Now every one of the scripture texts here cited are injunctions and promises with which God has invested one day and one day only; namely, the seventh day, the Sabbath. They have no application in any way to the first day of the week. They are stolen in toto to garb a day having no claim save erring tradition, which stands as a scripture day entirely naked of a shred of sanctity or holiness. Why not restore the divine garments to the rightful owner.
The curse, the greatest curse, of a land is lawlessness—law dishonored, violated. In the wake of lawlessness follow benumbed conscience, betrayal of trust, crime of every sort. Neither property, reputation, chastity, nor life is safe in such a land.
On the contrary, the greatest blessing to a government is respect for law, regard for law, love for the true, the good, the just. In such a land all may rest in peace. Property and reputation are safe. Virtue and life are guarded. The integrity of the ruling head is respected.
But a land with poor laws, inadequate laws, oppressive laws, is better than anarchy. When the unregenerate human is left to himself, to follow his own way and will, he has left a sadder record than the worst of governments.
In our next issue we wish to study with our readers a better law; aye, even the best law—the rule of God's government.
God has a government. His people are His subjects. What is His law? We may know. His word reveals it. Next week let us study it together.
Standard Dictionaries
By Editor
We call attention to the advertisement of the Standard Dictionaries in another column. In our opinion the Standard is the completest and best dictionary in the world.
The Earthquake in Italy
The Earthquake in Italy.—We have received an article from our correspondent in Italy on the great Calabrian earthquake, with photos of scenes after the awful temblor. This will appear next week.
Lord Kelvin’s Death
Lord Kelvin, the great physicist, electrician, mathematician, inventor, and teacher, died December 17, at Glasgow, Scotland, at the age of eighty-three, of heart failure, superinduced by old age. He stands at the head of those who claim the earth's interior to be a solid instead of a liquid mass. He held the chair of natural philosophy, at Glasgow University, unbrokenly for fifty years.
A Catholic-Protestant Marriage
One of the President's Rough-Rider friends, according to the Springfield Republican of December 5, himself a Protestant, wanted to marry a Catholic. His name is John A. McIlhenny. Her name was Miss Louise Stauffer, of New Orleans. Of course the church forbids such unions, but the pope granted a dispensation at the request of Mr. Roosevelt, which permitted the marriage in the Catholic cathedral of New Orleans. We regret that the President could even be induced to ask for this.
Rights of the State
Rights of the State.—The Catholic Mirror condemns France because she is endeavoring to prevent the church from teaching in public schools. But why should the Roman Catholic be permitted to teach his religion in the state schools any more than the Protestant should be allowed to teach his? It is not the duty or province of the civil power to teach religion, or to use the public moneys for that purpose. The fact that the church has held sway so long in France is not a reason why such a regime should continue. We believe in religious instruction, believe it to be necessary to the individual, and even to the safety of the state, but it does not belong to the state to give it, or to the state thru the church.
Go Forward
God asks nothing of any soul of us which He will not enable that soul to give. All God's requirements or commands are enabling acts if we will with the spirit of true obedience yield to them. Is the command, ``Go forward''? Let us go as far as the sea, let the water lap our feet; then He will open the way thru its dark waters.
Our Bible Band
Our Bible Band.
Schedule for the Week Ending Jan. 18, 1908.
Keep ever in mind the Promised Seed, and the channels thru which that Seed should come.
Chapter 27 is the record of human interference in God’s plans. Rebekah and Jacob thought God could not fulfil His promises unless they took a hand in it, a clear lack of faith, manifest at first also in Abraham, and nearly always found at the basis of all union of church and state. The human scheming resulted in life-long separation of mother and son, and great hardship to Jacob.
Chapters 28 to 32 are the records of Jacob’s trials and victories, resulting at last in complete change of heart, placing Jacob the supplanter among the Israel of God.
Jacob’s Mistakes and Their Fruits
Chapters 33 to 35, 37, 38 present some of the sad fruits of Jacob's mistakes in having more than one wife, resulting in partiality, jealousy, envy, and low standards of morality, and crime. Chapter 36 is a brief story of Esau's descendants.
Joseph’s Faithfulness in Egypt
Chapters 39 to 42 are a part of the beautiful story of Joseph in Egypt; of faithfulness, conscientiousness, integrity, and the fulfilment of his dreams, for which his brothers hated him.
How to Study These Lessons
Read prayerfully, thoughtfully, undisturbed, and undistracted by other things. Note that God uses no partiality. The sin of Jacob, or of Judah, is plainly told, with no excuse for their wickedness. The cause and punishment are not always nor generally stated, but if we read carefully we will be sure to find them. They knew the cause of some of their trouble when they were imprisoned in Egypt. See Gen. 42:21, 22. See Ps. 105:1-22 as a comment on the above chapters.
The Bible Band’s Foundation
These lessons assume that our Bible-Band readers believe in the inspiration of the Bible; that the same Spirit inspired all its writers; that it is its own best interpreter; and that God is more than willing to illuminate our mind by His Spirit as we read its sacred story. That Record tells us of horrible things sometimes, like the sin of Judah, in chapter 38, but it does it in no way to pander to human lust or to excuse sin. It reveals the sin that we may shun it, and at the same time it reveals the remedy in God's love, mercy, and power.
Opportunity to Join the Bible Band
There is yet opportunity to join the Bible Band, even if a little late. One would not have to work very hard to catch up with the regulars.
God’s Word and Christ’s Example
The real question for the believer in God's word to decide is not as to what the various schools or theologians teach, but what does God's word declare, what was the example of Jesus Christ?
Roosevelt’s Promise to Retire
Mr. Roosevelt when first elected stated that he considered the three and one-half years which he filled out of Mr. McKinley's term as one term, and he should retire at the end of his second term. "Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept another nomination," were his words, and just recently he declared again, having repeated those words, "I have not changed and shall not change the decision thus announced." And there are many candidates in the field as a result.
Land Fraud
Land Fraud.—The Independent of December 19 mentions many land-fraud cases in the West, notes the fact that one secret service agent, Joseph Walker, was killed while collecting evidence of the land-fraud cases which involved at least ten men of some local prominence. Two men of note, State Senator Williams and his brother George B. Williams, have pleaded guilty at Carson City, Nev. Two guilty ranchmen have been indicted in that state for similar offenses. Another has pleaded guilty in Omaha. And so the thing runs; wherever there is government land, greedy men are working every plan to secure it for little or nothing.
