men value more than prizes given under the direction of an infallible church? "Looking over the list of donors, I notice in the second place that nine-tenths of the prizes have been contributed by Protestants, whom the holy church has condemned to hell; for, according to her catechism, no heretic shall enter the kingdom of heaven. The holy Bible teaches that no drunkard shall enter the kingdom of heaven, and warns young men not to 'look upon the wine when it is red.' But the holy church, which teaches that no Protestant shall get to heaven, encourages the use of cigars and strong drink, by offering them as prizes to those who succeed in games, one of which is a smoking race. "I notice in the third place that the Protestants who contributed for those games condemn and despise the holy church in their hearts, and in their conversation with other Protestants, almost as much as the holy church condemns and despises them; but being business men, they allow the church to make milch cows of them, to secure the custom of Roman Catholics, who in turn pity and despise them for their lack of sincerity and manliness. "In conclusion, the writer would like to say to the priest who superintends this business: Are you not ashamed to pass yourself off for the representative of Christ and his apostles, and at the same time to invite poor Protestants, whom your church condemns to hell, to join in games like a smoking race, and to give boxes of cigars and bottles of strong drink to boys as prizes? He would like to say to Protestants: Are you not ashamed to countenance and encourage, under the guise of religion, such disgraceful inducements to contract habits of drunkenness, which are destroying thousands of your fellow-men?" WHY IT IS.
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
A MAN who has been out in a very dark night finds it impossible to see objects distinctly if he suddenly enters a well-lighted room. It would be just as well, yes, even better, for him if the room were at first only partially lighted, for then his eyes would the sooner accommodate themselves to the changed conditions. So also a man who has been in a very deep well, or a cave, cannot see when he suddenly finds himself in the blazing sunlight. Everything at first appears in a haze, then the outlines of form begin to be seen, and finally everything stands out in full relief. The same principle holds good in other things. If you should place a work on geometry in the hands of an Indian just from the plains, you could not expect him to understand it. Its figures would convey no meaning whatever to him. Or if you should place a Greek Testament in the hands of a bright Sabbath-school scholar, it would be unintelligible to him, although he might be able to read the English language with ease. But give him a few years' time, and he would be able to read the Greek. Yet he would not read it readily at first. He would learn the letters, then certain forms and rules, and then he would stumblingly pick out the meaning of a simple sentence. Even if a book were in a child's own language, and he were unable to read, he would have to acquire a knowledge of it gradually. And so in everything; all knowledge is gradually acquired. Now let us apply this principle to another case. We claim that the Bible very plainly teaches that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and that no other day is or can be the Sabbath of the Lord. But the question comes up, Why did not all the good of past ages believe and teach thus, if it is Bible doctrine? Why did not the reformers keep the Sabbath? The question is already answered. For centuries the Catholic Church had had supreme sway. Its policy was to keep men in ignorance, especially of the Bible; that was a proscribed book. Wherever one was found, it was burned by the priest, and the possessor treated as a heretic. The priests themselves knew nothing of the Bible. Even the cardinals and archbishops, the men in highest position in the church, were ignorant of its teachings. They were taught to look upon it as a vile book, and to look to the church for their spiritual knowledge. Among the common people, the ignorance was of course still greater. There were very few who had ever seen a Bible. If they had seen one, the most of them would have spurned it as a loathsome thing whose very touch would contaminate. Had they ventured to open its pages, it would have conveyed no more to them than if it were blank, for the Bible had not been translated into the language of the common people. The small portions of the Bible that the church allowed the priests to have were written in Latin. And even if the Bible had been translated, to thousands it would still have been a blank, for where there is ignorance of the Bible there is ignorance of the deepest kind. Very few of the people could read; many even of the nobles and princes could not; there was no incentive for them to do so. This was the night, the darkest part of the night, and the darkness, like that of Egypt, could indeed be felt. But night does not always last. God's Spirit was at work in the hearts of men, and that always brings light. There were men who had all the wisdom that the schools could bestow. They had been moved to acquire this knowledge by a desire to benefit their fellow-men. And yet in regard to the Bible they were as ignorant as the poorest peasant. But they were anxious to serve God, and Christ says that "if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine." And so these men found the Bible, and, unmoved by the threats of bishops and popes, they translated it and studied it. The Reformation gave the Bible to the people, but they could not grasp all its truth at once. Its simplest doctrines were so directly opposed to the teachings of the church that it took a long time for their minds to comprehend them. The one great point then needed was to make men understand that the pope had no power to forgive sin, or to give men license to sin, or to remit the punishment due to sin; works of penance would not suffice to gain the favor of God. "The just shall live by faith," was the watchword of the Reformation. People must first learn to believe that the Bible, not the pope, could alone point out the way of life. Some of the reformers had glimpses of still further truth, but not all. The Reformation had only just begun when Luther and his fellow-laborers died. Many grievous papal errors still existed. Other men followed them, who were moved by the same spirit, and now the light began to dawn more brightly, and more and more of the Bible was made clear to men. They had become somewhat accustomed to its rays of light. Some rested content with the little light they had received, and refused to receive any more. But others looked still farther, and were rewarded by finding new treasures. And now a great flood of light shines forth from the sacred page, and men are beginning to endure the sight. But this could not have been done at once any more than men who have been long confined in a dark dungeon could look at once upon the sun at noonday. And this answers the question, "Why were these things not found out before?" THE COUNTERFEIT AND THE GENUINE.
By Milton C. Wilcox
THERE are few texts of Holy Writ more frequently misapplied than Matt. 7:15: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." It has been applied to true reformers all through the Christian age by a corrupt and godless church. No sooner has advanced light been proclaimed to the world, than the above sentiment has been hurled at those who heeded the message sent of God. But all this does not detract a jot or tittle from the warning of our Saviour. It has been a needful warning all through the ages past; it is even more to be kept before the people of the world in the last days. From the time that Satan gained a foothold on the earth, he has counterfeited the work of God. He "beguiled" our primal mother (2 Cor. 11:3); he has deceived the whole world (Rev. 12:9); he has been a liar and murderer from the beginning. In order to effectually deceive, the counterfeit in its inception must be made as much like the truth as possible, and yet contain within it elements which will lead to sin and destruction. It is like the way spoken of by the wise man, which to man seemed to be right, but which in reality was the way of death. Of course the beginning of a path of deception does not appear as it does at its close. The apostasy in the church in the early centuries of the Christian era was but the slightest departure from truth and righteousness. It was so near like the genuine that many were deceived thereby, and gave it their influence, and thus made it more powerful for evil. In those first small plants of departure from God was the baleful tree of the Dark Ages yet undeveloped. God saw it and gave warning. Men heeded not the warning; they could not in their human blindness see much difference between the false and the true, and were therefore deceived. The word of God clearly and positively declares that there shall be great deceptions in the last days of probation. It is only natural that it should be thus. The great deceiver of all, who has practiced upon human souls and minds for six thousand years, who has used every device which his hellish ingenuity could invent, has grown wise in his craft. He knows how different minds and characters can be deceived, to what temptations people and nations and generations are susceptible. He can use the same old deceptions, he can clothe them in new garbs to suit the selfish mass, he can combine old and invent new. Every successful device of the past, every new one which can be devised, will be used to deceive the world in the last days, and prevent souls from being saved. He would naturally work in this way. He knows his time is short, therefore he is come down in great wrath. This does not mean that his principal manifestation is rage. He is the deceiver still; he beguiles unwary souls. Let us notice some of the solemn warnings which God has given to us of this work of deception on the part of Satan. In 2 Thess. 2:8, the coming of Christ is brought to view. Just before he comes, there will be a great work done by Satan. That passage reads— "Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." Verses 9, 10. The words here translated wonders and signs are the same words from which signs and wonders are translated when wrought by Christ and his apostles. They were, to a certain extent, attestations to the power of God, manifested through Jesus and the disciples. But those wrought by Satan are "lying" wonders. The wonders wrought by Christ were manifestations of God's approval, an indication of the truth of his mission. But the wonders wrought by Satan are lying wonders, to make men believe that error is truth. The former were designed to confirm, the latter to deceive. Again, Satan will work with all "deceivableness of unrighteousness;" that is, he will make unrighteousness appear what it is not. It will profess to be righteousness; it will profess to come from God; it will be wrought in the name of Christ; it will have much truth, or, rather, of the form of truth; but there will be connected with all the profession and form, enough error to vitiate all, enough departure from a right way to lead the poor soul who follows the counterfeit to destruction at last. This is in harmony with another declaration by the same apostle. In speaking of false teachers, he says (2 Cor. 11:13-15)— "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." Outwardly they are the apostles of Christ, professing the same things, claiming to be sent of God; they are outwardly ministers of righteousness, while the heart is "desperately wicked." It is the deceivableness of unrighteousness. It is in harmony with the father of all deception, who is transformed, or who outwardly appears as an angel of light. Our Saviour, in speaking of our own times, says:759 'There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.' Matt. 24:24. Mark says, 'to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.' Under the deceptions of Satan a sinful world willingly falls, as it ever has in the past. But in the last days they will be so great to all human sense and knowledge, the false christ will be so much like the true, the false prophet so much like the genuine, that were it not for God's keeping, even his own will be deceived. The words of Mark indicate that Satan works wonders in order to seduce God's chosen. To be forewarned and heed the warning is to be forearmed, and the 'elect' will have heeded the warning. Another prophecy which points out our own country, speaks of the way in which Satan will work to deceive its inhabitants. 'And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do.' Rev. 13:13, 14. These miracles are wrought by the spirits of demons. Rev. 16:13, 14. The very miracle wrought by Elijah to show the true God and lead men to save him, will be counterfeited by Satan to lead men from God and to disobey his commands. 1 Kings 18. If men say, 'I will believe if I can see signs and wonders, such as the sick healed, extraordinary feats performed, fire brought from heaven,' Satan will do all these to ensnare the soul. 'What, will he heal the sick?' is asked. He will seem to, at least. Diseases are organic and functional. A serious organic disease, in which wasting and destruction of the parts were involved, could not be healed by Satan, for such healing involves creation. But where the disease is purely functional, where some mere obstruction has caused the disease, we do not know why Satan may not be able to do in a comparatively brief period, because of his superior wisdom, what man might be able to do in a longer time. It is certain that there have been some marvelous cures by Spiritualists, or clairvoyant physicians, who claimed no miraculous powers through faith in Christ. And may it not be true that some of those whom Satan has bound, lo, these many months and years, he himself may be able to unbind? See Luke 13:11-16. No worldly wisdom, or power, or knowledge, will save men from Satan's final deceptions. He will take the wise in their own craftiness, he will deceive all but the elect. No evidence of the senses alone can be depended upon; it will surely deceive. Satan knows much more than fallen man; besides, the knowledge of the fallen angel has been augmented by the practice of six thousand years. From the arch-enemy to his lowest agent, from the false christ to the lowest devotee, there will be the profession, the appearance, the overpowering deception. Truly our Lord well said, 'Beware of false prophets.' What the evidences of the truth are, and how we may escape the snares of the last day, we reserve to another paper. M. C. W. RETURN OF THE JEWS.
By Editor
A CORRESPONDENT sends us a copy of the Pacific Baptist, asking us to review Dr. Frost's Bible-reading on the "Return of the Jews to Palestine." We wrote a series of articles not long ago which covered every point which Dr. Frost has attempted to make. He makes the same mistake that many others do who attempt to explain all the promises to Israel, by endeavoring to interpret Old Testament texts from an Old Testament standpoint. Paul says that the mystery of God was not revealed to those of that time as it is now revealed to us, "that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel." Eph. 3:3-6. All who are in Christ are Abraham's seed, and of the true Israel of God. Neither is it true that only two tribes were represented in the return from the Babylonian captivity. Judah and Benjamin and Levi were prominent, but others were with them. See Ezra 1:5; 2:70; 6:17; 8:35. All the tribes were represented. Abraham's seed, to whom the land—the earth (Rom. 4:13)—was promised forever, was the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 3:16. Again, the temporal blessings to Israel were conditioned on their faithfulness. See Jer. 18:7-10. Israel according to the flesh forfeited all the blessings, and their privileges were taken away and given to a nation bringing forth fruits of righteousness, even the true Israel of God—those created anew in Christ Jesus (Matt. 21:43), whether they be, according to the flesh, Jews or Gentiles. Rom. 9:24. THE TEST OF THE TRUE.
By M. C. W.
In another article is presented a part of the evidence with which God has forewarned us of the great deceptions of Satan which are to come upon the world. So varied will they be that they will reach and be adapted to all classes and conditions, so powerful that they will deceive all but the very elect. How may we escape them? How may we distinguish the false from the true? There are some characteristics which are always present to a greater or less extent in the various manifestations of Satan. We note a few of these. 1. When God forewarns men of judgments to come, false prophets will generally cry peace, and predict success to earthly enterprises. It was so in the time of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Elijah and Micah. See Jer. 6:13-15; 1 Kings 22, and other passages. The sure word of prophecy points out that thus it will be when the faithful servants of God are preaching that the Lord's coming is near. 1 Thess. 5:1-3; Isa. 2:1-5. God warns men against the judgments to come, and entreats them to turn to him before the day of probation closes and the day of the Lord's wrath begins. Zeph. 2:1-3; Eze. 33:1-11; Rev. 14:6-11. But false prophets preach peace for the world; that the day of the Lord is a day of mercy and not of wrath, a time when greater opportunities will be offered men. They look to the day of the Lord as a time of salvation to all, and thus lead men to selfishly desire it. Truly did the prophet say of such: "Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and [with lies] strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life." Eze. 13: 22. And of those who desire the day of the Lord, as a time of mercy, the Lord says:— "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear [more cruel and tenacious still] met him; or went into the house [for rest and shelter], and leaned his hand on the wall [for support], and a serpent bit him." Amos 5:18, 19. And the same class here addressed had their holy feast-days, and solemn assemblies, made many offerings, and sang many songs. Verses 21-23. They had set up their own standard instead of God's. 2. Their work leads away from God's word, away from God, away from Christ, but leads to self, selfish honor, and interests. We do not say it will be claimed that this is its purpose; it will profess the very opposite; but "ye shall know them by their fruits," are the words of Christ. Matt. 7:16. Mohammed claimed to be a prophet of God; he believed in the great prophets of God, and in Christ as one greater than himself, and wrought some miracles; but he erected his own standard, and turned men's thoughts and honors to himself. But John the Baptist, with one of the most honored and important missions that mortal ever knew, wrought no miracle, and died when all his influence had been submerged in the greater glory of Christ. The tendency of the papal system is to exalt man. So is that of modern Spiritualism, and every other false ism. They have turned men from the worship of God; they have brought honor and exaltation to man. The devotees of the false religion may claim to be humble, may boast of it; in fact, may enter the slums of society, and even, like the pope, wash the feet of twelve beggars; but Christ is lost sight of in the glory taken to themselves. How many such reformations there are at the present time, the majority of the converts of which exist only in the presence of the one who led the work! Some parts of the word of God may be exalted. Mohammed's great cry was, "God is one," a great truth, but, as has been remarked, he coupled with that a great lie, "Mohammed is his prophet." And so the truth of God was changed into a lie, and in consequence men worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator. Rom. 1:25. Even so the truth of Christ's coming, of the power of God in healing the sick, of what he has revealed concerning the gifts of his Spirit, each and all have been made convenient pack-horses to introduce damning error into the church of Christ, by perverting and misapplying them. Witness some of the fanaticism which has been manifest among some classes who are looking for the second coming of Christ; witness Christian science and many faith curists; witness Mormonism. The more important the doctrine, the worse will be the delusion of its perversion. It will pervert, and turn men from the practical truth of the word of God, especially the law of God. The law of Jehovah is the great standard of right, holy, pure, and perfect in every respect. Everything contrary to that is a false, man-made standard, which detracts from the law, hence from the Giver of the law. "Ye shall know them by their fruits," says our Lord. But what is the standard of these fruits?—It is the rule of God's righteousness. So our Saviour continues: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 7:21. God's will is his holy law. Ps. 40:8. Jesus goes farther, he includes not mere profession alone in his condemnation, but he includes those who wrought mighty wonders in his name. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity [lawlessness, violations of law]." Matt. 7:22, 23. Isaiah bears testimony of the same import. In speaking of the manifestations of the last days, he says: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20. The very truth which such may hold has been changed into a lie, and becomes as powerful for evil in deceiving souls as it is for good when used in the right way, the way which leads to more light and more truth, to a better acquaintance with God. Truth exists not only in the theory expressed in the words through which it is revealed, but in its object as well. The truth, therefore, perverted from its original design, becomes error, light becomes darkness. Said our Lord to the Jews: "If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness! If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matt. 6:23. Truth perverted is error, light perverted is darkness. Therefore those who are led by a wrong spirit, whose object is to build up760 self, whose teachings turn men from God and his truth, have no light in them. Neither can they be said to preach Christ, however much their words may laud the Redeemer of the world, who ignore or reject a portion of the word of God. That word came through Christ, he is the Incarnate Word, the Incarnate Law, the Incarnate Gospel—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. A rejection of the word of God is a rejection of the Christ of God, for all the word centers in him. The mission of Christ was and is to bring men into harmony with the law of God, or what is the same thing, in harmony with himself. He gave himself to redeem mankind from all lawlessness, to save men from sin (Titus 2:14; Matt. 1:21); whatever, therefore, degrades the law degrades Christ and his work. Whatever miracle or wonders may be wrought in the name of Christ are nothing if those who do the work are practicing lawlessness, or working iniquity. The wonders wrought in Christ's name professedly, only make more potent for evil the influence against the law of God and the church and work of Christ. 3. The great evidence of his work which God has given in these days is his holy word. Miracles may have been a sign sometimes in the past, but only when Satan was not permitted to work so mightily. The great evidence of the truthfulness of the divine mission of our Lord was not his mighty works, only as those works were in harmony with the Scriptures, which testified of him. Hence the appeals of the apostles were not to miracles primarily, but to the sure word of prophecy. Those who live in the last days have all the evidences which have ever been given before, in all the centuries of the past. The people of God will not win their greatest triumph through mighty works, but through the truth. Not the theory of the truth, but the love of the truth. Those who do not receive the love of the truth, such a love as will unite them with God, the Author of truth, that will enable them to stand alone with God in the truth, will certainly be swept away by the strong delusions. 2 Thess. 2:9-12. The truth of God as it is in Christ will prove the shield and buckler to the people of God. Psalm 91. In the truth and by the truth through Christ they will be kept from Satan's snares, while those who look for great wonders will be deceived by the enemy. Truly the people of God can say with the psalmist:— "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." Ps. 138:2. M. C. W. LET Roman Catholics proclaim their patriotism as much as they will, call themselves patriots excelled by none; at the same time they acknowledge as a "paramount" duty or obligation allegiance to the Roman see, not merely as an ecclesiastical power but as a temporal ruler, deprived of his rights. Here are some declarations of the Catholic Mirror, of November 23, an issue which loudly proclaims Catholic patriotism:— "The absolute independence of the holy see in the city of Rome is the demand of Catholics throughout the world. The temporal power that is desired to secure the fullest immunity of the pope, and to preserve and perpetuate every privilege and right heretofore secured to the Papacy, is, in a word, perfect freedom as against all and every form of authority vested in either State or king." "Whatever of influence they can bring to a solution of the great problem of the Roman question by the creation and development of a public sentiment which will, in union with the Catholic tone of the nations of the world, make more tolerable in the immediate present and finally secure on a lasting foundation the freedom of the holy see and the peace of the entire church, is not only a high obligation, but also a most loving and paramount duty. The Catholic press can have no grander theme, no more lofty mission, than the vindication of the rights of the Sovereign Pontiff." Mr. Bonaparte is quoted as follows, and indorsed: "The pope, to be true to the church and his great office, must inflexibly assert that no living man was his rightful superior. . . . The extent and the form of his power have changed often with the changeful ages, but his liberty must be forever the same, for it must be forever 'absolute.'" What is the difference in principle between the Romanist and the Mormon?