p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 20. (5/19/1909)

Earlier text: Medical Missionary Work in Java

Evolution and the Sabbath.

By George McCready Price. B. S. L., No. 198, price, one cent.

“At the end of this first week of time, God instituted the Sabbath as a reminder of the fact that He had made the world in six days of the same length and character as the seventh, or Sabbath.”

This statement is found at the very beginning of this important tract. The author goes on to give scientific reasons why he can not accept evolution, and why he does accept the six-literal-day creative period of the Scriptures. He makes it very clear that the Sabbath is a constant reminder of the facts that the Lord did create all things, and did it in six days, and that He has power to recreate or redeem us as well.

Evolution is really salvation by works. “For,” says one of its leading exponents, “the process of evolution is an advance toward true salvation.” “Hence,” says the author, “the Sabbath is doubly precious to us as moderns, not only as a protest against the papal form of the doctrine of salvation by works, but also as a protest against the doctrine of salvation by the development of evolution, as taught by modern apostate Protestantism.”

This is a tract which deserves careful study and a wide circulation. Address your tract society, or Pacific Press Publishing Assn., Mountain View, Cal.; Portland, Ore.; Regina, Sask., Canada; Kansas City, Mo.

The Law of God as Changed by the Papacy.

Printed on good, white paper, size 5½ x 11, giving the law as changed by the Catholic Church, surrounded by extracts from Catholic works showing that the pope is considered above all laws, and the admissions of the change of the fourth commandment. Price, three cents; 50 cents per 100. Address Pacific Press Publishing Assn., Mountain View, Cal.

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To Bible Readers.—

One of our old-time correspondents offers the following thought which will help Bible-Band readers, we are sure. It is a quotation from George Muller, one of the very busiest of men; said to have been spoken when he was attending a meeting of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He said: “Will you have the kindness to read to the meeting that I have been for sixty-eight years and three months a lover of the word of God, and that uninterruptedly during this time I have read considerably more than one hundred times through the whole of the Old and New Testaments, with prayer and meditation four times every year. Does any one ask me what is the best way of reading the Scriptures? In the first place, in order to have a deeper acquaintance with the Scriptures, it is absolutely needful that you read the whole of the course regularly through; not as some do, take the Bible and where it opens there begin to read. By degrees the Bible opens naturally on such portions of Scripture. Let me affectionately say that it ill becomes the child of God thus to treat the Book, and it ill becomes the disciple of the Lord Jesus thus to treat his blessed Master. Let me affectionately urge those who have not done so to begin the Old Testament from the beginning, at one time reading the Old and at another time the New Testament, keeping a mark in their Bibles to show how far they have proceeded.” And this is what the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has been endeavoring to encourage its readers to do for the last two years. We hope that our Bible-reading Band will not be discouraged, will not feel that it is time lost to read daily from the precious word which God has given us. We thank our correspondent for calling to our mind these quotations.

To the General Conference.

By Editor

There left San Francisco, May 6, a special car to the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference at Washington, D. C. Four boarded the train at Third and Townsend Street, San Francisco; eleven at San Jose, and eleven at Los Angeles—twenty-six in all. Among these are Elders H. W. Cottrell and wife, H. Shultz, E. E. Andrews, W. M. Healey; Professors E. D. Sharpe, H. G. Lucas, and L. C. Colcord, Dr. Leadsworth, Messrs C. H. Jones, J. J. Ireland, E. G. Fulton, the senior editors of the Signs of the Times Monthly, Our Little Friend, and the SIGNS OF THE TIMES (weekly). The company is in charge of Mr. C. H. Jones, transportation agent, with a good car direct to Washington.

We have left our papers in the charge of Editors Reed and Hill, and the office under the supervision of Mr. H. H. Hall, manager pro tem, and the treasurer, Mr. H. G. Childs. Added burdens will rest upon those who are left, and great burdens will rest upon those who go.

The conference in Washington begins May 13. The car is expected to reach there Wednesday, May 12. The conference closes the 6th of June. There are very important questions to be decided at the gathering in Washington, especially in connection with the great mission fields, and the work that is to be done in the regions beyond. We ask our readers to pray not only for those who are left in charge of our work, but especially for those who meet in Washington that special wisdom, grace, and courage may be given to meet the various questions which may arise. God’s work is onward and His servants can not afford to make mistakes.

What Is Luxury?

The Bishop of Durham, himself the possessor of a large income, which it is said he faithfully uses, has given us this definition: “A life spent in the pursuit of personal enjoyment can not claim to be human, still less a Christian life. Every exceptional indulgence in amusement or living which we admit, every use which we make of money or leisure for rest, for travel, for the accumulation of works of art or literature, must satisfy two tests before it can be approved by an awakened conscience. First, it must be found to contribute directly or indirectly its full value to the efficiency of our work; secondly, it must not be such as to cause even the weak to offend by a perilous example.” These are thoughts which every Christian ought to take home to himself.

Encouraging Items.

Sometime ago one of our Bible-Band readers wrote us that in her perusal of the Old Testament Scriptures she had found a special inspiration and helpfulness in Ex. 15:26; Deut. 4:29, 30, 31; the 19th, 23rd, 24th, 51st, and 91st

The Meaning of the Turkish Situation

God wanted His Gospel to go to the people in Brazil; a revolution occurred; Brazil became a republic, with a far larger measure of religious freedom. God wanted Russia to hear the Gospel; He broke her proud, imperial spirit with little Japan. So we might mention Mexico, South American States, Japan, China. In various ways, by various means, the doors closed for centuries were opened to the Gospel. The strife, the greed, the love of power, the selfish policy of men, God has used to open the closed gates of tyranny to the glorious liberty of the Gospel.

Among the last of these countries are the Mohammedan. A chief fruit of that religion is the tyranny of fatalism. The very form of perverted Christianity with which it has come in closest contact, and which to a great extent it was compelled to tolerate, is but little or no better than the religion of “the prophet.”

God would have His “everlasting Gospel” go to the Turks and all within the border of Ottoman rule. The revolution came. Men with ambition to tyrannize overstepped themselves. Men’s ambitions to be politically free are used of the Most High to give free course to His glad tidings of salvation. THE MEANING OF THE PRESENT REVOLUTION IN TURKEY IS AN OPEN DOOR TO GOD’S GOSPEL and quick, earnest work by His heralds. Thank God for the revolution. Thank God for the open-swinging doors. Say unto the people, God reigneth.

Psalms

Psalms. These all came to her as never before, of the great power and kindness of a personal God and Saviour. So they ought to come to every one.

Church

Church.— The word “church” in Scripture comes from the Greek word ekklesia, meaning “an assembly of the citizens regularly summoned.” The church is an assembly of God’s citizens, citizens of the “heavenly” country, Christian citizens, “regularly summoned.” The One who summons them is God. The regular call or summons is the Gospel of His grace. Those who give that call are the true ministers of His word. Those who respond are those who receive and accept of that word with all the heart. They are called out of the world; they are called into the service of Christ. That call is sounding through the world. It comes to you, reader. Will you accept it?

God Is One.

Why will His children try to divide Him? Why cut up His word, the manifestation of God in writing, into Old and New Testaments, into law dispensation and Gospel dispensation. Like Christ’s seamless coat, the doctrine of God is one from Paradise lost to Paradise restored. As truly as to us, came the word of the Gospel to Abel, Noah, Abraham, and all the prophets and their contemporaries; for “God is no respecter of persons.” Christ “is the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” He gives sufficient to every one if it is but heeded.

Why Not Believe It?

Why Not Believe It?—God has a government and a law. That law is summarized in the Decalogue, and all other moral teaching of His word is but the divine drawing out and revealing of that wonderful law. What that law would do in character God manifested in Jesus Christ, the faithful and true Witness of just what that law is. Now why not believe it? Why endeavor to destroy the only complete and perfect law in the entire universe? What charge could be brought against this world if all men kept that law?

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

The Revelation of Jesus Christ.—There are many who are waiting till Christ's second coming for His revelation or disclosure. But God does not want us to wait till that time. Even as He revealed Himself in Paul (Gal. 1:16), so would He reveal Himself in every one of us, in order that we might show forth His praises, excellences, virtues, to the world. He would have Christ revealed as far as His people can reveal Him to sinful men now; the fulness of His glory will be revealed when He comes and we see “the King in His beauty.”

Preach the Word

“Preach the Word,” is the injunction of the Lord to His servants. This includes all else; for Jesus Christ and eternal life are in the Word. Let the Word work. Do not think that man’s resolutions, and organizations, and creeds, and legislation, will add one whit to its power or effectiveness. These often hinder by perverting the Gospel, but they never increase its value or power. So, minister of Christ, preach the Word as it is in Jesus Christ. Let it work in and through you, and you may safely leave results with God.