p. 6 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 41, No. 35. (9/8/1914)

The Prospects for Peace

By Hampton W. Cottrell

Men Teach that This World Will Yet Have Universal Peace—A False Cry Is Raised—When Will Wars Be Forever Ended?

By HAMPTON W. COTTRELL

THIS article came to hand just before the breaking out of the European war. The principles it presents make it very timely just now. Elder Cottrell is one of those who for some forty years have been teaching that universal war will close this world's history, and that at the time when the last great war is imminent, the mass of mankind will be saying, "Peace and safety." This war that is now on will calm down. It is not the last great war of Armageddon, but it shows the spirit of war that is in the world; and those who are wise will not look to this earth for peace.

EDITOR.

THE peace and safety cry from almost every pulpit in Christendom, and by many of the world's greatest statesmen, is attracting general attention. They inform us that the human race is standing on the very verge of world peace; that for one thousand years, any chance misunderstanding between nations will be adjusted by arbitration.

WHAT IS SAID OF THE TIME OF PEACE

In proof of this, reference is made to the following scriptures: "The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Hab. 2:14. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, . . . many people shall go and say, . . . They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Isa. 2:2-4.

Surely when we shall have reached the time for the literal fulfilment of these texts of Scripture, we will be in the millennium, or a period equivalent thereto; but these scriptures standing alone are noticeably silent relative to the time of fulfilment, except that the latter text is specific in the declaration that in the days just prior to Christ's return, "many people" and "many nations" would be mistakenly announcing universal peace.

Note that God did not give the message that there would be no more war; but He did give notice that a peace message would be sounded during the very period of the world's greatest preparation for war, and that many would be lulled into carnal security thereby.

A FALSE ALARM

The message declaring peace, when the nations' greatest trouble is imminent, is declared by the Lord to be a false alarm, and of human authority.

The nations are to-day unwittingly fulfilling the following scripture: "In the last days it shall come to pass, that . . . many nations shall come, and say, . . . They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Micah 4:1-3.

But the world's dream of peace will not be realized, for God has declared otherwise. We read, "Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly." Isa. 33:7. Surely they will weep for disappointment.

Jehovah has said that the days just prior to the coming of the Lord will be perilous. Hear the apostle Paul: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." 2 Tim. 3:1. "When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh." 1 Thess. 5:3.

"WAKE UP THE MIGHTY MEN"

God has spoken to us as follows of conditions that would obtain in the world in the years immediately preceding the coming of Christ: "Proclaim ye this among the gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause Thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be awakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. . . . Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:9-14.

In language that a conscientious Bible student can not easily misunderstand, the Lord photographed in this scripture the condition of things in our world prior to and including the very day of the second coming of Christ.

NO MILLENNIUM PRIOR TO HIS COMING

There can be no time for a millennium prior to the coming of our Lord; and one can not mistake the event of Christ's coming when it occurs. Hear the Master speak: "As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall

also the coming of the Son of man be. . . . And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matt. 24:27, 30.

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him." Rev. 1:7.

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle." Rev. 14:14.

Any description men may give, and any theory they may hold, relative to the coming of the Lord, different from that given by Christ Himself, is surely a counterfeit, and no one should be deceived thereby.

Hear the great Master say: "There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert [in the person of some assumedly great or pious one]; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers [a seance, where the spirit of Satan counterfeits the work of the Lord]; believe it not." Matt. 24:24, 26.

COMING IN PERSON

The coming of Christ in person as He went away, in full view of every eye, will be the culminating event to the Christian's hope. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of . . . our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:13. It will also be the introduction of the children of God into the millennial period, which surely will be the sealed assurance of universal peace to follow, when righteousness will fill the earth "as the waters cover the sea."

The separation between the two classes of men—namely, those who accepted Christ as their divine Lord, and those who rejected Him—will have been made forever. The eternal fiat of God will have gone forth, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12.

NO SECOND PROBATION

There is no possibility of a temporal millennium prior to Christ's coming. And likewise there is no possibility of a second probation for sinners after His coming; for the Lord has said, "Let him be" as that day finds him. Now, and now only, is the time to make one's peace with God. Delay in hope of another probation is eternal loss.

The conditions in the political world to-day are an accurate fulfilment of those predicted by the prophet Joel for the last days, as above quoted.

Never before in the history of nations have there been such vast preparations for war as at the present time—which is just as our heavenly Father said it would be, notwithstanding the call for peace by professors of Christianity and rulers of nations.

Surely, in the present unparalleled preparations for bloodshed, plowshares are beaten into swords, and pruning-hooks into spears, in fulfilment of the word of our God.

SLEEPING SAINTS ARISE

When Christ shall come, He will call the myriads of sleeping saints to life, and with them immortalize the righteous living, and remove them from earth; and the wicked, who, on account of cherished sins, are not prepared to endure His heavenly glory, will cease to live, and will not live again until the thousand years—the millennium—is ended. The earth will be left desolate. Thus will Christ the Archangel bind Satan. 1 Thess. 4:16-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-55; 2 Thess. 2:8; Isa. 13:9; Rev. 20:5.

SATAN IS BOUND

The events associated with Christ's coming compose the chain with which Christ binds Satan. Christ comes and speaks; the righteous dead arise glorified. He immortalizes the living righteous. He takes them all with Him to heaven. His glory wicked men can not endure. During life, they neglected the all-important thing of acquainting themselves with Christ and obtaining peace. He has all power in heaven and in earth. Matt. 28:18. He has the keys of life and of death. John 10:18; Rev. 1:18. He is the Archangel of 1 Thess. 4:16. He has

the key of the bottomless pit, and the chain, and will surely bind Satan and seal him in the pit. And there is no other power that can break the seal.

Then universal peace will be forever assured, except for a little season when sin must be accounted for and banished forever. Thenceforth men die no more. Luke 20:35, 36.

"The Father . . . hath committed all judgment unto the Son." John 5:22. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Gen. 18:25. "Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace." Job 22:21.

WAR

By C. P. Bollman

By C. P. BOLLMAN

There comes the sound of marching men, The tread of many feet. The bugle call, the roll of drum, My wakened ears now greet.

I hear the roar of heavy guns. I see the fitful flash. I hear the awful, awful sound As sword and saber clash.

I see the decimated ranks Reform and charge the foe; But O, I dare not, can not think That God would have it so!

Come, Prince of peace, ascend Thy throne, Thy gracious reign begin. Come, usher in that joyful day When righteousness shall win.

Shackled by a Drunkard's Appetite

By Mrs. E. G. White

The Slave May Be Set Free — Show Him True Sympathy — Reach Him a Helping Hand — There Is a Sure Way of Escape

By MRS. E. G. WHITE

EVERY true reform has its place in the work of the gospel, and tends to the uplifting of the soul to a new and nobler life. Especially does the temperance reform demand the support of Christian workers. They should call attention to this work, and make it a living issue. Everywhere they should present to the people the principles of true temperance, and call for signers to the temperance pledge. Earnest effort should be made in behalf of those who are in bondage to evil habits.

HELP IS NEEDED

There is everywhere a work to be done for those who through intemperance have fallen. In the midst of churches, religious institutions, and professedly Christian homes, many of the youth are choosing the path to destruction. Through intemperate habits, they bring upon themselves disease; and through greed to obtain money for sinful indulgence, they fall into dishonest practises. Health and character are ruined.

Aliens from God, outcasts from society, these poor souls feel that they are without hope either for this life or for the life to come. The hearts of the parents are broken. Men speak of these erring ones as hopeless; but not so does God regard them. He understands all the circumstances that have made them what they are, and He looks upon them with pity. This is a class that demand help.

THE HIGH AND THE LOW NEED IT

Among the victims of intemperance are men of all classes and all professions. Men of high station, of eminent talents, of great attainments, have yielded to the indulgence of appetite, until they are helpless to resist temptation. Some of them who were once in the possession of wealth are without home, without friends, in suffering, misery, disease, and degradation. They have lost their self-control. Unless a helping hand is held out to them, they will sink lower and lower. With these, self-indulgence is not only a moral sin, but a physical disease.

Often in helping the intemperate, we must, as Christ so often did, give first attention to their physical condition. They need wholesome, unstimulating food and drink, clean clothing, opportunity to secure physical cleanliness. They need to be surrounded with an atmosphere of helpful, uplifting Christian influence. In every city a place should be provided where the slaves of evil habit may receive help to break the chains that bind them. Strong drink is regarded by many as the only solace in trouble; but this need not be, if, instead of acting the part of the priest and the Levite, professed Christians would follow the example of the good Samaritan.

UNDER THE POWER OF A DEMON

In dealing with the victims of intemperance, we must remember that we are not dealing with sane men, but with those who for the time being are under the power of a demon. Be patient and forbearing. Think not of the repulsive, forbidding appearance, but of the precious life that Christ died to redeem.

As the drunkard awakens to a sense of his degradation, do all in your power to show that you are his friend. Speak no word of censure. Let no act or look express reproach or aversion. Very likely the poor soul curses himself. Help him to rise. Speak words that will encourage faith. Seek to strengthen every good trait in his character. Teach him how to reach upward. Show him that it is possible for him to live so as to win the respect of his fellow men. Help him to see the value of the talents which God has given him, but which he has neglected to improve. Although the will has been depraved and weakened, there is hope for him in Christ.

HOLD THEM FAST

You must hold fast to those whom you are trying to help, else victory will never be yours. They will be continually tempted to evil. Again and again they will be almost overcome by the craving for strong drink; again and again they may fall; but do not, because of this, cease your efforts.

They have decided to make an effort to live for Christ; but their will-power is weakened, and they must be carefully guarded by those who watch for souls as they that must give an account. They have lost their manhood, and this they must win back. Many have to battle against strong hereditary tendencies to evil. Unnatural cravings, sensual impulses, were their inheritance from birth. These must be carefully guarded against. Within and without, good and evil are striving for the mastery. Those who have never passed through such experiences can not know the almost overmastering power of appetite, or the fierceness of the conflict between habits of self-indulgence and the determination to be temperate in all things. Over and over again the battle must be fought.

AROUSE THEM TO THE BATTLE

The victims of evil habit must be aroused to the necessity of making an effort for themselves. Others may put forth the most earnest endeavor to uplift them, the grace of God may be freely offered, Christ may entreat, His angels may minister; but all will be in vain unless they themselves are roused to fight the battle in their own behalf.

Feeling the terrible power of temptation, the drawing of desire that leads to indulgence, many a man cries in despair, "I can not resist evil." Tell him that he can, that he must resist. He may have been overcome again and again, but it need not be always thus. He is weak in moral power, controlled by the habits of a life of sin. His promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. The knowledge of his broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens his confidence in his own sincerity, and causes him to feel that God can not accept him or work with his efforts. But he need not despair.

Those who put their trust in Christ are not to be enslaved by any hereditary or cultivated habit or tendency. Instead of being held in bondage to the lower nature, they are to rule every appetite and passion. God has not left us to battle with evil in our own finite strength. Whatever may be our inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong, we can overcome through the power that He is ready to impart.

THE FORCE OF THE WILL

The tempted one needs to understand the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man,—the power of decision, of choice.

Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in the life. By yielding up the will to Christ, we ally ourselves with divine power. We receive strength from above to hold us steadfast. A pure and noble life, a life of victory over appetite and lust, is possible to every one who will unite his weak, wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering will of God.

FOUNDATION OF THE LIQUOR HABIT

Those who are struggling against the power of appetite should be instructed in the principles of healthful living. They should be shown that violation of the laws of health, by creating diseased conditions and unnatural cravings, lays the foundation of the liquor habit. Only by living in obedience to the principles of health can they hope to be freed from the craving for unnatural stimulants. While they depend upon divine strength to break the bonds of appetite, they are to cooperate with God by obedience to His laws, both moral and physical.

ENCOURAGE THEM TO SERVE OTHERS

All who give evidence of true conversion should be encouraged to work for others. Let none turn away a soul who leaves the service of Satan for the service of Christ. When one gives evidence that the Spirit of God is striving with him, present every encouragement for entering the Lord's service.

He who has been tempted and tried, whose hope was well-nigh gone, but who was saved by hearing a message of love, can understand the science of soul saving. He whose heart is filled with love for Christ because he himself has been sought for by the Saviour and brought back to the fold, knows how to seek the lost. He can point sinners to the Lamb of God. He has given himself without reserve to God, and has been accepted in the Beloved. The hand that in weakness was held out for help has been grasped. By the ministry of such ones, many prodigals will be brought to the Father.

THE ONE HOPE OF THE TEMPTED

For every soul struggling to rise from a life of sin to a life of purity, the great element of power abides in the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

The good resolutions made in one's own strength avail nothing. Not all the pledges in the world will break the power of evil habit. Never will men practise temperance in all things until their hearts are renewed by divine grace. We can not keep ourselves from sin for one moment. Every moment we are dependent upon God.

Bid the tempted one look not to circumstances, to the weakness of self, or to the power of temptation, but to the power of God's word. All its strength is ours. "Thy word," says the psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." "By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer."

Many who have been overcome by temptation are humiliated by their failures, and they feel that it is in vain for them to approach unto God; but this thought is of the enemy's suggestion. When they have sinned, and feel that they can not pray, tell them that it is then the time to pray. Ashamed they may be, and deeply humbled; but as they confess their sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive their sins, and cleanse them from all unrighteousness.

Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness, and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour. By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest human being may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold him by a hand that will never let go.

The People to Vote on a Sunday Law

By Editor

California to Vote on Such a Measure

A New Use of the Initiative

CALIFORNIA is one of the states that has the "initiative, referendum, and recall"; and under this provision, a Sunday law has been "initiated," and the people will vote on it at the election this fall. Knowing that many of our readers will be interested in this matter, and that they will desire to see the proposed law, we present it herewith as follows:

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR ONE DAY IN SEVEN AS A DAY OF REST

The people of the state of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.—DEFINITION AND CONSTRUCTION.—In this act, unless the context otherwise requires:

a. The word "day" means twenty-four consecutive hours, the word "Sunday" means the period of time which begins at 12 o'clock P. M. on Saturday night and ends at 12 o'clock P. M. on the following night, and other words and terms used have the same meaning as defined in the codes of California.

b. A contract to perform a lawful act, though made on Sunday, is valid, but a contract rendered void by unlawful action on Sunday can not be made valid by subsequent action.

SECTION 2.—It is unlawful for any person, firm, association, or corporation in this state, or for any officer or employee of the state of California, or of any political subdivision thereof, to violate any of the following provisions:

1. To hire, employ, or require any employee, apprentice, servant, or other person or persons to work at or engage in any trade, business, profession, or occupation for more than six days in any calendar week of seven days.

2. To work at or to engage in any said trade, business, profession, or occupation for wages for more than six days in any calendar week of seven days.

3. To keep open on Sunday for the purpose of transacting any business or labor, any store, office, shop, building, or place of business where goods, wares, merchandise, or property is sold or offered for sale; or to sell or offer for sale any goods, wares, merchandise, or property on said day.

4. To keep open or operate on Sunday for profit any mill, mine, factory, bakehouse, barber shop, workshop, studio, or any such or similar place of business or occupation which is managed by or employs either skilled or unskilled labor, or both; provided, however, that the above provisions of this section do not apply to unavoidable work in caring for live animals, or to cases of urgent emergency. Immediate danger to life, property, public safety, or public health only shall be considered cases of urgent emergency within the meaning of this act. And, provided, that the above subsections numbered 1 and 2 do not apply to any person whose total hours of labor during seven consecutive days do not exceed forty-eight hours; and, provided further, that the above subsections numbered 3 and 4 do not apply to works of daily necessity. It is hereby declared that said works of necessity within the meaning of this act include the following, but not so as to restrict the ordinary meaning of the expression "works of necessity":

a. Work essential to the relief of sickness and suffering, including the sale of drugs, medicines, or surgical appliances by retail for strictly medicinal purposes;

b. Furnishing lodging or meals at hotels, boarding-houses, restaurants, lunch stands, cafes, and work incidental thereto;

c. Ice-cream parlors;

d. Parks, bath houses, libraries, museums, or art galleries;

e. Sports, theaters, and amusements;

f. Setting sponges in bakeries;

g. The sale and delivery of daily newspapers and magazines, or the necessary work in the preparation of the Sunday or Monday morning edition of a daily newspaper;

h. The sale and delivery of milk or cream, and unavoidable work in making cheese or butter, and in any manufacturing plant or industry, or industrial process of such a continuous nature that it can not be stopped without serious injury to said plant, industry, or its product or property used in such process;

i. Unavoidable work essential to the protection of mines, property, or perishable products in imminent danger of destruction or serious injury, and to utilizing water-power necessary to prevent serious injury or loss in hydraulic mining or other industries where the water supply is not continuous throughout the year;

j. Any work which is necessary to the continuous supply of electric current, light, heat, air, water, gas, or motive power; to operating vessels, vehicles, livery stables, garages, railroads, or any other transportation lines in this state; to telegraph and telephone service; and to any such public utility which the public welfare requires should be kept in daily operation;

k. Any work which the railroad commission of this state, having due regard to the object of this act, to provide one day of rest in seven, deems necessary to permit in connection with the traffic or conduct of any railroad or of any other public utility within the jurisdiction of said railroad commission, including the permitting of two days of rest to fall at any time within a period of fourteen consecutive days; provided, however, that said employee, apprentice, servant, or other person engaged in works of necessity as above provided for in subsections lettered a to k inclusive, shall not be hired, employed, or required to work more than six days in seven, except as provided for in this act, but the day of rest may fall upon parts of two calendar days. And provided, further, that the above subsections numbered 3 and 4 do not apply to any person who is a member of a religious society which observes some other day than Sunday as its day of worship, and who actually keeps his place of business or occupation closed and does not work for gain or wages upon said day of worship.

SECTION 3.—Any person, firm, association, or corporation, or any officer or employee of the state of California, or of any political subdivision thereof, that violates any provision of this act, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, said offender shall be fined not less than ten dollars nor more than two hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the county jail not to exceed thirty days, and upon each subsequent conviction, both said fine and imprisonment shall be imposed; except, however, in case of corporations, the imprisonment, when imposed, shall be imposed upon all officers or agents thereof in this state committing such offense or causing the same to be committed.

SECTION 4.—The commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and his deputies are hereby authorized, empowered, and directed to enforce the provisions of this act. And it is also hereby declared to be the special duty of each magistrate, district attorney, and peace officer in this state to inform against and diligently prosecute any and all persons guilty of the violation of any provision of this act, either upon credible information as to any such violation, or upon reasonable cause to believe that there has been any such violation.

SECTION 5.—Nothing in this act shall be construed to repeal or limit an act entitled "An Act Limiting the Hours of Labor of Females," etc., approved March 22, 1911; or to limit the powers of municipal or county governments, not in conflict herewith.

This is a new use to be made of the initiative. Heretofore the enactment of Sunday laws has been confined to legislatures, but in this instance the issue is before the people themselves. The people as a whole in the great state of California will have to consider this subject and act upon it.

A leading writer has said: "God means that testing truth shall be brought to the front, and become a subject of examination and discussion, even if it is through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people must be agitated. Every controversy, every reproach, every slander, will be God's means of provoking inquiry, and awakening minds that otherwise would slumber."

This measure in California means that the people themselves, and not merely their legislators, must study this Sabbath question. And what is now under way here will soon be an issue all over the world; for does not the prophecy to which we have been pointing for more than fifty years, plainly state that this nation will say "to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live"? Rev. 13:14.

The people themselves, they "that dwell on the earth," are to decide this matter, and to speak. They "that dwell on the earth" are to be brought face to face with the Sabbath question that is involved in this Sunday law issue. Each one must face the fact that Sunday is purely a human institution, resting on no higher authority than man-made laws of the church. And this rest day of human origin is set up as a rival to supplant the Sabbath of Jehovah, which is so plainly enjoined in the Bible.

The question is much broader than the mere making of a law that the people must rest on Sunday. The issue is that of loyalty to God, and obedience to His plainly revealed word, on the one hand, or bowing

before the church institution of a Sunday sabbath on the other.

Each one in the great state of California must now decide for himself where he will stand in this crisis. In the language of an apostle, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to harken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19, 20.

Shall Christ Be King?

By Francis Monroe Burg

The Great Rebellion—The Triumph at the Close of the Struggle—Scenes of Glory and Victory

By FRANCIS MONROE BURG

"The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." Luke 16:16. From the time that Lucifer set up his rebellion in heaven, one question, taking precedence of all others, has demanded the attention of every intelligent creature in the universe; and that is, Who shall be recognized as the rightful king?

THE REBELLION OF LUCIFER

He who was with the Father from the beginning, the eternal Son, was set upon the holy hill of Zion, to reign with Jehovah upon His holy mountain, "in the sides of the north." But Lucifer, through envy and selfish ambition, set himself up in opposition to the everlasting Father, the eternal King. He said within himself, "I will sit [reign] also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north." Isa. 14:13.

There was then begun a propaganda of rebellion, under the leadership and inspiration of the great adversary, that has never ceased, nor will it cease until its final and eternal suppression, when the devil is destroyed. Christ "in His times . . . shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords." 1 Tim. 6:15.

TO REDEEM AND SAVE

The plan of redemption was instituted to redeem and bring back to harmony with God again those who had become disaffected through the influence of the great arch-rebel; but primarily, and paramount to all else, to vindicate the character of the everlasting King, and to settle finally all question as to His right to reign.

And when at last this great plan is consummated, the inhabitants of all Jehovah's worlds will be assembled to behold the grandest scene ever to be witnessed in all the eternal years,—the coronation of the Son of God. As He sits upon His throne of burnished gold, high above the walls of the beautiful city, there will be assembled about Him that vast number who have been redeemed by His blood out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

SCENES OF TRIUMPH

One of our versatile current writers has pictured the scene in this soul-stirring language:

"Far above the city, upon a foundation of burnished gold, is a throne, high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Son of God, and around Him are the subjects of His kingdom. The power and majesty of Christ no language can describe, no pen portray. The glory of the eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The brightness of His presence fills the city of God, and flows out beyond the gates, flooding the whole earth with its radiance.

"Nearest the throne are those who were once zealous in the cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the burning, have followed their Saviour with deep, intense devotion. Next are those who perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and infidelity, those who honored the law of God when the Christian world declared it void, and the millions, of all ages, who were martyred for their faith. And beyond is the 'great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, . . . before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.' Rev. 7:9. Their warfare is ended, their victory won. They have run the race and reached the prize. The palm branch in their hands is a symbol of their triumph, the white robe an emblem of the spotless righteousness of Christ which now is theirs.

SONGS OF VICTORY GREET THE UNIVERSE

"The redeemed raise a song of praise that echoes and reechoes through the vaults of heaven, 'Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.' And angel and seraph unite their voices in adoration. As the redeemed have beheld the power and malignity of Satan, they have seen, as never before, that no power but that of Christ could have made them conquerors. In all that shining throng there are none to ascribe salvation to themselves, as if they had prevailed by their own power and goodness. Nothing is said of what they have done or suffered; but the burden of every song, the key-note of every anthem, is, 'Salvation to our God, and unto the Lamb.'"

THE CORONATION OF THE KING OF KINGS

"In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government, and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people."

When the great plan of redemption has accomplished its work, then, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and every tongue shall "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:10, 11.

Our Father

By Mrs. H. E. Sawyer-Hopkins

THAT we can call the Creator of heaven and earth our Father, is indeed a great privilege to every child of God.

We read that Enoch walked with God three hundred years. Some may question, "How was it done?"—By carrying everything to God in prayer, just as freely as a little child who goes to its earthly parents, committing all its joys and sorrows to them, never entertaining the least shadow of a doubt, but with full confidence that whatever father and mother say is all right.

Let no one say, "I am not good enough to talk with God concerning the common things of life." There is no other way to become good. To rely merely on human effort is of no avail. It is of the utmost importance to depend upon the Master's guidance every step of the way as we journey on to Canaan's fair land.

If any think no plea should be made to the Majesty on high, except in relation to spiritual matters, they entertain a mistaken idea. The Infinite, with His heart full of love and sympathy, is as truly interested in our temporal necessities as in those that are purely spiritual. All are essential to success in the Christian warfare. His ear is ever open to the cries of His children, and He is never weary of hearing their earnest pleas.

Mrs. H. E. SAWYER-HOPKINS.

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