Earlier text: The Articles of Eld. T. M. PrebleRemarkable Events During the Nine Years Past.
By Clinton Collegrove
We are now (in December, 1869,) about to enter the tenth and last year in one of the most wonderful decades of the world's history, and who can tell but that the last year of the decade (1870) may be the most wonderful of the ten? Glance a moment at the leading features of this startling and prolific epoch, opening with the destructive and tremendous four years' war of the rebellion in America. Add to this gigantic conflict, with its awful waste of life and treasure, the total extinction of American slavery. Follow this with the foreign conquest and occupation of Mexico, with imperialism established and overthrown, and the tragic death of the ill-fated Maximilian. Recall the Austro-Prussian spoliation of Denmark, followed by the short, but sharp and destructive, war in 1866, between Austria single-handed, and the allied armies of Prussia and Italy. What were the marked issues of this eventful campaign? The aggrandizement of Prussia by the incorporation of sundry German provinces into her kingdom, and the “unification” of Italy by the addition of Venice on the shoulder of the Adriatic Sea. Nor, least of all was the detachment of Austria, as a right-hand, imperial support of the pope, leaving France alone, of all Europe, to guard and uphold, with special responsibility and concern, the Papal See. These were important results, certainly. Then we had the Spanish war on some of the South American republics, and the grapple of mammoth Brazil with obstinate Paraguay, a vexation not yet quite finished. We had the bloody and heart-rending struggle of Crete in the Mediterranean, with her Turkish oppressor. We had the costly and difficult English expedition to Abyssinia. Spain is yet contending with the insurgent forces in her West Indian dependency, Cuba. England has been vexed and perplexed with the mutinous, uneasy, and menacing Fenian Brotherhood, stirring up alarms in Ireland and Canada. A revolution has recently swept over Spain herself, with the result to dethrone and exile her queen. Other insurrections, revolutions, and wars, of more limited extent, we cannot now be at the pains to enumerate, unless we mention the harassing Indian wars and tumults on our own Western border, and the insurrections in China and Japan. Then the nine years past have been marked by signal perturbations and strange phenomena in nature. Most obvious and impressive in the retrospect is the mighty South American earthquake of 1868, with its prolonged subterranean undulations circling around the globe, and its awful ocean tides rolling with ponderous fury in various directions. Nor can one easily forget the frequent repetitions of terrible disaster on the ocean by fierce and destructive gales. Typhoons, hurricanes and tempests have kept the vast and salty world of waters in almost constant excitement and agitation. Nor have the inland waters escaped. The fall of 1869 is declared to have been the most remarkable in its swift, succeeding, and fearful storms ever known on the great lakes. Tornadoes and gales have run riot also on the land, while the skies have poured down floods, that, gathering momentum and power, have swept numerous sections of the country and of Europe with destroying torrents and inundations. We mention these facts, as not merely in the ordinary course of nature, but as strikingly unusual and peculiar. Recall, again, the series of meteoric showers in various countries for several years, besides single meteors of singular brilliancy, aerolites, and falling masses of huge dimensions. Remember the strange appearances in the sky, the brilliant corruscations of the northern auroras, the luminous nebulae, or bows of cloudy brightness spanning the heavens, and shapes and phases of light that have startled casual observers in different parts of the world. Volcanoes, too, have spouted their fiery and awful cataracts in Italy, in South America, in the Sandwich Islands, and in various tropical regions and islands of the sea. Unusual appearances in the solar orb likewise have attracted the attention of astronomers, and led to conjectures in which the welfare and interest of this our planet are possibly and seriously involved. The nine years past have been remarkable also for pestilences and famines of distressing and calamitous character, as, for example, the destructive famine or famines in India. One easily recalls accounts of the cholera, cattle plagues, Russian fever and yellow fever, and the sufferings of various populations from sickness and harvest failures. Casualties have abounded. Consider the railway collisions, the steamboat collisions and explosions, the shipwrecks, the fires, both in town and country, fires in the forest, on the prairie, and in the cities, the frequent and dreadful coal mine disasters, with loss of life immense and fearful. Is this a foretaste of the world's jubilee, a millennium of progress and victory by material and human genius and wisdom, or through the zeal, and wealth, and enterprise of societies and churches in the nineteenth century? What shall we say of the lawlessness of the age, the adulteries, and seductions, and assassinations, the theatrical indecencies, the pictorial pollutions of newspapers, the fictions of romance, and the wonders and wickedness of Spiritualism, including free-love and planchette? The decade now drawing to a close has been characterized still further by the most astonishing enterprises and achievements, by which the intercourse, and we may say, in a certain sense, the neighborhood of nations has been promoted. We may mention the successful laying of three ocean cables connecting America with Europe, to say nothing of innumerable shorter lines by sea and land, and the completion of the great Pacific Railroad, besides immense extension of iron lines in almost every direction throughout the civilized world, and projects of other lines, to an extent almost surpassing belief. The recent celebration of the Suez Canal is fresh in recollection, and it is impossible not to be struck with the magnitude and significance of this achievement, not merely in the facilitation of commercial intercourse between Europe and the Orient, but in the prophetic relations evolved between Egypt and Turkey on the one hand, and imperial France on the other. It is eminently a building age. Constructive schemes of immense magnitude and cost are not only proposed and commenced, but actually completed. Art, invention, science, and enterprise, are fruitful in conceptions, and achievements, too, of almost endless variety and extent. In machinery and implements the results are so great as to render an adequate appreciation difficult. Nor, least of all, should we fail to mention the fruitful genius of the age, in the engines of war, both for attack and defense. Look at the monitors, and huge, heavy iron-clads of every type. View the needle-guns and manifold kinds of repeating weapons, the huge cannon of enormous weight and calibre, and certain deadly agents of destruction, the knowledge of whose mechanism is said to be kept concealed. The last ten years may be said to be the decade of needle-guns and iron-clads. And every civilized nation on earth is extensively supplied with the weapons of war, and literally armed to the teeth. The few years past have been known as a period of that kind of exhibition of universal enterprise, comprehended under the familiar name of World's Fairs. Especially, as far transcending every other like example, may be mentioned the World's Exposition at Paris, in the year 1867. The collection of specimens of the industry of the world was wonderful and bewildering in that fashionable capital, on the whole, perhaps, the chief metropolis of the world's pride, and vanity, and grandeur. Nor should we omit to mention the fact that this is an era of Congresses and Conferences, political and religious, diplomatic and representative, local and universal. Alliances, societies, fraternities, associations, orders, and organizations, of every aim, ambition, and complexion, are appointing their places and times for consultation and debate. Men of peace, of temperance, of reform, Masons, Templars, Spiritualists, and Infidels, people of every religion and no religion, politicians, scientists, laborers, and capitalists, publishers, editors, and inventors, people of every pursuit and profession, and of both sexes, have their convocations and public meetings everywhere. Who can keep pace with them all? Greatest and most notable of all, hitherto, is the great Catholic Ecumenical Council, now in session in the city of Rome. Doubtless, in view of the revolutionary tendency of the times, and the culmination and the terminal agreement of the prophetic epochs, which must be located in these days—unless we are greatly mistaken—very great and important results are destined to flow from this gathering of Catholic dignitaries—results affecting the status and welfare of millions, and closely related to the near coming kingdom of our Lord. We do not propose to indulge in comments on this subject now, though it is a theme of intense interest to the watchful and intelligent Christian. We have thus recounted the more prominent features and developments of the wonderful nine years just elapsed, and we see in the striking assemblage of events the evidence of the extraordinary character of the epoch. No such nine years has the world ever seen before. We find in them the accomplishment of our Lord's prophetic outline, which was to be the stimulus of his praying and watchful people's expectation and hope. In them was to be the signal of rapidly approaching redemption. We ought to have mentioned the vast commercial interchanges, and speculative manias of those who heap up or covet earthly riches; the rapid accumulation of wealth, and the instant determination and activity of individuals and corporations in repairing losses, and replacing, with the aid of hundreds and thousands of busy hands, the vehicles and highways of traffic and transit. We should have spoken, too, of the fearful gust of financial disturbance—the earthquake that shook Wall street with its money-gamblers, in September last. “The distress of nations with perplexity” is now already incipient, we think, but may be more marked in the course of another year. In view of the pregnant and yet inspiring solemnities of the hour, eloquent of the return and dominion of earth's divine King, what should be the Christian's attitude? Surely our joy and comfort should be in the service of the Lord Jesus. Every feeling of sacred interest in divine things should be elicited and stimulated by the assurance of those august and blessed realities which are approaching. What activity of intelligent devotion to the work before us is enjoined, and a work, too, happily as congenial, as it is obligatory! May God in love and mercy be pleased to direct all our way to glorify his adorable name!—CLINTON COLLEGROVE, in the Herald of the Coming Kingdom. Calumniators are those who have neither good hearts nor good understandings. We ought not to think ill of any one till we have palpable proof; and even then we should not expose them to others. We ought to attend to our own business and not meddle with the affairs of others unless we are applied to, to render a service. We should condemn no one unheard. Look on slanderers as direct enemies to civil society; as persons without honor, honesty, or humanity. Whoever entertains you with the faults of others, designs to serve you in a similar manner. The great Zimmerman justly observes,—“That there is always something great in that man against whom the world exclaims; at whom every one throws a stone, and on whose character all attempt to fix a thousand crimes without being able to prove one.” The Order of Events in the Judgment.
At the ascension of our Lord, he entered the heavenly temple and sat down upon his Father’s throne, a great High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. Ps. 110: 1, 4; Heb. 8: 1, 2. But when he returns in his infinite majesty as King of kings, he sits upon his own throne, and not upon that of his Father. He speaks thus of his descent from Heaven: Matt. 25: 31: “When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” It is evident, therefore, that there is a space of time at the conclusion of our Lord’s work in the temple in Heaven, in which his priestly office is exchanged for his kingly dignity; and this transition is marked by his relinquishing his place upon the throne of his Father, and assuming his own throne. The judgment session of Dan. 7: 9–14 is the time and place of this transition. Our Lord plainly distinguishes these two thrones: Rev. 3: 21: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in MY THRONE, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in HIS THRONE.” The Saviour’s reception of his own throne preparatory to his second advent, is described in Ps. 45. As Ps. 110 makes prominent his priestly office upon his Father’s throne, so Ps. 45 describes his kingly office and work upon his own throne. Ps. 45: 1–7: “My heart is inditing a good matter; I speak of the things which I have made touching THE KING; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips; therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” This personage who is fairer than the sons of men, can be no other than the King in his beauty (Isa. 33: 17), who is to be admired in the day of his advent by all them that believe. 2 Thess. 1: 10. The time when he rides forth for the destruction of his enemies is presented in Rev. 19: 11–21. The words of Paul establish the fact that this Psalm relates to Christ, some of its words being addressed to him by his Father when he invests him with his kingly office and throne. Thus Paul quotes and comments: Heb. 1: 8, 9: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” The relation of these two thrones to the work of our Lord is very important to be understood. As a priest after the order of Melchisedec, who was both priest and king (Gen. 14: 18–20; Ps. 110: 1, 4; Heb. 7: 1–3), the Saviour has had a joint rule with his Father upon the throne of the universe. Zech. 6: 12, 13. His office of priest-king continues till his Father makes his enemies his footstool. Then he delivers up the kingdom which he has shared with his Father to him alone, that God may be all in all. 1 Cor. 15: 24–28. His reign upon the throne of his Father ends with all his enemies’ being given to him for destruction. The throne given him when his priesthood ends is that which he inherits as David’s heir. On that throne he shall reign over the immortal saints for endless ages. Luke 1: 32, 33; Isa. 9: 6, 7. Upon the throne of the Father he had a joint rule as priest-king; upon his own throne his people have a joint rule with him. The first ends, that God may be all in all; the second is a reign that shall continue forever. The Saviour closes his priesthood with the acquittal of his people at his Father’s bar. For the act of God, the Father, in sitting as judge, enables the Son to appear as the advocate of his people, and to obtain decision in their favor. That acquittal involves the virtual condemnation of all others. The last act of the Father in the work of the judgment in Dan. 7, is to crown his Son king, that he may execute its decision. It is at the close of this session, therefore, that our Lord terminates his office of priest-king upon his Father’s throne, and takes his own throne to execute the decision of the Father. For it is the part of the Son to show from the record of the books who have overcome, and to confess the names of such before his Father. Rev. 3: 5. It pertains to the Father to give decision that such persons shall have immortality. And the execution of the judgment will consist in making these persons immortal, and in destroying all the rest. The decision of the judgment does therefore rest wholly with the Father. But the execution of the judgment pertains alone to the Son, who is crowned king at his Father’s tribunal for this very purpose. The distinction between these two relations sustained by the Father and the Son to the work of the judgment, is made very plain by our Lord’s words in John 5: 22–30. This chapter takes up the judgment work just where the prophecy of Daniel leaves it. The Father having rendered decision, and having anointed his Son king, it pertains to the Son to execute the judgment; a work which he distinctly acknowledges in John 5. In this chapter our Lord uses these remarkable words: Verses 22, 23: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father.” Now it is certain that God, the Father, must sit in judgment to fulfill Dan. 7: 9, 10. But if we read forward in these words of our Lord to verses 26, 27, we shall see what he means in verse 22. Verses 26, 27: “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man.” It is therefore not the decision of the judgment, but its execution, that the Father had by promise even then given to his Son. And this execution will be effected by the accomplishment of the words which follow: Verses 28, 29: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” That our Lord is simply carrying out the judgment of his Father in the work which he thus performs, is distinctly taught in the next verse: Verse 30: “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” Christ’s part of the judgment work is its execution. His work is just, because he first hears the Father’s decision, and then carries it out, doing only the Father’s will in all this work. We conclude this article with the following direct proof that the decision of the judgment, which is the Father’s part of the work, is past when our Lord comes again in the clouds of heaven. The execution of the judgment must be preceded by the investigation and decision of the cases which are judged. Now it is distinctly stated that the coming of Christ is to execute the judgment; whence it follows that the decision of the judgment is made by the Father before he sends his Son in the clouds of heaven. Thus we read of his second advent: Jude 14, 15: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” The term saints, or holy ones, is applied to angels, as well as to men. Dan. 8: 13. These ten thousands of his saints are the host of heavenly angels that shall escort our Lord on his return to our earth. Matt. 25: 31. Enoch does, therefore, distinctly state the object of the second advent. It is to execute the judgment. And this fact constitutes a convincing proof that the decision of the judgment precedes our Lord’s return. That event is therefore “the revelation of the righteous JUDGMENT of God.” Rom. 2: 5. And the very act of giving immortality is one part of the work of rendering to every man according to his deeds. Rom. 2: 6, 7. The judgment of God does, therefore, precede the advent of his Son from Heaven. When the events of Christ’s advent are mentioned in the Scriptures, it is not merely those which happen at the very point when he descends from Heaven, but also those which happen in consequence of that event. The execution of the judgment must cover 1000 years. Rev. 20. But the advent of Christ lies at the foundation of this whole work. And when men find just retribution meted out to them for all their sins they will surely be convinced of their ungodly deeds and of their hard speeches. Our Use of the Visions of Sr. White.
It is quite generally understood that the Seventh-day Adventists are believers in the perpetuity of spiritual gifts. It is also understood that we regard the visions of Sr. White as given by the Spirit of God. But the use which we make of the doctrine of spiritual gifts, and particularly of the visions of Sr. White, are very generally misunderstood. 1. We understand that the Holy Scriptures are divinely inspired, and that they contain the truth of God which is able to make us wise unto salvation. 2. But we do not understand that the gift of the Scriptures to mankind, supersedes the gift of the Holy Spirit to the people of God. 3. On the contrary, we do believe that the Scriptures plainly reveal the office and work of the Holy Spirit; which office and work can never cease while man remains upon probation. 4. This work of the Holy Spirit is revealed to us in the Bible doctrine of spiritual gifts. 5. While therefore we do heartily accept the Scriptures as teaching man's whole duty toward God, we do not deny the Holy Spirit that place in the church which the Scriptures assign to it. 6. The office of the Holy Spirit is to reprove men of sin (John 16: 8); to take away the carnal mind, and to change our evil nature by removing guilt from the conscience; to make us new creatures (Rom. 8: 1–9); and to shed abroad in our hearts the love of God (Rom. 5: 5); and to bear witness with our spirits that we are the children of God (Rom. 8: 16); and to lead into all truth (John 16: 13); and finally to change the saints to immortality at the last day. Rom. 8: 11; 2 Cor. 5: 4, 5. 7. The Scriptures contain the truth of God, as the precious metals are contained in a mine. The work of the Spirit of God in leading men into all truth is to search out, lay open, bring to light and vindicate the truth of God. And in reproving sin, it has not only the work of impressing the conscience of the sinner by powerful convictions of guilt, but also in showing to chosen servants of God the guilt of others; and revealing wrongs which otherwise would remain hidden to the great detriment of the church, and to the ruin of the sinner. 8. The work of the Holy Spirit may be divided into two parts: First, that which is designed simply to convert and to sanctify the person affected by it. Second, that which is for the purpose of opening the truth of God, and of correcting error, and of reproving and rebuking secret sins. This part of the work is wrought by what the Scriptures term spiritual gifts. These exist, not for the especial good of the person to whose trust they are committed, but for the benefit of the whole body of the church. 9. Now it is plain that those who reject the work of the Spirit of God under the plea that the Scriptures are sufficient, do deny and reject all that part of the Bible which reveals the office and work of the Holy Spirit.65 10. Thus 1 Cor. 12, and Eph. 4, which define the gifts of the Spirit of God, cannot really form a part of the rule of life of those who affirm that the Scriptures are so sufficient in themselves that the gifts of the Spirit are unnecessary. 11. The Spirit of God gave the Scriptures. But it is plain that it did not give them for the purpose of shutting itself out from all participation in the work of God among men. And what the Bible says of the gifts of the Spirit shows just what relation the Spirit of God sustains to the work of the gospel. 12. Thus Paul states the matter in two of his epistles: 1 Cor. 12: 4–11: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” Eph. 4: 11–13: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” 13. Now the Bible expressly teaches that the existence of these gifts is as necessary to the church of Christ, as the different members are necessary to the well-being of the body. While, therefore, the Bible recognizes the gifts of the Spirit, these are not given to supersede the Bible, nor yet to fill the same place as the Bible. 14. The object of spiritual gifts is to maintain the living work of God in the church. They enable the Spirit of God to speak in the correction of wrongs, and in the exposure of iniquity. They are the means whereby God teaches his people when they are in danger of taking wrong steps. They are the means by which the Spirit of God sheds light upon church difficulties, when otherwise their adjustment would be impossible. They also constitute the means whereby God preserves his people from confusion by pointing out errors, by correcting false interpretations of the Scriptures, and causing light to shine out upon that which is in danger of being wrongly understood, and therefore of being the cause of evil and division to the people of God. In short, their work is to unite the people of God in the same mind and in the same judgment upon the meaning of the Scriptures. Mere human judgment, with no direct instruction from Heaven, can never search out hidden iniquity, nor adjust dark and complicated church difficulties, nor prevent different and conflicting interpretations of the Scriptures. It would be sad indeed if God could not still converse with his people. 15. But here it is proper to say that these uses of the gifts of the Spirit pertain almost wholly to the household of faith. Men who have no acquaintance with them cannot be affected by them. And also, where men have had little opportunity to be acquainted with the manifestations of the Spirit of God, they cannot be asked to accept such work as specially wrought by God. It is but just that they should have clear and convincing evidence for themselves that the Spirit of God is in the work. 16. For this purpose we hold that all the tests presented in the Bible should be applied to the gifts, and that they should be found to sustain the test of such examination. 17. We therefore do not test the world in any manner by these gifts. Nor do we in our intercourse with other religious bodies who are striving to walk in the fear of God, in any way make these a test of Christian character. Upon none of these persons do we urge these manifestations of the Spirit of God, nor test them by their teaching. 18. There is such a thing, however, as men having in the providence of God an opportunity to become acquainted with the special work of the Spirit of God, so that they shall acknowledge that their light is clear, convincing, and satisfactory. To such persons, we consider the gifts of the Spirit are clearly a test. Not only has God spoken, but they have had opportunity to ascertain that fact, and to know it for themselves. In all such cases, spiritual gifts are manifestly a test that cannot be disregarded except at the peril of eternal ruin. 19. One of the chief gifts of the Spirit of God that he has placed in the New-Testament church is the gift of prophecy. Joel 2: 28; Acts 2: 1–4, 17, 18; 1 Cor. 12: 1–31; 14: 1–5; Eph. 4: 11–13. This gift the Bible connects with the closing work of this dispensation. Rev. 12: 17; 14: 12; 19: 10. Spiritual gifts do not, therefore, cease to be of importance in the sight of God, nor in that of his true people. And that message which is to accomplish the perfecting of the saints and to fit them for translation, has the Spirit of God connected with it, and speaking out in the management of its work. 20. Finally, in the reception of members into our churches, we desire on this subject to know two things: 1. That they believe the Bible doctrine of Spiritual gifts; 2. That they will candidly acquaint themselves with the visions of Sr. White, which have ever held so prominent place in this work. We believe that every person standing thus and carrying out this purpose will be guided in the way of truth and righteousness. And those who occupy this ground, are never denied all the time they desire to decide in this matter. Circulate the Tracts.
By WM. PENNIMAN
LIVING as we are amidst the closing scenes of this world's history, and believing in the near coming of the Lord, with what earnestness and zeal should we engage in this work; and ought we not to use every means in our power to disseminate the truth? As there is such a great cry for laborers in new66 fields, and they cannot at present be sent, let us send forth these silent messengers, and pray that they may go forth with healing in their wings, and, as a forerunner, prepare the way for the living teachers, and for the loud cry of the message. We cannot tell who the honest ones are until they hear the truth; only a few of the great mass will embrace it; then how important it is that there should be a more extensive circulation of the tracts. We should imitate the example of the good brother in Canada, who went to the Office and laid down the silver dollars upon the counter and exchanged them for the truth. Truly he bought the truth, and it is not likely that he sold it. Do any say, I have not the means, or have but little to give? Then give that little; as where little is given, only little is required. God can bless the widow's mite, if only given in the right spirit. How great must be the accountability of those men who are heaping up treasures in these last days, and especially of S. D. Adventists. We should not let the rust of our treasures be a witness against us. Oh! that the tracts and papers might go from Battle Creek by the car-load, and pour forth a flood of present truth all over the land. It was the immense circulation of the books and tracts put forth by Luther and the reformers that so greatly accelerated the work of the reformation. Shall we be behind the men of that age, in a work so much more momentous, and with so little time in which to accomplish it. Brethren, let us be awake. WM. PENNIMAN. Irreverent Use of the Word of God.
By James White
A FRIEND sends us a doctor's circular in which great and wonderful things are promised, and asks our opinion of it. Without any evidence whatever, we should look with suspicion on such claims, having known so many humbugs of the same class. But there is something in this circular which should insure it and its writer a just condemnation in the minds of all who love the Bible or esteem the blessings which the gospel grants to fallen humanity. It says: “The Doctor derives his power of healing from a peculiar gift of Nature, which he has possessed from early childhood. ‘Now there are diversities of gifts—to another the gift of healing.’ His method of curing is by rubbing or laying on of the hands. ‘These signs shall follow them that believe. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.’” The gospel method is not that of “rubbing,” which is to exert a magnetic or mesmeric influence, but the laying on of hands to impart the blessing of God by the aid of the Holy Spirit. And any one who claims that the gifts of the Spirit of God, of which Paul speaks in 1 Cor. 12, are “a peculiar gift of Nature,” which he has “possessed from early childhood,” proves himself an ignorant impostor. When the Scriptures are so abused, it becomes the lover of Christian truth and Christian principles, to have no communion with those who by profession make merchandise of the power of God's Spirit. When any come to you, professing to heal diseases by the gifts of God's Spirit, and say, “Charges reasonable,” it is not worth while to ask how you shall treat them, or whether you shall run after them. THE world will allow of a vehemence approaching to ecstasy, on almost any occasion but that which, above all others, will justify it. IF we scrutinize the lives of men of genius, we shall find that activity and persistence are their leading peculiarities. Obstacles cannot intimidate, nor labor weary, nor drudgery disgust them. WERE every dewdrop a diamond, every atom a world, and every world filled with gold,—all would not satisfy the boundless desires of the soul. THE rose has its thorns; the diamond its specks, and the best man his failings. ONE of Rutherford's golden sentences gives us the secret of his unusual unction: “The cross gives us much to say.” IT is only for innocence that solitude can have charms. Book and Tract Department.
By Editor
Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. EDITED BY ELD. JAMES WHITE. We are printing very large editions of our best pamphlets and tracts for general circulation. For example: In a few days we shall have the second edition, of nearly eleven thousand, of Bro. Andrew's sermons on the Law and Sabbath, ready. This edition has eleven sermons, one added to the former edition, in review of Dr. Akers' Biblical Chronology, containing the Doctor's famous Sunday seventh-day theory. The addition of this sermon will greatly increase the value of this before very valuable pamphlet. Also, we design to issue large editions of pamphlets on Our Faith and Hope. We hope to have them ready in a few weeks. Our people have done nobly on the book fund. What we most want is, devoted, godly, praying, self-sacrificing men and women to circulate such books, pamphlets, and tracts, as Life Incidents, Sermons on the Law and Sabbath, Sermons on our Faith and Hope, The Seventh-part-of-Time Theory, Review of Gilfillan, The Truth Found, The Law and Gospel, God's Memorial, Sufferings of Christ, Seven Reasons for Sunday Keeping Examined, Who Changed the Sabbath? Men and women are wanted for this work who feel for souls, who can weep over precious souls, and agonize with God in prayer for success in the work of book circulation. We want men and women of good intelligence, and good address, who will not scringe in their feelings to urge the sale of our books. We want men and women of sanctified judgment to judge where to give the books, and how many at a time. It is not our anxiety simply to get rid of the books. We want them circulated, but where they would be most likely to do good. Those who have liberally donated to the fund especially should not hesitate to send in orders if they have a chance to make good use of the books. Send in your orders. And you that have the Lord's money on hand for this good work, send it along; and we will do all we can to urge on the good and glorious work. Let all take part in this work, with their money, or their time, or with both. EXPERIENCE OF BRO. AND SR. MCMILLAN.
Bro. John McMillan, of St. Croix Co., Wis., writes as follows, Jan. 1, 1870: “Five years ago to-day, my companion and myself cut loose from our moorings in the Presbyterian harbor, and, by faith in God, launched out on the sea of present truth as far as we then understood it, resolved to add to our ‘faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge,’ &c., to the end. We had never seen a Seventh-day Adventist that we knew of, nor did we know that there was one within a hundred miles of us. “I had seen part of a leaf of a tract on the Sabbath, which I picked up in an army hospital. The leaf had been torn diagonally; but there was enough left to cause me to search the Scriptures, as I had never done before. “We sundered ties fraternal and social, but not without prayers and tears. And, praise the Lord! we have never longed to return to Egypt. We have no cause to boast of our labors, but much cause to confess misimprovement of our privileges. Through the labors of Eld. Steward, and the distribution of tracts, the majority of those living in the county have heard or read something of the ‘strange doctrine.’ About twenty have embraced it. Many more are convinced, but are waiting ‘a more convenient season’ to put the theory into practice. Alas, for many such! The trump of God alone shall arouse them from their lethargy!”