Earlier text: WHO ARE THE FALSE TEACHERSWhat a terrible condition! The Spirit of God withdrawn, the angel of mercy forever taken its flight. All restraining influences removed. Forsaken of God and abandoned to an enemy. The understanding darkened, no longer discerning light from darkness, or discriminating between virtue and vice, choosing to live and die like creatures without reason, drinking in all uncleanness with greediness. Spending God-given strength and faculties in an excess of rioting, taking as the motto of their creed, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” Being past feeling implies that persons were once susceptible to the truth, that their understandings were enlightened, their judgments convinced, and that they once felt reproved of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come. But resolution and moral power were lacking to carry out their convictions of duty. They thought they would wait for a more favorable opportunity. It was never best to be in a hurry. Many had started and ignominiously failed, and they feared the same of themselves. Such conclusions give a balance of power to the enemy, who, taking advantage of this delay, throws in every barrier possible, intensifying their fears of a failure, until they regard serving the Lord an impossibility, and their cases hopeless. The neglected, golden opportunity has gone. The interests of the world have supplanted all desires for holiness. The effort to lull their consciences into quietness has proved a success. God ceases to be in their thoughts. They are past feeling. Another class acted upon their convictions, and run well for a season; but offenses came. They left the principles of the doctrine of Christ, laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God. Says Paul, “It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Therefore are they alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts. Many have listened to the close, heart-searching truths of the last days, and many believe. But this truth has strong rods like scepters, with which it bears rule to overcome all evil. It points out our defects of character, and if we are worshipping at an earthly shrine, bowing down to idols of our own setting up, it discloses the terrible sin of idolatry. If we are yielding to the epicurean chains of a perverted appetite, it teaches us that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, all should be done to the honor and glory of God. If we have formed wrong habits and false impressions in early life, it commands us to flee youthful sins and follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Two important commands,—one to flee from sin, the other to associate ourselves with those who are serving God according to their best light. We are not to follow our own peculiar ideas of right, and thus steadily drift away from the moorings of truth, but, uniting our efforts with others, we are to gain instruction, and to impart, as well as receive, strength. We may make a good beginning in God’s service, commence praying lives, and struggle on in feebleness, yet give no particular shape to our belief; and, honoring no religious faith with our preference or support, doubtless we should reach a point in our experience when professors and non-professors would be regarded alike, and our confidence in the saving power of grace destroyed. Then why not obey God’s word at once, and secure its great, glorious, and ultimate end,—everlasting life? Or shall we ignore the truth because it shows our moral deformities? God forbid, and help us to cherish its light and its sweet influence upon our lives. “Walk in the light, so shalt thou know
That fellowship of love,
His Spirit only can bestow,
Who reigns in light above.” Rowland Hill on Being Called an Enthusiast
ROWLAND HILL, in once addressing the people of Wotten-under-Edge, raising himself, exclaimed, “Because I am in earnest, men call me an enthusiast. When I first came into this part of the country, I was walking on yonder hill, and saw a gravel-pit fall in and bury three human beings alive. I lifted up my voice for help so loud that I was heard in the town below, at a distance of nearly a mile; help came, and rescued two of the sufferers. No one called me an enthusiast then; and when I see eternal destruction ready to fall on poor sinners, and about to entomb them irrecoverably in an eternal mass of woe, and call aloud on them to escape, shall I be called an enthusiast now? No, sinner, I am no enthusiast in so doing; and I call on thee aloud to fly for refuge to the hope set before thee in the gospel.”—Sel. THE PRAYER OF THE PUBLICAN.
By Cornelius Elven
With broken heart and contrite sigh,
A trembling sinner, Lord, I cry;
Thy pardoning grace is rich and free;
O God! be merciful to me! I smite upon my troubled breast,
With deep and conscious guilt oppressed,
Christ and his cross my only plea;
O God! be merciful to me! Far off I stand with tearful eyes,
Nor dare uplift them to the skies;
But thou dost all my anguish see;
O God! be merciful to me! Nor alms, nor deeds that I have done,
Can for a single sin atone;
To Calvary alone I flee;
O God! be merciful to me! And when, redeemed from sin and hell,
With all the ransomed throng I dwell,
My raptured song shall ever be,
God has been merciful to me! SAILING BY DEAD-RECKONING.
By M. Wood
Doubtless many readers of the REVIEW will be at a loss to understand what the writer means by the expression, dead-reckoning, how it is used, and where applied, &c. It is a technical term well understood by those who have the hardihood to brave the briny deep and face old Neptune in all his antagonistic fury, for a livelihood. Dead-reckoning is classed among the arts and sciences used by nautical men in navigating their vessels upon the trackless sea. It is brought into requisition when the mariner is either ignorant of the true method employed by practical seamen in finding their way from one port to another, or is unable to get a view of the heavenly bodies. There are times when the careful, practical skipper is unable to get a nooning, or an observation of the sun when at its meridian, and thus by the use of the quadrant ascertain his latitude and longitude. This method is then resorted to by him. With dead-reckoning, there is, as a natural consequence, much guess-work employed, which by practical men is never considered very reliable, especially where it is jeopardizing human lives and valuable property. The thorough seaman can at any moment upon the bounding billows give to any man that asks him, the precise position of his ship. He may traverse the ocean for months and years without seeing land, yet when night comes, nothing to be seen but the heavens above and the waters beneath, he knows by the use of his chart and compass, rules, scales, and parallels, precisely what course to steer, to reach the haven of rest without being wrecked upon the shoals or stranded upon the quicksands. Holy men of old, as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost, prepared a chart called the Bible. In following the directions laid down in this chart, we follow the Captain of our salvation over life's tempestuous ocean, safe through to that haven of eternal rest. It is not pleasing to God to have his professed people ignore his word, defy his authority, and reject his counsel, preferring rather to follow this dead-reckoning style than the way-marks so plainly delineated upon this inspired chart—drifting hither and thither, ever promising, but never accomplishing a landing for the precious souls deluded by this false reckoning. Praise God for the gift of the chart (the Bible) and the compass (the Holy Spirit) to guide us in these days of peril. THE DIARY OF HEAVEN.
By Smith Sharp
A diary is a useful book. If it has been properly kept, we can refer to it and tell where we were and what we did on any particular day, and thus many times call up our thoughts and meditations. The importance of this cannot be estimated by those who have not experienced its benefits. By this means a better opportunity is afforded for improvement. As we look at the past and see what our acts were, we are reminded of what our minds were dwelling on then, and by the aid of the Spirit of God we are enabled to see where we did that which Heaven could not approve and where improvement can be made in the future. But any record that we may keep is fallible. When judging of our own acts we are apt to be partial; but there is a book that I sometimes call the diary of Heaven, kept by those who impartially chronicle, not only our deeds, but our words and thoughts. In the vast library of Heaven, John saw books that contained the record of every candidate for everlasting life. When a year ends, and we close a diary, and lay it aside however carefully, it may still be lost. The house or trunk containing it may be burned. But not so of the books kept by the angels. When a person dies, his Heavenly diary is closed and safely deposited in the capitol building, where every record is preserved until the Judgment. When the Judgment sits, that ponderous volume called the book of life is examined in connection with the book containing the life record. If the record is one of faithfulness in the service of God, the name is retained in the book of life; otherwise, it is blotted out. Rev. 3:5. How much depends upon the work we do for the angels to record? Who can pencil a few lines in his diary at the close of the day without feelings of deep solemnity, knowing that an unseen pen is faithfully recording the motives that actuate all of our words and deeds? SMITH SHARP. THE GENERAL MEETING AT BATTLE CREEK.
By James White; C. W. Stone
According to previous appointment, this meeting was held at Battle Creek, Nov. 12 and 13, 1876. There being a sufficient number of brethren present, the General Conference committee called them to unite with themselves in deliberations upon Conference business. The first session was held Sunday morning at 10 o’clock, Eld. James White, president, in the chair. Eld. S. N. Haskell, one of the General Conference committee, was present; and Eld. U. Smith was appointed by these to supply the place of the third member of the committee, Eld. D. M. Canright, who was absent. Eld. H. W. Decker, president of the Wisconsin Conference, H. A. St. John, president of the Ohio Conference, Eld. James Harvey, president of the Indiana Conference, Eld. Jerome Fargo, president of the Michigan Conference, Elds. M. B. Miller, A. O. Burrill, John Byington, and Harmon Kenyon, of the Michigan Conference, Eld. O. A. Olsen of the Wisconsin Conference, Eld. John Fulton of the Minnesota Conference, I. A. Olmstead, a licentiate of the Michigan Conference, S. Howland, S. H. King, Dr. J. H. Kellogg of the Health Institute, Prof. S. Brownsberger, principal of the S. D. A. College, and James Sawyer, editor of the Swedish Herald, were invited to assist the General Conference committee in the business of the meeting. Meeting opened with prayer by Eld. Smith. Eld. White read a request from the church at Dallas, Tex., for a faithful preacher to be sent there with a tent. He made some remarks upon the comparative number of preachers in Michigan and Iowa. Michigan has nineteen ordained preachers, twelve of whom are in the State. Iowa has fifteen with twelve in the State. Bro. King made remarks upon Texas as a field of labor, closing with the motion, that Eld. R. M. Kilgore, of Iowa, be requested by the General Conference to go to Texas, to labor there as a missionary. The motion was carried. The subject of Systematic Benevolence was taken up. The matter had been carefully studied by the brethren during the two previous days, in special Bible-class sessions, and by themselves. The result of this investigation will very soon be published in pamphlet form by the committee. Adjourned to call of chair. Eld. White introduced the matter of the Swedish mission, and read a letter from a Swedish brother, A. J. Petterson, of New Sweden, Me., requesting that Bro. James Sawyer go to stay with them a month or more, to teach them English. Remarks were made by Bro. Sawyer and Eld. Haskell. Eld. H. moved that Bro. Sawyer visit the Swedes in Maine as soon as possible. Carried. The matter of sending Eld. John Matteson to Denmark was mentioned; but for want of information, it was left with the General Conference committee. Eld. White spoke for a few moments upon the distribution of reading matter and the duty of the Conference to take some measures to accomplish it effectually. Eld. Haskell also made some remarks. Eld. White mentioned the representation of our publications at the Centennial, the expense of which would be presented for consideration at the evening session after Dr. Kellogg should report. He then dwelt upon the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and HEALTH REFORMER and the number of subscribers that should be obtained in each State. Moved by Eld. Decker, that a committee of five be appointed to apportion to each Conference the number of subscribers it should obtain for these publications. Carried. The chair appointed S. N. Haskell, H. A. St. John, Jerome Fargo, U. Smith, and H. W. Decker as said committee. The college paper was introduced by Prof. Brownsberger, who made some remarks upon the objects of that paper. After a few remarks by Eld. White, it was voted to refer the matter to a committee of three, who shall take charge of the publishing of said paper, and appoint its editor. Prof. Brownsberger, Dr. Kellogg, and Eld. Smith were appointed as such committee. Adjourned to call of chair. THIRD SESSION, 10:10 P. M.
The committee on apportioning periodicals reported as follows:— To circulate 10,000 copies each of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and the HEALTH REFORMER, Maine should circulate 267 copies of each; New England, 400; Vermont, 334; New York, 667; Ohio, 467; Michigan, 3,334; Indiana, 334; Illinois, 400; Wisconsin, 1,200; Minnesota, 800; Iowa, 1,267; Missouri, 334; Kansas, 400; Texas, 67; Virginia, 67. Voted, That the General Conference recommend to our several T. & M. Societies east of the Rocky Mountains to make an earnest effort to obtain 10,000 subscribers for the SIGNS, and the same for the REFORMER. Moved, by Eld. Haskell, that we recommend to the several Conferences to follow the example of the State of New York by taking a number of almanacs that will compare with their membership as the number New York has taken compares with hers. Carried. The above apportionment was made upon that basis by the committee. Dr. J. H. Kellogg presented his report of the exhibition of our publications at the Centennial as follows:— |
|
|---|
| Denominational Tracts, |
7,000 |
| Health and Temperance Tracts, |
7,000 |
| Periodicals, |
1,000 |
| Almanacs, |
2,300 |
| Bird’s Eye Views, |
4,000 |
| Catalogues of Health Publications, |
3,000 |
| Number of pp. circulated, |
500,000 |
| Total cost, |
$291.00 |
Voted, That Eld. S. N. Haskell be a committee to correspond with the several Conferences, or T. & M. Societies, and apportion to each its share of this expense, and invite them to pay it. Eld. White occupied a few minutes in speaking upon the prospects of our College and the advantages it presents to pupils from all parts of the wide field. The duty of our people to come up fully on S. B., so as to put our institutions on firm footing and keep them there, was plainly and forcibly set forth by the speaker. Voted, To recommend to the several Conferences to interest themselves in sending pupils to our College at Battle Creek. A letter was read from Orlando Soule in Tennessee, asking a little help. The Conference voted to assist him in the manner he suggested. It was also voted to send him ten dollars’ worth of publications. Voted, That the proceedings of this Conference be published in REVIEW. Adjourned at 11:10 P. M., to call of chair. FOURTH SESSION, MONDAY, 9 A. M.
Prayer by Eld. H. W. Decker. Voted, That this Conference recommend that Eld. S. N. Haskell make Michigan his headquarters, to labor especially in this State in connection with the Mich. T. & M. Society, and in other States as may be required, to carry out the plans of this Conference. Carried by unanimous vote. Matters relating to the General Conference T. and M. Society were discussed. On examination of the records, it was found that this Society was organized in 1874, with Eld. James White, as president, Benn Auten treasurer, and Eld. S. N. Haskell business agent; also it was found that this Society has a credit of $493.76, at the REVIEW Office. Voted, to revive this Society, with Sr. M. J. Chapman as treasurer. By virtue of his office, the president appointed Sr. Chapman secretary. After some further discussion as to the amount necessary to be raised in addition to the S. B. in the several Conferences, the meeting adjourned to meet at 1:30 P. M. FIFTH SESSION, 1:30 P. M.
Prayer by Eld. White. In connection with this session, a meeting of the trustees of the Publishing Association was held. This board transacted some business relating to accounts between the Association and several of the State Conferences. This was done at this point, that the General Conference might be prepared to decide upon the amount of means necessary to be raised to carry on the proposed missionary work. The chair then appointed a committee to present a resolution upon that matter at the next session. Adjourned to meet at 7 P. M. The committee presented the following resolution, which was accepted and adopted:— Whereas, In the raising of means for all such general enterprises as the proposed increase of the circulation of our periodicals and distribution of our publications, or in any move for the support of our institutions, which are laboring for the advancement of the Master’s cause, our people should have the privilege of bearing the burden equally, and should regard it a duty to do so; and, Whereas, Such equality may be effected if our people, having first correct S. B. pledges, will donate for such special calls sums in proportion to their S. B. pledges, therefore, Resolved, That this Conference recommend to the several State Conferences that each individual raise a sum equal to one-third of his S. B. pledge for the year, to meet the demand for means to be used as far as necessary in the proposed157 increase of the circulation of the SIGNS, the REFORMER, and other publications, this offering to be paid, if convenient, the first of Jan. 1877, or, if more favorable, in four installments, the first to be paid Jan. 1; the second, April 1; the third, July 1; and the fourth, Oct. 1, 1877. Adjourned to call of the chair. SYSTEMATIC ACTION.
By James White
Above all other enterprises in this world, the cause of Bible religion demands systematic action. For nearly a score of years the REVIEW has been an ardent advocate of system in raising means to support the proclamation of the third angel’s message. And our people generally have in profession adopted the plan of what is termed Systematic Benevolence. And while a few only have adopted this plan in their practice, the majority have failed as yet to come fully up to the plan. We have labored to defend the plan adopted for the reason that it is equitable. It hardly touches those who have but little property, and whose income is small. It does not burden those who have a moderate competency, and if it calls for sums of considerable importance from the rich, it takes from their full purses only one-tenth of their income and increase, leaving nine-tenths of these, and also all the principal, untouched. Surely the wealthy brother should blush to falter a moment in complying with the system adopted by our people. We plead for equality. This should be carried out in proportion to the ability to give, and all should be anxious to bear their part. There should be one general system only, and all, with proper exceptions, should enter into that system. All our scattered people should be anxious to more fully connect themselves to the Lord and to his people by practically adopting the system. And those who are daily receiving into their minds and hearts the glorious gospel of the last message should be encouraged to prove their gratitude to God, and their love to the cause they have newly espoused, by bringing their tithes and offerings to the Lord to advance his cause. We have not sufficient space here to fully set forth the plan adopted at the late Conference. This, however, will appear soon. But why talk of system in raising means to support the preaching of the word only? Can any good reason be given why the same system should not be carried out to raise means for the T. and M. work, to bring a College into existence, or to establish the press in California and in Europe, and to build up a Health Institute? If such reasons exist, let them be produced. We plead for equality. Paul pleaded for equality in bearing the burdens of the way in his time. Though dead, “he speaketh” in behalf of equality. God has been helping his servants at the late Conference to dig down to the very bottom of things. The first work before us is to bring our people all up to the correct figures of S. B. When that shall be completed, the present figures on S. B. in this country will be $100,000. With this sum, raised from $44,000 to $100,000, we could send colporteurs into all the cities and towns, and scatter our periodicals and publications like the autumn leaves. When we, as a people everywhere, have reached the plan, and the proper figures on S. B., then we are prepared to apportion to each State, and to each church, and to each person, the proportion of any amount to be raised for any necessary object, like founding a new school, or establishing a new printing house. In accordance with this design, the General Conference recommends all our Conferences to raise a sum equal to one-third of their S. B., to circulate periodicals and do T. and M. work generally. Here is equality again, and that, too, which will, if strictly carried out by all our Conferences, supersede the necessity of those disagreeable calls for means, which are never responded to on the basis of equality. The poor will never complain of equality on our S. B. plan. Those in moderate circumstances will be the first to plead for equality. And if the rich refuse to practically acknowledge it from their abundance, they should have no place with our people. Second to the law of God, there is no truth set forth in the New Testament in so full and testing a manner as the duty for Christians to use their means liberally to support the cause of God. It is time that our ministers give this important duty of the church that place in their discourses which accords with its comparative importance with other doctrines. Having found rock bottom on which to stand, and a basis on which to raise means in an equitable manner to carry forward the cause we love, the brethren go to their several fields of labor full of hope of complete success. Existing plans have been made in full view of labor necessary to their complete execution. But with courage they buckle the armor on anew for the battle of truth and the right. And we wait in hope for one united amen, from all our ministers, from all our churches, and from all our scattered brethren, to be expressed not only by their lips, but by their hands and purses, and from their hearts. J. W. MEETING AT BATTLE CREEK.
By Uriah Smith
The general meeting at Battle Creek, Nov. 10-12, assumed the form of a special session of the General Conference. Two of the General Conference Committee were present, the presidents of four State Conferences, some of the delegates to the General Conference at its last regular session at Lansing, and other leading brethren, forming, collectively, a body altogether competent to take into consideration matters which come under the jurisdiction of the General Conference. From the record of proceedings given in another column, the reader will learn the action that was taken on several important subjects. We make special mention of the matter here, for the purpose of calling the attention of the brethren more particularly to these things, lest they should content themselves with simply a hasty perusal, and so fail to see their significance and realize their importance. The steps recommended to be taken, especially in the proceedings of the Tract Society, are calculated to have almost an untold influence for good upon the progress of the cause, if faithfully carried out. But the servants of God may spend much time and wearing labor in anxious, careful, prayerful thought to devise means and perfect systems for the advancement of the cause; and these may be in themselves ever so perfect, and exhibit much skill and discerning foresight, and even give evidence of the special leadings of God's Spirit, yet they will amount to nothing without the co-operation of those upon whose action depends the carrying out of the plans suggested. And in case they are not carried out, and the good is lost that would otherwise be secured, upon whom will rest the blame? Upon those to whose failure the loss is owing. We have reached a most important and interesting period in this work. The way is opening before us as never before. So favorable a combination of circumstances for carrying forward our work, we cannot expect long to continue. But mighty conquests seem now to be within our reach, if all will prove themselves equal to the occasion. What will now insure success is that all take hold in union, sympathy, and zeal, to carry out the plans of those whom they, as well as the providence of God, have set to lead out in this work. This we confidently expect to see, as it has been seen in the past; and any suggestion on the point is, perhaps, superfluous. On Sabbath the house of worship was crowded even to the gallery and aisles. After a powerful appeal from Sr. White, almost the whole congregation felt like coming forward for prayers. A move was made in this direction, but, on account of the numbers pressing forward, it was found to be impracticable. On Sunday evening, a similar move was made. Bro. White was given much freedom in exhortation. His remarks took hold upon sinners and backsliders; and among the crowd pressing up to the front seats, one came forward who had been living for twenty years in a state of separation from the church. The Spirit of the Lord came down in power; and both Bro. and Sr. White enjoyed great liberty in prayer for those who had come forward, and for the church here, with whom they do not expect to meet again for many months. The falling tear, and the hearty response, testified how fully very many appreciated the good season we enjoyed. And as these servants of the Lord, who have labored so earnestly with and for us, go again to their far western field, the sympathy and prayers of all this people will go with them. U. S. THE SANCTUARY.
By Uriah Smith
Fortieth Paper.—The Scape-Goat.
After the ministry in the most holy place was accomplished, one thing more remained for the priest to do, before the work was entirely finished. Having by presenting before the law in the ark the blood of the appropriate offering, released from the sanctuary the sins for which that blood made atonement, those sins were cancelled as related to the forgiven sinner, but were not by this act destroyed. The high priest having performed the ministry which took them from the sanctuary, they were left for him to dispose of in a manner plainly pointed out. He came out of the sanctuary, and laying both his hands on the head of the scape-goat, held in waiting at the door, confessed over him “all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat.” Lev. 16:21. This is a plain statement that the sins taken from the sanctuary were transferred to the goat. The goat with these sins upon him was then sent away into the wilderness, into a land of forgetfulness, implying probably the destruction of the goat, in the death of which the sins also perished. The ceremony of thus sending away the sins of the people in the type, Lev. 16:20–22, has already been noticed. The question now arises, What service in the real ministry of Christ, in the more perfect tabernacle above, answers to this, and how is it to be performed? The principal point to be decided here is, To what being shall we look as the antitypical scape-goat? When the typical goat, anciently, loaded with the sins of the people, went forth from the camp of Israel, to be heard of no more forever, what did it foreshadow to be fulfilled in this dispensation? Here again we are led to differ very materially from the views which have obtained on this subject. The view very generally held is that the scape-goat typified Christ. Because John the Baptist said, John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh [margin, beareth] away the sin of the world,” and because it is said of the scape-goat that he “shall bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited,” it is, without further thought, concluded by some that the latter was a type of the former. From such a view we dissent for the following reasons:— 1. If Christ, in bearing the sin of the world, fulfilled the antitype of the scape-goat, he must have filled this office at the time of the crucifixion; for Peter says of him, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree;” 1 Pet. 2:24; and this is the only time when, and the only sense in which, he is said to have borne our sins. But in the type the scape-goat did not bear away the sins of the people till after the cleansing of the sanctuary; hence the antitype of this work cannot take place till after the cleansing of the antitypical sanctuary, which work, as has been proved, did not commence till the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Dan. 8:14; Heb. 9:23. It is therefore impossible to carry this work back to the crucifixion of Christ, which was even before he commenced his ministry in the Heavenly sanctuary at all. Christ cannot therefore be the antitype of the scape-goat. 2. The scape-goat, after being loaded with sin, was sent away by the priest. He could not therefore be the priest himself. But in this dispensation Christ is priest; he cannot therefore be the antitypical scape-goat to be sent away by the priest. Christ cannot send away himself. The conclusion is hence inevitable that the scape-goat must be some being whom Christ, after placing upon him the sins borne from the sanctuary, shall send away into a land not inhabited. 3. The scape-goat was sent away from Israel, into the uninhabited wilderness. If our Saviour is its antitype, he also must be sent away, not his body alone, as some suppose who refer it to his death, but in his entire being (for the goat was sent away alive) from, not to, nor into, his people; neither into Heaven; for that is not a wilderness, or land not inhabited. But instead of thus being sent away, Christ is to dwell in the midst of his people, the true Israel of faith, forevermore. 4. The scape-goat received and retained all the iniquities of the children of Israel; but when Christ appears the second time, he will be “without sin.” 5. It is impossible that two goats, one of which was chosen by the Lord, and is called the Lord’s, while the other is not so called, but was left to perform an entirely different office,—it is impossible that these both should typify the same person. But the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, the blood of which was ministered in the sanctuary, did certainly typify Christ. Just as surely the scape-goat did not typify him. Having thus proved by evidence which must be conclusive to every candid mind, that Christ cannot be the antitype of the Levitical scape-goat, the direct question, Who is the antitype of that goat? now presents itself for solution. 1. The definition of the word is sufficient to suggest an application. In the common acceptation of the word, the term scape-goat is applied to any miserable vagabond who has become obnoxious to the claims of justice; and while it is revolting to all our conceptions of the character and glory of Christ, to apply this term to him, it must strike every one as a very appropriate designation for a certain character whom the Scriptures style, the accuser, adversary, angel of the bottomless pit, Beelzebub, Belial, dragon, enemy, evil spirit, father of lies, murderer, prince of devils, serpent, tempter, seducer, &c. 2. We are not without direct evidence to the same purpose. The Hebrew word for scape-goat, as given in the margin of Lev. 16:8, is Azazel. On this verse Jenkins in his comprehensive commentary remarks: “Scape-goat. See diff. opin. in Bochart.” Spencer, after the oldest opinion of the Hebrews and Christians, thinks Azazel is the name of the devil; and so Rosenmire, whom see. The Syriac has, Azazel, the angel (strong one) who revolted.” These authorities unmistakably point out Satan. Thus we have the definition of the Scripture term for scape-goat, in two ancient languages, with the oldest opinion of both Hebrews and Christians, in favor of the view that the scape-goat is a type of Satan. 3. Chas. Beecher, in “Redeemer and Redeemed,” pp. 67, 68, says:— “What goes to confirm this is, that the most ancient paraphrases and translations, treat Azazel as a proper name. The Chaldee paraphrase, and the targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, would certainly have translated it if it was not a proper name, but they do not. The Septuagint, or oldest Greek version, renders it by ἀποπομπαῖος (apopompaios), a word applied by the Greeks to a malign deity, sometimes appeased by sacrifices. Another confirmation is found in the book of Enoch where the name Azazel, evidently a corruption of Azazel, is given to one of the fallen angels, thus plainly showing what was the prevalent understanding of the Jews at that day. “Still another evidence is found in the Arabic, where Azazel is employed as the name of the Evil Spirit. In addition to these we have the evidence of the Jewish work Zohar, and of the Cabalistic and Rabbinical writers. They tell us that the following proverb was current among the Jews: ‘On the day of atonement, a gift to Sammael.’ Hence, Moses Gerundinensis feels called to say that it is not a sacrifice, but only done because commanded by God. “Another step in the evidence is, when we find this same opinion passing from the Jewish to the early Christian church. Origen was the most learned of the Fathers, and on such a point as this, the meaning of a Hebrew word, his testimony is reliable. Says Origen: ‘He who is called in the Septuagint ἀποπομπαῖος, and in the Hebrew Azazel, is no other than the devil.’ “In view then of the difficulties attending any other meaning, and the accumulated evidence in favor of this, Hengstenberg affirms with great confidence, that Azazel cannot be anything else but another name for Satan.” On page 70, Mr. Beecher further says: “The meaning of the term [scape-goat] viewed as a proper name, was stated, in 1677, by Spencer, Dean of Ely, to be powerful Apostate, or mighty Receder.” Prof. Bush is also quoted on p. 72, as regarding Azazel as a proper name of Satan. MICHIGAN TRACT SOCIETY MEETING.
By S. N. Haskell
The Missionary meeting held at Battle Creek in connection with the session of the General Conference was one of interest. If the steps there taken are carried out, if the resolutions there adopted are carried into effect, the meeting will prove the most profitable meeting of the kind ever held in the State. The time has come for a more united effort to advance the cause of present truth. The resolutions speak for themselves. They are not the product of any one mind, but the matters were discussed fully and thoroughly by our leading brethren from the different States, and their practical bearings examined before their adoption. We look upon this meeting as an omen of good to the cause in this State and everywhere. The following are the resolutions unanimously passed, some of them by a rising vote:— Resolved, That we, the officers of the Michigan Tract Society, pledge ourselves to do all in our power to bring our brethren up to the plan of s. s. recommended by the General Conference at the extra session of Nov. 12, 1876. Resolved, That in order to raise the means necessary to carry on Tract and Missionary work in this State the coming year, we recommend that our brethren raise a sum equal to one-third their s. s. pledges. Resolved, That we recommend 1. That all our brethren who are able take the SIGNS for themselves, and pay therefor $2.00 per year, and the REFORMER at $1.00. 2. That each member of the Tract Societies obtain one or more subscribers for the SIGNS, or send a copy to a friend, at $1.50 per year, and the REFORMER at 75 cts. 3. That canvassers duly authorized by the Tract Society be employed to canvass for these periodicals with the way of life at an established percentage. 4. (1) That all our brethren take a copy of the Health Almanac at full price, (2) sell as many as they can to their neighbors, (3) give to their friends far and near where they cannot sell, (4) appoint canvassers in every district to canvass the cities and villages and sell or give away the almanac, as circumstances may require. 5. That the State of Michigan be divided into four divisions, embracing three districts each, and that suitable persons be appointed by the president to assist the directors in these divisions, that a new impetus may be given to the work. 6. That we recommend to all of the members of the Tract Society to put forth an extra effort to obtain members to our Tract Society until every Seventh-day Adventist in Michigan becomes a member of the Michigan Tract Society. Resolved, That it will be for the interest of the Michigan Tract Society for each director to have a quantity of publications on hand sufficient to fill all orders less than ten dollars at Tract Society rates; and further, Resolved, That all orders for publications for the Tract Society must first be sent to the directors, and their names must accompany such orders to the Office. And secondly, all orders sent to the Office shall be ten dollars or upward at Tract Society rates. S. N. HASKELL. Charge on the Enemy.
By H. A. St. John
Drug almanacs with flaming advertisements of patent medicines are a dangerous enemy to our race. This mighty foe is marshalling his hosts, and preparing for his yearly, terrible charge upon the human family, the effects of which are always felt throughout the rest of the year. What shall we do? Let me tell you one thing to do. An excellent health almanac for 1877 is ready. It teaches the true healing art and how to preserve health, and is therefore a deadly enemy to patent medicines and drug almanacs. The array of tract workers in Ohio will soon have five or six thousand of these almanacs in their ranks, and then we want to see an active movement all along the line. A lively, continued charge on the enemy until all these almanacs are judiciously distributed, will do much in staying the tide of evil, and save some souls from sorrow, pain, disease, and an untimely death. Be all ready for orders. H. A. St. John.