Earlier text: IS IT AN OBSOLETE LAW?WINE, AND THE LORD'S SUPPER.
By Joseph Harvey Waggoner
[This excellent article is from the pen of the late Elder J. H. Waggoner, and, like the one published two weeks ago, was found among his papers after his death.] MANY years ago we took our position on the ground that intoxicating wine should not be used at the Lord's Supper; and with all that we have known to be urged in favor of its use, we have seen no reason to change our opinion. At this time we wish to examine what is urged on 1 Cor. 11:20, 21, in favor of fermented wine. 1. It is not denied that intoxicating wine was known and used even from very early times; and, further, that it was used by the church of Corinth on the occasions referred to by the apostle. 2. We claim, also, that they knew how to preserve the juice of the grape, pure and free from intoxicating properties. Of this we have the most indisputable evidence. But we do not enter upon this field of argument at this time, because it is not material to an examination of 1 Cor. 11. 3. It is urged that the word "drunken," in 1 Cor. 11:21, signifies intoxicated, which is proof that intoxicating wine was used, in apostolic times, at the Lord's Supper. We do not accept this conclusion, because there are important considerations brought to view in the text which are not noticed in that argument. 4. It is further argued that the apostle is opposing, not the use of wine, which was allowed, but the abuse of it. And such, they say, was the intention of all those Scripture expressions where the use of wine is spoken against. 5. But this statement has not in it the least semblance of the truth, according to the words of the apostle. He was not trying to correct the abuse of wine; he was denouncing the perversion and abuse of the Lord's Supper. Our question here is not, What kind of wine were they using? but, Whose supper were they eating? And to this question Paul attends in this letter. He emphatically stated that, in their practice, when they came together, IT WAS NOT TO EAT THE LORD'S SUPPER. We may appeal to all, if there was any likeness to a proper preparation for the Lord's Supper in preparing for an occasion of drunkenness and gross feeding. 6. It is evident that there were very wide divisions in the Corinthian church; this the apostle directly declares and deplores. While part of the409 church was worthy of high commendation, for he highly commended them, another part had fallen into great depravity, and carried on the greatest abuses under the Christian name. And this latter part was not a small part, as is proved by the chapter under consideration, and by chapter 5, where Paul speaks of the most shameful practices, which had not only entered the church, but were practiced openly and without shame, which would not have been the case if the wrong were confined to a few. From all this we must conclude that we may draw nothing concerning our duty, or what is permissible in the church, from the practice of the church of Corinth; but we must learn all from the sacred word. 7. In explaining the true intention of the Lord's Supper, Paul simply said that the Lord Jesus "took the cup," saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood." Verse 25. And the evangelists used the same language. He does not here inform us what the cup contained; for that we must look to the institution of the Supper. 8. Three evangelists give the explanation in the same words. Matt. 26:29, Mark 14:25, and Luke 22:18, all record that Jesus said he would no more "drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." And now the query arises, What is the fruit of the vine? The fruit of the vine is simply and only grapes; and to drink of the fruit of the vine is to drink of the juice of grapes. But we affirm with all confidence that there is no wine in the market, either in Europe or America, that can truthfully be called the fruit of the vine. The wine of the markets is a mixture of grape juice, or some other vegetable juice, with certain proportions of water and sugar, converted, in part, into alcohol by fermentation. Alcohol is not the fruit of the vine. It is a dangerous, a deadly evil, that is every year destroying the human family by hundreds of thousands, producing more misery than any other cause; misery not only to those who use it, and are often thereby sunk below the ordinary level of the brute creation, but misery, untold and indescribable suffering, to multitudes of helpless women and innocent children. And, horrible thought! alcoholic wine, at what was called the Lord's Supper, has proved the ruin of many souls, by arousing their appetites beyond their power to control them. "This is not the Lord's Supper." 9. We affirm that it is no more just to call alcoholic wine "the fruit of the vine" than it is to call whisky the fruit of the corn-field. Brandy, as well as wine, is made from grapes; shall we therefore call it the fruit of the vine? Shall it be used at the Lord's Supper because it is made of grapes? And if not, why not? The alcohol in brandy is exactly like the alcohol in wine. True, there is about four times as much alcohol in brandy as there is in wine, of the same quantity of each; but what of that? There is more alcohol in some kinds of wine than there is in others. If alcohol is to be taken in mixture at the Lord's Supper, who is to prescribe what the quantity shall be? If one chooses 14 per cent., about the proportion in what would be called "good wine," who shall deny another the privilege of choosing 50 per cent., the average quantity in brandy? Both are made from grapes. We might go further and notice that much that passes for wine in the markets is made of the juices of other fruits besides grapes; and the shocking idea of taking an alcoholic mixture, that is bringing multitudes to destruction, preparing them for the hopeless graves of drunkards, and making it represent the sacred blood of the everlasting covenant of peace and good-will to man! But we think that we have presented enough to lead anyone to pause before he brings such an element to the holy communion; before he presents to the lips of a brother that which may prove a snare to his soul. Let "no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." Rom. 14:13. The Missionary.
By L. R. Conradi
THE Hamburg Mission has become, with God's help and blessing, an established fact, and our brethren everywhere are undoubtedly interested to learn something about the city and the commencement of the work here. Already for several years the necessity has been felt of establishing a mission in Hamburg, as it is the most important seaport of the continent, and the greatest commercial center of the German Empire. While we have in our great Central European mission field, with its three hundred millions of souls, several larger cities, such as Paris, Berlin, Vienna, etc., yet Hamburg, being a seaport, has the most commerce, and is the fourth in importance in all the world, standing next to London, New York and Liverpool. Over 8,000 sea-going vessels go in and out each year and some 10,000 riverboats. The merchants of the city themselves own a fleet of over 500 vessels. There are direct steamboat lines to North and South America, to the West Indies, to Africa and to all parts of Europe, while sailing vessels go everywhere. It is also an important point as to emigration. In 1886, 88,633 emigrants departed from this place, of whom 83,500 went to the United States. Over 250,000 strangers are reported in the different hotels and boarding-houses of the city. The American consul informed me that at least 10,000 English sailors were discharged here annually. In order to accommodate the sailors, the city has erected a fine building, on a prominent elevation near the harbor, called "The Seamen's Home;" in connection with this is a fine reading-room and library, and we have the permission to place our periodicals and publications there. Near this is the fine observatory, also the Imperial German marine observatory and school. Until last October the city was a free port, outside of the German Custom Union. But for some years a change has been contemplated, and in order to bring about this without too much damage to the commercial interests of the city, the German Government and the city jointly bought a large tract of land round certain parts of the harbor, tore down all the houses, inhabited by some 30,000 people, and erected instead, at a cost of some five million pounds, fine warehouses and offices, built new harbors, landings, piers, etc., and declared this territory a free port. Here goods can be received, stored, and shipped again to any part of the world outside of the Custom Union without duty. In order to facilitate the loading and unloading, they have here a huge crane, which is able to lift 150 tons at once; it is said to be the largest in the world. The city itself lies on the river Elbe, about 70 miles from its mouth in the North Sea, but the greatest steamers can reach the city. While the city proper has 300,000 inhabitants, yet with the suburbs, which are in fact one with the city and under one Government, there are 500,000. The largest and finest of these suburbs is St. Pauli, with a population of 65,000, the promenade and great pleasure resort of Hamburg. Here our mission is located, in the very heart, so to say, in a nice corner building opposite the post-office, within four blocks of the harbor and one block of the main thoroughfare and tram-car lines. The whole street is a new one, and while near enough to the harbor and the great resorts to be reached easily, it is yet far enough away to be in quiet and respectable quarters. We occupy the lower story, and are fitting the corner room, which has two nice large windows, well adapted for show windows, for our book depository. Adjoining St. Pauli, and practically one with the rest, is the city of Altona, or in English, "All Too Near," being called thus from its close proximity to Hamburg. It has 105,000 inhabitants and is also on the river. Nearly all of these 600,000 people are nominally Protestants, but a large share are indeed but infidels, and Hamburg, as are all the seaports, is noted for its share of wickedness. Yet there are many earnest souls here. The German Baptists have their headquarters here. There are two large English churches near the harbor, and also a French chapel. Thus far we are well pleased with our location, but it is hard to tell what will be the best until we get once fairly started. As soon as our company arrived, and we had our lodging secured and the necessary permission, they went at once to work, Brother Perk joining and aiding them, in canvassing the city.410 While the field is a hard one, and it seems hard to get into the houses, yet they have taken 150 orders for our new book "From Eden to Eden," and they have found some interested persons. I arrived here with my family a week ago, from Basel, and we are getting fairly settled and everything arranged for our large mission family, the depository, and the coming Institute. We hope also to take steps to commence the ship missionary work. For about $5 we received permission to open up a book business, and at the same time employ as many canvassers as we wished inside of the little republic of Hamburg. Hamburg is a free city, and is governed by eighteen senators and a large committee of citizens. Several towns and villages, and some islands in the North Sea belong to it; but Altona belongs to the kingdom of Prussia. We do business in the name of International Tract Society, and as there are people living and coming here from nearly every nation, our work is indeed an international work. So many different nationalities being represented here will also prove a help to our Institute. While we have already workers here from Russia, Holland, and America, and are expecting others, each one can gain an experience in the work and a better knowledge of the truth, and at the same time labor right among his own countrymen. Besides the many English-speaking people, also Scandinavians, we had last year some 30,000 emigrants from Russia, Poland, and some 25,000 from Austria, besides the thousands of sailors from all parts of the world. A great field has been opened, an important mission started, and in view of our own weakness and the greatness of the work, we hope to be remembered in the prayers of God's people; and while we sow the seeds of truth beside all waters, our ardent wish is that we may soon see seeds springing up, which will bear fruit through all eternity. Our address is, International Tract Society, Sophienstr. 41, Hamburg, Germany.—L. R. Conradi, in Present Truth, May 22, 1889. ROME'S VIRTUOUS TOLERANCE.
By M. C. W.
HE who is honest-hearted and desires to do right, will not seek to cover up a defective character or bad reputation by seeking to blacken the reputation of others; but it is otherwise with the wicked and malicious. The Roman Catholic press is an example of this at the present time. Knowing that its black record of the past is all too true, and being unable from the force of circumstances to compel the homage of the people, it seeks to make itself appear virtuous by defaming others, or pointing out their sins or mistakes,—sins which almost sink into insignificance compared to the terrible crimes of Rome, which she has never for a moment denounced or renounced. A sample of this is given in the Catholic Review of June 8. In speaking of the ill-treatment of a crank by some Presbyterian ministers, that paper says:— "The Catholic Church treats its slanderers with much more foresight. Maria Monks, Justin D. Fultons, Bishop McNamaras, and ex-Mother Cusicks are allowed to go about unmolested, venting their spite, their wounded pride and unreasoning hate. They defeat themselves by the extravagance and virulence of their charges." How the Catholic Church has treated simply those who have not been able to conscientiously agree with her soul-corrupting and truth-destroying doctrines, let Savanarola and Huss, and Jerome of Prague and John of Wycliffe and Hooper, and Cranmer and Ridley and Bilney and myriads of others, and the St. Bartholomew massacre and many other "acts of faith" by that same church, testify; so Satanically cruel when she had the power, so tolerant and liberal now that that power is taken away. Would this "unchangeable" and "infallible" church do otherwise now than in the Dark Ages if she could control civil powers? Could she, and still be unchangeable and infallible? Witness at present Spain and Equador and, in the recent past, Mexico, for Rome's lenient and "unmolested" treatment of her "slanderers." Rome's morality in this respect is the morality of the murderer in his dungeon. She slays not, because she cannot. NEW YORK CAMP-MEETING.
By R. F. Cottrell
THIS meeting, held at Rome, June 11–18, was one of the best, if not the very best, we have ever enjoyed in this State. We were favored with the presence and labors of Sister E. G. White, her son, W. C. White, Elders E. J. Waggoner and A. T. Jones from abroad, and Elder S. H. Lane, who has lately come to work in this Conference. The preaching presented the faith of Jesus in its simplicity and perfect efficacy, by which alone we can be justified from sins that are past; and the warning of the coming test upon the commandments of God was faithfully set before us. And it was clearly shown, from their own words, that the object of the so-called National Reform Association is equivalent to a conspiracy against civil and religious liberty in our country; and that the logical and inevitable result of the success of their movement will be persecution. The Sunday-sabbath is a base counterfeit of the Sabbath of the Lord. Its observance originated with the sun-worship of the pagans; it was introduced into the apostatizing Christian church by the imperial authority of Constantine, a pagan emperor; and is supported as a Christian institution only by fraud and falsifying. It has not the slightest foundation in the word of God. Union and harmony prevailed in the meeting. All seemed united in seeking the Lord. All were rejoicing in hope. Several of the youth started in the service of the Lord and some of those who had been on the background began anew. About a score were baptized. A young brother, F. M. Wilcox, was set apart to the gospel ministry. The scene of the ordination was most solemn and impressive. After a solemn and fervent prayer by Brother Lane, and the laying on of the hands of the eldership present, the charge was given by Brother Jones almost entirely in the language of the Scriptures in several passages, only modifying the tenses in some so as to correspond with facts of the present time. It was a solemn and affecting scene. Tears witnessed the interest felt throughout the large congregation. All brethren and friends present were glad to be there, and only wished that others had been present to share the joy. All were blest, and encouraged to go on their way rejoicing in hope of the heavenly meeting. R. F. COTTRELL. (Lesson 3, July 20, 1889.) 1. Is it necessary to have a living connection with Christ? "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." John 15:4-6. 2. How was grace revealed in Christ's first advent? "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." John 1:14. 3. By what are men saved? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Eph. 2:8. 4. Unto how many has this grace appeared? "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." Titus 2:11. 5. What does it teach men? "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Verses 12, 13. 6. How extensively is this grace bestowed? "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Ps. 84:11. 7. What condition of mind must men be in to profit by this grace? "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." James 4:6. 8. What sustained the apostle Paul in his trials? "And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Cor. 12:9. 9. What will enable us to serve God acceptably? "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Heb. 12:28. 10. How will the grace of God affect the heart? "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines; for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." Heb. 13:9. 11. How did it affect the churches of Macedonia? "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." 2 Cor. 8:1, 2. 12. What did it do for them in affliction and poverty? "For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their ownselves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." Verses 3-5. 13. Wherein was the church at Corinth inferior to others? "For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong." 2 Cor. 12:13. 14. In how many gifts did this church abound? "Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also." 2 Cor. 8:7. 15. On what occasion was great grace poured out upon the apostles? "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked; for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold." Acts 4:32-34. 16. By what had they been redeemed? "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18, 19. 17. To what does the apostle appeal to show the nature of the grace of giving? "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." 2 Cor. 8:9. 18. Can any be saved without the manifestation of the fruits of the grace of Christ? "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Rom. 8:9.
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18. 19. From the testimony of this lesson, what will be the effect of grace upon those who receive it? "I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35. NOTES.
By Milton C. Wilcox
“GRACE” means favor. It comes from the Latin word gratus, meaning “kind.” Crabb says, “Grace results from pure kindness independently of the merit of the receiver.” It is used in the Scriptures to denote (as in Romans 3:24) the unmerited kindness of God toward sinful man. It is bestowed without recompense. This grace of God is expressed by Inspiration in the following words:— “For we ourselves also were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward men appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7. Grace is the manifestation of God’s love and kindness toward us, not for our good deeds but always unmerited by us. It is in this way that it is generally used in the Scriptures when referring to God. Sometimes the fruits or gifts of God’s Spirit are called graces. See the text and margin of 2 Cor. 8:4, 6, 7. Grace is used in this lesson in both of these senses. The connection and use of the word clearly determines its meaning. QUESTION 2.—God’s grace, or kindness was especially manifested in giving his Son, by whom the worlds and all intelligences were created, to come to this world to take upon him the lowest nature, morally, of all his creatures, namely, sinful flesh, that he might be a merciful priest; to endure man’s temptations, that he might overcome them; to die a malefactor, bearing the sins of the world, that he might redeem mankind and the earth from the curse. All this had been promised, and the promise confirmed by an oath, but at the first advent, promise and oath and type were fulfilled. Grace promised was grace manifested. Men could look upon that gracious being face to face, could behold his mighty miracles, could hear his gracious words, such as man never before spake. WE are not, however, to understand by this or by verse 14 that grace was not manifested till Christ came. Grace was manifested at the time when God placed man on a new probation and put enmity in his heart against the destroyer. Without this, man would have had no hope. Grace was manifested in God’s goodness and mercy and mighty miracles for sinful man all the way from the first to the second Adam. But a fuller manifestation was given at the first advent of Christ. It is grace all through man’s probationary career; and when that is past, and the faithful enter upon the eternal ages of the kingdom of Christ, “the exceeding riches of his grace,” will be seen in “the riches of his glory” then revealed. Eph. 2:7; 1 Cor. 4:17. Made immortal and perfect, we can better comprehend the extent and fullness of God’s grace, but even here it will be sufficient for all trials, or vicissitudes to every trusting soul. Men “are saved by grace.” Of course, faith is necessary; but the salvation is all of grace. If it were not, man would have whereof to boast; but not one in the whole host of the redeemed will ascribe his salvation to himself. From that vast throng arises without one note of discord, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Rev. 7:10); and the sinless universe breaks forth in one grand chorus: “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Rev. 5:13. It is through grace we are pardoned; it is through grace we are purified; it is through grace we are made like our divine Lord; it will be “the exceeding riches of his grace” throughout eternity; for eternal life is the gracious gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 6:23. QUESTION 6.—The extent of God’s grace is eternal and infinite. While it is bestowed upon every soul to a greater or less extent, upon the upright God through his grace will bestow all good things; and among the good things is the life eternal and the infinite blessings of God’s glorious kingdom. WHILE this grace has appeared to all, and is bestowed upon all, and all are partakers of it, all do not profit by it; all do not receive it as the grace of God. They take all his common blessings as a matter of course; they despise the plan of salvation. Their pride will not allow them to be saved in any other way than their own—a way of their own devising followed by their own strength. But one class is profited by this grace, and that is the humble. The humble heart has a low opinion of self and a sense of its own unworthiness before God. It is therefore lowly and submissive, and God has “respect unto the lowly.” M. C. W. Notes on the International Lesson.
By J. W. SCOLES
THE SORROWFUL DEATH OF ELI.
IT is not always simply the direct transgressor who receives punishment for sin. As the whole body suffers because one member is affected, so it is sometimes in regard to sin among God's people. All are made to feel the effects of the wrong-doing of one or two individuals. Because of the trespass of Achan at Jericho, the whole army of Israel was discomfited a short time afterward at Ai. So with the case in this lesson. Not alone Eli's sons perished, but thousands of the children of Israel were slain, and Eli himself was also cut off with all his house. We cannot afford to excuse or in any way cover up sin, even though our own friends be the transgressors. By doing so, we reap the reward of their wrong-doing, because we become partakers with them. “BECAUSE sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Eccl. 8:11. We are sometimes led to think that because men are allowed to go on in their evil course, God does not see or care for it. This is not the case, however. There is a time for every evil to come into judgment before God, and when our sins fully ripen for the displeasure of the Almighty, his punishment will be in accordance with the iniquity of our transgression. THOSE who claim to be God's children, so far from being at liberty to sin, are the last of all people in the world, who should think of such a thing. If God hates sin in the sinner, it must be doubly distasteful to him to see those yield to wrong who have consecrated themselves to his service. It is for this reason that Christ has called us out of sin, that we may be free from it through his blood, and have no fellowship with it. “There is a line by us unseen,
That crosses every path,—
The hidden boundary between
God's patience and his wrath.” IT is possible for us to do despite unto the Spirit of grace. God is patient and long-suffering with sinners, but they may go so far that even his mercy will be withdrawn from them. Eli's sons, though repeatedly warned by the Lord of the evil of their course, continued to walk in ways of wickedness until it was too late for them to escape from the threatened punishment. Even Eli himself refused to hearken to the voice of God in reproof for his failure to restrain his sons in their iniquitous course, until the result of his negligence caused his own death. As it was in the past, so it may be with us if we fail to heed the admonitions of the Spirit of God to-day. If we continue in willful sin, there can surely be nothing for us to expect but a “fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Heb. 10:27. MANY parents are to-day shutting the gates of Heaven forever against their children by a failure to properly restrain them. In their blind and misguided affection for them, they are allowing them to form habits which will soon place the children entirely beyond the control of their parents. In the time of youth, while their minds are yet tender and susceptible to right influences, children should be so taught the virtue of obedience, both to their parents and to God, that their characters will reveal the blessed results of such instruction in after years. THE strength of the children of Israel lay not in the ark itself, as they vainly imagined, but in their obedience to the law of God, the ten commandments contained in that ark. So with us to-day; if we would have power with God, we must have a desire to do his whole will. The mere fact that we claim to be God's children will avail us nothing. The Jews justly claimed to be the children of Abraham, and therefore thought they were entitled to all the promises made to Abraham. But John the Baptist told them that God was not dependent on them, but was able, out of the stones of the earth, to raise up children to Abraham. The lesson for us to learn from this, and from Israel's defeat as well, is not to rely on past experience. Many instances have occurred of those who were raised up to do the work of the Lord, yet who failed to walk out in the light of his opening providences and were finally rejected of him. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Our only safety is in faithfully walking in the light of truth, in whatever pathway God may choose to lead us. His word should be the man of our counsel at all times. If we follow this, victory is ours. J. W. SCOLES. MAN, in the beginning, was made perfect, and was placed under the jurisdiction of a perfect law. So long as he continued perfect, the law was safety to him; but just as soon as man sinned, the very thing which had been designed for his preservation became the means of his destruction. It was originally God’s design that men should walk in harmony with his law, and thus be in harmony with himself, for his law is but the reflection of his own pure principles. It was only because the law was violated that it condemned man, the transgressor. This is why sin appears so exceedingly sinful to us to-day, when we look at it from the standpoint of God’s broken law. This is the light in which God himself looks at it. The law itself is not sin; it is as perfect as it ever was. Man is the sinner; he is the imperfect one. The commandment which was ordained to life he has found to be unto death, because he failed to walk in obedience. The sword of death poised over his head ready to fall upon him, hangs from that very law which might have been his bulwark of safety. FROM SIBERIA TO CHINA.
By Editor
The following interesting sketch of travel is from George Kennan's illustrated paper in the May Century:— On Friday, October 2, Mr. Frost and I again visited Kiakhta, and went with the boundary commissioner, Mr. Sulkofski, to call upon the Chinese Governor of Maimachin. The Mongolian town of Maimachin is separated from Kiakhta by a hundred and fifty or two hundred yards of neutral ground, through the middle of which is supposed to run the boundary line between the two great empires. Maimachin is further separated from Kiakhta by a high plank wall and by screens, or pagoda-shaped buildings, that mask the entrances to the streets so that the outside barbarian cannot look into the place without actually entering it, and cannot see anything beyond its wooden walls after he has entered it. It would be hard to imagine a more sudden and startling change than that brought about by a walk of two hundred yards from Kiakhta to Maimachin. One moment you are in a Russian provincial village, with its characteristic shops, log houses, golden-domed churches, droshkies (drosh-kees), soldiers, and familiar peasant faces; the next moment you pass behind the high screen that conceals the entrance to the Mongolian town, and find yourself apparently in the middle of the Chinese Empire. You can hardly believe that you have not been suddenly transported on the magical carpet of the "Arabian Nights" over a distance of a thousand miles. The town in which you find yourself is no more like the town that you have just left than a Zuni pueblo is like a village in New England, and, for all that appears to the contrary, you might suppose yourself to be separated from the Russian Empire by the width of a whole continent. The narrow, unpaved streets are shut in by gray, one-story houses, whose windowless walls are made of clay mixed with chopped straw, and whose roofs, ornamented with elaborate carving, show a tendency to turn up at the corners; clumsy two-wheel ox-carts, loaded with boxes of tea, and guided by swarthy Mongol drivers, have taken the place of the Russian horses and telegas; Chinese traders, in skull-caps, loose, flapping gowns and white-soled shoes, appear at the doors of the court-yards, instead of the Russian merchants in top-boots, loose waistcoats, and shirts worn outside their trousers, whom you have long been accustomed to see; and wild-looking sunburned horsemen, in deep orange gowns and dishpan-shaped hats, ride in now and then from some remote encampment in the great desert of Gobi, followed, perhaps, by a poor Mongol from the immediate neighborhood, mounted on a slow-pacing ox. Wherever you go, and in whatever direction you look, China has taken the place of Russia, and the scenes that confront you are full of strange, unfamiliar details. We drove with a Russo-Chinese interpreter to the residence of the "surguhce" (soor-goo-chay), or Chinese Governor—which was distinguished from all other houses by having two high poles tipped with gilded balls erected in front of it—and, after being introduced to His Excellency by Mr. Sulkofski, were invited to partake of tea, sweetmeats and maigalo (my-ga-lo), or Chinese rice brandy. We exchanged with the Governor a number of ceremonious and not at all exciting inquiries and replies relative to his and our health, affairs, and general well-being, drank three or four saki-cups of maigalo, nibbled at some candied fruits, and then, as the hour for his devotions had arrived, went with him, by invitation, to the temple, and saw him say his prayers before a large wooden idol to an accompaniment made by the slow tolling of a big deep-toned bell. The object of the bell ringing seemed to be to notify the whole population of the town that His Excellency, the Governor, was communing with his Joss. When we returned to his house Mr. Frost drew a portrait of him, as, with an amusing air of conscious majesty, he sat upon a tiger skin in his chair of state, and then, as we had no excuse for lingering longer, we took our leave, each of us receiving a neatly-tied package, in which were the nuts, sweetmeats and candied fruits that had been set before us but had not been eaten. We wasted the rest of the afternoon in trying to get photographs of some of the strange types and groups that were to be seen in the Maimachin streets. Again and again we were surrounded by forty or fifty Mongols, Buriats, and nondescript natives from the great southern steppes, and again and again we set up the camera and trained it upon a part of the picturesque throng. Every time Mr. Frost covered his head with the black cloth and took off the brass cap that concealed the instrument's Cyclopean eye, the apprehensive Celestials vanished with as much celerity as if the artist were manipulating a Gatling gun. We could clear a whole street from one end to the other by merely setting up the camera on its tripod and getting out the black cloth, and I seriously thought of advising the Chinese Governor to send to America for a photographic outfit to be used in quelling riots. He could disperse a mob with it more quickly and certainly than with a battery of mountain howitzers. If I remember rightly, Mr. Frost did not succeed in getting pictures of any animated objects that day, except a few Mongol ox-teams and two or three blind or crippled beggars, who could not move rapidly enough to make their escape.