The missionary ship Pitcairn has been heard from, having arrived at Tahiti July 1, Captain Graham reporting all well.
Elder J. E. Jayne, president of Maine Conference, has been chosen president of Atlantic Conference, and will change his field of labor about the middle of September. Elder H. E. Robinson, the retiring president of Atlantic Conference, goes to England to take the place of Elder D. A. Robinson, who has been assigned to India.
Unusual interest is reported in meetings held at Letart, W. Va., by Brother Wm. Hutchinson. People come a distance of ten miles to hear Christ set forth in the light of Scripture. Two Baptist ministers are reported as among the regular attendants, and one of them became so much interested that he proposed and took up a collection for the support of the work.
Elder D. C. Babcock, president of West Virginia Conference, notes the arraignment of a brother and two sisters in one of the popular churches to which they formerly belonged, because of their acceptance of the Sabbath of the Lord. The feature of the trial which shows the tendency of the times was the refusal of the minister in charge to allow the accused to use either the Bible or the Discipline of the church in their defense.
At the recent session of Atlantic Conference, it was decided that Elders E. E. Franke and G. D. Ballou conduct another series of tent meetings in Baltimore; that tent meetings be inaugurated in Washington City, under direction of Elder O. O. Farnsworth; also in Salem, N. J., by Elder R. D. Hottel and Brother A. J. Howard; and in Brooklyn, N. Y., Elder J. F. Hansen will again engage in tent work for the benefit of the Scandinavian people.
The Louisville, Ky., Times of August 5 has this encouraging item: “The meetings in the Gospel tent on Broadway, between Twenty-second and Twenty-third Streets, continue with unabated interest, under the leadership of Elder J. W. Collie and his assistants. Nearly seven hundred people were present last night. Elder Collie is making arrangements for a large pavilion, to accommodate about a thousand people. The subject under consideration this week is one that is agitating the theological world,—‘Which day is the Sabbath?’”
The International Tract Society, London, has again been arraigned before the Police Court for allowing female employees to labor in its publishing house on Sunday in violation of the Factory Act. On the former occasion of prosecution the fines and costs imposed amounted to about thirty dollars, which was collected by attachment of property. On the latter occasion there were five charges, and the full penalty of the law was imposed, fines and costs amounting to about eighty dollars. The Jews are exempt from the operations of this Factory Act, but Christians who observe the seventh-day Sabbath “according to the commandment,” and then work on Sunday, must be made to pay a fine therefor. Such is one of the incongruities of the church and state or “Christian nation” idea. But, as in America, the court plea is, “I am here to administer the law of the land.” And here is where the “Irrepressible conflict” comes, the Bible Christian will “obey God rather than men.”
THE LORD’S DAY
By Milton C. Wilcox
THE TEST OF THE AGES.
By MILTON C. WILCOX.
A new publication on the all-important Sabbath question. It treats the subject in the light of the Dispensations. In fact, it is, in a nutshell
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LESSON XI.—SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 14, 1895
TITHING.
1. To whom do we belong?
“And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price.” 1 Cor. 3:23; 6:19, 20. (See note .)
2. How dependent are we upon the Lord?
“Neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 17:25, 28. See also 1 Cor. 4:7.
3. How much of our time belongs to the Lord? Ans.—All, because we belong to the Lord.
4. How are we instructed to use our time?
“Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.” Ex. 20:9, 10. (See note .)
5. When we do not devote to the Lord the time he has commanded, of what are we guilty? (See note .)
6. When we observe the Sabbath, whom do we honor?
“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, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa. 58:13, 14.
7. How much of our means belongs to the Lord? Ans.—All, because we ourselves belong to the Lord.
8. Who gives us power to get wealth?
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deut. 8:18.
9. To whom does the earth, and all that it contains, belong?
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Ps. 24:1. See also 50:10–12; Hag. 2:8.
10. What is our relation to the property which is in our possession? Ans.—Stewards. Luke 19:12–23.
11. What should we do with our property?
“Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Prov. 3:9, 10.
12. How can we honor the Lord with our substance? Ans.—By doing with it as the Lord has commanded.
13. What does the Lord say about providing for our own?
“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” 1 Tim. 5:8.
14. What is our duty to the poor?
“Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” Ps. 41:1–3. See also James 2:15, 16; 1 John 3:17.
15. What is the measure of the love which we owe our neighbor?
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Matt. 22:39.
16. What is the first and great commandment?
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Verses 36–38.
17. Then to whom is our first and highest duty? Why?
18. What portion of our income has the Lord reserved as sacred to him?
“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27:30.
19. Did the patriarchs pay tithes?
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” Gen. 14:18–20; 28:22.
20. In what dispensation did Abraham and Jacob live? Ans.—Patriarchal. (See note .)
NOTES.
International Sunday School Lessons
“If any man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.”—John 7:17.
2. Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I speak unto you by the hand of Moses;
3. That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4. And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
6. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days; then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
7. And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
8. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
Golden Text: “Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” Heb. 6:18.
Note.—Two cities served as capitals for ancient Israel, Shechem and Shiloh, the former being the political capital. Shiloh, where the instructions embodied in the present lesson were given, was the religious capital, and was situated near the center of Palestine. It is seventeen miles north of Jerusalem, on the road between Bethel and Shechem, and about nine or ten miles from each. Here was the tabernacle and the ark, and here resorted the different tribes three times a year for a great festival. Joshua, and afterwards Eli and Samuel, lived here, where the ark remained for three hundred years, during the whole period of the judges. The time is not long after the last lesson. Read in connection with the lesson scripture Num. 35:11-34 and Deut. 19:2-13.
Suggestive Questions
(1) Who were the parties to the instruction in this lesson? Verses 1, 2. (2) What were to be appointed? Verse 2. Note 1. (3) For what purpose were the cities of refuge established? Verse 3. Note 2. (4) How was the one who fled to gain entrance to the city? Verse 4. Note 3. (5) What answer would be made to the avenger when he came? Verse 5. (6) Though adjudged not guilty of willful murder, what must the fugitive do? Verse 6. Note 4. (7) What cities were appointed west of the Jordan? Verse 7. (8) What cities east of the Jordan? Verse 8. Note 5. (9) Who were included in this provision? Verse 9. (10) What practical lesson may be derived from a consideration of this feature of ancient history? Note 6. Golden text.
Notes
1. Cities of refuge.—These cities were chosen, or appointed, from among the cities belonging to the tribe of Levi, which, as has been already noticed, was given no portion of the land. To this tribe forty-eight cities were allotted, distributed among the tribes according to the size of the territory of each. For support they received a tithe of all the produce of the land. Six of these cities were appointed as cities of refuge. The matter had been previously outlined by Moses. See Ex. 21:13; Numbers 35.
2. The avenger of blood.—It was a custom of ancient times, and traces of it are seen even yet, for the relatives of a murdered person to avenge or satisfy his death themselves, by slaying the murderer. When tribes existed somewhat separately, without a strong, protective government, this was necessary for protection. Hence there early grew up the custom of blood avenging. The Cambridge Bible says: “Prior to the Mosaic age, it was required of the nearest of kin, as a matter of duty, to avenge the death of a slain relative. He was called the goel, or avenger, and together with his office inherited the property of the deceased. Sometimes a14whole family took upon them this duty. 2 Sam. 14:7.” This procedure, however, outside of Israel often precipitated a family or tribal feud, with scarcely any prospect of termination. Notice that the cities of refuge afforded an asylum only to the unwitting or accidental slayer of another. The willful murderer was invariably delivered up to be slain, if after a fair trial (Num. 35:30), which was accorded both classes, he was found guilty. Moreover, special provision was made to punish a false witness. If guilty of perjury, he was to be punished with the same punishment that would have fallen on the one against whom he testified, if that one were convicted. Deut. 19:16-21. See also Deut. 17:7; John 8:7. Among the Bedouins, Arabs, and even Romans, a murderer could be bought off, but nothing of this kind was permitted under the law of Israel. Num. 35:31, 32. The system was a sure exterminator of criminals of that class.
3. The gate of the city.—“The gate was surmounted by an arch, or by beams which upheld the massive walls above. The gateway was thus sheltered from sun and storm. It was a convenient place for the sessions of the judges, and was habitually used by them. Its publicity also tended to prevent abuses of their authority. The gateway of the city of refuge was probably always attended night and day by men whose duty it was to receive and take charge of fugitives.”—Johnson. This decision of the elders served to admit him. The regular trial, before a higher court, came later on, when witnesses had been summoned, and the accusers had time to appear. Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 17 and 19; Joshua 20:6.
4. He shall dwell in that city.—This judgment was not unjust, though it might seem severe, should the high priest live long. Even the accidental slaying of a fellow-mortal is no light thing, and is often accompanied by carelessness of some sort. The imprisonment would serve a double purpose, to afford the slayer opportunity to reflect seriously over the whole bearing of the case, and to alleviate the hatred and sorrow of the friends of the dead man. While given the freedom of the city, he risked his life by venturing beyond the thousand cubit limit which marked the suburbs. Num. 35:4, 25-28.
5. They appointed Kedesh, etc.—By looking on the map, it will be seen that these six cities were so situated as to present the easiest access from all parts of the country. Roads were to be built to each (Deut. 19:3), and, according to the Jewish rabbins, these were to be kept in good repair. It is also stated that where possible two students of the law were to accompany the fugitive in his flight, that, should he be overtaken, the avenger might be pacified until a legal investigation could take place.
6. The refuge appointed for all.—The idea of a refuge is a hiding place, an asylum from danger. The great danger from which we are to flee, as set forth in the word of God, is sin and its result, death. All dangers of a physical nature are but transient, but sin is able to destroy both soul and body. Sin is present by nature with all; the avenger or pursuer is the broken law; the refuge is Christ, and the hope of eternal life, redemption of soul and body through him. By looking into the perfect law of God one discovers himself in sin, and bound for death. What escape is there for him?—Christ, whose life perfectly met the righteousness of that law, and who alone is able to take away our sins, and save to the uttermost all who come unto him. He is our refuge, our high tower, our rock, our dwelling place and sanctuary.
LIFE OF WILLIAM MILLER,
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ANGELS, Their Nature and Ministry.
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