Earlier text: The Cricket’s SongIs Tea a Temperance Drink?
By M. Ellsworth Olsen
THE answer to this question must depend upon our understanding of the reach and scope of temperance principles. According to a well-known physician, “the great sin of intemperance is not in the use of alcohol per se, but in the gratification of the desire for artificial stimulation.” Grant the truth of this statement, and the field of intemperance is broad enough to include a great many harmful practices of the present day, not least among which we would name the habitual use of tea, for reasons which may be briefly set forth. What is there in a cup of tea that has such a wonderful fascination for the nervous, energetic twentieth-century toiler? There are three chief ingredients,—about one grain of caffein (also called thein), two or three grains of tannic acid, and the merest trifle of volatile oil. The combination of these three principles, together with some subordinate elements which are of very little account, makes a medicinal drink which has come to be found on well-nigh every table in the land, and which has actually given its own name to the light afternoon meal which many people take between dinner and supper. Why do we drink tea?—Chiefly because of its immediate pleasurable effects upon the nervous system. We feel tired, jaded, disagreeable; a cup of tea makes us, for the time being, bright, vivacious, cheerful. It seems to put new life into us; but does it actually do this?—No, for it has absolutely no food value, hence it can not possibly add to the real strength of the system; but it can do that which alcohol does in a different way—it can draw out the reserve force of nervous energy, make us feel fresh and full of vigor when we are really fagged out, give us an artificial felicity to be most certainly followed later on by a corresponding depression. How Tea Affects the Nerves
Alcohol chiefly excites the heart; tea exerts its stimulating effects upon the central nervous system. These effects are not the same in all cases, being determined largely by the condition of the individual user. But the same general principle holds good in regard to its use as a beverage. Tea is not taken as a food, neither is it taken as an innocent relish to food, but for its fascinating effects upon the nervous system. Therefore it is not, strictly speaking, a temperance drink. A truly temperate person should seek restoration by rest and sleep when weary, and strength from food when hungry. This is nature’s way, and it is always the best way in the long run. Tannic Acid and Digestion
The injury of tea upon its devotees becomes the more apparent when one calls to mind that the tannic acid it contains is a very serious hindrance both to the digestion of starch by the saliva and to the digestion of proteids in the stomach. These facts are quite generally known, also the tendency of tea to produce flatulence and a disordered state of the digestive organs generally; and yet persons with weak digestion, and subject to innumerable headaches, will often continue to indulge in the baneful drink which is at the foundation of practically all their troubles. If it be objected that one must have something warm to drink, we would suggest that there are plenty of innocent beverages to be had without taking a solution of such a powerful nerve poison as caffein. Tea is as truly a drug as any preparation on the pharmacist’s shelves, and as such has no proper place on our daily bill of fare. We have known hundreds who have given up the use of tea, and we have yet to learn of a single case where the person did not reap great benefit from the change. Savory Soups Without Meat
WHETHER or not soup should be served with dinner, depends largely upon the nature of the soup and the manner of its serving. A thin soup, which makes up for its lack of nutrition by its excess of pepper, would better be omitted from the meal; while a nutritious, wholesome soup may well be served in small amounts in connection with the chief meal of the day. It is always contrary to the laws of good digestion to take a large quantity of any sort of liquid with the meal (except when an exclusive liquid diet is being taken); but a moderate amount of good soup acts as an appetizer, and stimulates the flow of the digestive fluids. It is possible to produce excellent soups without the use of meat stocks. The water in which macaroni has been boiled makes a very good soup stock, as does also the broth from lentils or dried beans. Following, are a number of recipes which may be helpful:— Thoroughly wash a pound of brown or of German lentils, and leave them soaking in cold water overnight. In the morning put them to boil, and allow them to simmer gently until they are quite tender. It may be necessary to8 add boiling water from time to time. When the lentils are done, there should be sufficient water covering them to constitute the chief part of the soup. Drain off the broth, adding to it from one to two cups of strained tomato juice. Reheat, season with salt, and a little onion juice and herbs, if desired. The lentils which remain may be rubbed through a sieve, seasoned, and served as a purée on the following day. These are inexpensive and at the same time very wholesome dishes. If preferred, some of the lentil pulp may be added to the broth, making a thicker soup. Beans may be prepared and served in the same way as lentils. The broth from thoroughly stewed brown beans is wonderfully rich and savory. In fact, any of the leguminous broths, if properly prepared, can scarcely be distinguished from meat broths. The intrinsic difference is this: The leguminous broths are rich in nutritive elements as well as flavor, while the meat broths are rich in flavoring extracts, but poor in food elements. If it is desired to produce a soup which is highly nutritious, milk may be added to the pulp of the legumes, as in the following:— Cream of Bean and Cream of Pea Soup
Thoroughly wash one pound of either good beans or dried peas. Soak overnight in cold water, then put over the fire in the morning. They should be cooked in the same water in which they have been soaking, unless the flavor of the legume is considered too strong, in which case fresh water may be used for stewing. Simmer gently for several hours, or until the legumes are tender. Then pass the beans or peas through a colander to remove the tough skins. To this pulp, add enough sweet milk to make a soup of desired consistency; season with salt and celery; reheat and serve. A bowl of hot cream of bean soup, with breadstuffs, constitutes a good luncheon for the boy or girl who returns home “as hungry as a bear.” Strain one quart of stewed tomatoes through a colander to remove the skins and seeds. Drop one-half cup of vermicelli into one cup of hot, salted water; cook until done, which requires only a few minutes; then turn into the tomato, heat together, season with salt, and add one-fourth cup of cream. When adding cream to tomato, care should be taken not to put the cold cream into the hot acid, as this will curdle it. Either beat the cream first, or add a little tomato slowly until the cream is all warmed; then it can be turned into the tomato without curdling. Serve at once. Take half a cup of nut butter, two cups of tomatoes, three cups of water, and four teaspoonfuls of salt. Rub the nut butter smooth in the tomato, add the water, and heat to boiling. Add enough salt to destroy the acid taste of the tomatoes. Serve hot. For each quart of soup desired, simmer a cupful of split peas very slowly in three pints of boiling water for several hours until thoroughly dissolved. When done, rub through a colander, reheat, and when boiling, stir in two teaspoonfuls of flour slightly browned and rubbed smooth in a little cold water. Boil until thickened, and serve. If preferred, the soup may be flavored with a little celery or onion. Salt to taste. Peel six good-sized potatoes, and cook them in as little water as possible. When done, drain off the water, but save it to return to the potatoes after they have been thoroughly mashed. Add enough milk to make the soup of the desired consistency. Season with onion, reheat, and serve. It is always well to serve zwieback or croutons with soup. To make the latter, cut white bread into slices half an inch thick, then cut these slices into half-inch squares. Place them in an unsoiled pan, and toast them in the oven until they are nicely browned, and crisp throughout. This is a good way to utilize stale bread.—Selected. What to Do for Hives
By J. J. BELL
Hives, or nettle-rash, is a skin affection which is more prevalent in warm weather than cold. An evanescent eruption of whitish, pinkish, or reddish elevations, or wheals, variable in size and shape, makes its appearance on the skin. Itching is almost always present; at times a pricking, stinging, or burning sensation may be prominent. The disease is due to a disturbance of function of the nerves supplying the blood-vessels of the skin. The attacks are almost always brought on by disturbed digestion, due to partaking of some article of diet which causes a derangement of the stomach. Occasionally some individuals have an attack when a certain kind of fruit is eaten. In some cases this may be due to the fact that the fruit is taken as an extra along with other unsuitable combinations, or the fruit may have been taken at unseasonable hours, as between meals, or just before retiring. Again, it may not have been fully ripe, or possibly it was overripe. Very likely it was not properly masticated. Any food difficult to digest may cause an attack of hives. For this reason pastry, fried foods, condiments, and spices should be avoided. The meals should be simple, and few articles taken at a time. Hasty eating and overloading of the stomach should be avoided. A warm bath to which has been added bicarbonate of soda often affords relief. This may be cooled, and then the skin well dried and rubbed with some soothing powder, such as talcum. Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
“A TREE is known by its fruit, not by its looks.” A Willing Mind
By Z. I. Davis
“It is work, work, all the time. ‘Freddy, fill the wood-box,’ or ‘Freddy, gather the eggs,’ or ‘Freddy, split the kindling.’ My arms are so tired that I wish I could have a little rest.” Cousin Alice, who had arrived a few days before, raised her hands in astonishment. Then she made such a comical face at him that he had to laugh. Stooping down, she started his ball across the floor, remarking, “It does not complain, even if it was so very busy yesterday.” Freddy laughed again at this reminder of the ball game. It had been a strenuous day for him, and he had been on the move from early dawn until dusk. “Playing ball never hurts me,” he exclaimed. “How we like our own way!” was his cousin’s naïve remark. His cheeks flushed crimson, and he dropped his head. “May I tell you a story of a young man I met in the hospital when I went there for nervous prostration?” “Yes,” was the eager reply; for, like all other boys, Freddy was fond of stories. Just then his mother glanced through the doorway. “There is not enough bread for supper, and the yeast will not be ready to bake until to-morrow. Can you go to the baker’s, son, for a loaf?” Turning to his cousin in dismay, he exclaimed, in a whining tone, “You see how it is.” “The story is from actual life, so it will keep until you return,” was her cheerful rejoinder. “I wish you would always be as quick to do errands,” smiled his mother, as he laid the package on the table ten minutes later. “He was a precocious boy in all his studies, and his teachers had to hold him back on account of his nerves,” began Alice. “In spite of that he was graduated a grade ahead of his class, and entered college in his eighteenth year. During his second term his health failed, and he had to have his right arm amputated. Poor boy! he was usually so brave. But when they told him he had necrosis of the bone, he almost lost heart. “In time he was graduated from college; but as the years passed, he underwent fifteen operations. Now in his twenty-seventh year, he has had his lower limbs amputated, but notwithstanding all this, he is preparing for further work. “A short time ago, he was principal of the high school in a suburb of our metropolis, and is a favorite wherever he goes. Success awaits him in his undertakings, for he is of a ‘willing mind.’” “How can a healthy boy be cross or find fault, when he thinks how many cripples there are in the world?” At the conclusion of the story, Cousin Alice looked at Freddy very gravely. Not only was he spoiling his own disposition, but he was making the home life disagreeable for those who loved him best on earth, besides setting a bad example for his younger brothers and sisters. There was an expression of penitence on the boy’s face that did her heart good. Plainly, the story had set him to thinking. It was evident that he had caught a glimpse of his real self as well as of what he ought to be. Suddenly he drew himself up to his fullest height. After reassuring himself of the perfect soundness of his limbs, he exclaimed, “I am going to grow up to be brave and willing!” “With Christ’s help,” added his cousin, gently. “Jesus was willing to do God’s will, even in the face of the most cruel death. If you grow up to be a good man, you will have to begin now.” “I will, with his help,” was the sober reply.—Z. I. Davis, in United Presbyterian. HANG on! cling on! no matter what they say.
Push on! sing on! Things yet will come your way.
Sitting down and whining never helps a bit;
Best way to get there is by keeping up your grit.
Don’t give up hoping when the ship goes down,
Grab a spar or something — just refuse to drown.
Don’t think you’re dying just because you’re hit;
Smile in face of danger, and hang on to your grit.
Folks die too easy, they sort of fade away,
Make a little error, and give up in dismay.
Kind of man that’s needed is the man with ready wit,
To laugh at pain and trouble, and keep — his — grit. To gain the victory over temptation, it must be met at the point of contact. When the temptation confronts us, at the very moment that sin invites us to indulgence, right there is the time to engage it in deadly conflict. At that particular point we need to cry to God for deliverance, and in his name and by his power assert our mastery over the evil thing. But at this time in the warfare many make a serious mistake. They yield to the tempter's wiles; they allow themselves to be drawn into the snare; then, after being defeated, cast down, in their humiliation and darkness they cry to God for deliverance. He mercifully listens to their cry; he reaches down his strong and mighty hand into the very depths of the pit, and lifts them out, and sets their feet once more upon the solid rock. But O, how much better for these poor, fallen souls, had they fled for deliverance when they stood face to face with the enemy, and before they had yielded to his enticements! There, at the very point of contact, was the time to resist. Says the apostle, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” A prayer to God, a cry for deliverance, a hand upraised for divine help, would have brought strength and resolution to the soul; and instead of defeat and failure, a song of victory could have been sung. This experience of victory is what we need in our lives now. Too long have we been made the prey of Satan's wiles. We need now, as the sons and daughters of God, to assert our moral independence of Satan's rule, to claim the liberty of the sons of God. Christ died to set us free. Why should we not claim this freedom? Why longer be held the bond-slaves of the great adversary? Why longer allow ourselves to be shut up in the darkness, when light and liberty have been purchased for us? Songs of mourning should give place to songs of rejoicing, the shout of victory should be heard in the camp of Israel. Our meetings for praise and prayer should be occasions in which we can tell of the victories gained over sin. It is our blessed privilege to experience in our own hearts the triumphs of God's grace. Masquerading in Religious Garb
By F. M. W.
God is unchanged and unchangeable; he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. His truth is as unchangeable as himself. In every age it has been the same. Plain, straightforward, undeviating, it has appeared always in its true character. It has had no resort to subterfuge or devious wanderings. Its power has been in its simplicity; its force in its directness. The last generation of men will be saved by the same gospel, and by compliance with the same conditions, which has brought salvation to the faithful of all the ages of the past. The reverse is true of error. Its history is the exact opposite of the history of truth. Subtle and deceitful in its workings, it has assumed every character and changed to every hue, the better to accomplish its evil purposes. At times it has appeared in its true character, the bold, brazen, hateful thing that it is; at other times it has borrowed the livery of heaven, and masqueraded under the name of truth and virtue, the better to accomplish its wicked designs. The bitter, implacable foe of Christianity, it has not hesitated to assume that name when by so doing it could better accomplish its work. Its names have been legion, its assumed characters myriad. It has sought to suit its attacks against Christianity and its divine Author to the age and to the times. The Scriptures of truth particularly forewarn us that in the last days of earth’s history the author of error will appear even as an angel of light in the carrying forward of his work. We have but to open our eyes and look out into the great world, to see the striking fulfilment of this statement. Through subtle insinuation and intrigue, professed Christianity itself has been honeycombed by the spirit of skepticism and infidelity. Of old, the infidel critic, in jesting, blatant speech, in scoff and invective, sought to heap ridicule upon divine revelation. Infidel France openly avowed her determination to put to death God’s two witnesses; but the last few decades have witnessed an adaptation of error better suited to the so-called intellectualism and esthetic culture of a later civilization. Under the names of Higher Criticism and New Theology, professedly Christian in character, and with the avowed purpose of reducing historical and Scriptural research to its final solution. Our infidelity has invaded the church of God. Men of high Christian profession have set themselves, by the sowing of this evil seed, to prepare their congregations and listeners for what they conceive to be a higher Christian philosophy than was believed by the fathers. The baneful fruit of this teaching is beginning to appear; it is seen in a lessening of Christian faith, in a discarding of the old-time fundamentals of Scriptural truth, in a lowering of the moral standard, in the exaltation of a human Saviour, in the creation of a rapidly growing element of free-thinkers in the professed church of God, who are as truly infidel at heart as some of their cruder and more outspoken prototypes of the past. Speaking of the character of this invasion, and of the legitimate fruits it has brought forth, the United Presbyterian of July 6, 1911, says:— We like things new, and hear with open ears the most radical propositions in faith and religion as well as in science. The New Theology speaks of advance, of new thought, new standards, and new motives in life. It gains a hearing with those who have not been grounded in the old faith, and by its insistent claim to the inspiration of modern thought gains the assent of many who are without deep conviction in reference to divine truth. It is difficult to define the tenets of the New Theology; for it uses old terms, but with new meanings. It professes loyalty to the Scriptures, but its definition of inspiration brings the sacred books nearly to the common level of great writers, a little earlier but not much above Shakespeare and Milton. “The Bible can no longer be isolated from other books, as was the habit in the old theology.” It speaks of the divinity of Jesus, but it is the divinity which they say is found in every one, a little better perhaps, but far below Deity. One of the most attractive teachings of the New Theology is its view of sin. It does not have the severe element of guilt and penalty following, but a weakness of the moral power; not a fall from the original holiness of creation in the image of God, but the present stage is the development of man from a lower ancestry, “the survival of the animal in man.” Corresponding to this is the conception of salvation. It is not a work of God wrought out through the atonement, but a development of that which is already in us, a process going on through all the ages, and the atonement is in human suffering. Not regeneration, but development is the drift. In general, the New Theology lowers the conception of God as a person, loving and caring for and saving us, and of Christ as the eternal Son of God, truly God in our nature, divine and yet our brother; it also lowers the conception of man and of his destiny. It removes us from that close relation to God as our Father which the Holy Scriptures so clearly reveal. The New Theology is not new; ages ago it was taught; in every age it has been proclaimed and received with gladness, because it takes away the deep sense10 of guilt; but it does not save the world; it has no power to regenerate. As is stated above, the New Theology is as old as the ages. It inquires, though perhaps in more polite form, in the words of Pharaoh: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice? . . . I know not the Lord.” The effect of this teaching has been to take away the consciousness of sin, to darken men’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; and it will leave them stranded and shipwrecked amid the ruins of their own theories. In it there is no power to regenerate. From these philosophies of man God calls us to return to the simple story of the cross; to Christ, the only Saviour of man; to the Word of God, the only divine revelation. Before its mysteries, human philosophy falls in insignificance; through its divine energy, and through it only, can a change be effected in the human heart; and through its power eventually will those who accept its teachings be saved, and error be forever overthrown. F. M. W. An Important Date
By W. W. P.
Historical Proof Which Establishes the Time for the Commencement of the Twenty-three Hundred Days
(Republished by request, from REVIEW of April 5, 1906.) IT was the correct understanding of the subject of the sanctuary which explained the disappointment of 1844. This did not call for any readjustment of the prophetic periods, or the setting of any later date for the coming of the Lord. Seventh-day Adventists stand upon the original advent platform in their interpretation and application of such leading time prophecies as the “time and times and half a time” (twelve hundred sixty years) of Dan. 7:25, the “two thousand and three hundred days” (twenty-three hundred years) of Dan. 8:14, the “five months” (one hundred fifty years) of the fifth trumpet (Rev. 9:10), and the “hour, and a day, and a month, and a year” (three hundred ninety-one years and fifteen days) of the sixth trumpet. Rev. 9:15. It is doubtless true that the period upon which the greatest stress has been laid, both before and since the disappointment of 1844, is that of the twenty-three hundred days, or years; and for about three-quarters of a century it has been maintained that this period began B. C. 457 and ended in A. D. 1844. The Scriptural proof of this position is very simple. The seventy weeks of Dan. 9:24 began with the going forth of “the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” (Dan. 9:25), and the time of this event is stated to be “in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.” Ezra 7:7. According to the generally accepted chronology, the seventh of Artaxerxes was B. C. 457, as is noted in the margin of the Authorized Version of the book of Ezra; but, as is the case with almost every important doctrine, some have disputed this date, and have asserted that there was not sufficient proof to establish this important position. We have therefore thought that it might be worth the while to bring forward some historical evidence bearing upon this question,—evidence of such a character that it can not be set aside by mere assertion. As the extract which we shall quote involves some abbreviations and expressions not now in common use in reckoning time, we will interpret some of them, so that all our readers may have as clear an understanding as possible of the grounds upon which the reckoning is based. The expression “An. 1, Olymp. 87” means “in the first year of the eighty-seventh Olympiad;” the expression “An. 4, Olymp. 88” means “in the fourth year of the eighty-eighth Olympiad;” the expression “An. 1, Olymp. 75” means “in the first year of the seventy-fifth Olympiad;” and the expression “An. 4, Olymp. 83” means “in the fourth year of the eighty-third Olympiad.” The Olympiad was “the period of four years between any two celebrations of the Olympic games,” at Olympia, in Elis, one of the states of Greece, the first Olympiad being reckoned from B. C. 776. Wherever the abbreviation “An. J. P.” occurs, it may be interpreted, “The year of the Julian Period.” This was “a chronological period of 7,980 years, combining the solar, lunar, and indiction cycles,” which was given a theoretical starting-point in B. C. 4713. “The Julian Period was proposed by Scaliger, to remove or avoid ambiguities in chronological dates, and was so named because composed of Julian years.” The abbreviation “lib.” should be read “book.” The expression “Anno Urbis Condita 273” may be read “in the two hundred and seventy-third year from the founding of the city,” referring to the founding of Rome in B. C. 754. The other abbreviations will doubtless be understood by the average reader. The quotation to which reference has been made is from Part I, chapter 10, of Sir Isaac Newton’s work on the prophecies of Daniel, and reads as follows:— The grounds of the chronology here followed [to show that the seventh year of Artaxerxes was B. C. 457] I will now set down as briefly as I can. The Peloponnesian war began in spring, An. 1, Olymp. 87 (B. C. 432), Diodorus, Eusebius, and all other authors agree. It began two months before Pythodorus ceased to be Archon (Thucyd. I, 2), that is, in April, two months before the end of the Olympic year. Now, the years of this war are most certainly determined by the fifty years’ distance of its first year from the transit of Xerxes inclusively (Thucyd. I, 2), or forty-eight years exclusively (Eratosth. apud Clem. Alex.); by the sixty-nine years’ distance of its end, or twenty-seventh year, from the beginning of Alexander’s reign in Greece; by the acting of the Olympic games in its fourth and twelfth years (Thucyd. I, 5); and by three eclipses of the sun and one of the moon, mentioned by Thucydides and Xenophon. Now Thucydides, an unquestionable witness, tells us that the news of the death of Artaxerxes Longimanus was brought to Ephesus, and from thence by some Athenians to Athens, in the seventh year of the Peloponnesian, when the winter half-year was running, and therefore he died An. 4, Olymp. 88, in the end of An. J. P. 4289 (B. C. 425), suppose a month, or two, before midwinter; for so long the news would be in coming. Now, Artaxerxes Longimanus reigned forty years, by the consent of Diodorus, Eusebius, Jerome, Sulpitius, or forty-one, according to Ptol. in Can., Clem. Alexand. (I. 1), Strom., Chron. Alexandr., Abulpharagius, Nicephorus, including therein the reign of his successors, Xerxes and Sogdian, as Abulpharagius informs us. After Artaxerxes, reigned his son, Xerxes, two months, and Sogdian seven months; but their reign is not reckoned apart in summing up the years of the kings, but is included in the forty, or forty-one years’ reign of Artaxerxes; omit these nine months, and the precise reign of Artaxerxes will be thirty-nine years and three months. And, therefore, since his reign ended in the beginning of winter, An. J. P. 4289 (B. C. 425), it began between midsummer and autumn An. J. P. 4250 (B. C. 464). The same thing I gather also thus: Cambyses began his reign in spring, An. J. P. 4185 (B. C. 529), and reigned eight years, including the five months of Smerdis; and then Darius Hystaspes began in spring, An. J. P. 4193 (B. C. 521), and reigned thirty-six years, by the unanimous consent of all chronologers. The reigns of these two kings are determined by three eclipses of the moon, observed at Babylon, and recorded by Ptolemy; so that it can not be disputed. One was in the seventh year of Cambyses, An. J. P. 4191 (B. C. 523), July 16, at eleven at night; another in the twentieth year of Darius, An. J. P. 4212 (B. C. 502), November 19, at 11:45 at night; a third in the thirty-first year of Darius, An. J. P. 4223 (B. C. 491), April 25, at 11:30 at night. By these eclipses, and the prophecies of Haggai and Zechary compared together, it is manifest that his years began after the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh Jewish month, and before the twenty-fifth day of April, and by consequence about March. Xerxes, therefore, began in spring, An. J. P. 4229 (B. C. 485), for Darius died in the fifth year after the battle of Marathon, as Herodotus (lib. 7) and Plutarch mention; and that battle was in October, An. J. P. 4224 (B. C. 490), ten years before the battle at Salamis. Xerxes, therefore, began within less than a year after October, An. J. P. 4228 (B. C. 486), suppose in the spring following; for he spent his first five years, and something more, in11 preparations for his expedition against the Greeks; and this expedition was in the time of the Olympic games, An. 1, Olymp. 75, Calliade Athenis Archonte, twenty-eight years after the regifuge and consulship of the first consul, Junius Brutus, Anno Urbis Condita 273 (B. C. 481), Fabio and Furio Coss. The passage of Xerxes’s army over the Hellespont began in the end of the fourth year of the seventy-fourth Olympiad, that is, in June, An. J. P. 4234 (B. C. 480), and took up one month; and in autumn, three months after, on the full moon, the sixteenth day of the month of Munychion, was the battle of Salamis, and a little after that an eclipse of the sun, which, by the calculation, fell on October 2. His sixth year, therefore, began a little before June, suppose in spring, An. J. P. 4234 (B. C. 480), and his first year consequently in spring, An. J. P. 4229 (B. C. 485), as above. Now, he reigned almost twenty-one years, by the consent of all writers. Add the seven months of Artabanus, and the sum will be twenty-one years and about four or five months, which end between midsummer and autumn, An. J. P. 4250 (B. C. 464). At this time, therefore, began the reign of his successor, Artaxerxes, as was to be proved. The same thing is also confirmed by Julius Africanus, who informs us out of former writers that the twentieth year of this Artaxerxes was the one hundred fifteenth year from the beginning of the reign of Cyrus in Persia, and fell in with An. 4, Olymp. 83. It began, therefore, with the Olympic year soon after the summer solstice, An. J. P. 4269 (B. C. 445). Subduct nineteen years, and his first year will begin at the same time of the year, An. J. P. 4250 (B. C. 464), as above. Thus by three independent lines of historical proof Sir Isaac Newton shows that Artaxerxes began his reign in B. C. 464, and “the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king” would consequently be B. C. 457. Such an array of historical evidence ought to be sufficient to convince any reasonable student of the prophecies that the twenty-three hundred years of Daniel’s vision began in B. C. 457, and therefore ended in 1844. This is one of the original planks in the second advent platform. W. W. P. The Consciousness of Divine Acceptance
By F. M. W.
IT is our privilege to know that our sins have been forgiven for Christ's sake, and that we are counted of heaven as children of God. The consciousness of this truth brings into the Christian experience a confidence and certainty. Many professed Christians lack this assurance. They go about with heads bowed down and with trembling hearts, doubting God's promises, and failing to obtain out of the Christian experience that sweetness and joy which come from the presence of the indwelling Spirit. To them the Christian warfare is a game of chance, an uncertain race. The eternal reward, like the will-o'-the-wisp, appears and disappears in answer to their changing mood and experience. Such ones need to learn the assurance of faith. They need to take their stand firmly upon the promises of God's Word. If divine acceptance were dependent upon human power or human promises, it might indeed appear uncertain, but “he is faithful that promised.” The apostle Paul says, “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” This confidence is not the fruit of self-righteousness or of egotism. Of our own selves we can do nothing, but all power is of our blessed Master, and if we will but submit to him, he is abundantly able, of that power, to bring us off conquerors in the end. But eternal salvation involves present salvation. He who experiences the power of God in the salvation of eternity must experience that keeping power now in salvation from sin. The future we do not need to worry over. It is for us to know to-day that we are accepted in the Beloved. We are to rejoice that God has forgiven our sins for Christ's sake, and that our names are written in heaven. This joy of faith it is the privilege of every soul to experience. Harvest Ingathering Campaign for 1911
By W. T. Knox
The King’s business requires haste. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” The voice of the Lord is still being heard throughout the land uttering the same question. With greater urgency and insistence, he is calling to his children to become his messengers. In every land we are beholding the revelation of the glory and majesty of the Most High in his work of transforming character and subduing men to the likeness of his image. How are we answering the call of God to become his active messengers and servants in this great work? The lines of effort in which our energies can be employed are many. The work of the message has taken on so many phases that no one need now be excluded from its activities. In the past three years the Harvest Ingathering campaign has afforded to all the denomination a splendid and fruitful opportunity to assist in a very practical way in sending the truth to the world. In addition to giving to thousands a knowledge of the work being done by the denomination, and thereby interesting many in the truth we are propagating, over one hundred twenty thousand dollars has been brought into the treasury by the distribution of these special mission numbers of the Review. During the year 1910, the amount thus gathered was $41,143.93, which was to the Mission Board a highly appreciated assistance in providing for the mission fields. Without it, we would have been greatly embarrassed in a most trying year. To the local conferences and churches it was also a financial blessing, furnishing to them, as it did, thirteen and one-half per cent of their ten-cent-a-week fund. Plans have now been perfected for the campaign for 1911, the General Conference Council having selected the Signs of the Times as the periodical to be used. Five hundred thousand copies have been ordered printed, the work of printing to begin early in August. The Pacific Press will give to this special number its very best effort, and we expect to see produced a paper that will be a credit to the denomination. Orders for papers and supplies should be placed with the conference tract societies not later than September, all of which are to be placed with the Pacific Press Publishing Company, Mountain View, Cal. Orders will receive prompt attention. No orders for papers or supplies should be sent to Takoma Park. The campaign itself is to begin October 30, the special Signs being issued under date of November 7. The General Conference Committee earnestly hope that all conference and church officers will at once begin to plan for an active and aggressive campaign. Unwarranted Security
By C. M. S.
The Christian Register of May 25 has the following to say in reference to the improbability of there ever being any movement among Roman Catholics in this country which will break down the guaranties of civil and religious liberties which now obtain here:— Although in a few localities the Roman Catholics are in the majority, taking the country altogether we may repress any tendency toward a scare by reflecting that the Methodists alone among the Protestants greatly outnumber the Roman Catholics, and in any strife for supremacy would put an end to the political pretensions of the Roman Church. If Protestant denominations were maintaining military organizations as the Catholics are, there might be some ground of assurance along the line which the Christian Register indicates; but this is not the case. There can be no question that the military organizations among Catholics in this country are one of its danger assets. If we are resting our hope of peace and safety in this country on the fact that Methodists outnumber Roman Catholics, we are building upon sand. The Unsearchable Riches of Christ
By Mrs. S. L. Stout
Eye hath not seen, except in holy vision
Permitted those who know and love the Lord,
The glory of his throne, the fields Elysian,
The wonders of the universe of God; The crystal stream, the tree of life, the fame
Of which have sung the prophet and the seer;
The splendor of immortal fruits and flowers; the same
That never fade in Eden’s atmosphere;
The pastures fair; the Lamb of life and glory,
Leading his flock like shepherd kind and great—
O precious word! O true and ancient story!
I wait for him—for him my soul doth wait. And glittering stones! I close my eyes, and see them;
Or gazing up into the azure blue,
Methinks the grandeur of the heavenly beacon
Above the mist is almost gleaming through. And O, to think that earth-born souls shall know thee!
Earth-born, but changed in spirit-birth before:
Blest Lord, on earth in rapture we behold thee
In all thy works, and worship, and adore.