Earlier text: The Sure Foundation.—JESUS MADE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS.
By J. H. D.
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons into glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Heb. 2: 9, 10. Who is this Jesus? From whence came he? These are important questions. Human wisdom can not answer them, for to the wisest mind the work of Jesus Christ, without the light of inspiration, is a hidden mystery. When he asked his disciples, “Whom say ye that I am?” and Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus replied, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 16: 17. No man can accept of him as divine without the power of God. He came from heaven. “No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” John 3: 13. Again he says, “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world.” John 16: 28. He was from heaven, and to be recognized as such the human mind must be enlightened by the Spirit of God. He not only came from heaven, but he occupied a high position with his Father. “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” John 17: 5. He had the glory of God, and was the creative agency through which all things, visible and invisible, were made. “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1: 3. He was higher than all the angels, being himself the Creator of the angels. After his ascension he said of himself, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Rev. 1: 8. When he spake, the worlds came into existence. See Ps. 33: 6, 9. At his command all the angels in heaven bow before the throne and worship him who gave his life for man. Yet he is full of mercy and truth. His exalted position did not lift him up so that he would neglect poor fallen man. He saw man when he was without hope, and his heart of pity was turned towards him. He knew that man could not save himself. He knew that the angels were unable to undertake his case, for they, too, were on probation. There was only one remedy. If man could be redeemed, it must take the life of his Creator to do it. This would mean sorrow to all the heavenly intelligences, and many perplexities and trials to the Son of God. But Jesus loved the world. God the Father was moved in tender compassion to give up the association of the Archangel that he might save man from the penalty of sin. Jesus Made Lower Than the Angels.
“We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels.” But we have already learned that that was man’s position when he was created. Then Jesus must have come down on the level with man. This is the only way he could save him. Man was weak, too weak to wrestle with the enemy. No foreign power could help him to conquer. Satan had wrested the dominion that was given to man, away from him, and he had made man his prisoner by gaining possession of the fleshly desires. To meet Satan it was necessary to meet him in the flesh of fallen man. So when Jesus took up his abode in the flesh, it was not the flesh that man had before he fell, but it was the sinful flesh that man had after he fell. Had he only taken man’s place before he fell, he could not have helped any that were fallen into sin. He might have kept those who had not fallen from going into sin. But there were none of this class, for “all have sinned.” But he came to save sinners, therefore he must take the flesh of sinners. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Rom. 8: 3. Then again, “We have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4: 15. He had all the weakness of the flesh that we have. The flesh which he took had the same desires that our own flesh has. He had no more natural power to withstand these desires than we have. His desires drew toward sin, just as our lusts draw us. His desires were just as susceptible of conceiving sin as are ours. Yet he “did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” Why was this?—It was the triumph of the divine over the human. He had emptied himself of the glory he had before the creation, and was now dependent upon his Father for power to meet the strong desires of sin in the flesh. He listened not one moment to the temptations, but met them with the all-powerful word of God. He kept that flesh from yielding to temptation, and thus condemned sin in the flesh. He took the flesh which he had through thirty years of life without once submitting to sin. Even death, the penalty of Adam’s transgression, was not able to hold this flesh more than three days, when it was brought forth from the prison house and taken to heaven. “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14: 23. When sinful man is left alone, he is in darkness and has not the power to keep from sinning. He may try by pledges and all other modern inventions to live a godly life, but he will fail. There must be in our mortal flesh a divine nature if we would be kept from sin. But the admonition is, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.” Rom. 6: 12. But the strong man has possession of every unregenerate heart, and human strength is not sufficient to overthrow him. But there is help in One who is mighty, “to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1: 27. It is Christ in you. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Cor. 1: 30. This redemption work is what he wishes to do for us. This is why he consented to be made lower than the angels. This is why he took sinful flesh for thirty years. This is why he wants to take up his6 abode in us, that he may condemn sin in our flesh, and every day redeem us from the power of sin. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Reader, will you let this Jesus into your flesh, and give it all over to him for his keeping? If you will, he will keep it as securely as he did the flesh he took when he came into the world. He will keep it till he brings it into the city of God. Blotting out the Handwriting
By T. H. Starbuck
THE INTERRELATION OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL. NO. 12.
Blotting out the Handwriting.
“And you, being dead in your sins and the circumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Col. 2: 13-17. The apostle’s theme in this scripture is the same as in those formerly examined. It is the change that takes place in conversion by which the individual is enabled to live free from the traditions of men, and the rudiments of the world. But this condition is not attained without the crucifixion of the carnal nature. The destruction of the flesh by crucifixion removes the disposition to rely upon the works of the flesh for justification. The carnality in man is against us and contrary to us. If this is doubted by any one, let him try to live a righteous life, before the carnal nature is destroyed, and he will soon find the same conditions described in the seventh chapter of Romans. Through the carnal nature the law of God is against us and contrary to us. The only way to disannul its force is by the destruction of the carnal nature. When that nature is crucified, all the works of the flesh are destroyed. It has been shown that the Christian is crucified with Christ, and that the dying process is continual; but where the crucifixion is in progress, the individual lives also together with Christ. This thought is contained in verse 13. By taking away that which was against us and contrary to us, Christ is said to have spoiled principalities and powers. Verses 14 and 15. Christ is not divided against himself. He did not die on the cross to destroy any law which had been given in the plan of God’s grace for the redemption of a lost world. The ceremonial system was a part of the plan of grace; hence, the taking away of that which was contrary to us can not refer directly to the ceremonial law. Up to the time of Christ, the ceremonial system was not against anybody, for none could show their faith in Christ except by obedience to it. It naturally limited itself to the first advent of our Saviour; and since that event none can show their faith in him by obedience to it. It is incorrect to say that Christ abolished the ceremonial system; for it ceased by limitation. If it is spoken of as abolished, it must be understood in an accommodated sense only. The principalities and powers which he spoiled are explained in Eph. 6:12, and it is there clearly shown that reference is made to the organized forces of evil angels. The ceremonial law can not belong to his dominion only as Satan misleads men into the idea that they can be justified by keeping it. That being the case, the abolition of the system could not remove the difficulty. The only remedy is the destruction of the blind, selfish, carnal nature which alone leads to such errors; but the destruction of that is represented by Christ nailed to the cross. The triumph over every misapplication of scripture, and over all evil of every kind, is through the crucifixion of the flesh. In this scripture, as in Eph. 2:15, the ceremonial law is indirectly involved, for being crucified with Christ destroys the body of sin and puts an end to every effort of the flesh to be justified by the deeds of any law, moral or ceremonial. Gal. 5:4. It has been demonstrated that man can not save himself by his own efforts from the abnormal action of the moral law. If it were possible for man to save himself by his own efforts at keeping the law, then salvation by faith in Christ would not have been necessary, and it would be clear that Christ died in vain. Man can not set the law to operating in himself normally, because the carnality stands in the way; but he can believe in Christ’s power to do the work, and then the Author of the law sets that instrument to work in him to slay the carnality, and, the obstacle to its normal action being gone, the righteousness of the law springs right out of the new life which fills the soul; for when the body of sin is destroyed, the individual is made free, and the law will act normally in him to produce a righteous life, just as it did in the life of Christ while he dwelt here in the likeness of sinful flesh. The Ministration of Death.
“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away; how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.” 2 Cor. 3:7-11. There is no metaphor, or figure of speech, in this language. It is literal truth; for when the living law was engraved in stones at Sinai, there was literally a “ministration of death” written against every human being. It calls for no exegesis, for language could not speak more plainly the exact truth. The two phases of the law’s action are clearly presented here; and were it not for wrong theological impressions in the minds of men, the truth so clearly spoken as it is here would be readily understood. The ministration of death is also called the ministration of condemnation. It is the same thought expressed in Rom. 4:15: “The law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” “The ministration of death” is the abnormal action of divine law. The ministration of the Spirit is also called “the ministration of righteousness.” It is the same as “the law of the Spirit of life,” in Rom. 8:2. Its ministration of righteousness is its normal operation, and was exemplified in the life of Christ. The glory of God is revealed in the ministration of death; for it is the ministration of his righteous indignation. But there is another ministration that excels it in glory—the ministration of the Spirit—which has in it all the glory of Christ’s perfect life on earth, and the power of the righteous life which God would have every Christian live on earth. It is only in the glory of this ministration that the child of God can let his light shine before men so that they may see his good works and glorify their Father in heaven. That which is done away is the ministration of death; and here, as in other scriptures examined before, it can be abolished only by the destruction of the carnal nature. But in this scripture (verses 14-18) that carnal nature is represented by a veil. As long as the blinding influence of that nature is upon the heart of man, he is under the ministration of death. When the carnality is taken away in Christ, then the veil is removed and the individual sees with unveiled face the glory of the ministration of the Spirit, or the glory of the righteousness of that perfect life of our Saviour; and as he sees, he is changed into the same image by the Spirit of God. But the Spirit does its work by a law, called the law of the Spirit of life, which can be nothing more nor less than the moral law in its normal operation. So then this scripture presents the freedom in Christ Jesus brought in by the operation of the law of the Spirit of life, as set forth in Rom. 8:2. That which is represented as done away in Christ is not the law that was engraved upon stone, but its ministration of death; and that is accomplished by the crucifixion of the flesh. It is the same thought found in Eph. 2:15. The principle of the old covenant is the idea of salvation by the works of the law; but there was nothing but bondage in it. Gal. 4:24. The old-covenant principle is founded in nature, for it springs out of the carnal nature. It came in with sin, and will go out with it. It pertains to the abnormal operation of the law, or the ministration of death. The new-covenant principle is also natural, for it is founded in the nature of the converted heart. It pertains to the normal operation of the law, or the ministration of righteousness; and it is eternal in its duration. The old-covenant principle vanishes away in every heart when it yields to the Spirit of God. 2 Cor. 3:16; Heb. 8:13. Sin is very deceptive, for it fills the mind with error and leads it to accept it as truth; then when the truth is presented, it rejects it because it does not correspond with that which is already entertained as truth. That is the reason why the Jews did not accept righteousness by faith, but clung so tenaciously to the works of the law. It is the reason why so many in these days have a lame experience in the things of God, and why the plainest truths of God when presented to the mind are rejected because they collide with that which is already entertained as truth. The crucifixion of the carnal nature was the only remedy in the days of Paul; and nothing else will avail now, for the human heart is the same now as it was then. If questioned in regard to the power of God’s word, almost every one will say that it is a living word; but too many will deny their faith by denying its power to operate as taught in the Scriptures of truth. That which we most need is to have the veil removed from the heart, and be able to see the glory of God’s salvation with unveiled face, that we may be changed into the same image. Looking Down to Lift Others Up
“Look down in order to see those whom you would help; then look up and lift up.” EXALTING MAN AND ABASING CHRIST.
By W. N. Glenn
The trend of religious thought is more and more inclined to the idea that the glories of the coming kingdom of Christ are to be the result of man’s effort; that the kingdom of glory will be a grand aggregation of human institutions so reformed, purified, and aggrandized by human endeavor that Christ will at last become so enraptured with the beautiful structure that he will come and adopt it as his own. Such is practically the popular idea of that theological illusion called “the millennium.” Not only is religious thought becoming crystallized in the mold of man-made glory, but the most enthusiastic effort is in the way of preparing a human kingdom on earth over which the Lord is to reign for a thousand years. This exaltation of the works of men, and the consequent belittling of the scriptural idea of the glorious kingdom of Christ, is illustrated by some expressions regarding the recent Christian Endeavor Convention at Boston. A contributor to the Pacific Coast Endeavorer, in describing the great gathering and its doings, says:— We gave Boston for once a full-dress rehearsal of the millennium, and it seemed annexed, for the time, to the New Jerusalem come down from God out of heaven, for the convention bore to Boston the message the Master sent by his disciples to the cities of Israel, “Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, say, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” But the real character of this fanciful kingdom (or millennium), made glorious by the puny efforts of man’s goodness, is unwittingly told in another expression found in the same contribution:— There was no business block or shop or store or public building or residence of any importance that did not flame with the C. E. colors of white and red, and blooms with the well-known flag, emblazoned “Boston, ’95.” Even the theaters were decorated on the outside with white and red. Bunker Hill lager was advertised by a revolving keg of red and white electric lights. But it is safe to say that all this outward show of Christian Endeavor on business blocks, or on shops and stores, was there for advertising purposes. It is safe to say that, notwithstanding the Christian Endeavor cloak, business within was conducted for the same worldly purpose as before, and their display of C. E. colors was “for revenue only.” The theaters decorated with white and red were theaters still. The Bunker Hill lager “advertised by a great revolving keg of red and white electric lights,” was lager still. The good design of the Christian Endeavor movement, and the good it may have done or may yet do, is not the topic of this comment. It is the delusive use that is being made of it and a dozen other associations by those who are leading out in the work of “millennium” building. The Y. P. S. C. E. is supposed to be a young people’s society, but it is manipulated everywhere by those older heads who are engaged in the work of advancing their ideas of Christianity by political inventions, by the advocacy of civil-religious law and the special power of the civil government. The ministerial writer from whose report the foregoing expressions are taken is not a young man, nor were the leading characters whose speeches gave influence and caste to the convention. It is the pastors and the leading churchmen everywhere that dictate the policy of the Y. P. S. C. E. and all kindred institutions, and are training them for political purposes, in the so-called “Christian state.” In ordinary parlance a “full-dress rehearsal” means an equivalent of the real act. Then we are asked to imagine that the ushering in of the kingdom of Christ will be nothing more than a decoration of the things of this world—theaters, beer kegs, and all—with cheap red and white fabrics, paints, etc., of human manufacture. If, however, the reality should prove as gauzy and transient as the “rehearsal,” it will certainly come far short of the ideal presented in Scripture. But the chilling effect of setting up the flimsy glory of man’s endeavor on a level with the enduring kingdom of Christ, is enhanced by a subsequent affair. This Christian Endeavor convention was almost immediately followed by another immense demonstration, in honor of the secret conclave known as the Knights Templar. Judging from the press dispatch, the Bostonians made even more display for the Knights than they did for the Endeavorers. Here is an extract from the report, dated August 26:— In the day about every structure is hidden in bunting and devices, while at night they are brilliant with electrical designs of all sorts. These are so numerous on the principal thoroughfares that the whole city is bathed in a bright yellow glow; at a distance it must seem as if it were on fire. There have been conventions of many kinds here in recent years, notably the big Christian Endeavor gathering of a few months ago, and, while the city welcomed and entertained vast throngs, the Endeavor time appears small in comparison with the state of affairs to-day, both in respect to the enormous number of people here and the warmth of their reception. Boston, 1895, is the banner conclave of the Knights Templar so far, and it will be difficult to equal this record by any other city in the United States. From this are we to suppose that this great secret society conclave exceeded in splendid magnificence what we may expect when the millennium is ushered in? Are we to infer that this is what was meant by the “Unitarian governor of Massachusetts” when he said of the Christian Endeavor convention, “The people of Boston are better for the visit of that bright band, and we shall all be better citizens and better men and women for their visit”? When puny men assume to compare their own tinsel glory with the glories to be revealed when the Lord shall “come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,” it is time to look out for deception. When one has read the inspired description of the New Jerusalem in the twenty-first chapter of Revelation, a reference to the affair at Boston as a “full-dress rehearsal” reads like the veriest irony. It is hard to realize that the writer was in earnest; but the position of the man, the medium in which his report appears, and all the attendant circumstances go to show that he really was blinded to that extent. And his standing and influence are such as to sadly deceive many others. The Lord is not depending upon man to prepare a kingdom for him. The parable of the nobleman (Luke 19) teaches that he has gone “into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” He told his disciples (John 14: 2, 3), “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” When he comes again, he will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” See Matt. 25: 31–34. In the prophecy of Daniel (chapter 2) the kingdom of Christ is represented by a stone “cut out without hands” and that “filled the whole earth.” Verses 34, 35. The commission of the servants of God is to preach the “Gospel [glad tidings] of the kingdom,” to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” The people so prepared are thus characterized by the Lord himself: “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.” Matt. 7: 21. And the will of the Father is plainly set forth in the purpose of Christ, our Example: “Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.” Ps. 40: 7, 8. We are faithfully warned in the Scriptures against the delusions and deceptions of the last days. We are told that “perilous times shall come,” because men “having a form of godliness” will be “lovers of their own selves.” And in the face of such comparisons of man’s glory with that of God, it is time for serious alarm. When men professing to be ministers of the Gospel can seriously proclaim even a seeming semblance between ornamented Boston, with its decorated theaters and electric beer kegs, and the incomprehensible effulgence of the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, they must have extremely high opinions of their own works, as well as an extremely low estimate of the achievements of Him in whose righteousness alone we can stand at His coming and kingdom. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR MOVEMENT.
By F. C. Gilbert
As WAS shown in our last paper, this movement of so-called Christian endeavor is not in harmony with the word of God; for union of church and state, with its consequent persecutions, is contrary to the teachings of the Bible. We wish to notice in this paper the origin of this “Christian citizenship” movement, where it originated, and some things it has done. It seems to have originated in the Christian Endeavor Society, as clearly shown by the following statement taken from the secretary’s report:— Let me mention now, and briefly, too, that the battle for Christian citizenship, which was begun at President Clark’s suggestion, has been fearlessly waged, and has been blessed in promoting a more intelligent spirit of patriotism. And where it began, and how long it has had an existence, is seen from the following in the president’s annual address:— When, two years ago, at Montreal, the suggestion was made to you, Endeavorers, that as individuals you had unfulfilled duties along the lines of Christian citizenship, . . . who would have believed that your response would have been so prompt? . . . How the rapid contagion of these ideas has spread from society to society, . . . from state to state and province and nation? Thus it appears that this movement of Christian citizenship was born in the Christian Endeavor Society. Now, what have they done, and how have they done it? To speak first of our efforts for a better citizenship. It behooves us to be very modest. I make no extravagant claims for the Christian Endeavor Society, but it is fair to say that the society has had no insignificant part in the general uprising of Christian8 people which has buried Tammany under fifty thousand white ballots in New York City, and is now fighting an equally corrupt foe of another breed in the same state; which has voted for reform fifty thousand strong in Chicago; which is now engaged in cleansing the dirty streets and dirtier politics of other cities; and which, in a hundred places, has awakened the civic conscience and purified a fetid political atmosphere. It was a Christian Endeavorer that led the splendid work in Montreal for better government. It was the Christian Endeavor Society in Kansas that helped put legislation upon the statute books, which struck gambling and lottery a deadly blow in that state, a Christian Endeavorer drafting the bill in the exact form in which it was passed. It was the Christian Endeavorers that in Indiana helped to pass the recent local option law in that state, bringing terror and confusion to the liquor interests. Five hundred meetings of Christian Endeavorers in Chicago in one week, and similar work in New York, have helped materially to redeem those cities from corruption. Numerous other quotations might be given to show some of the workings of this “Christian Citizenship” movement, under the auspices of, and in connection with, the Christian Endeavor Society. It is certainly very clear that they have spent a great deal of time and hard labor in dirty politics, and in order to show the world the filth of it, they were obliged to go to the dens of iniquity to ferret it out. And how was this reformation in New York brought about? and what were the methods used? We all know that the great prime mover in the movement was Dr. Parkhurst; and every one knows the places visited, and the means used to bring to light the iniquity that existed at the time. Let the doctor speak for himself on that point. In a lecture delivered in Boston, April 15, 1895, before a large audience in the music hall, he said, among other things:— I would have entered into hell, if need be, to find facts to answer my challengers. And that the last Christian Endeavor convention indorsed the work of the doctor will be seen by the following:— Look at New York City. Many of the people of God saw the iniquity in high places, and sin, like a plague, destroying the city. They shook their pious heads and said: “It is really too bad. What can we do?” Dr. Parkhurst saw the same things, and he said, “What ought to be done can be done.” Just as the hosts of Midian trembled before the faith of Gideon and his three hundred, so the hosts of iniquity workers in New York trembled before the faith of Dr. Parkhurst and his followers. Such we see are some of the things done by this society, and entirely approved are all the methods pursued. Is this the way Christ worked? Did he seek to go into hell, in that way to try to overcome the devil and his wickedness? or did he follow the work which was committed to him,—the preaching of the pure Gospel of God, and seeking to lead people out from the bondage of sin? This work is surely not in harmony with Christ’s work. Therefore beware of everything that opposes the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet it is evident that there are many connected with the society who really believe with all the sincerity of their hearts that they are doing what they believe to be right; but, viewed from the standpoint of truth, it is in every way contradictory to the teachings and spirit of Christianity. It is further claimed that this movement arouses the principle of patriotism, and inspires in the hearts of the young people the idea that patriotism is as sacred as piety. Here is what one remarked:— We welcome you because you believe not only in the prayers and preaching of God’s house, but also in the caucus and ballot; and that the ballot box is as sacred as the ark of the covenant of God. Is not the above blasphemy? On one occasion a man tried to steady the ark of the covenant, and in so doing was put to death. Do they propose to put the ballot box in its stead and put to death those who do not conform to their ideas of things? It has already been quoted that they propose to lay aside everything that hinders the progress of the work, and go into this thing for all it is worth. This logically will demand force and violence. They will be forced to use their sword if necessary, as before quoted, a sword distinct from the word of God. And the lengths to which they are going to carry this idea of patriotism will be seen by the following from the Christian Citizen, April number:— Sermons and prayer meetings and worship begin to take the form of political activity. Yet Jesus says that the house of God is a house of prayer, and not to be used for political caucuses nor political activity. But may it not be well to ascertain what patriotism is, and see whether this is really a patriotic movement? Patriotism is the quality of being patriotic, the love of country. The genius of true American patriotism is to keep politics and religion separate. As the treaty with Tripoli said (signed by George Washington), “This country is in no sense founded on the Christian religion.” President Grant said, “Keep the state and church forever separate.” But the object of this movement is to bring about a state of things which is to lead people to believe that this nation is founded on the Christian religion, and therefore must be run by those professing religion. That this is their object, I quote from a California preacher:— If Christianity fails in America, America fails; and if America fails, humanity fails; while if we can make the United States truly Christian, we can give to Christ the sovereignty of the world. But Christ himself said that his kingdom was not of this world, and that his servants were to be separate from it; that the things that were due to Caesar were different from the things which belonged to God, and that the things which belonged to God were not to be rendered to him by or through Caesar, the civil government. This Christian citizenship movement is, therefore, against the spirit of true Americanism and its genius, and is opposed to true patriotism, and, therefore, un-American. The Constitution of the United States, as well as the Constitution of the individual states, leaves the individual with the utmost freedom to be religious or not to be, just as he chooses; for man cannot be the arbiter of conscience. Every man, as long as he conducts himself as a good citizen, according to the higher law of this country, should be left perfectly free to do as he wishes about his religion, whether he wishes to have any or not. But this Christian citizenship movement proposes to make all citizens Christians, by law at that, or to disfranchise those who will not become Christians; or, as stated in their own literature, it is not so much the good citizen they want as it is the Christian citizen. While it is right and proper that all people should be Christians, it is not the business of the religionists of this country to compel them to become so by law; for in so doing they deny every principle of right and equity, and trample upon the rights so dearly purchased, and so sacredly guarded, by the fathers of this country. In conclusion, therefore, Christian Citizenship is both anti-American and antichristian, as is also Christian Endeavor, so called, as long and as far as it unites itself to the citizenship movement. But it is perfectly plain that the Christian Endeavor Society and the Christian Citizenship movement are agreed; for, as we have seen, the latter had its conception in the former, and most of its work thus far has been under the auspices of the Christian Endeavor Society. In all these movements which seek to connect Christ with the world by human means, let us heed what God hath said, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” DEADLY NEGATIVENESS.
By W. H. B. Miller
“How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!” Lam. 4:1. In order to have a garden grown over with weeds it is not necessary for a man to sow tares broadcast. Let him lay his gardening tools aside for a few days, and watch the result. If a man wishes to be sick, it is not necessary that he should administer to himself a dose of poison; let him but neglect the laws of health for a very short time. Fail to cleanse your house for a week, and watch how the dust will accumulate. Neglect the culture of your orchard for a few years, and see how long it will naturally produce the choice varieties of fruits you now gather every season. The fact is, the laws of nature are laws of deterioration. The prince of this world has thickly sown the seeds of sin, decay, and death, and the earth brings forth abundantly. It is so with the carnal mind. It “is enmity against God,” and “is not subject to the law of God.” In order to desert the “blood-stained banner of the cross” and become a friend of the world, we need not plunge headlong into the pleasures of sin. Neglect the altar and forsake the sanctuary, and see how quickly the fires will cease to burn and the lights will go out. It is not necessary to invite the mystery of iniquity into our hearts—only grieve away the Holy Spirit. Has the gold become dim? Are the altar fires burning low? “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Neglect causes desolation, darkness, and death, physical and spiritual. Reader, “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” Contemplating Futurity and Leaving the Earth
“How majestic grows futurity as we approach it, how far off seems the earth as we are about to leave it! Its troubles, its perplexities, its pains, appear but as cloud shadows of a day; they are lost in the contemplation of the infinity beyond.” Kindness Draws Out the Better Part
“KINDNESS draws out the better part of every nature—disarming resistance, dissipating angry passions, and melting the hardest heart.” Each Day a Stroke of Music
“There is no day born but comes like a stroke of music into the world, and sings itself all the way through.”