Into the woods my Master went,
Clean forspent, forspent;
Into the woods my Master came
Forspent with love and shame.
But the olives they were not blind to Him,
The little gray leaves were kind to Him;
The thorn tree had a mind to Him
When into the woods He came.
Out of the woods my Master went,
And He was well content;
Out of the woods my Master came,
Content with death and shame.
When Death and Shame would woo Him last
From under the trees they drew Him last;
'Twas on a tree they slew Him last—
When out of the woods He came.
—Sidney Lanier.
JEWISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.
By F. C. Gilbert
(By an Israelite.)
The Phylacteries.
THE Saviour not only branded the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites for widening the borders of their "garment," but included the broadening of their phylacteries as hypocrisy also. There is no scripture for this latter custom, neither does Jewish literature mention it till the existence of tradition and rabbinism. The rabbis based their claim for this custom from the following scriptures: Ex. 13 : 9, 16; Deut. 6 : 8; 11 : 18; and since the law of interpreting the Bible was committed to them only, their decision as to the meaning of these texts was final.
After protracted disputations in the various schools as to what should compose these objects, as well as their usage, the Pharisees and Sadducees agreed upon the material, tho they differed somewhat as to the manner of wearing them. The phylacteries were made of two parts, one for the head, one for the hand, to fulfil the literal meaning of the Scriptures. Their composition was from the same kind of leather as the animals used for sin-offerings. The leather had to be spotless, as these things were largely designed to take the place of the offerings in those days, and since the time of Christ they are altogether used as substitutes. To make these, special men, who were more holy than the rest of the people, and who supplied themselves with special tools, were chosen. If, after the leather was cut, and the strap rounded, the least imperfection should be discovered, it was pronounced defiled, and must not be worn. They strained at a gnat.
For the one worn on the arm a strip of parchment was taken, and with special ink four passages of Scripture were written thereon. These were Ex. 13 : 1-10; 11-16; Deut. 6 : 4-9; 11 : 13-21. In all these passages, it will be observed, the four texts are found which mention the binding upon the hand, as it is written, and as the frontlets to the eyes. This was inclosed in a small square case of thick parchment, which was covered with a black preparation, and to which6was attached this leather strap, to be fastened around the arm, between the biceps and the fingers. The one for the head was arranged differently. Instead of the parchment being of one piece, the case was divided into four partitions, each one having one of the above-mentioned passages of Scripture. This was also covered with the preparation, and fastened with the leather straps on the forehead between the eyes and at the base of the brain; or, as the rabbis say, "at the pulse of the infant's brain."
These things were worn by males only, after reaching the age of thirteen. They were used in connection with the garment at the morning service, hence are called "tephillin, or prayer-fillets." They are used every morning, save upon the weekly Sabbaths and the annual or festival sabbaths. The reason for this is because the rabbis teach that these are used as a "sign." See the first four verses mentioned. But the Lord also gave them the Sabbath to be a "sign." Ex. 31 : 13, 17. Since he designed the Sabbath to be a sign for a special purpose, and these things to be a sign for another special purpose, it is not necessary to have two signs at the same time. Hence the phylacteries are for a sign the six working days; the Sabbath, a sign for the seventh day, the birthday of creation.
The importance and significance attached to these was in the manner of their use. First the "garment" was to be worn. After this was done, then prayer was offered for the wearing of the phylacteries. A long prelude being ended, the left coat sleeve is removed, the following prayer made:—
Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who hath sanctified in his commandments, and hath commanded us to wear tephillin, or prayer-fillets.
When the square case parchment is placed upon the biceps, inclined toward the heart. The reason for wearing this upon this place and in this position is recited as follows:—
And commanded us to wear upon the hand (or arm) to remember the outstretched arm, and the giving of our strength; and the reason for it being opposite the heart is to indicate by this that the desires and thoughts of our hearts are to be dedicated to his service, blessed be his name.—Daily Prayer Book.
The strap then fastens the parchment, and is folded around the arm seven times, from the elbow to the fingers. The reason for this number is because it represents perfection. The one for the head is next worn, and the following prayer offered:—
Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who hath sanctified in his commandments, and hath commanded us concerning the good deed of tephillin.
And the reason for their position is stated as follows:—
And upon the head, opposite the brain, because the soul which is in my brain, with the rest of my faculties and their strength, all shall be placed upon thy service, blessed be his name; and the merit of the good deed of the prayer-fillets shall be effectual to me, bringing to me length of days, the merit of holiness, holy thoughts without the curse of sin, nor the abundance of iniquity. . . . And the evil imagination shall not have dominion over us, but will give us rest and comfort, to serve the Lord as it were, with all our hearts. And let it be as acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our God, and the God of our fathers, that the worthiness of the good deed of wearing the prayer fillets, as tho we had established every point in all the teaching, . . . and as tho the whole six hundred and thirteen commandments hung upon it. Amen.
By this prayer will be seen the amount of merit attached to the wearing of these man-made objects. First, they are claimed to be given from heaven, hence the prayer for them must come as a command of God. Then the arrangement is so ordered as to indicate every step of the way one feature of righteousness is added. To illustrate: The garment is first put on to cover the man with righteousness. The phylactery is then placed upon the biceps, facing the heart, to show that it is with the whole strength the worship is performed, as well as coming from the heart. Such worship, if rightly performed, ought to bring perfection. Hence the straps are wound around the arm seven times. But, in order this latter trait may be obtained, knowledge is necessary, hence the position on the seat of the brain. This, however, must not be done for a short time only, hence it is tied to the forehead to always keep the things in remembrance. Thus the man is clothed with all things necessary to make him a righteous, holy, and perfect man.
We will now notice where the hypocrisy came in that the Saviour condemned. The rabbis reasoned this way: These things are designed to make men good, righteous, holy, etc. Now, if a man should wear only narrow strips of leather and small cases of parchments, it would indicate that he was not a very righteous man, but was simply doing those things because he had to. But if he really is a very good and pious man, he will make the squares large, and the cases broad. We then shall know who are the very righteous and who are not. Hence the terrible condemnation of Jesus against these things.
It is doubtless partly to these things that the apostle Paul has reference when he says that the Jews were ignorant of God's righteousness, and went about establishing their own righteousness, at the same time thinking they were having the righteousness of God. But Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes; and in him we find our all in all things, for in him we are complete. Rom. 10 : 1-4; Col. 2 : 10.
THE TURKS AND ARMENIANS. No. 2.
By H. P. H.
Bearing of the Recent Massacres on the Eastern Question.
What the Bible Says.
THE Bible speaks of nations. The Lord has to do with the destiny of nations. Acts 17:26. He speaks of the work and time of nations so far as his people are concerned thereby. We have many examples of this in the prophecies of the Old Testament and the Revelation. In three important prophecies the Turkish Empire is mentioned. We will give attention to at least two of these. The first is in the eleventh chapter of Daniel.
In this book we have several prophecies where symbols are used to represent nations. These are commonly called symbolical prophecies; but in the eleventh chapter is what may be called a literal prophecy, in which for the most part nations are spoken of directly, without the use of symbols. The Turkish Empire is brought to view in the latter part of this chapter, but to find the connection and become acquainted with the terms of this prophecy, let us notice briefly the first verses.
"Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him."
These are the words of an angel speaking with the prophet. It is worthy of note that the angels of God have to do with the rulers of nations, and, too, of heathen nations. It is sometimes erroneously supposed that the angels have to do only with good people; but it is most encouraging to see that they are sent to heathen rulers, to influence them to carry out the purposes of God.
"And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all; and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia."
By this verse we learn that from the time of the prophet, the fourth ruler in Persia would be remarkably rich, and would stir up all against the realm of Grecia. The fourth ruler in Persia from the date of this vision was Xerxes, the Ahasuerus of Esther, who did literally stir up all against Grecia, raising one of the largest armies the world has ever seen,—over five millions of men. The final outcome of this attack on Grecia was the overthrow of the Persian Empire, and the establishment of the Grecian, as indicated in the next verse.
"And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will."
As well known, the first king of Grecia, Alexander the Great, was indeed a mighty king, who did according to his will more absolutely than any other ruler. The history of his empire is remarkably condensed and yet clear in the fourth verse.
"And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides those."
Scarce had Alexander the Great conquered the world, and wept that there was not another to conquer, when his kingdom was broken. On his return from India, while at Babylon engaged in building a new capital for his empire, he died. The prophecy not only indicates that his kingdom was to be broken, but tells into how many parts,—just four,—and still more minute,—in which directions these four parts should lie,—towards the four winds of heaven,—the four cardinal points,—north, south, east, and west. On the death of Alexander, his leading generals, each ambitious for the throne, fell to warring with one another, and the result was7that the empire was divided among four of them, Cassander in the west, Lysimachus in the north, Seleucus in the east, and Ptolemy in the south, with headquarters in Egypt. Thus the Grecian Empire was divided exactly as foretold in the prophecy, into four parts, and to none of Alexander's posterity, and none of these ruled according to his dominion. These four divisions continued to war with one another till two were overthrown, and their territory absorbed by the other two,—the one in the north, and the one in the south. The prophecy now continues with a description of the wars between these two divisions, referring to them even to the end of the chapter under the titles of the king of the north and the king of the south.
Having thus learned the terms of the prophecy, let us pass over the description till the Turkish power is introduced, which is in verse 40.
"And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overthrow and pass over."
The scenes here described take place in the "time of the end." In speaking of the whole period of time it is very natural to speak of the first part as the time of the beginning, and the last portion as the time of the end. But the prophecy does not simply use this expression in a general way, but indicates definitely when this time of the end begins. "And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for a time appointed." Verse 35. Here reference is to the persecution of the people of God, and the definite statement is made that this persecution will last till the time of the end. Mark also that this persecution is for a "time appointed." This appointed time is made known in chapter 7, where the work of the Papacy is described. From a study of this chapter, we learn that this period of persecution lasted 1,260 years. Compare with Rev. 12:6; 13:6. The 1,260 years began A.D. 538, and hence ended A.D. 1798; therefore 1798 marks the beginning of the time of the end, as shown in verse 35. At that time, then, the scenes in verse 40 occur.
By a study of this verse, we observe that a conflict between three parties takes place,—the king of the south, the king of the north, and a third party referred to by the pronoun "him." The king of the south is Egypt; and at this time the territory of the king of the north was occupied by the Turks, hence the sultan of Turkey is the king of the north of this verse; to find the third party, we must refer to the preceding verses to find the antecedent of the pronoun "him." In these verses we find a most remarkable description of the French Revolution, which culminated in 1792; in 1798, when the time of the end begins, and the scenes of verse 40 take place, Napoleon Bonaparte is at the head of the French, and hence represents the third party of this verse. Now comes the interesting question, Do we find at this time a conflict between these three powers? Our next article will deal with this question.
THE POWER OF LOVE.
By Charles Henry Parkhurst
THERE is nothing that the poor and degraded need so much as they do love. They need love more than they do money. If we gave them less gold and more affection, they would be better off in heart, mind, and estate. Love is the redeeming element; love is the pith of the Gospel, the axis on which all turns. And men grow surprisingly lovable as soon as we begin to love them, startlingly interesting as soon as we begin to be interested in them. And we shall find in people just as much heart as we have the heart to find in them. As soon as we begin in a Christlike way to love people, we shall discover that they love to be loved. They are in our power, if our power is heart power. —C. H. Parkhurst, D.D.
The Idle Man’s Fate
"THE loafer—that is, the idler 'waiting for something to turn up'—is sure to be a grumbler, sure to have 'hard luck,' sure the world owes him a living, sure to complain of the thrifty, sure to die a beggar, and be buried in a pauper's coffin. St. Paul worked with his own hands, and has declared the Christian rule: 'If any work not, neither shall he eat.'"
Rest for the Weary
ONLY the weary can rest. How can one hope for rest in heaven who has done nothing to tire him in earth?—Virginia Evangelist.
THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND THE UNCHANGEABLE SABBATH.
By W. W. Prescott
Christ's Example and Instruction.
The Word versus Tradition.
IN the life and teaching of Christ while upon this earth we have the Gospel in its fulness. He was the Gospel. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Thus the Gospel which had been preached through him as God's agent in creation, was, in his life and teaching, preached through him as God's agent in redemption. Thus every act in the life of Christ becomes invested with a special interest as showing God's own idea of what it is to live the Gospel. At the time of the first advent the real principles of the Gospel had become largely obscured in a mass of traditions and forms and ceremonies. To such an extent was this true that Christ said to the Sadducees, who occupied a prominent place as religious leaders and teachers (Acts 5:17), "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." Matt. 22:29. It was Christ's work to brush aside this mass of tradition, through which the Gospel had become utterly falsified in "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," and to reveal old truths in a new light. He did not break down a single principle of the Gospel, for he said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matt. 5:17. But he did clearly reveal the utter worthlessness of mere ceremonies, and unsparingly rebuke the hypocrisy of those who were great sticklers for merely outward observances but failed to practise the principles of vital godliness. To them he said, "Ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God." And then to show that it was not the tithing system as he himself had given it, but its abuse which he rebuked, he continued, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Luke 11:42.
This condition of things in Christ's time was but the climax of a struggle which had been going on for centuries. Since the first revelation of the Gospel to Adam the question had been whether man should worship God according to God's revealed will or according to man's idea. Of course to worship God after man's idea is not to worship God at all, but is the essence of idolatry, which is really self-worship; but it is often easier to lead men away from God under the pretense of zeal for him, rather than under the open profession of idolatry, while the effect is the same.
The True Worship and Gospel Perverted.
The difficulty between Cain and Abel, out of which grew the first murder, arose from the fact that Cain persisted in his effort to worship God according to his own idea, rather than in harmony with God's instructions, while Abel would not be turned aside from the true worship. In thus following God's way implicitly, Abel showed that he believed the Gospel, and so we read: "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous." This was righteousness by faith. From that time until the coming of the Redeemer to this earth, a constant effort was being made by the enemy of all righteousness to lead men either into open idolatry or into a pretended worship of God through a multiplication of forms and ceremonies which God had never enjoined. In Christ's time the religious teachers of the day had turned the service of God into the most terrible bondage, had lost sight of the substance in their zeal for their own traditions, and had thus largely shut away the blessings of the Gospel from the people. Their teaching was dry and hard, and the people were not blessed in listening to them; but when they heard Christ, they "were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Matt. 7:28, 29. The scribes and Pharisees were extremely tenacious of their position and authority, and while they could but recognize Christ's power in his teaching and in his miracles, yet because he would not submit to their control and teach according to their traditions, and because the people left them and sought after the new Teacher, they were bitterly jealous of him and "watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words." Luke 20:20.
The Question Then As to the Sabbath.
All this has an important bearing upon the question of the Sabbath, for in that time there was no question as to which day was the Sabbath, but the whole question was as to how the Sabbath should be observed. God in his Son had "blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it," that it might be a channel of blessing and sanctification to all who would receive it as he gave it, but men had made it a hard thing by the rigorous requirements which they themselves had added to it. By his example and his teaching Christ cast aside these man-made and burdensome exactions and restored the Sabbath to the people as a day of blessing and true rest in him. Thus he showed the true idea of the Sabbath and its observance, as opposed to merely human traditions. So blinded to the truth were these zealous guardians of their own traditions, that they actually condemned as a Sabbath-breaker him who was "Lord also of the Sabbath," whose example was Sabbath-keeping, because he would not give up the freedom and blessing of real Sabbath observance for the bondage of their own customs and requirements. This showed that they did not know the Gospel, because they did not recognize it when it was revealed in the life of him "who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."
The Sabbath-keeping of Christ.
Let us now consider the record of Christ's Sabbath-keeping as set forth in the scripture:—
"At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." Matt. 12:1-8.
Note carefully the nature of Christ's reply: The charge is that he is permitting in his disciples "that which is not lawful," but he shows that it is lawful so far as God's instruction is concerned, that there is nothing in any requirement of God which is contrary to the principles of mercy, and that in disregarding the traditions of men he is "guiltless." Since this reply was based upon the Scripture, there was nothing to be said against it by those who claimed to believe the Bible, but it is easy to see what an outcry would have been made8against him if he had given the least ground for the charge that he was making any change in the Sabbath. But, altho there was nothing which could be said consistently in reply to what Christ had said, yet they did not cease their opposition, and another opportunity soon offered itself for further criticism.
"And he entered again into the synagog; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out; and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him." Mark 3:1-6.
This is a lesson in genuine Sabbath-keeping. The Sabbath is the sign and the channel of the power of God in delivering "from the power of Satan," and the Saviour teaches this in the miracle. In the Sabbath is the presence of him "who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases," and this was presented in the object lesson of the miracle. But in addition to this, by performing this miracle on the Sabbath day, when he knew that they were watching him, he set forth, in a manner to attract the most public attention, that the opinions of men on the Sabbath question are of no value whatsoever, and that Sabbath-keeping is something more than mere conformity to the traditions of men; that only God's thought concerning the Sabbath is to have weight with us. The Pharisees could not "destroy" the eternal principle of truth upon which Christ's lesson to them was based, but they did take counsel "how they might destroy him." This plan has often been followed since. It is bigotry's answer to the truth. In all this there is nothing to indicate a lack of regard for the Sabbath. In fact, since it was God in Christ who established the Sabbath by his own experience of resting upon the seventh day and by the blessing of his own presence in Christ in the day, and since Christ was so completely expressing to the world the thought of God that he was able to say, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father," Christ's experience in Sabbath-keeping was simply the revelation of God's idea of true Sabbath-keeping and of what he intended the Sabbath to be to man.
The same lessons are taught in the facts recorded in Luke 13:10-17, and so convincing was the instruction that "all his adversaries were ashamed." Read also Luke 14:1-6, where it is stated that "they could not answer him again to these things."
The question of proper Sabbath observance is also brought into prominence by the healing of the blind man on the Sabbath day, as recorded in the ninth chapter of John. In this case the Pharisees went so far as to say, "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day," and, "We know that this man is a sinner;" and yet the only ground for such a charge was because he refused to be governed by their traditions with reference to Sabbath observance, but chose rather to reveal God's idea of the Sabbath.
These Principles Applied to Our Day.
These experiences with reference to the Sabbath are given such a prominent place in the Scriptures because the Sabbath itself occupies such a prominent place in the Gospel which Christ was thus preaching. Christ was sent "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isa. 61:1), and in carrying out his mission he said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28. But divine, creative power was necessary thus to release men from the slavery of sin and to bring to them the rest of God in genuine Sabbath-keeping. But of this divine, creative power the Sabbath was the sign and true Sabbath-keeping the experience. But if the true idea of Sabbath-keeping is lost in following the traditions of men, then, instead of being the sign and the experience of God's power, it becomes the sign of man's power; and in this power is no deliverance from sin. This is the Gospel as presented in the Sabbath.
The application of these principles to the Sabbath question at the present time can be made in a few words. In Christ's time the true idea of the Sabbath had been lost by substituting man's idea for God's idea in the way in which the day should be observed, but in our time the true idea of the Sabbath has been lost by following the authority of man in substituting another day, the first day of the week, for the day which God set apart as the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. But the principle established by Christ has the same meaning now as in that day, and "we ought to obey God rather than men." Christ taught the truth in regard to the Sabbath in his time in opposition to the traditions of men, in order that it might be the blessing to men which God intended it to be, and we, as "ambassadors for Christ," are seeking to do the same thing, not for the purpose of raising a controversy, but in order that, as "the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in," we may be able to bring to men a larger experience in the blessings of the Gospel of Christ. Those who love the truth above tradition, and who desire to "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth," will see light in the example and teaching of Christ with reference to the Sabbath, and will understand more clearly the place which the unchangeable Sabbath occupies in the everlasting Gospel.
W. W. PRESCOTT.
London, England.
Overcoming Difficulty
By Lord Lyndhurst
DIFFICULTY is something to be overcome. It is not a thing to daunt us. Grapple with it. Send a quick cry to heaven for aid, and then lay on. Take it as a chance God has given you, to try the mettle of your faith and courage.—Lord Lyndhurst.
Question Corner
By Editor
"Enquire, and make search, and ask diligently."
No. 596. Baptism.
WILL you be kind enough to inform me through your publication at what time or what is the earliest practical date of baptism known among men since the days of Christ and his apostles, and by whom was baptism first practised among those of Protestant faith?
W. H. W.
We do not question at all the statement frequently made that it has been practised by believers in Christ from that day till the present time. Like the Sabbath, it was perverted by the rapidly apostatizing church. In Schaff-Herzog Cyclopedia, article Baptism, it is said that "there is not a dissenting voice in all the literature of the Christian church for twelve hundred years" that "immersion was the act of baptism." "Historians, and those who treat of the early liturgies, unite in the same testimony." "The Oriental churches, Greek, Russian, Armenian, Coptic, and others, have always practised immersion, and allow nothing else for baptism." "The Western churches also preserved the baptism of the New Testament for thirteen hundred years, and then gradually introduced pouring or sprinkling." "Luther sought, against the tendency of the times, to restore immersion." "Calvin was the first to assert that immersion was of no importance," and he is thus quoted: "Whether the person who is baptized be wholly immersed, and whether thrice or once, or whether water be only poured or sprinkled upon him, is of no importance; churches ought to be left at liberty in this respect to act according to the difference of countries. The very word 'baptize,' however, signifies to immerse; and it is certain that immersion was the practise of the ancient church."
Even in the Catholic Church, "the Council of Ravenna (1311) was the first to allow a choice between sprinkling and immersion."
The Baptists, who revived the true mode, appeared first in Switzerland in 1523. They were found in the years 1525-30 with large churches, fully organized, in Southern Germany, Tyrol, and in Middle Germany. "In all these places persecution made their lives bitter." From these and other facts it is most probable that they existed long prior to these dates; and were composed in most cases of the descendants of those who refused to depart in the fourteenth century from Bible baptism.
WILL you be so kind as to explain the fourteenth verse of the fourteenth chapter of Romans, and greatly oblige an interested reader of the Word?
E. R. K.
Rom. 14:14 reads as follows: "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean [literally, 'common'] of itself; but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean [common], to him it is unclean [common]." The word "unclean" seems to refer to ceremonial uncleanness as opposed to that which is consecrated by ceremony. Unwashed hands, tho clean, were considered by the Jews as unclean, or defiled. Mark 7:2. See also Acts 10:14, 15. To him who seeks Christ's glory, there is, if necessity demands, no ceremonial uncleanness; but he who is devoted to God's service will also follow God's will as expressed in his Word. In that Word the Lord has made a distinction between meats (Leviticus 11), and evidently for a reason beyond mere ceremony. The child of God, it seems to us, will respect his Father's will. Yet if God's service in Christ demands, there is no arbitrary law to forbid. It is left to faith and conscience. The chief points of this whole scripture are: (1) Liberty in Christ Jesus, but not to serve the lusts of the flesh (see chapter 13:14); (2) we have no right to judge a brother in Christ; (3) neither have we a right to put a stumbling-block in his way by indulging in what to him are wrong practises; (4) the object of the Christian life is not eating or drinking, "but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," to which all things else should be auxiliary; (5) our only judge is God; live for him and his glory, not to indulge the flesh.
1 JOHN 3:9 reads as follows: "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he can not sin, because he is born of God." Please explain the same, and harmonize with other scriptures which seem flatly to contradict this verse.
J. W. A.
Sinning is a matter of will and choice. Deut. 30:19; Prov. 1:29; Isa. 66:3, 4. He who by faith gives up self and chooses Christ for all things, is born again, a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Gal. 3:26. If he continues to walk in Christ by faith, he "doth not commit sin," or, as rendered by some, "does not practise sin," he has no desire to sin, it is not his thought or purpose to sin. His can not rests upon his will not. It is well illustrated by the expression, "What I will not that I can not do." Said one who made excuse, "I have married a wife, and therefore I can not come." Luke 14:20. He could not come because he did not wish to come, would not come. There will never come a time when one who wishes to sin can not sin. He who loves God and abides in his Word, will not wish to. If it were physically impossible for the children of God to sin, why the exhortations in 1 John 2:1, 24, 28; 3:18, 4:7; 5:21? It is in Christ Jesus, and only in him, that we are sinless, and only by abiding in him that we can not and do not sin.
REVOLUTION PENDING IN CHINA.
A CORRESPONDENT in Honolulu writes to the Examiner of San Francisco that there is a Chinese society now numbering millions and rapidly growing, with over two million dollars capital at present, presided over by able, judicial, and educated men, having as its supporters many noted men of Europe, the object of which is to overthrow the present Manchu dynasty, and to establish a republic modeled after the United States. The headquarters in China are in the Canton province. This correspondent says:—
" 'Down with the Manchu dynasty—up with a republic like the United States!' is the battle-cry of the Revolutionary Society, and the watchword that will sooner or later rend China from end to end, and change the course of her destiny for all time. It will open up the vast empire from the sea to the Thibetan hills; telegraph and railroad lines will pierce into every province, and all the obstructions to civilization and Christianity will be forever removed. The leaders of the future will doubtless be Canton men, who are broader and wiser and more patriotic. All China proper hates the present rulers, because they are men of the north and not of their own blood.
"A prominent member of the local Revolutionary Society, who has just returned from a visit to China, said last night: 'We are almost ready to strike, and our success is certain. The government will be powerless in our hands. Two to five millions of men who mean business, who are soldiers, and will be led by soldiers, will rise in a day and sweep everything before them. Canton province will rise as one man. When the present authority is out of the way, a republic will be proclaimed. All the plans have been formed. There will be eighteen states, with separate governments, and a strong central authority. For the latter, the Constitution of the United States will be copied and followed almost to the letter.'"
This need not be a surprise. In some way China will be opened for the closing work of God.
