THE great and benevolent plan for the redemption and salvation of lost men has been progressive in its development. There have been, however, no change in the essential conditions of salvation. These have ever been in all ages, the same as they are now, "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." The moral law is ever unchangeable, the same, hence sin, which is its transgression, is ever essentially the same, demanding repentance toward Him whose law has been violated. The faith of Jesus also is ever essentially the same; but it embraced the several points of progress in the fulfillment of the divine plan; that is, it gives credence to the fulfillment of each promise in the revealed plan, when it takes place; and this is doubtless what the apostle meant by being established in the "present truth." 2 Pet. 1:1.
The Lord reveals each step of progress in the fulfillment of his plan to his people living at the time, according to the positive and emphatic assurance: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. This is a sure promise that no great event shall take place upon earth, in the fulfillment of God's plan and purpose, but that it shall be revealed beforehand to his people, whom he calls his servants the prophets. He has always had, and still has, such a people on earth, though they have not all been such as we usually call the prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. Enoch, "the seventh from Adam," and Noah, the tenth, had some of God's purposes revealed to them, though they are not usually called prophets; and the same may be said of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These last, though they have left us no books of prophecies, we only having the historic facts of certain promises revealed to them, and certain brief utterances made by them of a prophetic character, yet the inspired Psalmist, long after their days on earth, styled them prophets. God, we are told, "reproved kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." Ps. 105. And should we trace the whole history of God's people, down to the first advent of Christ and further, we should find the promise verified: "Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets."
Before God sent the flood, he revealed his purpose to Noah, and through him warned the whole world. By his act of faith in building the ark he "condemned the world," and then, and not till then, God could send the flood. Before the cities of the plain were destroyed with fire from heaven, God revealed his purpose to Abraham and Lot, and a warning was given. Gen. 18 and 19. These examples are of especial interest to those who live in the last days, just before the second coming of Christ; for Jesus called especial attention to them, and said that as it was with the people in those days, "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Matt. 24:36-39. Luke 17:26-30. God will fulfill his promise to reveal his purpose to the last generation, before the great day of his wrath; but to the mass, not believing the warning, that day will come upon them unexpectedly, like the flood upon the wicked in the days of Noah, and the fire upon Sodom Gomorrah.
According to the text, God warned Abraham of the servitude in Egypt during four hundred years, Gen. 15:13, Joseph of the famine which brought Jacob and his entire family thither, Gen. 41, and he revealed it to Moses when the time of the promise had come that God would judge that nation and lead his people out. See Gen. 15:14. Acts 7:17, 34. To Jeremiah he revealed the seventy years of the captivity of Israel in Babylon, and at the end of the seventy years he punished the "king of Babylon, and that nation," as he had forewarned. Jer. 25:11-14. Then, when the time had come, and the commandments to restore and build Jerusalem took effect, the work was accomplished through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo.
God had revealed to Daniel in Babylon, that from the commencement of this restoration, sixty-nine weeks (of years) should reach to the first advent, to his manifestation as the Messiah. At the baptism of Jesus, a voice from heaven announced his Sonship, and immediately after the temptation in the wilderness, he began his preaching with the announcement, "The time is fulfilled;" evidently referring to the sixty-nine weeks. But before this, the people "were in expectation" of Christ; because the time of the promise was at hand; and this brought up the question whether John the Baptist was not the Christ. Luke 3:15.
But previous to this, the Lord had revealed the secret to his servant Simon, that he should not die till he had seen the Lord's Christ; "And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." Luke 2:25-32. And Anna a prophetess "coming in at that instant gave likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem."
And when Jesus had come to the age when he was about to enter upon his public ministry, John the Baptist was sent of God to prepare the way, and to introduce to the people "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." His was a prophetic message; it had been foretold seven hundred years beforehand by Isaiah the prophet, as "the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord." The Lord had also said by Malachi, "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before thee." These promises were fulfilled, and the great event of the first advent of the promised Messiah did not take place unheralded. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets."
And will God's promises fail in respect to the greatest, most awfully sublime and important event to mankind that has transpired since the world began? Will the second coming of Christ in terrible majesty, in "the great day of his wrath," take place without a signal and without a warning? Will the great and dreadful day of the Lord, the day that shall close man's probation and bring the outpouring of the vials of the wrath of God without mixture of mercy upon all the wicked of earth, come unheralded? Reason, analogy, and the word of the Lord forbid it. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
Signs were promised. When Jesus was asked of his disciples what should be the sign of his coming and of the end of the world, he said, "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of the heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
There are people who profess to believe in the second coming of the Lord; but hold that none can know whether it is near at hand, or not. They say it may come immediately, for aught any one knows. Of such we ask, Have the promised signs appeared? If they have not, his coming cannot be at hand, unless his promise shall fail. His word is pledged that these signs shall be seen, when his coming is near, even at the doors. If the signs have appeared, we may know it, and we may also, as he has commanded us, "know that it is near, even at the doors." Matt. 24:33. When the Lord bids us know, he makes it possible for us to know, and it is dangerous for us not to know. When his promise is fulfilled, it is infidelity not to believe. Noah warned the people of the coming flood; but "they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Verse 39.
God has promised a special warning to the world, to be given when the great day is near at hand. Says a prophet, "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Joel 2:1. This may be called a prophetic commandment—a prophecy of a future event given in the imperative mood. It does not mean that the day of the Lord was nigh at hand eight hundred years before Christ, when Joel wrote, but that the alarm will be sounded, when that day is nigh at hand. It may be illustrated by a similar prophecy, recorded in Zech. 9:9, and its fulfillment when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, as recorded in the New Testament. Matt. 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-16.
As the promised mission of John the Baptist was fulfilled, to prepare the people for the first manifestation of Christ; so the prophetic messages of Rev. 14:6-12, will certainly warn the world of the hour of judgment, and the impending wrath of God. You who admit that the great day is at hand, where do you see the fulfillment of these messages? And who hold that it may come to-day or to-morrow, where is the promised warning? Will the word of the Lord fail? If the warning messages are being given, the day is at hand; if not, it is not at hand; and therefore we may wait for the promised signs and warnings.
But be it known that the signs in heaven and on earth have appeared; and that the predicted messages of warning have been announced in the given order; and that even now the effect of the last warning is being seen throughout the United States, and in almost every country of Europe. Is this movement all a farce? It is in perfect harmony with word of promise. If we cannot depend on it, what confidence can we have in the word of God? Ah! this is the difficulty—want of faith in the promises of God; and for this reason, though the people be warned, that day will come unexpected, as the flood upon the antediluvians. Upon those who say, peace and safety, sudden destruction shall come; "but ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:4. R. F. COTTRELL.
Reports from the Field.
By Editor
(Condensed from Review and Herald.)
New York.
ADAMS CENTER.—Elder B. L. Whitney reports an interesting quarterly meeting held at this place April 20, 21. Several here have lately started in the service of the Lord as the result of the weekly prayer-meetings which have been faithfully maintained. Eight were baptized, seven of whom have just begun to serve the Lord.
Alabama.
OAK HILL.—Elder O. A. Burrill writes under date of April 15: “The work here is onward. On Sabbath, at 10:30 A. M., I met with Brother Ellett and twenty or more where he is laboring who have decided to keep all the commandments of God; and at 2 P. M. I was back with this company. Our meetings are becoming very interesting. Fully forty in these two places, which are four miles apart, have decided to keep the Sabbath. Three weeks ago, there was but one S. D. Adventist in this portion of Alabama. We wish to say to the tract and missionary workers, you can accomplish much good by sending the Signs, Reformer and tracts to this State.”
Kansas.
MARSH CREEK.—Elder C. F. Stevens writes: “I returned to this place from the Salem quarterly meeting April 13. Found this company growing. Two preachers had thrown in appointments for Sunday and Sunday night, although my appointment had been publicly announced four weeks before. One labored hard for three hours to prove that the law is abolished, and the other for an hour and a half in reviewing Elder Canright’s work on the two laws, I occupied about half an hour at the close of each sermon. The result was that seven more signed the covenant, making twenty-one in all. We organized a church of nine members, all heads of families. There is a good prospect here for further additions.”
Minnesota.
HUTCHINSON.—Elder D. P. Curtis writes: “I find the church here increasing in numbers, and I trust growing in grace. Forty-nine members have been added since the last camp-meeting, and still there are more to follow.”
Iowa.
PLATT.—As the result of recent meetings held in this township, sixteen have signed the covenant, and several more are interested. They plead for a tent to be pitched there this season.
Texas.
TERRELL AND DALLAS.—Elder R. M. Kilgore writes April 22: “Another very encouraging week has passed. The good work moves on, and the interest is deepening and widening. We are now in the midst of the Sabbath question. The advent, and prophecies relating to it, were heartily endorsed by many. The Lord has given freedom in speaking his truth. We have already obtained eleven subscribers for our periodicals. We have sold a few books. Times are hard, The people are friendly and hospitable. Invitations are extended to us every day to visit at their homes. We attended the State quarterly meeting at Dallas. Brethren were present from Cleburne and Grand Prairie. Four meetings were held on the Sabbath. While we spoke of ‘present truth’ and present duties, and the adaptation of this glorious message to the present time, we were blessed and the brethren encouraged. Four took their stand with us, and will identify themselves fully with this message.”
The Sabbath Question.
By R. F. Cottrell
I HAVE on my table, "A Sermon by Rev. R. M. Webster, Pastor of Union church, Berlin, Wisconsin," in which the author gives his "Reasons against changing our custom," that is of keeping the first day of the week. Some of his reasons, those which he makes most prominent, I will briefly examine.
His first and most important reason, that upon which he depends most, the alpha and omega of the whole discourse, is the claim that the Sabbath commandment does not, and never did require the observance of any particular day of the seven. I give some quotations to show that I do not misrepresent him. He says:—
"The command itself warrants our present custom. The command is not, remember Saturday to keep it holy. It is not remember the seventh day of the week to keep it holy. It is, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Now the first day of our week is with us the Sabbath day. To keep this day holy, then, is to fulfill the command. He worked six days, the seventh day he rested. As much as to say, this is to stand as an hallowing example and illustration. You shall work six days, then rest one day and hallow it as God did. So far therefore as the letter of the law is concerned there is no reason for changing our day. We keep the law as literally as do our friends who persist in calling us Sabbath breakers. Their doctrine that the law means the seventh day of our week is pure assumption. We do keep the seventh day according to the terms of the law, the next day after the sixth. As to where this day comes, in our week, as we reckon time, the law assumes nothing."
Now these assertions do contradict the word of God, or they do not. To test this we have only to read Ex. 20:8-11, and Gen. 2:2, 3. Our writer says truly that the command is to "remember the Sabbath day." Sabbath day means rest day. We are commanded to remember the rest day. Whose rest day? The Lord's. It is not our rest day. We are not commanded to "rest one day and hallow it as God did." God has hallowed and sanctified a day for us, and what he requires of us is to remember that day and keep it holy. It is the rest day of the Lord our God that we are keeping. What day is his rest day, or Sabbath day? The day on which he rested, the seventh. "The seventh day is the Sabbath [rest], of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth . . . and rested the seventh day." Did God rest on the seventh and last day of that first week, or was it on no particular day?
The record says, "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested." To sanctify means to set apart, or to appoint, to a sacred use. Did God set apart or appoint a particular day? The record says he did. What day was that? It was the day in all future weeks on which he had rested in the first week. He did not bless and sanctify the day for himself and then rest upon it. He simply rested upon it for an example. This made it his rest day. He then blessed and sanctified the day, "because that in it he had rested." Now did God sanctify a particular day? If he did not, then our friend is correct when he says he did not. His reply is it is not "the seventh day of the week." Of what is it the seventh day, if not of the week? It has always taken just seven days to make a week; consequently the last day of the week is always the seventh, and the seventh is always the last.
But our author speaks of "our week." What is our week? Is it not the week upon the first day of which Jesus rose from the dead? Exactly; else our observers of the resurrection day keep the wrong day. Now whoever will read Matt. 28:1, and Luke 23:56, and 24:1, will find that the Old Testament week and New Testament week correspond precisely, and that the "Sabbath according to the commandment" is the day before that first day of the week. Over the whole enlightened world the same week is known to-day; therefore any other week is an artificial one, gotten up for special occasions. "God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions."
The week was well defined when Israel were in the desert. Ex. 16. Manna was given on each of "the six working days," Eze. 46:1, a double portion on the sixth day, none on the Sabbath, and it could be kept over night for use on the Sabbath and on no other day of the week, it would putrefy and breed worms, if kept over any other night than the hallowed evening before the Sabbath day. Preparation for food on the Sabbath was made by gathering and preparing it on the day before, and on no other. Now suppose our author to have been there, and taking the privilege which he claims the Sabbath law allows every one, he had chosen for himself a day that God did not hallow, say "the first day of our week." "Very well." He enters upon the duties of his sacred day expecting to "find the good which God willed in it, [the Sabbath,] by observing it in its true spirit." But after the morning devotions the appetite calls for food but he has none. None was gathered the day before, for none fell on that day. The manna now lies around the camp, but he cannot gather it upon the Sabbath day. His neighbors are busy gathering their rations for the day; but he is obliged to fast. This circumstance might induce him to choose another day, the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth. For either of these days he can lay up a portion of food for Sabbath use. But, lo, in the morning of his chosen Sabbath he has nothing in his clean-vessel but a loathsome, putrified mass filled with worms! Perhaps by the time he had tried every other day of the six for his Sabbath, he would find it to his interest to choose for his Sabbath the day which God's providence pointed out as the definite day; since he would not wish to turn every Sabbath into a fast. And he might also, if apt to learn, learn this lesson: that God's law and providence do not disagree with each other; and therefore since his providence requires a definite day, his law also requires the same.
Now we have proved briefly, That the fourth commandment requires the observance of the definite seventh day of the week in the order of the first week of time, the same seventh day in order, on which God rested. That the Sabbath was the day on which God rested; and that he sanctified, that is, set apart, or appointed, this very day. That his providence unmistakably pointed out the day to Israel in the desert; and that the week which the Jews were thus taught to observe, corresponds precisely with the New Testament week, the week which all christendom do truly claim to observe.
Having refuted his first proposition, or "reason," the one on which each of his other five hinge, except one, we might drop the subject as requiring no further notice. But we will notice that one additional idea which is found in his second reason, and intermingled in succeeding parts of his discourse. I give several quotations, that he may be clearly understood on this point, as follows:—
"The spirit of the law is the thing to obey and follow. 'The letter killeth, the spirit giveth life.' [Do the letter and the spirit of God's law disagree? and would it be a killing thing to obey the letter?] Even then if the law did originally specify Saturday, or the seventh day of the calendar week, which we don't allow, it being clear to us [as we have shown] that it did no such thing, we need only be anxious now to secure the end of the precept, and find the good which God willed in it, by observing it in its true spirit. What then is the true spirit of the fourth commandment? Is it not God's recognition and enforcement of the obligation resting upon us, by virtue of what we are, to rest ourselves occasionally from all things else, that we may acquaint ourselves with God and be at peace? 'It is no arbitrary decree. In this Sabbath precept God's love wills a certain and real good to us. This is the spirit of it.' "Now the point is this: There is no good thing willed of God in this Sabbath precept, which is more surely or more readily found by the sticklers for the Saturday Sabbath, than is found by us. Very well; since it is impossible that one should disobey a law of God, and be as well off as if he obeyed it, and since those who keep the Sabbath on Sunday are as well off as those who keep it on Saturday, receiving equal physical refreshing, equal mental and spiritual opportunity and nourishment, it follows that they are equally obedient, that they as truly honor the law." "Whence it appears that even if the precise day of the week on which the Sabbath fell, was originally pointed out, [which we have shown was not the case,] still that could not be an essential part of the precept; since, as we have seen, the good secured by obedience is independent of that. When we so make a preceept as to find the end, the good it proposed, we do truly obey it, whatever different senses the words may bear. There is no good that would naturally result from observing the Sabbath on Saturday that does not as naturally result from our present way. It is clear that no good could result to us by a change unless God arbitrarily decrees that it should. In which case we should have a God, acting not reasonably, with reference to natural causes and effects, but capriciously." "I dare not express, as I feel, the abhorrence I have of any notion or doctrine that makes our God and Father whimsical and arbitrary. He is not so. I am sure through all my soul that I accept the great thought and purpose of God in the Sabbath, and receive its holy influences to the refreshing and nourishing of all that is good within me, I have obeyed the fourth commandment."
The reader now has the pith and marrow of the sermon before him. The remainder of it is too chaffy to be worth the winnowing. I have quoted quite fully the two leading and most important ideas. In the first place the writer is quite sure that the Sabbath precept appoints and requires no definite day; but supposing it does, he has shown us how he would dispose of it; he would keep the spirit of it, while he disobeyed the letter.
Now I can understand how a person can violate the spirit of the command, "Thou shalt not kill," by hating his brother, and so being in spirit a murderer, though he does not actually kill him; but I cannot see how any sane man can willingly kill his brother, and still keep the precept in spirit.
Our friend seems to see no object in the Sabbath commandment, but the good that is to result to man in keeping it—the physical rest, and mental and moral improvement. If this were all, God might have omitted to appoint the day, and left us to choose. Any one day might do as well for this as another. The Sabbath precept does contemplate man's good. "The Sabbath was made for man." But the great, primary object is the honor of God. He would have mankind honor him as their Creator, by the weekly celebration of the day on which he rested from his work. No other day will answer this purpose, but the day on which he rested. Hence the Lord says, "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure," &c. Please see how this text would sound, reading in the indefinite day theory. Thus: From doing thy pleasure on one day in seven, and call this one day in seven the holy of the Lord, honorable. Our friend's grand argument on getting the good thing willed of God in this Sabbath precept, is faulty, because it is one-sided and selfish, leaving the great design of the precept, the honor of God, out of the question.
Mark the presumption of a professed teacher of the word of God. If he knew that the precept did point out "the precise day of the week," still he would sit in judgment on the law and decide that "that could not be an essential part of the precept." This is as much to say that he would not turn and keep the seventh day, if he knew that the commandment required it! In the first place he does his best to prove that the commandment does not appoint a particular day; but failing in this, being convinced that God did set apart the definite day of the week on which he rested from his work, he would not keep it; he would take a new and entirely different and incongruous position and say the word of God is not essential. Could the predicted anti-christ, who was to think to change the times and laws of God, do more? Is there any use to labor to convince such a one of error? It may benefit others to have his glaring sophistries and astonishing presumption exposed.
Let us illustrate the doctrine of this sermon by a Scripture example. God sent Saul, the king of Israel with his army, to destroy utterly the Amalekites, because of their sins, and to leave nothing alive either man or beast. But instead of executing his orders to the letter, he saved the king of Amalek alive, and some of the best of the sheep and oxen. Still he claimed that he had obeyed the commandment of the Lord. He may have reasoned thus: "The spirit of the law is the thing to obey, and follow. We need only be anxious now to secure the end of the precept, by observing it in its true spirit. The things which God willed, and that these Agag should die sometime, and that these cattle should be slain. This end will be secured by offering them in sacrifice. Besides this, we shall make a triumphant display on our return, and have a good time at Carmel and Gilgal, worshiping God by offering sacrifices in abundance. It is no arbitrary decree. I abhor the notion that makes our God and Father whimsical and arbitrary. When we so observe a precept as to find the end—the good it proposed we do truly obey it, by taking home a drove of these fine cattle and offering them to God in sacrifice, the end of the command is gained, and more too. Very well: Since it is impossible that one should disobey a law of God, and be as well off as if he obeyed it, it follows that they are equally obedient, that they as truly honor the law. 'The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.'"
But the result was that the Lord viewed this matter very differently. Saul has done his own will, and not the Lord's. Said the prophet, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king." Then Saul confessed that he had transgressed the commandment of the Lord, "because" said he "I feared the people and obeyed their voice."
How many now are doing the same thing trampling on the word of God, because they fear the people. Said Jesus, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" The Lord has magnified his word above all his name. Ps. 138:2. He says, "If I then be a father, where is mine honor?" Mal. 1:6. "Them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." 1 Sam. 2:30. Alas! how many will come to the great day of the Lord deceived.
It is the duty of preachers to "preach the word"—to teach the people Bible truth. They should not preach "peace and safety," while the word of God threatens wrath, as it does in the third angel's message. Rev. 14:9-12. It is not enough for them to sneer at those who are warning the people of the wrath of God which is coming upon those who worship the beast, and do not keep the commandments of God, and say that they who are preaching the message do not understand it. It is for teachers of the word to tell the people what it does mean, and warn them faithfully, that they may escape the wrath. It is evident that God will test the people. Can they keep the commandments of God in the Spirit, while they obey those of the beast to the letter? "Let no man deceive you." "He that doeth righteousness is righteous." No person can obey the spirit of a command, while he willingly transgresses the letter. R. F. COTTRELL.
“Are You Going to the Circus?”
By John Norton Loughborough
THAT sounds like a strange question to ask in a religious paper; but it is just the question that is now being asked by thousands all over the land, especially as we are in that season of the year that circuses, with their various paraphernalia to attract the people, are going through the country.
My mind was stirred some on this point, as I read, a few days since, a letter from a friend; in the letter he spoke of a professor of religion that he thought might be ready now to do his part in religious finances, as he “spent twelve dollars the day before on a circus.”
What, thought I, a professed follower of Jesus Christ, using twelve dollars of the talent committed to him—the Lord’s money, with which he might have done good—on a circus? Worse than “hid” in the earth—wasted.
Why should one go to a circus? Is it a place to learn good morals, where clowns talk nonsense, and use texts of scripture in connection with low jests and ribaldry? Is it something that is calculated to bring us nearer to Christ, to fit us for living better Christians, to make us shine as lights in the world, and give us that unction from on high that shall enable us to lead souls to Christ, to see men and women swinging in the air by one foot or hand, or performing some other fool-hardy feat, seemingly trying to see how near they could come to killing themselves and not do it?
“Oh!” says my brother, “I did not go to those things, I went to let the children have a chance to see the animals.” Yes, and didn’t you know that these showmen got the animals on purpose, so that they could draw in all classes to see their performances? Your children hear more about the clown’s talk afterwards than they do about the animals. Seriously, did you not know that one of the very things in the world that we have to overcome is, the “lust of the eye?” See 1 John 2:16.
One thing I have noticed, that those who plead that they took in the children to see the animals, most always take in all the older portion of the family to help the children see the animals. This desire to see leads many into vice, and so in this matter of the circus let us not permit the desire to see the animals lead us to expose ourselves to all its foolery and nonsense.
The best rule to apply in all such cases is never to go to any place where we conclude our Saviour would not go, if he were here upon earth. Surely none of us could for a moment think he would visit such a place as a circus. We can’t afford to be a moment without him. Then when the question is asked us, “Are you going to the circus?” let us be ready to firmly say, No.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
THE HOME CIRCLE.
"Only This Once."
"I'LL be in again very soon, mother; I am only going round the corner to see the new billiard rooms;" and, cap in hand, Harry was closing the parlor door when his mother called him back.
"I cannot consent to your going there, my dear," she said; "you must know that both your father and myself disapprove of all such places."
"But I don't intend to play, mother; only to look on; the boys say the tables are splendid; and besides, what could I tell Jim Ward after promising to go with him? He is waiting outside for me. Please say 'yes' only this once."
"Tell Jim that we would prefer you should not go, and ask him to walk in and spend the evening," said Harry's father, as he looked up from the paper.
"Oh, I know he won't do that!" and Harry stood turning the door-handle, till, finding that his parents did not intend to say anything more, he walked slowly to the front step.
"Why don't you hurry along," called Jim, "and not keep a fellow standing all night in the cold?"
"I am not going. Won't you come in?" said Harry.
"Not going! Your mother surely doesn't object to your looking at a billiard table."
"She would prefer I should not go," said Harry, and Jim's only reply was a very significant whistle, as he walked off.
"He'll be sure to tell all the boys!" said Harry, half aloud as he shut the front door with rather more force than was necessary. "I don't see what does make father and mother so particular." Then, entering the parlor, he took the first book that came to hand from the table, and, taking a seat very far from the light, looked exceedingly unamiable.
His father laid aside the paper, and without seeming to notice Harry's mood, said pleasantly, "I wonder if my son feels himself too old for a story; if not I have one to tell him about 'only this once.'" The book Harry had taken up, and which chanced to be one of his father's on civil engineering, was returned to the table; but he still kept thinking of what the boys would say when Jim told an exaggerated story, and his countenance remained unchanged.
"When I was about your age, Harry, we lived next door to Mr. Allen, a very wealthy gentleman, who had one son. As Frank was a good natured, merry boy, and had his two beautiful ponies, several dogs, and a large playground, he soon made friends. Many an afternoon did we spend together, riding the ponies, or playing ball on the playground, and one summer afternoon in particular, I never expect to forget, for it seems to me now, looking back upon it, as the turning point of Frank's life; but we little thought of such a thing at the time. It only seemed to us a very warm afternoon; and, becoming tired of playing ball, we had stopped to rest on the piazza, when he proposed that we should take the ponies to a plank road, a few miles from the house, and race them. I was certain that his father would disapprove of this, and, besides, it would have been most cruel work on such a warm afternoon, so I tried to make Frank think of something else he would like to do instead; but all in vain.
" 'I think you might go, Charlie,' he said. 'What's the harm of doing it; only this once? I just want to see if either of my ponies is likely to be a fast trotter.'
" 'For one moment I hesitated, but in the next came the thought of my father's displeasure, and I shook my head.
" 'Very well, just as you please, Mr. Good Boy! I know plenty who will be glad of the chance to ride Jet;' and so saying he walked off.
"Frank did find a boy who was delighted to go with him, and enjoyed the race so much that, notwithstanding his father's reprimand, he managed to pursue the same sport more times than 'only that once.'
"As soon as the summer was ended, Mr. Allen went to Europe for his health, and I did not see his son again for three years, till I left the country and entered the same college with him. Frank commenced studying very earnestly; but before the first year was ended the earnestness had passed away. Friends would induce him to spend his evenings at their rooms, or at some public place of amusement, and each time Frank would try to satisfy his conscience with, 'It will be only this once.' Thus by degrees his lessons were neglected, and, as study became irksome, his love for excitement and gaiety increased, till one day I overheard a gentleman, who knew him well, remark that he feared Frank's 'only this once' would prove his ruin.
"But a few years before, Frank would have been shocked with the thought of spending the afternoons in racing, and evenings in billiard saloons and such places, nor did he, at one time, ever really intend to go to the latter more than 'once,' 'just to see for himself;' but there are very few who ever stop in the course of wrong doing at 'only this once.'
"When the tidings of his father's death reached Frank, he seemed more thoughtful for a time; but in an hour of temptation he yielded. Before long his old companions surrounded him again, and of them he soon learned how to spend, in a most reckless manner, the large fortune left him by his father.
"In vain his true friends tried to stop him in his wild career; and, five years ago, Harry, Frank died a drunkard."
"Oh, father, how dreadful!" and Harry shuddered as he thought the story over.
"Yes, it is dreadful, my son; but there are countless untold stories as dreadful as this one. If we were to visit a prison, and ask the wretched inmates how it was that they were first led into crime, we should find that 'only this once' brought most of them there. One took something which did not belong to him, never intending to do it more than that once; but the crime soon grew into a habit. Another was once tempted to gamble, and only that one game was the foundation of all his crimes.
"Learn, my son, to dread those three little words, and when tempted to use them think of all they may lead to, and ask for strength to resist the temptation; and, Harry, do you wonder now at our refusing to let you, even once, visit the billiard room?"
"No, father; I see now that you were right, and I was wrong in supposing that it could not possibly do me any harm to go only this once; and if Jim does tell the boys some silly story to make them laugh at me, I can tell them about Frank Allen, and that will sober them soon."
Dear young reader, do you think it is a trifling thing to do wrong "only this once?" If so, stop and think of the countless stories many wretched ones could tell you of its ruining power. Stop and pray that God will change that careless heart of yours; and then determine solemnly, with his aid, to resist unto death temptations to do wrong "only this once."—Sel.