BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
*Author of "The Life of Christ," "Sketches from the Life of Paul,"
"Bible Sanctification," and Other Popular Works.*
THIS volume presents the most wonderful and intensely interesting history that has ever been written of the great conflict between Christianity and the Powers of Darkness, as illustrated in the lives of Christian martyrs and reformers on the one hand, and wicked men and persecuting powers on the other. Beginning with our Lord’s great prophecy given while viewing Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, this book outlines the history of the whole dispensation down to the time when "Sin and sinners are no more; God’s entire universe is clean; and the great controversy is forever ended."
Below we give a brief synopsis of the subjects considered—Destruction of Jerusalem; Persecutions in the First Centuries; The Roman Church; The Waldenses; Early Reformers; Luther’s Separation from Rome; Luther before the Diet; Progress of the Reformation; Protest of the Princes; Later Reformers; The Two Witnesses; God Honors the Humble; William Miller and His Work; The First, Second, and Third Angels’ Messages; The Tarrying Time; The Midnight Cry; The Sanctuary and 2300 Days; An Open and a Shut Door; Modern Revivals; The Investigative Judgment; Origin of Evil; Enmity between Man and Satan; Agency of Evil Spirits; The Snares of Satan; The First Great Deception; Ancient and Modern Spiritualism; Character and Aims of the Papacy; The Coming Conflict; The Scriptures a Safeguard; The Loud Cry of Rev. 18; The Time of Trouble; God’s People Delivered; Desolation of the Earth; The Controversy Ended.
The period of history covered by this volume, is one of the deepest interest to all classes of readers. The style of the author is clear, forcible, and often sublime, and, although simple enough in its statements to be understood and appreciated by a child, its eloquence calls forth the admiration of all.
The demand for this popular book is so great that we have had to print ten editions of it, and as we have hundreds of agents in the field canvassing we expect to sell many thousand copies of this valuable book during the next few months. If there is no agent in your town please send us your address and we will send you descriptive circulars or have an agent call upon you.
The "Great Controversy" contains over 500 pages; 21 full-page Illustrations and Steel Portrait of the Author; printed and bound in the very best style.
Active Agents Wanted in Every Town and County in the United States.
For Terms and Territory, Address,
PACIFIC PRESS, Publishers,
12th and Castro Streets, Oakland, Cal.
GERMAN EDITION OF
By Editor
THE LIFE OF CHRIST.
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
AUTHOR OF “THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN,” “SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF PAUL,” “BIBLE SANCTIFICATION,” AND OTHER VALUABLE RELIGIOUS WORKS.
THIS new volume from the pen of the above gifted author, who is already so well known both in this country and in Europe from her previous writings on religious and temperance topics, will be hailed with delight by the German-reading public throughout the world.
This work is written in a simple, yet terse and interesting narrative style, and brings out many gems of truth in the life and works of Christ which cannot but awaken new interest and arouse a deeper love for the Saviour of mankind.
The book is for all classes, rich and poor, high and low, young and old. All can learn valuable lessons from this life of the “Great Teacher.”
“The Life of Christ” is printed in clear, large type, from new plates, on fine calendered paper, and contains over 600 pages. The 28 engravings which the book contains illustrate the text and assist the reader to more readily understand the circumstances and surroundings of Christ while on earth, and to grasp the truths which the author brings out in its pages.
The narrative of the four evangelists is skillfully woven into the work, and they are shown to be in harmony throughout. While the work will be found to harmonize strictly with the Bible, it at the same time so thoroughly interests the reader that it is with reluctance that he lays it down until the last page has been read.
Cloth, plain, without illustrations, - - - $1.50
“ “ with 28 full-page illustrations, - - 1.75
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.
EARLY WRITINGS OF MRS. WHITE.
COMPRISING “Experience and Views” and “Spiritual Gifts, Volume One,” bound in one volume. This makes a neat and attractive book of nearly 200 pages, and should be read by old and young. The matter and the style in which it is presented are so interesting that no one who has read one chapter will forego the pleasure and profit of reading the remainder. Price, 75 cents.
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.
The Gospel’s Call to Sinners
By Editor
THE Indianapolis Journal tells the following story illustrative of how far some professed Christians come from realizing what the gospel is for:—
“A former minister of Indianapolis mixed with the common people, and from the highways and byways drew all classes—gamblers, topers, Magdalenes, among the rest—to hear his pulpit teachings. A worthy official, scandalized by this irruption of sinners into the sanctuary, could only gasp in horrified response to congratulations on the ‘drawing’ power of his pastor: ‘But think of the kind of people who come!’”
When Jesus was on earth he gave as one evidence that he was the Messiah, the fact that “the poor have the gospel preached unto them.” And yet sometimes churches in which the prevailing spirit is that of the official referred to above, are called churches of Christ.
THE Christian Advocate makes the following very just observation:—
“It is amazing how readily some godly people are to employ evangelists without inquiry as to their antecedents. A good voice, a commanding presence, and large audacity seem to be sufficient endowment for a revivalist in many sections of our country. Last summer a horse-thief posed as an evangelist in certain towns of Indian Territory, and is reported to have ‘made many converts.’ In Missouri, a few weeks later, he was arrested for theft and convicted. He sawed and filed his way out of the prison, and hastening to Arkansas, assumed a new name, and began a new series of ‘revival meetings.’ Detectives traced him, and after what is described as ‘an earnest sermon’ he was again arrested. Nothing tends more directly to belittle the cause of Christ than the culpable thoughtlessness of Christians in engaging irresponsible parties as leaders in spiritual endeavor.”
And if the churches had more spirituality, they would have a good deal less of this “culpable thoughtlessness.” If they cared more for righteousness than for “revivals,” they could not be so easily taken in by rascally revivalists. If they cared more for the law of God and less for the sentimentalism that now passes for the gospel, they would not be so ready to take up with horse-thief evangelists.
Christian or Infidel—Which?
By Editor
A CORRESPONDENT of the Golden Gate has an article "Addressed to the Seventh-day Adventists," which is entitled, "Christian or infidel—Which?" The object of the article is to show that Seventh-day Adventists are infidels, because they do not accept the heathen doctrine that men are by nature immortal, and therefore gods. He starts out thus: "I first propose to let 'Buck's Theological Dictionary'—a standard author among Christians—settle the definitions of soul and spirit." All we have to say is that "Buck's Theological Dictionary" may settle the definition of soul and spirit to his satisfaction, but not to ours. We do not recognize any man in this world as authority on any doctrinal point. We once listened to a sermon designed to show that Adventists are infidels, and the way the speaker "proved" his point was by reading certain portions of his creed, and then showing that Adventists held
different views. Our Spiritualist friend does the same thing. He quotes some Spiritualist definitions from "Buck's Theological Dictionary," and has no difficulty in showing that we do not accept them; hence he says we are infidels. That is, we are infidels because we do not believe as he does. Well, nobody could do us any better favor than to emphasize the fact, and keep it before the people continually, that we are diametrically opposed on every point to the theories advocated by Spiritualists.
The Sabbath’s God-Given Name
An opponent of the Sabbath of the Bible says: "When the word 'Sabbath' was used of the seventh day, it was used simply as the long-established name of that day." Very true. No better reason could be given for calling the seventh day the Sabbath than that that is its name. "The seventh day is the Sabbath." God himself gave it its name, and it is daring presumption on the part of any man to deprive it of its rightful title, or to transfer it to another day.
Spiritualists and Adventist Infidelity
If there was ever an exhibition of cool assurance it is for a Spiritualist to manifest righteous indignation over the "infidelity" of Adventists. How long will it be before Spiritualists will pose as the only defenders of the Bible, and all who differ with them will be called heretics? Only till the National Reformers succeed in their schemes. When the National Reform kingdom is set up, then it will be considered the unpardonable sin to speak against the manifestations of the devil.
Ecclesiastes and Biblical Inspiration
By Editor
We are in receipt of a letter from a man who signs himself "Christian," who thinks that Ecclesiastes wasn't inspired when he said that "all go to one place." Well, we can't help it, we can't stop quoting the Bible just because it doesn't suit some people. And we must say, in all candor, that we think that one who has not read the Bible enough to know that Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Ecclesiastes, etc., are not the names of men who wrote those books, is hardly competent to sit in judgment on any part of it.
What Makes a True Protestant
A TRUE Protestant is not one who believes in everything just as did Luther, or Melancthon, or Zwingle; but a true Protestant is one who is animated by the same spirit that they were. They were Protestants indeed, and were imbued with the true spirit of Protestantism,—in other words they were true followers of Christ,—yet they did not have all the truth, and held to some errors. The man who believes what Luther did, no more and no less, cannot be a true Protestant. What made them Protestants, followers of Christ, was the fact that they walked in the light, and protested against the error that advancing light revealed to them. As a matter of fact, there are very few Protestants in the world to-day.
The Star of Bethlehem
Every little while we see inquiries about the "Star of Bethlehem." Sometimes it is claimed that certain astronomers have predicted its early re-appearance, and country newspapers will gravely tell how often it has been seen. Just now Venus is the morning star, and is unusually bright, and wiseacres who get up early in the morning, delude themselves, and try to delude others, that the Star of Bethlehem is now shedding its light upon the earth. The facts are that no astronomer has ever predicted the return of the Star of Bethlehem, and none pretend to know of any such star in the heavens. The star that appeared to the wise men, and guided them to the place of the Saviour's birth, has never been seen since that memorable night when "it came and stood over where the young child was." A little thought would suffice to show anybody that it was not an ordinary star that kept just ahead of the wise men, and finally stood over a little hut so as to distinguish that place from all the other houses in the town. That star was a special light sent by God to guide the devout wise men to the place where Jesus lay.
Romanism and the Reformation
By Editor
THE following notice of a book entitled "Romanism and the Reformation," by H. Grattan Guinness of England, which appeared in the Christian Union, gives a good idea of the tender regard which the so-called Protestantism of to-day has for the Roman Catholic Church:—
"Dr. Guinness, who is alarmed and distressed at the growth which the Roman Catholic Church has made during the last half-century, especially in his own country, finds in the prophetic writings of Daniel and the Apocalypse the most trenchant of anti-Papal arguments. He has accordingly elaborated these arguments in a series of popular lectures, delivered last spring in Exeter Hall, and now sent out for a larger audience. Without discussing his principles of prophetic interpretation, which have probably few adherents, we doubt that he will lead many not otherwise fortified to avoid the 'horned beast.' When he urges a return to the Reformation methods of dealing with the Papacy, he ignores too much the changes which three centuries have wrought."
Protestantism and the Papacy
There was a time when no one doubted that "the most trenchant anti-Papal arguments" could be found in the prophetic writings of Daniel and the Apocalypse. But that was in the days of Sir Isaac Newton, and other men who studied the Bible, and were Bible expositors. Now the Protestant churches have adopted the Papal custom of studying the Fathers, and it has become exceedingly unfashionable to say anything against "Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth." Yes, three centuries have wrought wonderful changes, but not in the Roman Catholic Church. Who will awake to the danger, and be true Protestants.
The Pre-existence of Christ
It would seem as though no man professing to believe the Bible could deny the pre-existence of Christ. It is not a question that needs argument, because we read the explicit declarations of Scripture concerning the matter. Says John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3. Read also Col. 1:14-17 and Heb. 1:1-3 for further evidence that Christ was the active agent in creation. If he created all things, he certainly existed before he was born in Bethlehem. But the words of Jesus himself are even more explicit. In his prayer for his disciples he said: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." John 17:5. There can be no argument on the subject; it is simply a question of whether we believe Christ or not. To say that Christ had no pre-existence is to deny the declaration of Christ, and to say that the mystery of godliness is not great, and that God was not manifest in the flesh.
Sunday Sabbath and Temperance
THE pertinacity with which the friends of the Sunday-sabbath insist that their movement is part and parcel of the temperance question, is worthy of a better cause. Every man who insists that the saloons must be closed on Sunday, tacitly admits that they may remain open on other days; and thus he acknowledges that the business of selling liquors is as legitimate six days in the week as other branches of trade.
If the man who owns two horses, a gray and a bay, says to his son, "John, you must not ride the gray horse," he implies that he may ride the bay; for it is equally within his power to say, "John, you shall not ride either horse;" and his neglect to exercise his parental authority in the case of the bay horse, is a tacit permission to his son to ride that horse. And just so it is with the liquor question. Those who have the power to close saloons on Sunday, can also close them on Monday, and on every other day; and their failure to do so shows that they are zealous, not in the cause of temperance, but for the Sunday. They only are worthy the name of temperance men who favor prohibition seven days in the week.
Highest Temperature in the United States
According to the Government Signal Officer's report, the highest temperature in the United States on the 30th of December was about San Francisco Bay.