Review and Herald, Vol. 20, No. 22. (10/28/1862)

Review and Herald

Oct 28, 1862

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 28, 1862

Evidences of Christianity.

By Moses Hull

BY MOSES HULL.

CHAPTER VI.

Prophecy. One of the strongest evidences of the truth of the Old Testament, is the fulfillment of its prophecies. It contains numerous predictions of events which lie entirely beyond the ken of human wisdom. No human sagacity could have foreseen and foretold the numerous remarkable events which the history of this world records as exact fulfillments of the predictions of the ancient seers of God.

The evidences of prophecy are so extensive that it cannot be expected that they will all be exhibited in one short chapter. As Dr. Nelson says, "We are like the man who stands by an immense magazine of wheat. He may take a handful and hold it out to view; but he cannot exhibit each grain in the mass to the eye of any purchaser: it would be a task endless and painful."

Cause and Cure, p. 34.

We can do no more than bring a handful of the fruit from the good land, and exhibit it as a specimen of what the reader may find if he will go into the labor of research.

The evidences of prophecy are of a superior kind. They have advantages over every other kind of evidence. For the proof of miracles we must have recourse to ancient history, also the argument on the authenticity and integrity of the Bible is handed down from generation to generation without increasing in strength. But the fulfillment of prophecy may come under our own observation, or be conveyed to us by living witnesses. Also this class of evidence is daily gaining strength. Prophecy is, and has been, fulfilling all around us since the uttering of the first prediction, and will continue thus to increase in strength until "all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began," shall have met their accomplishment.

The mere publication of a prediction is no proof that it is a revelation from God, but any one prediction which has been fulfilled, is of itself an evidence of a supernatural revelation, or more properly speaking, is a revelation. For surely no one but God himself can foretell distant future events which depend entirely upon Him "who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."

If then one instance of the undoubted accomplishment of prophecy can be produced, we have established the position that a revelation has been given to man. And if the prophets have faithfully foretold the first advent of the Messiah, they may have been as faithful in recording the second. If they have prophesied truly concerning Nineveh, Babylon, Tyre, Rabbah, and Jerusalem, the prophecies concerning the time when "the cities of the nations" shall fall, and great Babylon come in remembrance before God, may also prove true. If they have been correct in foretelling the state of the Jews, the Egyptians, and other nations, they may not mistake when they foretell the whirlwind that shall go forth from nation to nation, the result of which will be that "the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth to the other."

The remark has often been made that most of the prophecies are obscure, and some of them so highly symbolical that they cannot be understood. We admit that there are obscurities and symbols in prophecy; so there are elsewhere; but who thinks of rejecting any of the sciences because of obscurity? And as far as the symbols are concerned, I know of not one which is without a given rule by which it can be interpreted. In using symbols God has manifested great wisdom in hiding these things from the wise and prudent and revealing them unto babes.

All Protestants agree that the little horn brought to view in Dan. vii, which was to wear out the saints of the Most High, &c., is the Papal power. Indeed, every specification of that prophecy has been fulfilled in that power. Now suppose that instead of clothing this prophecy in symbolic language, the Lord had ordained that it should read as follows: "And the Pope of Rome shall come up and shall destroy three of the ten kingdoms, namely, the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths, and shall wear out the saints, and put seventy-five millions of them to death, and abolish the second, and change the fourth, commandment," would not the prophecy written in this manner preclude the possibility of its own fulfillment. If it had read so the Pope could have understood it as well as any one, the result of which would have been, he never would have taken the name of Pope, or if he had, would have had that part of Daniel's prophecy expunged from the Bible, so that we should have been deprived of it.

It is strange that infidels allow all writers and speakers to deal in symbols and figures of speech, and yet do not allow the Author of the Bible the same privilege.

Speakers talk of the American Eagle, of its spreading its pinions from the Atlantic to the Pacific, of its wings' being at the present time bathed in blood, &c., &c. Infidels never object to this, nor do they have any trouble in understanding such expressions when used by political speakers. Why will they not allow the God of the Bible the same privilege?

Mr. Patterson states and answers this infidel objection as follows:

"But it is objected that the prophecies of Scripture are as obscure as the oracles; are all wrapped up in symbolical language; that many of them have a double meaning; that no two interpreters are agreed as to the meaning of the unfulfilled predictions; and that no man can certainly foretell any future event by means of them. The objection proceeds on a total mistake of the nature and design of prophecy, which is not to unveil the future for the gratification of your curiosity, but to give you direction in your present duty—precisely the reverse of the oracles referred to, which proposed to tell their votaries what would happen—but rarely condescended to direct them how to behave themselves so that things might happen well. The larger part of the prophecies of Scripture is taken up with directions to men how to regulate their conduct, rather than with information how God means to regulate his. There is just as much of the latter as is sufficient to show us that the God who gave the Bible governs the world, and even that always urges the same moral lesson: 'Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him, for he shall eat the fruit of his doings.' 'Woe to the wicked; it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.' Whenever a vision relates to what God would do in the distant future, it is dark and mysterious; but whenever any directions are given necessary for our immediate duty, then the 'vision is written and made plain on tables, that he may run that readeth it.' The possessors of a clearly engrossed title-deed have surely no reason to complain that the President has chosen that his seal appended to it shall consist of a device which, by reason of its being hard to read and harder to imitate, secures both himself and them against forgery. The double meaning of some prophecies is a double check. So far from resembling the equivocations of heathen oracles, by taking either of two opposite events for a fulfillment, they require both of two corresponding ones; and some prophecies, like a master-key, open several successive events, and thus show that the same mind planned both locks and key. When the prediction is fulfilled all mystery vanishes, and men see plainly that thus it is written—that is to say, men who look—for the man who will not open his eyes will never see anything that it concerns him to know. But the man who thinks that it concerns him so much to know what God will do with the world a hundred years after he is dead, that unless the prophecies of the Bible are all made plain to him, he will neither read God's word nor obey his law, may go on his own way. We expound no mysteries to such persons; for it is written, 'None of the wicked shall understand.'

"As to the objection taken from the symbolical language

of prophecy, and which seems to a number of our modern critics so weighty that they remove to the purely mythologic ground everything 'couched in symbolical language,' and account nothing to be a prediction unless 'literal history written in advance'—I would merely ask, How is it possible to reveal heavenly things to earth-born men but by earthly figures? Do you know a single word in your own, or any other, language, to express a spiritual state or mental operation, that is not the name of some material state or physical operation, used symbolically? Heart, soul, spirit, idea, memory, imagination, inclination, &c., every one of them a figure of speech—a symbol. Nay, is there a letter in your own, or any other, alphabet, that was not originally a picture of something? I demand to know in what way God or man could teach you to know anything you have never seen, but by showing you a picture of it, or telling you what it is like. That is simply by type or symbol; and these are the only possible media of conveying heavenly truth, or future history, to our minds. When, therefore, the skeptic insists that prophecy be given literally in the style of history written in advance, he simply requires that God would make it utterly unintelligible. We can gather clear and definite ideas from the significant hieroglyphics of symbolic language, but the literalities of history written in advance would be worse to decipher than the arrow-headed inscriptions of Nineveh. Just imagine to yourself Alexander the Great reading Guizot, instead of Daniel; or Hildreth, as being less mysterious than Ezekiel; and meeting, for instance, such a record as this: "In the year of Christ 1847, the United States conquered Mexico, and annexed California." 'In the year of Christ—what now Olympiad may that be?' he would say. 'The United States of course means the States of the Achæa League, but on what shore of the Euxine may Mexico and California be found?' What information could Aristotle gather from the record that 'in 1857 the trans-Atlantic telegraph was in operation?' Could all the augurs in the seven-hilled city have expounded to Julius Cæsar the famous dispatch, if intercepted in prophetic vision, 'Sebastopol was evacuated last night, after enduring for three days an infernal fire of shot and shell?' Nay, to diminish the vista to even two or three centuries, what could Oliver Cromwell, aided by the whole Westminster Assembly, have made of a prophetic vision of a single newspaper paragraph of history written in advance, to inform him that 'three companies of dragoons came down last night from Berwick to Southampton, by a special train, traveling 54⅓ miles an hour, including stoppages, and embarked immediately on arrival. The fleet put to sea at noon, in the face of a full gale from the S. W.?' Why, the intelligible part of this single paragraph would seem more impossible, and the unintelligible part more absurd, than all the mysterious symbols of the Apocalypse."

But for the gratification of infidels we propose to confine ourselves to those prophecies which are not clothed in symbolic language, and the specifications shall be so numerous that no human sagacity could point them out.

(To be Continued.)

Hymn for all Saints.

By John of Damascus A. D. 754.

"Those eternal bowers Man hath never trod, Those unfading flowers Round the throne of God: Who may hope to gain them After weary fight? Who at length attain them, Clad in robes of white?

"He who gladly barters All on earthly ground; He who, like the martyrs, Says' 'I will be crowned'. He whose one oblation Is a life of love; Clinging to the nation Of the blest above.

"Shame upon you, legions Of the heavenly King, Denizens of regions Past imagining! What! with pipe and tabor Fool away the light, When he bids you labor— When he tells you—'Fight!'

"While I do my duty, Struggling through the tide, Whisper thou of beauty On the other side! Tell who will the story Of our now distress; Oh! the future glory, Oh! the loveliness!"

Avenging of the Elect.

(Continued.)

A REVOLUTION IN THE PRIMITIVE PROTESTANT FAITH.

To the long catalogue of eminent divines who formerly maintained the primitive faith, it would be easy to add, as adopting it in full, or in part, especially in the essential part of looking for the immediate coming of the Lord, previously to any general improvement in the world's condition, the names of Bradford, Piscator, Sandys, Perkins, Fox, Maton, Adams, Durant, Farmer, Rutherford, Sterry, Vincent, Thomas Hall, Jurieu, Charnock, (probably) Henry, Burnet, Cressener, Napier, Fleming, Increase Mather, Isaac Newton, Wells, Dr. Gill, Bengel, Doddrige, Newcome, Thomas Newton, Cotton Mather, Charles Wesley, John Fletcher, Perry, Toplady, Bishop Butler, Dr. Coke, Spalding, Lowth, Rudd, Hussey, Heber, Prince, Gale, etc., etc. The number of most of these were eminent either as authors, or preachers, or both together, and formed, with those previously referred to, such a succession of learning, talent, and piety, as cannot fail to convince the unprejudiced of the importance of a solemn consideration of the doctrine which, since their times, has been so essentially changed. With the exception of the few, comparatively, the views of these earlier divines are not maintained by the divines of the nineteenth century.

Supposing the primitive disciples and the primitive Protestants held, essentially, in this respect, the true faith, how very significant the inquiry, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth? Shall he find that specific faith that he was then illustrating?"

Among the names in the list just presented, as adopting, in whole or in part, especially the essential part, the millennarian doctrine, is found the name of Butler. This is Bishop Butler, the eminent author of the "Analogy of Religion," etc., a book that, by common consent, is placed at the head of all works of a similar kind. As the writer has no recollection of meeting with the name of Butler among the champions for millennarianism, he deems it appropriate here to make two or three extracts from the Analogy, that indicate unmistakably Butler's millennarian views, especially in the two essential points of looking for the coming of the Lord to establish his kingdom in the earth, and the final restoration of the remnant of Israel under the Messiah.

Speaking of the peculiar character of the Bible as being "a kind of abridgment of the history of the world, in the view just now mentioned, that is, a general account of the condition of religion and its professors, during the continuance of that apostasy from God, and the state of wickedness which it supposes the world everywhere to lie in," he remarks, "But it seems to contain some very general account of the chief governments of the world, as the general state of religion has been, is, or shall be, affected by them, from the first transgression, and during the whole interval of the world's continuing in its present state, to a certain future period, spoken of in both the Old and New Testaments, very distinctly and in great variety of expression: 'The times of the restitution of all things;' 'When the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets;' 'When the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed;' 'And the kingdom shall not be left to other people, as it is represented to be, during this apostasy, but judgment shall be given to the saints, and they shall reign;' 'And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.'"

Among the early Methodists, Charles Wesley, the celebrated hymnologist, and John Fletcher, the celebrated preacher and polemical writer, were accustomed to maintain the primitive millennarian doctrines; not, perhaps, in every particular, but fully in respect to the personal and immediate coming of the Lord to destroy the wicked, and to set up the kingdom of the saints.

In Fletcher's Letter on the Prophecies, which is supposed to have been addressed to Mr. John Wesley, he says, "Give me leave, Rev. Sir, to propose to you a thing which many will look on as a great paradox, but has yet sufficient ground in Scripture to raise the expectation of every Christian who sincerely looks for the coming of the Lord—I mean the great probability that in the midst of this grand revolution, which will destroy Rome, our Lord Jesus will suddenly come down from heaven, and go himself conquering and to conquer. . . . . . . Nay, the apostle goes a great deal further; for in the same chapter, 2 Thess. ii, he assures us that the Lord will destroy the man of sin by the brightness of his presence. Can anything be plainer?" "Let us pray to God more frequently, that for the elect's sake he will still more shorten the days of the tribulation, and add daily to the true church such as will be saved. But let us not forget to rejoice with Abraham, in seeing by faith the glorious day of our Lord; and to hasten by our fervent prayers that glorious kingdom, those happy days, when narrow shall be the way to destruction, when saints raised from the dead shall converse with living saints, and the world of spirits be manifested in a great measure to the material world—in a word, when Jesus shall be all in all. What a glorious prospect is this! Let us then often think of these words of our Lord, 'Behold, I come quickly..' 'Blessed is he that mindeth the sayings of this prophecy.' Let us join the 'Spirit and the Bride' who say, 'Come. O let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come,' for he that testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen: even so come, Lord Jesus!"

Among the Methodists, especially those of the older stamp, no writer of their denomination is more admired than Fletcher. But does the millennarianism of Fletcher find much favor now in the Methodist church? No; the few who dare to be singular enough to be like him in respect to this matter, do it under great disadvantages, and expect to be looked upon with suspicion and even disfavor. It is doubtful if any one of the official book establishments would consent to issue a millennarian publication, however well and properly written. Another faith almost universally prevails in the Methodist church. The advocacy of Fletcher's millennarian views, at any of the great anniversaries of the Methodist church, would be likely to bring down upon the unfortunate advocate such a frown, and even such a storm, perhaps, as would not soon be forgotten.

And yet Dr. Coke, the Methodist commentator, the intimate friend and associate of the founder of the Methodist church—Dr. Coke, the father of the Methodist missions, and the greatest missionary that church ever produced, was an outspoken, able advocate of millennarian views. See his comment on Rev. xx. But so changed has the faith become now, and so different the views, hopes, and motives that keep the missionary enterprise in operation, that the primitive millennarian faith would be deemed most unfavorable, and even fatal, perhaps, to the whole missionary operations.

The hope of the world's conversion now seems to be the principal motive to excite the missionary zeal; not the imminency of the world's peril, in view of the uncertainty, and yet probable nearness, of the day of the Lord, as it used to be in the olden times.

Although Charles Wesley, the chief hymnologist of the Methodist church, was a zealous millennarian, and wrote almost numberless hymns of that peculiar character, many of which may still be found in every Methodist hymn book, yet to preach and to argue in support of the same sentiments which are everywhere sung, would not be advantageous to any minister's popularity, however appropriately he might do it. To quote all that Mr. Wesley wrote of the millennial character, would be impracticable in so small a volume as this is intended to be. As a few specimens, see the whole of the hymns beginning, "Lift your heads, ye friends of Jesus." "Lo! he comes, with clouds descending." "I call the world's Redeemer mine." "Thou Judge of quick and dead." "Jesus, faithful to his word." "Stand the Omnipotent decree." "Come, let us anew our journey pursue." And many others of the same character.

We have by no means exhausted the proof of the departure from the primitive Methodist faith on this subject. But our limits will not permit us to linger at this point. It seems perfectly evident that, as the primitive faith of the first ages of the Christian church was soon corrupted or ignored, and as the primitive Protestant faith was soon revolutionized in the several original branches of the great Protestant family, so in even those denominations of more recent origin, their original faith has gradually given place to other views. The millennarian doctrines seem to have been the primary convictions of all the first reformers, at that critical period when the leaders of the various great reformatory movements found it necessary, like Luther, Knox, Calvin, Wesley, Coke, and others, to place their main reliance in their own personal study of God's word. But when the time arrives that their followers become numerous and popular, and the after generations feel less the danger of trusting in man, and less the necessity of depending directly upon God for wisdom and defense; when their

primitive vigor and simplicity depart, and they become more worldly and careless, then, just in proportion to this declension, will usually be found their departure from the millennarian views, and, of course, the substitution of something else. Now, from the first general corruption of the original Christian faith in the third century, down through the various revivals and declensions of different departments in the Protestant societies until now, it will be found that these remarks are true in the main. But, if true to this extent, how alarming and how lamentable the state of christendom, in respect to the original faith!

We close this chapter with an extract from Dr. Coke's commentary on passages which gave him occasion to say, "Near, even at the door is the great day of judgment. The period of time which yet remains we know is short. How short, who can tell? At the coming of Christ to avenge and deliver his people, the faith of his coming will in a great measure be lost. Chronological calculation, and the general appearance of the world, all conspire to tell us that the events of the latter days are even come upon us, and that the time of God's controversy with earth is near at hand. It is already on the wing. If these things are insufficient to alarm the guilty, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead."—Buck.

(To be Continued.)

Living Faith.

By Joseph G. Wood

"And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name [name of Jesus] shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover." Mark xvi, 15, 17, 18.

We ask how long these signs were to follow. Ans., verse 15, As long as there is any creature to preach the gospel to. But the objector says, Why do ye not see these signs following those that believe, in the different churches of our land? Ans. "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James ii, 17. Works are lacking whereby faith is made perfect. James ii, 22. The commandments of God are rejected, or at least, the fourth. Ex. xx, 9-11. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James ii, 10. Therefore those that reject the fourth commandment, offend, and are guilty. It is no marvel, then, that these signs do not follow them. If they would have power to prevail with God, let them heed the language of Jer. iii, 22: "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." Mal. iii, 7. "Return unto me and I will return unto you." The invitation is to come, and God will meet you.

But there is a people in these last days that are trying to keep the whole law, as God wrote it with his finger on two tables of stone, and we have faith in Jesus Christ, "and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments." 1 John iii, 22.

"And these signs shall follow them that believe." At Avon, Rock Co., Wis., on the night of the 27th of Sep., 1862, we saw the power of living faith. Eld. Wm. S. Ingraham, while preaching in the State conference, then and there assembled, when about half through with his discourse, stopped and called upon Eld. Sanborn to take his place, saying, "I must go out, I have a severe sick headache." He went out, and Eld. S. went through with the subject, having great liberty. After meeting we went to our lodgings, but did not sleep; nor had we heard from Bro. Ingraham since he left the meeting. At about 1 o'clock, P. M. I was called and told that Bro. I. was very sick. I then called Eld. Bragg, and we went and found him in great pain. He said he had been dreadful sick, and had been vomiting, &c. They had given him some medicine, but he grew worse. I tended at his bedside. He complained some of his head, and was cramping all through his stomach, bowels, and limbs. He continued vomiting and the action of his bowels was copious and frequent, and mostly blood. I could find no pulse in his wrist for about half an hour. It seemed as though his blood was all turned out of its natural course.

Eld. Sanborn had been sent for, and quite a number of persons were present. Some talked about getting a doctor. Some thought nothing but divine aid would help him; and it was evident to all that what was done must be done quickly. So believing all things the Scriptures teach, we agreed to follow the directions of James v, 14: "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up."

Three elders being present, we followed these directions, and the blessing of God rested upon us. It seemed as though the whole room was filled with his glory; and before we got through praying and shouting, Bro. Ingraham arose up in bed and said he wanted to tell us how he felt. Said he, "When Bro. S. was anointing me, the pain all left my body. It seemed as though he anointed it all away. Afterward it returned once or twice in my side, but is all gone now." Then he praised God, saying, He has healed me. The next action of the bowels was without pain. He then called for something to eat, after which he wanted rest; and about 2 o'clock A. M., he retired. The next morning he said he had rested, and felt well, but said he was a little weak. He was able to attend our business meeting at half-past eight A. M. and acted as chairman. He preached at 2 P. M., and said he felt well. "And these signs shall [may we not add do] follow them that believe." JOSEPH G. WOOD.

Brodhead, Green Co., Wis.

P. S. Should any who read this be unwilling to credit this statement of facts, they have only to refer to the following persons who were eye-witnesses of the same: Eld. Isaac Sanborn, Monroe, Wis., S. A. Bragg, Cambridge, Wis., Henry Decker, Avon, Rock Co., Wis., Robert Andrews, Round Grove, Ills. J. G. W.

Taxes.

By Jos. Clarke

SOME grudge to pay their taxes, thinking it money as good as thrown away.

Now let us see how it is. I can go to my work without fear of violence from the robber, because the jail and courthouse and statute are a terror to evil-doers. Is not this worth something to me?

I can take my team and travel in any direction, pass over expensive roads and bridges in safety, and comfort, and this generally free. Is not this worth something to me?

I see in every neighborhood, (almost) a schoolhouse, in which my young countrymen acquire the rudiments of education. This makes them sensible and capable of appreciating and understanding truth: Is not this worth a few dimes to me?

War breaks out, I can go on with my business, and repose safely at night. Who is it keeps the enemy at bay, and prevents his overrunning the land? Is not this worth something to me?

My titles, deeds, my lines, and section corners, are all planned, recorded, defended, by whom? Is not this an item of some benefit to me?

Thus we might enumerate the blessings of a kind and parental government, imperfect though it be, as is everything earthly. But let us render Cæsar his due. He has some noble qualities. It is a pleasure to pay one's taxes.

But I am coming to taxes of another country. While I am for the present a temporary dweller in this earth, I claim a citizenship above.

Here is not my permanent home, but while I stay, I cheerfully give due homage to the powers that be. My treasure is above: shall I pay something on this treasure?

What are the benefits of my citizenship above to me? First, I secure the services of the ablest Counselor in the universe, to make my plea in the court of heaven. He can plead; for he knows every extenuating circumstance, and aggravating cause of evil, and he has the wealth of a matchless character to bear him out. His influence is great in that court. Is not this worth an item to me, when we often see counselors in our high courts, obtain thousands for a single plea?

Second, the ministry of angels, who come all the way from glory, to watch over and defend us. We pay a physician large fees for a visit, especially if we send a great distance for some celebrated physician; and as for defense, we are paying millions every week, for defense against southern rebels. Who is it that defends us continually against the myriads of satanic rebels, who hover about all those who side with Michael?

Will you then grudge to pay something to show where your treasure is, and what government has your heart?

But some one may think I am for buying salvation. No! no! I understand too well the plan, for that. No buying salvation; for Jesus' blood, the blood, and life, and death, and pleading, of the Counselor, it is that purchases the redemption of the sinner. But here is the doctrine, if I claim that he has bought me and is pleading for me, I shall of course recognize the fact, by acts of solid worth.

If he died to save me, I must go to work just as earnestly to save others, as he did to save me; else he will not acknowledge me, except as a lukewarm outcast. What I give is not a price, but a pledge, of sincerity.

The Wise.

By Susan Elmer

Among the rich instruction given by the angel to the beloved Daniel, we find the following: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament." We all know how beautiful the heavens appear when the moon goes forth in its majestic loveliness, and the sky is studded with countless myriads of shining orbs. Thus shall the wise or righteous shine forth in the kingdom of their Father. Would we share in this excellent glory, would we secure a portion with the wise, how careful we should be in searching that word which is able to make us wise unto salvation.

In Matt. vii, 24, we have a perfect description of a wise man, as given by our Saviour: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock," &c. Here, then, is our duty plainly pointed out. But though we observe all the sayings of Jesus, it does not lessen the obligation of keeping the commands of his Father, as some affirm; for did he not keep his Father's commandments? Was he not our pattern? That same law which inspiration declares shall stand fast forever and ever, our Saviour says he came not to destroy. David exclaims when meditating on the law of God, Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me. He also says, I have more understanding than all my teachers. And again, I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. Ps. cxix, 98-100. In Ps. cxi, 10, we read, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments. Thus we see that it is the keeping of the commandments of God and the requirements of the Saviour that constitute the truly wise.

We now pass on to notice the reward of the righteous. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matt. xiii, 43. How beautiful and impressive are these words, coming as they do from the lips of our Redeemer! How they serve to cheer and encourage us on the way! How they smooth the rugged pathway as we contemplate how soon the glorious reward is to be given! Much is implied in the word, then. Then—when both sin and sinners are consumed in the lake of fire, when the earth is purified and becomes a blooming paradise, then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of their Father.

Behold the contrast. There are those who were once the poor of earth who labored for a pittance of bread, reproached, despised, and defrauded, by the rich; those who bedewed life's thorny pathway with their tears; those who for their adherence to the truth suffered cruel scourges, tortures, and death; those who were denied a resting-place on earth, who wandered in the mountains and dens, were clothed in sheep and goat-skins; those are now clad in robes of purest white. A star-gemmed crown decks those heads once bowed in sorrow. Once they were compelled to listen to the proud insults and bold blasphemies of their persecutors. Now their ears are saluted by angels' songs, the rich music of heaven.

Again, how comforting the thought that He who owns this vast possession is their Father; and he it is who wipes the tears from their eyes. We can never in our mortal state comprehend what the Lord has prepared for those who love and obey him. May the Lord help us so to improve these fleeting moments that we may be numbered among those who shall be counted worthy to inherit that everlasting kingdom which is so soon to be set up. SUSAN ELMER.

Continue reading: Thoughts on the Revelation