“Tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin.”
OFTEN, in the varied trials and perplexities of life, the afflicted soul cries out, “Surely never did any other one have trials and burdens like mine.”
It is true that the heart knows its own bitterness, but quite as true that it may little know the anguish that wrings another sufferer’s heart. Hence, though sympathy is really one of Heaven’s most blessed gifts to soothe a sin-cursed, a sorrow-stricken race, yet it must ever fall far short as a balm for afflicted humanity. While realizing this deficiency, how cheering to look away to Jesus for help that is all-sufficient, feeling the assurance that he not only knows all our sorrows and needs, but has all power to heal every woe, and that power moved by a heart of infinite love.
What greater consolation to the afflicted than to know that he was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;” to one overwhelmed with a sense of human weakness, to know that the Saviour once bore about the frail clay of humanity; to one crushed beneath the burden of poverty, to know that Jesus, even in the earth he had created, had “not where to lay his head;” but more especially to the tried and tempted to know that he was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
It is impossible to comprehend and appreciate the complete fullness and sufficiency of this divine friend of man; yet a careful study of the brief earth-life of the Saviour, while he wore the common garb of humanity, might greatly assist to discover those beneficent attributes which point him out so peculiarly as the friend of the lost and ruined race. The few years of his earth-mission, commencing at his baptism, seem crowded with a wonderful fullness of experiences, labors, and instructions most perfectly suited to the needs of man, each particular of which cannot be too often or too carefully studied.
We wish at this time to consider somewhat the series of temptations which marked the opening of Christ’s public ministry. Immediately after his baptism, on which occasion he was proclaimed the Son of God, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. The three successive temptations as recorded in Scripture would really seem to comprehend all the various besetments common to humanity.
The first temptation appealed to the natural appetite, in the urgent demand for food after forty days’ fasting. The tempter says, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” How plausible and wily this attack of the enemy. While pressed with extreme hunger, how fitting it might seem that the Son of God should manifest his divine power in changing stones to bread for the innocent supply of nature’s demands. But did Jesus put forth that power to satisfy nature’s craving? Nay: He became instead not only the greatest exemplar of self-denial and abstinence, but declared, at the same time, that faith in the word of God has power to sustain man. He replied to the tempter, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Here, then, we have two great, comprehensive lessons—self-denial, and confidence in the sustaining grace of God.
“Tempted like as we are”—Is it not true that the most common and powerful temptations of the human family are those that appeal to the appetite? Even the first,—that fatal temptation presented to our parents in Eden, was addressed to the taste.—“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food,” she did eat—ate the forbidden fruit, and that act of disobedience, simple and natural as it might seem, caused the fall of the human race. Fearful, infinite consequence of the indulgence of appetite! And, chief among the curses that came with sin, followed all the terrible, wide-spread results of perverted appetite. How few among earth’s millions through the ages up to this time, have passed through this temptation “without sin!”
To say nothing of all the concomitant evils and miseries, attending what is usually styled intemperance, we should be greatly astonished at a true estimate of the number who might justly stand condemned as transgressors in regard to the sin of improper indulgence of appetite.
We all feel to despise the glutton, given up to beastly excesses that seem to stupefy every noble impulse of nature; but we little realize how the same influence of perverted appetite, though in a less, yet a criminal degree, prevails like a deadly incubus throughout society. Even among good Christian people who would be shocked at the charge of intemperance, few can claim that they have not probably during all their lives eaten greatly to excess, besides often including articles positively detrimental to health. We pity and sometimes despise the slave of strong drink, and wonder he does not put forth the will-power to free himself from his chains, and escape the drunkard’s grave; yet we ourselves, as much slaves, cannot restrain the cravings of an excessive appetite, or easily forego any of the luxuries of food or our favorite beverages of tea and coffee, if not wines. This is not passing through temptation “without sin”; but, although we have never perhaps viewed it in this light, these indulgences involve sins of serious account,—the sin of impairing the health so as to disqualify for efficient life-work,—the needless waste of food, one of God’s best gifts committed to our keeping and disposing according to his will,—the waste of much precious time in excessive preparation of luxuries for the pampered taste. How long, and to what a fearful extent, have many of us thus wasted the good gifts of Heaven, instead of dispensing to the needy. What extreme selfishness leads us to give our chief care and labor to provide simply for our own pampered appetites, reserving the smallest pittance of time and strength for God’s service. Can God bless such selfish toil? Nay, verily; curses may follow in disease and suffering upon the transgressor and upon his posterity. Yet God holds to account for stewardship in all these particulars. He has given us years of active life; have most of the precious hours been wasted in selfish worship of appetite? He has given us means; has too much of this been squandered on the altar of depraved appetite? He has made us almoners of his bounty. Says the Saviour, “Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will, ye may do them good.” Have our daintily spread tables left scarce a morsel for the perishing needy by our door? and, besides, left not one spare moment, to spend in seeking out the actual distress of suffering humanity? Have our excesses often benumbed the sensibilities and destroyed the mental energies so as to disqualify for acceptable service to God, even when we would give our attention thereto?
Do we expect God will demand the talents we have thus lost in table-feasting? What a legion of evils follow in the train of improper indulgence of appetite! How many of us can truly say, we pass through this temptation “without sin?”
S. M. SPICER.
SAYING AND DOING.
By Theo. L. Cuyler, D. D.
Sometimes a word weighs a ton. Sometimes it is not worth a farthing. Luther’s majestic and memorable words, “Here I stand; I cannot change; God help me,” when they were pronounced in the Imperial Diet, aroused all Europe. They were half-battles. A simple Yes or No often decides one’s destiny.
Christ commanded open confession of him as one evidence of heart-loyalty. Yet his divine wisdom detected the utter cheapness of a confession that was not proved genuine by the daily conduct. If he knew the worth of an honest word of profession, he also knew the worthlessness of a mere promise which the utterer never intended to redeem.
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.” If there is any one passage above all others which a young convert should write in his diary on the day of his admission into the church of Christ, it is this very text. For under the constant pressure to “confess Christ before the world,” and to “open his lips for Jesus,” the new convert is in danger of thinking that all that is required of him is a service of the lips. He soon finds words to be cheap and easy. To speak in a meeting becomes no harder a task than to eat his dinner. He may even feed his self-conceit on the praise which his fluent utterance brings to him. His religion runs into words—words—words. That this has proved a snare and a peril to thousands, we pastors know too well.
What Jesus demands of his followers is, that their confession should crystalize into conduct. The highest evidence of piety is to do God’s will. Saying is good; doing is infinitely better. Faith saves; but faith is not a mere sentiment. It is far deeper than a gracious emotion. It is a stalwart principle, with vigor in every one of its ten fingers, and a prodigious grip and momentum in its right arm. It is not an indolent trust, but an active power in the renewed soul. Faith works by love. Faith overcomes the world; faith removes mountains. Evermore it is set forth in God’s word as a living, acting, burden-bearing, duty-doing principle. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” And keeping a commandment of Jesus sometimes costs the carrying of a heavy load; sometimes the conquest of an ugly temper; sometimes the performance of a painful duty; sometimes the endurance of a hailstorm of reproach; sometimes the surrender of what pride clings to with a terrible tenacity. Doing Christ’s will sent Henry Martyn to die in Persia, and David Brainerd to spend his rich, generous life amid the wigwams of savages. Doing Christ’s will sometimes makes a rich man become poor, rather than dishonor his religion. Doing Christ’s will leads to sacrifices that cut deep. Doing Christ’s will often puts a man under the ban of unpopularity, and a woman under the frowns of fashion. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me;” for so shall he be my disciple.
These are times of cheap discipleship. There is a prodigious danger that piety may evaporate into prayer-meeting talks and singing of seraphic hymns. Even Heaven is pictured too often as a sort of celestial “picnic,” beneath waving trees and beside sparkling waters. The soul is thus bribed by the promise of enjoyment here and endless raptures hereafter.
Oh, how different is Christ’s picture of the Christian life, with its stern duties, its exalted joys, its conflicts, and its well-won crowns! Holiness is not a devout emotion. It is the constant, humble, sincere doing of God’s will. “As obedient children, be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”
He that heareth Christ’s commands and doeth them, is the man who buildeth his eternal hopes upon a rock. The winds of opposition smite against him; the rains of unjust reproach beat upon him; the currents of selfishness and sin strike him steadily; but he moves not from his sure foundation. He is built on Christ; his life is the daily adding of grace to grace, of deed to deed, of strength to strength, until he is changed into Christ’s image from glory to glory.—Theo. L. Cuyler, D. D.
The Missouri Sunday Law.
By Thomas Hoover
The following law passed at the regular session of the twenty-ninth General Assembly of Missouri, which convened at the city of Jefferson, Wednesday, January 3, 1877, I copy out of the law-book verbatim:—
“Crimes and Punishments: Violation of the Sabbath.”
“An act to amend section 32 of article 8 of chapter 42 of Wagner’s Missouri statutes, the same being section 32 of chapter 206 of the general statutes of 1865.
“Section 1. Laboring or hunting on Sunday; how punished.
“Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:—
“Section 1. That section 32 of article 8 of chapter 42 of Wagner’s Missouri statutes, the same being section 32 of chapter 206 of the general statutes of 1865, be amended so as to read as follows: Section 32. Every person who shall either labor himself, or compel or permit his apprentice, or servant, or any person under his charge or control, to labor or perform any work, other than the household offices of daily necessity, or other works of necessity or charity, or who shall be guilty of hunting game or shooting, on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and fined not exceeding fifty dollars.
“Approved March 16, 1877.”
These facts have just come to my notice. I think this amendment grew mostly out of the non-observance of Sunday by Sunday-keepers, not the agitation of the Sabbath question. Thomas Hoover.
Index, Mo.
THE CRISIS OF SOULS.
By Spurgeon
Often when traveling among the Alps, one sees a small black cross planted on a rock, or on the brink of a torrent, or on the verge of the highway, to mark the spot where men have met with sudden death by accident. Solemn reminders, these, of our mortality! but they led our minds still further; for we said within us, if the places where men seal themselves for the second death could be thus manifestly indicated, what a scene would this world present! Here the memorial of a soul undone by yielding to a foul temptation, there a conscience seared by the rejection of a final warning, and yonder a heart forever turned into stone by resisting the last tender appeal of love. Our places of worship would scarce hold the sorrowful monuments which might be erected over spots where spirits were forever lost—spirits that date their ruin from sinning against the gospel while under the sound of it.—Spurgeon.
Our Passions as Persuasive Orators
OUR passions are the only orators who are certain to persuade us.
ONE MORE DODGE.
By Uriah Smith
We met a man on the New York camp-ground whose inventive faculties favored him with a novel device to save the testimony of Acts 20: 7, to the side of Sunday-keeping. With a great flourish of trumpets he had claimed that the book of Acts set forth the first day of the week as the only Sabbath for this dispensation, and appealed to this passage to prove it. But when confronted with the fact that there is no other record in all the New Testament of a religious meeting on the first day of the week, and that this meeting was not held in the daytime, but in the evening, because there were many lights in the upper chamber, he was exceedingly loth to give up the idea that this was a day meeting. So to get over the little matter of the “many lights in the upper chamber,” he undertook to account for them on the ground that the disciples, for fear of the Jews, had to assemble privately, and bar their doors and darken their windows with heavy drapery, so that lights would be necessary even in the daytime! Thus he would have us understand that the service was held at about the usual hour of Sunday worship, 10:30 A. M. But how it was that Paul continued his speech from that hour till midnight, he did not tell us, and we are unable to imagine, unless it was that his hearers themselves became so bewildered in that day-darkened room, as to suppose that noon was midnight, and that the writer of the book of Acts was himself misled in regard to it. Nor can we imagine how Eutychus should fall into such a “deep sleep” right there in midday. Nor did our friend tell us which side of this heavy curtain Eutychus sat; whether he was on the outside of the curtain, having that between himself and Paul while he was preaching, and so fell out of the window, or whether he was on the inside of the curtain, and when he fell out, fell through the curtain, perhaps taking curtain and all with him.
At any rate, this novel supposition needs to be arranged in some way so that it will not come into direct conflict with truth, to have several mountains of inconsistencies under which it lies buried, removed from it, and to be given at least one leg to stand upon, before it can present any respectable claim to consideration. U. S.
NAPLES, ITALY.
By John Nevins Andrews
I have spoken of the sad condition of the Neapolitans, yet I feel an intense interest for them, and for the people of Italy in general. The providence of God plainly calls us to make an effort for Italy, and we shall be very remiss in our duty if we do not respond to the call.
Immediately after my arrival in Naples, Bro. Ribton made a special effort to obtain a hall for public lectures. As we could not obtain a hall from the Catholics, we made an effort to obtain one from the Protestants. We would naturally suppose that where the Catholics are so strong and so bigoted, the Protestants would be found liberal. But I regret to say that they are very far from this. There is a considerable number of Protestant places of worship in Naples, but these different societies are very jealous one of another, and each is afraid to do anything which shall enable the rival societies to say something against them.
We finally obtained the promise of a Protestant place of worship for two evenings, the minister, who was a personal friend of Bro. Ribton’s, saying that he would take the responsibility for that length of time. We therefore sent printed notices to those persons that had become interested by the distribution of tracts and papers, and invited them to attend. After the notices had been sent out, we received a letter from this minister stating that his deacons refused to permit us to have the hall. The reason which they assigned was that another Protestant church in their vicinity was their special enemy and would speak to their disadvantage if they allowed us their hall.
We were now in a serious strait. Our meeting was appointed for the evening of the following day, and our hall was lost. But Bro. R. has a Catholic friend who gives music lessons in his own apartments, and has a room sufficiently large to receive a considerable number of persons. This man was very willing to rent his hall, but as the other occupants of the great house in which his rooms are situated are very bigoted Catholics, he said that he would receive the company as though they came to his music lectures, and that if we thus avoided attracting the attention of the other families in the house we might continue our meetings there for a month. As this was the best we could do we very gratefully accepted the offer. Nearly all who received our notice came to our first appointment, and we had a very solemn and interesting meeting.
But while I was speaking four persons, without our knowledge, took their place in the street in front of the house, and announced to all the persons in the street the nature of our meeting, and invited them to enter. Besides this they ascended the great staircase of the house to the fifth story, and thrust Protestant tracts under the door of each Catholic family. This raised such a storm against us that another meeting in that house was impossible. We supposed that it was the design of those who did this to expel us from the house by this apparent zeal for God.
As public meetings were thus for the time rendered impossible, I devoted my time to visiting such as are interested, at their own houses, and also to conversation upon the Bible with Bro. Ribton and his family and with those that called at his house. I think this was productive of much good. We sought a place for baptism, and found a retired and beautiful place in the harbor of Puteoli near the spot where Paul landed on his voyage to Rome. Acts 28: 13. Here, a few miles west of Naples, Bro. and Sr. Ribton and their daughter, and another sister were baptized. The occasion was one of solemn and joyful interest. There are others at Naples to be baptized after a little.
I have spoken of the difficulty of obtaining a hall in the city of Naples. Bro. Ribton felt extreme anxiety to obtain a hall, as otherwise it is impossible for the friends of truth to assemble on the Sabbath, as they are very widely scattered in the city. I assumed the responsibility of the rent of a hall for nine months, and upon my return to Bale I sent the pay for the first three months’ rent, and something also to meet other expenses. And now I have the happiness to add that Bro. Ribton has gone to work in the most earnest, faithful manner in this new place of worship. A few days since he wrote of the conversion of a brother, and to-day he writes me of the conversion of another. Certainly this seems like the work of God. I do not regret that the hall was hired. I believe that a church of commandment-keepers will be raised up in Naples.
I visited a considerable number of persons in Naples who receive LES SIGNES DES TEMPS, and who are deeply interested in the truth. One of these is an English lady who resided some six years as a teacher in Russia, and who now keeps the Sabbath. This lady is well versed in the Russian language, and perhaps it may be well to have her translate some one of our small tracts into the Russian language. My visit to the few Sabbath-keepers in Northern Italy was very interesting.
Bro. Bourdeau has removed to Switzerland, and I am making every effort to join him speedily in his new field of labor.
Remember us in prayer.
Bale, Sept. 18. J. N. Andrews.
CALIFORNIA CAMP-MEETING.
By L. M. Hall
The Northern California Camp-meeting was held according to appointment, Sept. 13 to 19, near Yountville, Napa County. There were over one hundred tents pitched, and five hundred and sixty persons encamped. Everything about the encampment was neat and in the most perfect order. The tents were numbered, and the streets of the cotton village laid out by actual survey, and alphabetically named. The grounds were beautiful, being level, and well shaded by large majestic oaks, having the appearance of existing for centuries; and on either side, or nearly surrounding, was a delightful stream of pure soft water. The entrance was a broad arch and a smaller archway each side, draped and festooned with evergreens. Over the broad entrance on the outside was inscribed, “Seventh-day Adventist Camp-meeting;” over the side entrance, at the right, “Behold, I come quickly;” at the left, “Walk in the Light:” on the inside, over the broad entrance, in letters of evergreen, “God Is Love;” at one side, “Love the Lord;” at the other, “Love thy Neighbor.”
A short distance from this entrance, hanging upon a large oak, was a nicely framed diagram of the grounds, giving the location of every tent, with the number and the name of occupant. The large pavilion, with a seating capacity of nearly two thousand, was well located. The speakers’ stand was decorated with an anchor and trimmings of evergreen.
The opening meeting was held at six o’clock Thursday morning, at which there was a good representation of those encamped on the ground. Prayer was offered by Eld. Loughborough, followed with remarks upon the arrangements and regulations of the camp. At ten A. M. the bell rang for service, and the people again congregated in the pavilion. Eld. Loughborough read the first and last psalms, remarking particularly upon David’s praising God with instruments of music. These remarks were suggested by the thought that some might be disturbed at seeing an organ upon the ground. The praises of God were then sounded forth by melodious voices accompanying the deep tones of the organ. At the hour for preaching, Eld. Healey gave a discourse on the subject of the advent, clearly setting forth the teachings of the apostles and the prophets, and their faith in the second advent of Christ. At two o’clock P. M., Eld. Loughborough discoursed upon the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, giving the signs betokening Christ’s second coming.
At five P. M. the California Conference convened. The secretary’s report showed an increase of nearly one-third in the membership of the Conference the past year. In the evening, Bro. Stephens spoke on the prophecy of Daniel, Chap. 2.
The meetings upon Friday commenced with the six o’clock morning meeting, at which Eld. Loughborough made some remarks on the subject of family prayer. At nine o’clock a social meeting was held. Over one hundred spirited testimonies were borne in forty minutes. At 10:30 preaching by Eld. Healey, and at two P. M. by Eld. Loughborough. In the evening, Bro. Rice spoke upon the Sabbath question.
Sabbath, the morning meeting was well attended, and at nine o’clock an interesting social meeting was held. At the hour for preaching, Eld. Healey spoke upon the law. At two P. M. a very interesting Sabbath-school address was read by Bro. J. E. White. A model Sabbath-school was then held, conducted by J. E. White. At five o’clock a meeting was called for the benefit of those just making a start to serve the Lord. About forty came forward for prayers. Deep feeling was manifested, and the Spirit of the Lord seemed to place a seal upon the work. At the close of the Sabbath a special season of prayer was engaged in for the afflicted, particularly for one of Bro. Morrison’s daughters, who, in her anxiety to attend the camp-meeting, was brought upon the ground on her bed.
Sunday, the meetings were important and interesting. Over one thousand persons from surrounding towns and the intermediate country were in attendance. On Monday, at 9 A. M., Eld. Loughborough read a Conference Address, after which a missionary meeting was held, also a session of the California Conference, at which it was voted that the Conference Address be published in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. At the hour for preaching, Eld. Healey spoke upon the subject of temperance; at two P. M., we were117favored with a discourse from Dr. M. G. Kellogg; and at three o’clock Bro. Boren spoke upon the prophecy of Daniel. An inquiry meeting was then held and a large number came forward for baptism. In the evening, a discourse was given by Eld. Loughborough.
Tuesday morning at eight o’clock a meeting was held for the examination of candidates for baptism. At ten A. M., a procession was formed, the administrators, Elds. Loughborough and Healey, taking the lead, the candidates next in order, then the singers, followed by the congregation, making a procession that extended nearly from the grounds to the water, a distance of from sixty to eighty rods. The candidates, attendants, and singers occupied the ground on one side of the stream, while the crowd covered the bank upon the other. Here fifty-seven willing souls followed their Lord in the solemn ordinance of baptism, the youth and aged and middle-aged, husband and wife, mother and daughter, grandmother and granddaughter, two and two, went down into the water to rise to walk in newness of life. Some came nearly three hundred miles by private conveyance to attend the meeting; others came two hundred miles from another direction, thus persons living five hundred miles apart were present at this meeting and united in church fellowship.
The closing meeting was held Wednesday morning; and as the hour for parting came, all seemed to feel that it had truly been a profitable meeting. Although much regret was expressed that we could not have the labors of Bro. and Sr. White, and the lack of their testimony was sensibly felt, yet all who attended have great reason to thank God for the good meeting, the fruit of which will not be fully known till the great reckoning day, when the sheaves are gathered for the heavenly garner.
L. M. HALL.
SABBATH, OCTOBER 6.
Good words were spoken on this day to the church and congregation in Battle Creek, by sister White. Her text was Matt. 24:37-39; and the discourse, a comparison of the days of Noah with our own times. A vivid picture was drawn of the skepticism, infatuation, and fearful doom of the antediluvians. The reproduction of the picture in many features of our own times was shown to be very striking. The insanity of men and women who are making a god of this world was graphically depicted, the men deforming themselves with gross and sensual indulgences, drinking, tobacco and gluttony, and the women, with frivolity and fashion. An earnest and solemn appeal was made to those professing Christ to flee these things, to shun pride and the disgusting deformities of fashion, and spend more time in searching the prophecies than at the mirror, in the vain and foolish work of adorning the person.
The house was filled to its utmost capacity, and a profound impression was made upon the audience.
In the afternoon the work recommended by the General Conference for the regular church quarterly meetings was attended to. Thirty-six united with the church. In that portion of the meeting devoted to social exercises, some most excellent exhortations were given. To listen to the testimonies of so many young men and women, of sterling moral worth, and almost infinite promise, declaring their love for the truth, that they had enlisted in the work for life, that their aims, their hopes, their ambitions and their aspirations, were all involved in this cause, and that if this were taken away, nothing would be left—this was an inspiring scene, and a pleasure beyond the power of language to express.
In the evening the ordinances were celebrated. Here again we were favored with the presence of Bro. and sister White.
While engaged in the ordinance set forth in John 13, it was a joy to think that we shall soon see Him who gave us this proof of his willingness to humble himself for our sakes, and who has left us this example that we should follow in his steps. What an infinite satisfaction then will it be to us that we have tried to do as he directed us in his precious word. The sacred emblems which show how Christ’s body was broken and his blood spilt for us, lose none of their preciousness; but as often as we partake of them, we feel that we are engaged in an ordinance that is appropriate to Adventists alone, showing “the Lord’s death till he come.”
Admonished by the chill of approaching winter, Bro. White returns to the mild climate of California. As he and sister W. again leave us, the prayers of this people go with them that their going may be a mutual blessing to themselves and the cause on the Pacific Coast, and that in due time they may return to us in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
THE SABBATH AND IDOLATRY.
By Uriah Smith
One of the grandest thoughts connected with the Sabbatic institution, and one which clearly shows one of its most important offices and beneficent designs, is, that if all men had always observed this day of rest, there never would nor could have been an atheist nor an idolater in the world. An effectual safeguard was thus erected against two most insidious forms of apostasy, which had to be broken over before these evils could appear.
The advocates of the Sabbath have not been slow to use this fact with telling effect in behalf of this institution. But now an objection is raised; and it comes on this wise: If people could not go into idolatry while keeping the Sabbath, how does it happen that the Israelites, who had just had the experience touching the Sabbath, recorded in Ex. 16, and had just heard the Sabbath law uttered in majestic grandeur from the summit of Sinai, fell to worshiping the golden calf, even while Moses was up in the mount with God? The answer is not difficult. Before they fell into that act of apostasy, they had entirely cast away from their minds the obligation of the Sabbath law.
Consider if this was not so. The command had just been given them not to make an image of anything to bow down to and worship it. In worshiping the calf they trod this commandment into the very dust. They deliberately rebelled against the authority that gave it, and cast it from them. In doing this, they cast away every one of the other commandments belonging to the same code, so far as they rested on the authority of that God from whose worship they then departed.
Now can we suppose that when the next Sabbath came they would have observed it? What was the object of the Sabbath? It was to keep in mind Him who had made the heavens, the earth, and all things therein, and who demands our worship in opposition to all idols. But the Israelites had by their idolatry cast off all allegiance to this God; and if they had then continued the observance of his Sabbath, it would have been only a self-imposed condemnation of their own course. They would have acknowledged the supreme authority of one God while worshiping another. They were fools to go thus into their idolatry; but we cannot suppose they were such hopeless idiots as to so squarely contradict themselves.
No; if they had continued in their idolatry, they never would have kept another Sabbath of the Lord. To have kept it would have been a virtual renunciation of their idolatry. When they set up the golden calf, they did not say, These be thy gods, O Israel, which made the heavens and the earth; but, thy gods which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Satan gets such complete control of men, as he had of the Israelites at that time, he does not lead them into any such half-way doings in the direction of rebellion against God, nor suffer them to act thus at cross purposes.
The case of the Israelites, therefore, furnishes no objection to the statement that the Sabbath was designed to be, and would have proved, if it had been kept by all as God designed, an effectual barrier against atheism and idolatry. And this fact is one of the most convincing of arguments in favor of its perpetuity and immutability. U. S.
APPEAL TO YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN THE EASTERN STATES.
By Stephen N. Haskell
Last week’s Review contained a notice of the Biblical Institute to be held at So. Lancaster, Mass., commencing with the quarterly meeting to be held Oct. 20-22. We hope all will realize the rare opportunity which is here offered for men and women to fit themselves for usefulness in the cause of present truth. Probably no opportunity more favorable than this will ever be enjoyed in New England. There are a score of young men and women in the New England Conference, as many more in Vermont, as large a number in Maine, and more than twice that number in New York, who should attend this meeting. Those in the above mentioned places who are thinking of giving themselves to the work of spreading this truth, either as preachers or colporteurs, should make arrangements to attend this Biblical Institute.
The cause of truth is rising everywhere. But in the East, where so little has been accomplished in the past, in view of its being such a hard field of labor, God has come graciously near, and shown what he was willing to do, and has also shown that he has sent angels to prepare hearts to receive the truth. Do we appreciate this? Will we seek, by the grace of God, to use the opportunities given us to fit ourselves to co-operate with the angels of God in the work of saving souls? God can do without us, but we cannot do without him.
There are more than a dozen openings already in the New England Conference for the living preacher which there are no preachers to fill; and scores of colporteurs might be at work in our cities throughout these Eastern States. Then as many more are wanted to canvass for our periodicals. Where are the men and women to fill these openings? Shall we depend upon Western help to do this? The Western field is also “ripe ready to harvest.” Should others do this work for us, tekel will be found written upon our garments in the final reckoning day.
Do not wait for circumstances to change, so it will cost you no sacrifice to enter the work of God; for then it will be too late. Make arrangements at once, so that this golden opportunity of attending this Institute may not slip. Do not feel that you do not need this drill. It is just what you need.
I feel exceedingly anxious for the young men and women in this Eastern field. What can be said to cause you to feel the importance of the present hour? Many would like to attend the College at Battle Creek, but circumstances forbid it. Now an Institute has come to you. Were not the Lord speaking loudly to us by his providence, by his Holy Spirit, by the fulfillment of his prophetic word, by the rapid progress of present truth, it would be different. When God speaks it is high time for us to move. At present there is a moving of the waters, and now is the time to step in. Let not your farms and merchandise lead you to make excuse in consequence of the sacrifice it may cost, so that this opportunity shall pass by unimproved. But at once make preparations to attend the Biblical Institute.
Happy is the man who can hear the voice of God in his providence, and be attracted to his post of duty. S. N. Haskell.