THE public life may be free from sin which incurs the disapprobation of men, while the heart is the seat of some unholy affection or passion, that is abhorrent to the pure mind of Him who sees every action and knows every thought. A sin hidden in the chambers of the soul, and coming out in secret ways, is more dangerous to the Christian, and less likely to be overcome, than that which is visible and recognized by others; an unseen disease of the body may be less cared for than one which is known to the public, though the latter may be less serious in its nature than the former.
Bosom sin is very deceiving. It blinds the mind to a perception of its exceeding sinfulness. It makes excuses and apologies for its continuance. It assumes weakness and non-importance as a means of obtaining indulgence. It weeps, it promises, it resolves, it crouches beneath correcting power, but it only uses this means to throw dust in the eyes of man, while it gathers strength for renewed action. Hence, when the opportunity again occurs, and all things favor, it comes out of its hiding place with increased energy. Thus it goes on in its career, deceiving the soul, until, perhaps, it has obtained such ascendancy and arrayed itself in such appearance that he regards it as a simple failing which cannot be avoided, and from which the mercy of God will deliver him before he dies. The sin now dwells in him with a bribed patronage of his knowledge, his conscience, his religion. He may be a nominal Christian, an officer in the church, a man of public benefit, against whom no one dare bring an accusation. But there reigns the sin in secret majesty, fortifying itself in its dominion, and destroying in the same proportion any strength of goodness and usefulness which he might possess. In this way the sin gathers power and boldness, until, perhaps, by some mysterious influence the cause of his declining usefulness is first suspected and then divulged; he falls from his religious position. Now the monster, unrestrained by church and social authority, leaps from his hiding place and is no longer a secret sin, known only to the man himself, but a sin known to multitudes.
"All unrighteousness is sin." It matters not whether it is the unrighteous act of the professor, or the non-professor. It may be hidden forever from the eyes of man, yet it is sin. "The thought of foolishness is sin." It is not necessary that it be some act done in the dark, but it may be the thought hidden in the mind. It may be so safely kept that it may never reach the mind of another, but it has been recorded in the books of heaven.
Like the cancer beneath the surface, secret sin is constantly preying on the vitals of the professed Christian. It may be a long time coming to the surface, yet it will be revealed to the world sometime; if not before, it will be seen when the Judge of all the earth sits on the great white throne. The only way it may be covered from the sight of all the earth is by confessing it to God, and forsaking it.
"Blessed is the man whose sin is covered." Reader, have you a secret sin that is eating its way to the surface? that is eating out the spiritual life? Whatever it is, small or great, give it no favor. Listen not to its subterfuges. It is your disease and will be your death if not removed. Cry mightily to God for help. He can remove the leprosy that is in your system and make you clean. Every time that you go to the Lord, bring it out and expose it to him in humble confession. He will bid it come forth that you may be every whit whole.
Satan would get you to confess it to some individual first. He would like you to go to man for help. But put not your trust in man, for all mankind have sinned, and are thereby not able to save themselves. "Confess your secret sins alone before your God. Acknowledge your heart wanderings to him who knows perfectly how to treat your case."—Testimony 33. There may be sins that should be confessed to those we have wronged, but this is a secondary matter. We know not how to confess to our fellow-man until we have first gone to the Lord. We know not to whom we should confess until the Lord directs our minds. Go to the Lord first. Tell him all about it and he will make the path plain. Prov 3: 6; Ps. 32: 8. David acknowledged his sin unto the Lord, and there received forgiveness. 2 Sam. 12: 12, 13. So we may725open the door and take the Lord through every secret chamber of the heart and tell him all about the bosom sins abiding there, and ask him to drive them all out with his scourge, and fill every chamber with himself. When he abides there, Satan cannot enter. Let Christ in and bid all secret sins depart.
"Yes, I'll open this proud heart's door,
Yes, I'll let him in.
Gladly I'll welcome him evermore;
Oh, yes, I'll let him in!
Blessed Saviour, abide with me,
Cares and trials will lighter be;
I am safe if I'm only with thee,
O blessed Lord, come in!"
TRUE SABBATH KEEPING.
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
BY ELDER E. J. WAGGONER.
"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Gen. 2:1-3. Accordingly we read, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:10, 11.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." Ex. 31:12, 13. And again, "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; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." Isa. 58:13, 14.
The object of quoting these texts is to show that the Sabbath which we are commanded to keep is the Lord's Sabbath. It is not the Sabbath of any man, nor of any set of men. It is not the Sabbath of any nation or people. It is the Sabbath of the Lord. He alone made it, and he alone has the right to demand its observance. He who does not keep the Sabbath is answerable to God alone. People who keep a Sabbath of their own making feel very much affronted if everybody else does not pay the same respect to the day that they do. Their solicitude is not so much for the day as that their own feelings shall not be hurt. But they who truly keep the Sabbath of the Lord do not think of such a thing as trying to compel others to do the same. We shall soon see why. They feel solicitous that the people shall not disobey God, but their knowledge of what true Sabbath keeping is teaches them that it is as impossible to force one to keep the Sabbath as it is to force one to love the Lord.
The word "Sabbath" means "rest." On the seventh day God rested, therefore it is the Sabbath of the Lord. The Sabbath is God's rest. To keep the Sabbath of the Lord is to keep the rest of the Lord. It is to rest with the Lord.
The Sabbath was given to man in Eden. Sin had not entered into the world, and the curse was unknown. Man was given work to do, but it was not wearisome labor. Work is not a part of the curse, but weariness from labor is. If man had not fallen, he would have had work to do throughout eternity, but he would never have known anything of weariness. Yet he would have had the Sabbath of the Lord, and would have kept it. But after he had sinned, then the Lord said to him, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground." Gen. 3:17-19.
From this fact it is clear that the Sabbath is not designed for merely physical rest. It was given to man when it was not designed that he should ever become physically tired. It is true that in his fallen condition he may derive physical rest from ceasing work on the seventh day, but the object of the Sabbath is something far higher than that.
Again, let us remember that the Sabbath which we are to keep is the Lord's Sabbath. It is the Lord's rest. God rested after the six days of creation, and we are to rest with him. But the creation of the heavens and the earth did not tire the Lord. "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?" Isa. 40:28. Now since we are to keep the rest of the Lord, it is evident that the Sabbath is for something else than mere bodily rest, for that is not what God took.
Still further, "God is Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth." John 4:24. I have given the marginal rendering of the Revised Version, which is literally exact. There is no article in the original, and there is no reason why there should be; for God is not one of many spirits, but he is Spirit. There is none besides him; every other being derives its existence from him. Let it not be thought, in passing, that because God is Spirit, therefore he is not a real being. Spiritual does not mean immaterial. God is a spiritual being, yet Christ is "the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance." Heb. 1:3. Christ's body was certainly a spiritual body after his resurrection, yet he was a real being, and could be handled. This much, so that no one will get the idea that God is not a real person. Spiritual and immaterial are by no means synonymous terms.
Now, then, with the fact clearly before us that God is a spiritual being, let us again consider the nature of his rest, or Sabbath. It must of necessity have been spiritual rest. And that is the nature of the rest that we are to enjoy in the Sabbath day. And what is spiritual rest? — It is that rest which the Spirit of the Lord gives. And what is that? — It is rest from sin. The simple reading of two or three texts will make this plain.
"For we ourselves were aforetime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Titus 3:3-6, Revised Version.
"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." 1 Peter 1:22.
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you." Rom. 8:6-9.
Christ said, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63. And again, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." John 15:3. It is the word of Christ, whom we well know to be the Creator, that cleanses us from sin. That word is able to build us up, and give us an inheritance among all them that are sanctified. See Acts 20:32.
It was by this same word that the heavens and the earth were created. The word that made and upholds all things is the word that by the Gospel is preached unto us. When God ceased speaking, and the heavens and the earth stood in all their perfection, he rested, but his word continued in force. It is because his word never ceases to act, that everything is upheld. We may say that when God rested, it was upon his own word. So when we keep his Sabbath, or rest, we rest upon his word, which created all things, and which upholds them. We know that that same word is able to uphold us, and keep us from falling. We rest in the full assurance that we shall be made and kept righteous by the same power that created the heavens and the earth.
From this it can readily be seen how that one who really keeps the Sabbath of the Lord will delight himself in the Lord. He will know and be sharing the rest which Christ, the Creator, calls all to share. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28. Nothing less than this is Sabbath keeping. It is true that Sabbath keeping involves rest from our own work on the seventh day; but he who does no more than this does not keep the Sabbath of the Lord. As the Sabbath was the seal of a perfect creation, so it is still the seal of a perfect new creation in Christ Jesus.
Truth Will Prevail
TRUTH is mighty and will prevail. Its banners at times may seem trailing in the dust, but its divine Author allows it not to pass from his sight or memory. Error may stand now with proud look and haughty mien. It may gather to itself the power and the influence and the honor of the world. But in casting the final balance, time comes in as an important factor. Error cannot stand the test of the ages. For a little time it may run and seem to gain in the race, but the scrutiny of the ages, the tests of time and judgment, reveal its weakness, its deceptions, its hideousness. Not so with truth. The closer the test, the brighter it shines. The longer the race, the more sure its triumph in the end. As enduring as its eternal Author, his "truth unchanged has ever stood." With it there is no deception. In trusting it there is no failure. As the doctrine of God's people will it purify them now; as their shield and buckler will it save them from the coming storm of wrath; and as their text-book will it be their continual study throughout eternal ages.
“WHY HALT YE BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS?”
By Ellen G. White
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
“If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Those who have set before them in clear lines the self-sacrifice and self-denial of Jesus, his life of shame and suffering, his reproach, rejection, and crucifixion, and yet refuse to open their hearts to him, although he says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me,” commit great sin. How great is the magnitude of sin of those who have had Jesus set before them, who have been warned and entreated, and yet pass on their way, following the imagination of their own hearts, and saying, “I will wait for a more convenient season to exercise repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ”!
I am deeply moved in behalf of those who are putting off the time of surrender to Jesus, and yet I know that my interest is very feeble in comparison with his who knows the value of your souls, for he paid the price of the soul’s redemption with his own blood. In earnest love for your soul, he is waiting for you to decide to throw off the yoke of Satan, and take his yoke, which is easy, and his burden, which is light. There is nothing too precious for us to give to Jesus. Jesus has purchased wife, husband, and children at infinite cost, and though it is right for us to love those whom God has given us, yet God is ever to hold our supreme affection. Your attitude toward God and the truth has a decided influence upon your family, and the atmosphere that surrounds your soul will affect them in every way. If you are bestowing your affections upon the things of this world, the atmosphere which surrounds your soul will be of a malarious character, that will be death to spirituality, and will weaken hope and faith in God. Satan will cast his hellish shadow over your soul, and lead you captive at his will, unless you give yourself without reserve to Christ.
Christ has purchased all your capabilities and talents. Why not give him that which is his own? Your intellect is God’s properly, made to be used for his service and glory. Your affections belong to God, and he demands them as his right. Give him your talents, your best and sharpest thoughts; for they are the purchase of his own blood. He has intrusted them to you as his children. Give all back to him. Seek in earnest prayer for his blessing upon them, and surrender to him husband, wife, children, and your all. Dedicate yourself to his service in a precious offering; and as you give all to Jesus, your heaven will begin upon earth; for as long as you keep all on the altar, Christ is yours, heaven is yours, eternal life is yours. All things are yours, and ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. Surely the God of heaven could give no greater proof that he longs for your salvation than the proof he has given in the gift of his only-begotten Son.
The free gift of grace is yours; will you by faith accept it? Your surrender to God must be as free and complete as has the offering of Christ been free and complete for you. Then you will be accepted of God in every work you do, in every prayer you offer. Hesitate no longer. “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” In the face of present and acknowledged duty, make no delay to meet the demand of God; for if you do, the light you have will become darkness. The mind and judgment will become perverted; for when precious opportunities are neglected, blessings unappreciated and unimproved, all good purposes become weakened, and there is less strength to resist temptation to commit presumptuous sins. The ties of worldly influence are subtle and strong, and can be severed only through the power of the grace of Christ. Make it your purpose to break away from every influence and habit, to give up every practice that weakens spirituality, and sunder every tie that binds you to Satanic agencies.
Christ says: “Follow me;” “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
The word of God should be your study, and if your heart is susceptible to the influence of the truth, you will find in the Bible, instruction that will be a sure guide to your soul from darkness to light, from unbelief to faith. “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
The more our faith fastens and holds to Christ, the more peace we shall have. Faith grows by exercise, and God’s rule is one day at a time. Day by day we are to go on, doing the work for each day, conscious that we are working in the sight of angels, cherubim, and seraphim, in the sight of God and of Jesus Christ. Ye are a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and to men. We should pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” As our day is, so our strength will be. We are to be constantly looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and if we live thus in dependence upon him, the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance all things whatsoever he has spoken unto us, and will sanctify every faculty, and keep us reminded of our daily and hourly dependence upon our Heavenly Father’s care, wisdom, love, and guardianship. When we are thus minded, we have the spirit of a little child, the spirit that Jesus said his followers must possess in order to enter his kingdom. As a little child we are to trust in our Heavenly Father. When this is our spirit, we can more easily discern the temptations of Satan; for we are constantly drawing nigh to God. The feeling of self-sufficiency, that works the ruin of so many souls, has no atmosphere in which to flourish.
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” This precious promise is from One who means every word he speaks. Then why are we fearful, distrustful, unbelieving? Let us go on, doing our duty with an eye single to his glory, filling up our time, working out God’s plan as in the sight of an invisible world.
HOW TO TAKE HOLD OF THE LORD'S STRENGTH.
By I. E. Kimball
BY ELDER I. E. KIMBALL.
THESE comforting words are found in Isa. 27:5: "Or let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Enmity between man and God comes through sin. There is no peace to the wicked; but "the work of righteousness shall be peace." The above text therefore shows how to work righteousness. "Let him take hold of My strength." The prophet, just before giving us this word, had said, "In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength," and had exhorted consequently to trust in the Lord forever, telling us that the one who does thus God will keep "in perfect peace." That everlasting strength covers all possibilities and makes all things possible to him that believeth.
But the above shows plainly enough that peace and reconciliation with God come only by our taking hold upon the power which comes from God. The gospel turns us from the power of Satan and his tyranny unto a power which fully releases from the wicked one.
But just how shall we take hold upon the Lord's strength? We all wish that power was manifest fully in us; and it seems from the text that all we have to do is to take what is already proffered to us. A few texts will show us plainly to whom and under what conditions the Lord's strength is imparted:—
"Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat." "He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." "I will pour waters upon him that is thirsty." "The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."727"A strength to the poor," "a strength to the needy in his distress," "power to the faint," "strength to them that turn the battle to the gates," "a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat."
Such is the Lord. But how very few venture into the blinding storm, or expose themselves to the scorching heat! How few, with weapons of God's salvation, turn the battle against Satan to the very gate, stronghold, citadel! The enemy's stronghold is death. Here he holds the many captive. He binds those over whom he has power and brings them finally to the narrow house. He is called "him that hath the power of death."
He who strives against sin and sickness and death, may be sure to be sustained of God. There is no limit to the strength which is already his—freely given to him. Shall the grace of God be in vain? or will he take it?
Christ says, I give you power to take the great stronghold of Satan—"power over all the power of the enemy;" but that stronghold is assaulted to-day by an army of babes who know not to exercise spiritual strength.
Christ proposes to come in unto us and sup with us and we with him. However much companionship and oneness are here shown, we know that God gives, to purify and cleanse, a "bitter cup," a cup of suffering. The Lord will partake of it with us when we are ready to receive that cup. When we pass through the waters, he will be with us; when we walk through the fire, we shall not be burned. Isa. 43:2.
Paul spake of the sufferings of Christ abounding in him—in hunger, thirst, nakedness, in trouble on every side, perplexed, persecuted, forsaken, in deaths oft, "always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus"—"always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake" "that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in [his] mortal flesh." Do you want the life of Jesus made manifest in your mortal flesh? Go thou and do likewise. Labor as he labored, suffer willingly as he suffered, and take hold upon God's strength as he took hold upon it, to endure. You should welcome infirmities, take pleasure in necessities and distresses, for it throws you off your own base. You feel the necessity then of taking freely hold upon the Lord's life. So when the dart of Satan is thrust at us to buffet, and fleshly infirmities weigh us down, remember the word to Paul, "My strength is made perfect in weakness," and his conclusion, "most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." He surely was here speaking of infirmity of body of the flesh, and he adds therefore, "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong." Our light afflictions, if we make a right use of them, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Don't, then, shun crosses, responsibilities, labors, dangers; do not sorrow over weaknesses and buffetings, but take the invincible strength of God, and say with Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Jamaica, Vt.
MY SHEPHERD.
By Bertha H. Burnham
BY BERTHA H. BURNHAM.
THERE'S a simple line of the Psalmist's,
And it rings in my mind to-day;
I whisper it over and over,—
"The Lord is my Shepherd," I say.
The Lord is my Shepherd? Yes, surely,
For I am the "sheep of his hand;"
He leadeth beside the still waters,
Giveth rest in his pasture land;
His table prepareth before me,
And my cup with blessing is filled;
Mine head he anointeth with oil;
The storm of disaster is stilled.
He restoreth my soul when fainting;
In pleasantest paths I am led;
He calmeth my fears and my cryings;
With finest of wheat I am fed.
Though I walk through the valley's shadow,
Even there he is with me still;
His rod and his staff are my comfort,
And how can I fear aught of ill.
The Lord is my Shepherd; yes, surely,
The Lord is my Shepherd and guide;
He keeps me in green, pleasant pastures;
He leads me still waters beside.
Lynn, Mass.
BIBLE PRAYERS AND BIBLE ANSWERS.
By J. M. Cole
BY ELDER J. M. COLE.
1. "WHAT must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:30. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Verse 31.
2. "I am weary." Ps. 6:6. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7.
3. "I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart." Ps. 38:8. "Come unto me," "and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.
4. "I am in trouble." Ps. 31:9. "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee." Ps. 50:15.
5. "Oh that I knew where I might find him!" Job 23:3. "Seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us." Acts 17:27.
6. "God be merciful to me a sinner." Luke 18:13. "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Heb. 8:12.
7. "Cast me not away from thy presence." Ps. 51:11. "Him that cometh to me I will in nowise cast out." John 6:37.
8. "Lord, be thou my helper." Ps. 30:10. "Fear not; I will help thee." Isa. 41:13.
9. "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee?" Job 40:4. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Isa. 1:18.
10. "I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee." Ezra 9:6. "Fear not;" "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Gen. 15:1.
11. "Hide not thy face far from me;" "leave me not, neither forsake me." Ps. 27:9. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Heb. 13:5.
12. "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." Ps. 51:2. "I will; be thou clean." Matt. 8:3.
13. "Create in me a clean heart, O God." Ps. 51:10. "A new heart also will I give you." Eze. 36:26.
14. "Uphold me according unto thy word;" "hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." Ps. 119:116, 117. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isa. 41:10.
15. "Thy word [is] unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." Jer. 15:16. "Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice." Phil. 4:4. "Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Neh. 8:10.
16. "Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths." Ps. 25:4. "Search the Scriptures." John 5:39.
17. "Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities." Ps. 51:9. "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins." Isa. 44:22.
18. "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!" Ps. 119:5. "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Eze. 36:27.
19. "Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes." Ps. 119:33. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go." Ps. 32:8.
20. "Give me understanding according to thy word." Ps. 119:169. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." 2 Tim. 2:7. "Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path." Prov. 2:9.
21. "Who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Cor. 2:16. "My grace is sufficient for thee." 2 Cor. 12:9.
22. "My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning." Ps. 130:6. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Isa. 40:31.
23. "Keep the door of my lips." Ps. 141:3. "I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." Ex. 4:12.
24. "Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked one." Ps. 140:4. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." Jude 24, 25.
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
By I. G. Knight
BY I. G. KNIGHT.
It is evident from reading Titus 2:13, 14 that those in whom the work of Christ is wrought will be different from the world at large, for that which is said to be a peculiar people could not apply to the people in general. Their characteristics are, redeemed from all iniquity, purified, zealous of good works. All this is brought about by the One who gave himself for us. By comparing this with 1 Peter 2:9 we see that this peculiar people are to show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. The difference is as great between them and the people in general as is the difference between darkness and light, and that difference is shown in works, not in profession only.
Christ said, "I am the light of the world." John 8:12. The light was in his life; and the life was the light of men. John 1:4. As he is so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17; Matt. 5:14. This is why they are called out, that they may be a light to the world. Their life will be an open rebuke to those who live in darkness, because they may see the light in the life. Verse 16.
This life is imparted. Phil. 2:13. "For thou also hast wrought all our works in us." Isa. 26:12. The means which God uses to impart this light is his word. "The entrance of thy word giveth light." Ps. 119:130. But his words must abide there if they accomplish anything. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. Christ is in the written word, for God is to judge the world by Jesus Christ, and we read also that his word will judge the world. John 12:48. So to turn from the written word is to turn from the light.
In John 12:35, 36 Jesus says: "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them." Why did he hide himself from them? Verse 37 says, "They believed not on him." When Jesus hid, the light was hidden from them, and they were left to grope in darkness. When those words were spoken to them, they had only a short time to decide this great question of walking in the light. A few8choose to walk in that light. That was so then; it has been so in all ages. It is so now. The question is, What hides His face from us? Isa. 59:2 says, "Our sins hide His face from us."
As it was then, "yet a little while," so it is to-day. We have the word now to light our pathway, but to those who refuse to search it now and hide it in the heart, it will soon be hid. Amos 8:11, 12. But the contrast between those who take the word and meditate upon it and live it, and those who reject it, is brought to view in Isa. 60:1, 2: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people."
Visalia, Cal.
The Growth of the Soul
By William Henry Channing
We have only to be patient, to pray and do His will, according to our present light and strength, and the growth of the soul will go on. The plant grows in the mist and under the clouds as truly as under sunshine. So does the heavenly principle within.—W. H. Channing.
TO THE CHURCH OF METHODISTS, WRITE!
The great trouble with us to-day is that the rescue of imperiled souls is our last and least consideration. Many of our congregations are conducted on the basis of social clubs. They are made centers of social influence. Membership is sought in order to advance one's prospects in society, business, or politics. Preachers are called who know how to
"Smooth down the rugged text to ears polite,
And snugly keep damnation out of sight."
The Sunday services are made the occasion of displaying the elegancies of apparel in the latest fashions. Even the little ones are tricked out as though they were the acolytes of pride. If the "Rules" are read, it is to comply with the letter of a law whose spirit has long since fled. The class books are filled with names of unconverted men and women. Official members may be found in box, dress circle, and parquet of opera and theater. Communicants take in the races, and give and attend card parties and dances. The distinction between inside and outside is so obscure that men smile when asked to unite with the church, and sometimes tell us that they find the best men outside.
When we go to the masses, it is too often with such ostentatious condescension that self-respect drives them from us.
And yet we have so spread out, under the inflation of the rich and ungodly, that they are a necessity to us. The enforcement of the unmistakable letter of the Discipline for a single year would cut our membership in half, bankrupt our missionary society, close our fashionable churches, paralyze our connectional interests, and leave our pastors and bishops unpaid and in distress. But the fact remains that one of two things must happen,—the Discipline must purge the Church, or God's Holy Spirit will seek other organized agencies. The ax is laid at the root of the tree. The call is to repentance. God's work must be done. If we are in the way, he will remove us. Our spirit needs to be,—
"The arms of love that compass me
Would all mankind embrace;"
and our aim, to
"Tell to sinners round
What a dear Saviour we have found;
To point to his redeeming blood,
And cry, Behold the way to God!"
Let each reader begin with himself, and rest not until he realizes that the kingdom is set up within him. We have need to be in greater haste to flee for refuge than had the poor firemen in Chicago. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
But will they do it? Will they heed God's message?
HOW WILL IT END?
I ONCE heard an interesting story concerning a noble monarch of Persia or Tartary, I do not recall which. Riding out one day with a number of his State officials, he met a dervise, or Mohammedan priest, who was proclaiming at the top of his voice, "Pay me a hundred dinars, and you shall receive a good advice in exchange." The monarch stopped, and, calling the dervise to him, asked him what good advice he had to give. "That I shall tell you," said the dervise, "as soon as you pay me the hundred dinars." The money was paid, and then the dervise said, "My advice, sire, is this—Begin nothing without first considering what the end may be."
The courtiers laughed heartily at what they thought a piece of clever roguery; but the king reproved them, saying the advice was well worth what he paid for it. He then had the words engraved on the walls of his palace and on his gold and silver plate, and many other places. Some years afterward one of the noblemen formed a conspiracy with his friends to put the king out of the way, that he himself might be king. He bribed the royal surgeon to bleed the king with a poisoned lancet; but just when he was about to make the incision, the surgeon's eye caught the words engraved in the bottom of the dish which was to receive the blood, "Begin nothing without first considering what the end may be."
He was startled, and confusedly changed the lancet he had in hand for another. The king observed his agitation and demanded an explanation, and, under promise of forgiveness, the surgeon revealed to him the wicked plot, but added that if he had not seen the inscription on the bottom of the silver vessel he would have used the poisoned instrument.
The words of the dervise are well worth our remembering and acting upon in all things. To my mind this motto brings home forcibly the question asked in 1 Peter 4:17, "What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" Concerning many courses of conduct respecting the officers of this world, the end is uncertain. But refusal to accept this gospel and to obey its teachings can have but one end,—everlasting separation from God's presence.
Notice how excellent and true this advice is: "Begin nothing without first considering the end." How many are saying to themselves, "Sometime, before I die, I will make my peace with God." How foolish and misleading! It is not how people end their lives that generally determines how they will spend eternity, but how they begin their lives. After you begin a course of conduct it is hard to change. Hence Christ says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God."
My brother, you have begun a journey; which way are you going? You have begun to store up for the future; is it treasure in heaven, or "wrath against the day of wrath?" You have begun to build life's structure; is it founded on the rock or on the sand? "Begin nothing without first considering what the end may be."
"We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."—Evangel and Sabbath Outlook.
WHAT A METHODIST AUTHORITY SAYS.
By Editor
WE have sometimes felt called upon in giving such prophecies as that of our Saviour in Matt. 24 : 12, 13; 2 Tim. 3 : 1–5 to show that the religious world is in just the condition predicted by Inspiration. We do not do this for the purpose of building ourselves up on the failures of others—God forbid—but to show the fulfillment of prophecy. We do not, however, remember to have printed any stronger arraignment than what we present below. It is an editorial in the issue of May 19, 1893, of the Western Christian Advocate (Methodist Episcopal), published at Cincinnati, Ohio:—