Earlier text: O Love of God!Character and Work of Nehemiah
By Editor
[Those who have been interested in the study of the book of Nehemiah in the Sabbath-school during the past quarter will find the last chapter of the book, “Ezra and Nehemiah, Their Lives and Times,” by George Rawlinson, intensely interesting and profitable reading. A few excerpts from the chapter referred to follow.—Ed.] THE character of Nehemiah has provoked the admiration of all those who have made it their study. “Every act of his during his government bespeaks one who had no selfishness in his nature. All he did was noble, generous, high-minded, courageous, and to the highest degree upright. To stern integrity he united great humility and kindness, and a princely hospitality. . . . But in nothing was he more remarkable than for his piety, and the singleness of eye with which he walked before God. He seems to have undertaken everything in dependence upon God, with prayer for his blessing and guidance, and to have sought his reward only from God.”—Harvey. In our opinion the most striking feature in Nehemiah’s character is this last-mentioned one, his piety, and especially his prayerfulness, at all times and under all circumstances. A second main feature in Nehemiah’s character is his patriotism. . . . Because his people were downtrodden; because they were “in great affliction and reproach” (chap. 1:3), with the wall of their city “broken down,” and the gates “burned with fire” (ibid.); because they were “feeble” (chap. 4:2), and despised (chap. 1:9), and poor, and ground down, and oppressed (chap. 5:1-8), therefore his heart clave to them, and he was drawn by the cords of love to cast in his lot with theirs,—to exchange a position of ease, wealth, and dignity for one of ceaseless toil, of no small danger, and of exposure to scorn and reproach. Few patriots have ever succeeded in doing so much in so short a time. And, as his course began, so it continued. Very conspicuous, too, and very admirable, are his activity and energy. Never was light-footed Greek or energetic Roman more constantly employed, more active, earnest, vigorous. He travels from Susa to Jerusalem (chap. 2:9-11), and from Jerusalem to Susa, and back (chap. 13:6), as if the arduous journey of five hundred miles or more were nothing but a pleasure-trip. Within three days of reaching Jerusalem, he makes a careful survey of the ruins (chap. 2:11-16). Then he assembles the head men, opens his design to them, plans and arranges the work. Within fifty-two days it is completed (chap. 6:15). By constant and almost incredible exertions; by taking his full share in the labors that he exacted from others (chap. 4:15, 21); by watchfulness both day and night (verse 9); by fresh expedients devised to meet every new danger; by an unwearied persistence, which reached to the extremity of neither himself nor his special followers ever taking off their clothes (verse 23), he brings his enterprise to a successful issue in little more than seven weeks from the time of its inception. Does he then take a prolonged rest?—No. Almost immediately he addresses himself to a new and far more arduous task than the one which he has just completed,—a task which elsewhere has scarcely ever been accomplished except by a social revolution. He takes up the cause of the poorer classes, interferes between the oppressors and the oppressed, shames the rich into the relinquishment of their evil practises, extorts from them the spoil on which they have laid their greedy hands (chap. 5:11-13), and rescues the poor from the gulf of destruction, on the brink of which they were standing. Meanwhile his emissaries are searching out enslaved Jews, and ransoming them (verse 8), and restoring them to their place in the city; and he himself is daily entertaining at his table more than a hundred fifty guests (verse 17), while at the same time he is contending with his foes, both within and without the city (chap. 6:2-9), frustrating their schemes, rejecting their specious overtures, not suffering himself to be turned away from whatever work he has in hand by open foes or pretended friends, by idle threats, or spurious prophecies, or artful cajoleries (verses 10-19). . . . With unwearied energy he next proceeds to take a census of the inhabitants of Jerusalem (chap. 7:5); and, a little later, he adds to the number by drawing into the city one out of every ten of the inhabitants of the villages and country districts (chap. 11:1, 2). Next he engages in what is perhaps the most difficult task of all those to which he puts his hand, the reformation of religion,—the uprousing and quickening into life and vigor of the moral and spiritual natures of the people. Checked in this work by a sudden recall to court, and the necessity of traveling, in going and returning, more than a thousand miles, he hastens back as soon as he may (chap. 13:6), and, like a giant refreshed, plunges once more into the fierce struggle whereby alone it is possible to bring about a real and permanent improvement. Opposition meets him everywhere, but he combats it with all the vigor and all the tenacity of purpose which he displayed twelve years previously. Priest, and Levite, and people, and the high priest himself, have to succumb to his energetic initiative. The temple chambers are cleared (chap. 13:8, 9); the Levites are fetched back from their fields (verse 10); the tithes are collected and brought in (verse 12); the strict observance of the Sabbath is enforced (verses 15-22); the heathen wives are repudiated and cast out (verses 3, 23-27); the one stubborn recalcitrant is sent into banishment (verse 28). Nehemiah, up to the moment when he disappears from our sight, is still the same unweariedly active, zealous, stirring, striving individual, that he was when first introduced to us. Yet with all his vigor and his energy, he is prudent. He does not launch out into a world of bitter adversaries without taking every precaution. He accepts a guard from the king (chap. 2:9) to protect him on his way to Jerusalem. He takes care to have abundant firmans accrediting him to persons of influence (verses 7, 8). He knows when to hold his tongue, and keeps his designs secret until he has obtained a tolerably complete knowledge of the state of affairs (verses 12-16), and sees his way clearly to the accomplishment of his purpose. . . . A minor trait in Nehemiah’s character is his courage, both physical and moral. He takes his position with the armed force wherever there seems to be the greatest danger; he marshals the men at his disposal personally (verse 13); he moves from place to place, and takes his trumpeter with him, to summon aid where it may be most wanted (verses 18-20); he is there, watching, commanding, encouraging, overseeing, night and day, and scarcely takes off his clothes while the peril continues (verse 23). Such courage is unusual even in a commander who is a trained soldier; in Nehemiah, the royal favorite, the dainty courtier, the “cup-bearer,” it is astonishing. Nor does his moral courage fall short of his physical. Considerable moral courage was shown, when, notwithstanding that he “was sore afraid” (chap. 2:2), he made his request for leave of absence of the king (verse 5). Still more was exhibited, when, to the scornful and spiteful words of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, “What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?” (verse 19), he answered, “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem” (verse 20). . . . It has been said that in the character of Nehemiah it is almost impossible to detect a single fault. But this praise is a little exaggerated. Nehemiah’s nature was strongly emotional, and he did not always control his emotions sufficiently. His “fiery soul” was sometimes “roused to burning frenzy.” It may be justly said that this is a slight flaw in an otherwise most admirable character; but still it is a flaw, and should not be overlooked. We can never too strongly impress, either upon ourselves or others, the fact that there is but one flawless character in the whole range of history, one perfect pattern and example, the man Christ Jesus. Our Conflict
By C. M. SNOW
I CAN not lift the drowsy veil
Of time that is to be,
Nor tell what wonders lie unsung
In God’s eternity.
Not mine the tongue to charm the ear—
Nor yet the ear that hears
The cadence of the universe,
The music of the spheres. In God’s good time the veil will lift
That blinds the eye of sense,
And sight shall crown our stumbling faith
In God’s omnipotence. Between the muster and the crown
There lie the weary years,
Filled up with conflict and with pain,
With struggles and with tears. With Hope’s far eye made clear by Faith,
We view Time’s vista long,
And step by step God’s mountain scale
To meet his angel throng. ’Tis not in strength of human limb,
Nor wisdom of our own,
That we must conquer on the hills
Where hosts are overthrown. The battle is not ours, but God’s;
The strength to win is his;
Yea, his the helmet, shield, and sword,
Yet ours the victory is.
But not in pampered indolence
May we go on, if then
We would in heaven the ransom share
Of God’s accepted men. Six thousand years in battle-line,
God’s hosts have struggled on
Through desert drear or fen or flood
Up toward Time’s reddening dawn;
And now the Day-Star lights the east,
The final charge has come;
Through every vale the bugle calls,
On every hill the drum. We can not camp between the lines;
We can not neutral be;
For this side or for that we choose
For all eternity. For such a time God give us strength,
Give sight, give wisdom, grace,
That in this mighty conflict we
May fill no coward’s place. God give us men who know his power,
And to his Word conform;
God give us men who fear not man,
Nor quail before the storm.
Ah, ’tis a time to try men’s souls—
The climax of a world—
Where truth and falsehood stand arrayed,
With battle-flags unfurled. God’s banner over us is love,
And his omniscient form
Will shield the cohorts of his grace
From this onrushing storm. Stand fearless, then, whate’er the place
Our God may give you here;
’Tis only they who quit his ranks
That need to harbor fear.
In God’s strength find the power you need;
For counsel seek his face;
Where’er your Leader stations you,
That is your safest place.
Thus armed and clothed with power divine,
In wisdom thus arrayed,
Go forth, go forward, valiant go,
Nor ever be dismayed. Teacher, Know Thyself
By Ellen G. White
To know one's self is great knowledge. True self-knowledge will lead to a humility that will allow the Lord to train the mind, and mold and discipline the character. The grace of humility is greatly needed by the workers for Christ in this period of the world's history. No teacher can do acceptable work who does not bear in mind his own deficiencies, and does not drop out from his reckoning all plans that will weaken his spiritual life. When teachers are willing to drop out from their work everything that is unessential for the life eternal, then they can be said indeed to be working out their salvation with fear and trembling, and to be building wisely for eternity. I am instructed to say that some of our teachers are far behind in an understanding of the kind of education needed for this period of earth's history. This is not a time for students to be gathering up a mass of knowledge that they can not take with them to the school above. Let us carefully weed out from our course of study all that can be spared, that we may have room in the minds of the students in which to plant the seeds of righteousness. This instruction will bear fruit unto eternal life. Every teacher should be a daily learner in the school of Christ, lest he lose the sense of what constitutes true physical, mental, and moral excellence. No one should place himself as a teacher of others who is not constantly working out his own salvation by receiving and imparting an all-round education. The true teacher will educate himself in moral excellence, that by precept and example he may lead souls to understand the lessons of the Great Teacher. No one should be encouraged to do the work of teaching who will be satisfied with a low standard. No one is fitted to teach the grand mysteries of godliness till Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. Every teacher needs to receive the truth in the love of its sacred principles; then he can not fail of exerting an influence that is purifying and uplifting. The teacher whose soul the truth cleanses, refines, and ennobles, whose heart is stayed upon Christ, will speak and act like a Christian. Such an one will not be satisfied until the truth cleanses his life from every unessential thing. He will not be satisfied unless his mind is day by day being molded by the holy influences of the Spirit of God. Then Christ can speak to the heart, and his voice, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it,” will be heard and obeyed. The teacher who has a right understanding of the work of true education, will not think it sufficient now and then to make casual reference to Christ. With his own heart warm with the love of God, he will constantly uplift the man of Calvary. His own soul imbued with the Spirit of God, he will seek to fasten the attention of the students upon the pattern Christ Jesus, the chiefest among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely. The Holy Spirit is greatly needed in our schools. This divine agency comes to the world as Christ’s representative. He is not only the faithful and true witness to the Word of God, but he is the searcher of the thoughts and purposes of the heart. He is the source to which we must look for efficiency in the restoration of the moral image of God in man. The Holy Spirit was eagerly sought for in the schools of the prophets; his transforming influence was to bring even the thoughts into harmony with the will of God, and establish a living connection between earth and heaven. Teachers, if you will open your hearts to the indwelling of the Spirit of God, if you will welcome the heavenly Guest, God will make you laborers together with him. In co-operation with the Master Teacher, the spirit of selfishness will be expelled, and wonderful transformations will take place. The Circulation of Our Literature
By R. J. BRYANT
THE circulation of our literature is something in which every man, woman, and child in our ranks should be interested. About ten years ago there lived in the old Limestone City of Kingston, situated at the head of the St. Lawrence River, in Ontario, a young man who was canvassing for worldly magazines. While engaged in this work, he met a Seventh-day Adventist canvassing for our books. Becoming interested in the truth, he accepted it, and took up the sale of our books. Shortly after this the president of the conference visited him, and was met at the station by our brother, who, offering to carry the minister’s baggage, found it so heavy that he could carry it but a little way before stopping to rest. After arriving home, he asked the minister what made the baggage so heavy. The minister showed him a good supply of books which he was selling. That was in the days when the canvassing work was progressive in the province of Ontario. The fact that the minister was selling books at every opportunity, indicated his belief in the idea that all of God’s people should be doing all they could to scatter the printed page. This left such an impression on that young man’s mind that he is still in this good work. The writer is that young man. I know from experience that when our ministers and other workers again fall into line, and by precept and example urge our people to scatter the printed page, this message will go with a mighty power. The time has come when the canvassing work is to be revived. I believe we are now in the place where the children of Israel were when they came up to the borders of the land of Canaan the second time. They came there the first time with great power; but because9 of murmurings, complainings, fault-finding, etc., they were driven into the wilderness until the grumblers were destroyed. The second time they came, they had a remnant of these complainers, who were destroyed in sight of the land. After their destruction, the people of God rose up as one man, and did the work he wanted them to do. Neither the swelling Jordan, the Moabites, nor the walls of Jericho, were barriers to them; but with a strong arm God led his people. We have been told that we should now be in the kingdom. Now I believe that a few years ago we were in sight of the land. We came up there with power, too. Everywhere the people were working. Books were being sold by the thousands, not only by the people, but by the ministers. Every one wanted to have a part in scattering the printed page. But a change came. Murmuring and complaining were heard on all sides. Then the Lord turned us back into the wilderness. But now we are told that delay shall be no longer. We are in sight of the land again. The murmurers and fault-finders are rapidly falling out. How many of us, ministers and workers, will rise up and lead the people on in this good work? Let us use the power of the press which is in our hands, to scatter the printed page everywhere, and the earth will soon be lighted with the glory of God. Then we shall be at home in the kingdom of our God. Individual Obligation and Personal Effort
By G. A. IRWIN
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13: 32-37. These are the words of our Saviour in regard to his second coming. There is a similar statement in the record as given by Luke. After indicating the signs which would precede his coming, he closes the instruction in each instance with a warning to the people of God who should live in the time when this prophecy should be fulfilled, lest they should become drowsy and careless as to their duties and obligations. This scripture does not refer so much to the coming of our Lord in the clouds of heaven, with all the holy angels, as to his coming to individual names in the investigative judgment now going on in the heavenly sanctuary. That is quite clearly brought out by one or two expressions in the thirty-fifth verse: “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning.” We know by other scriptures (Job 34: 20; Matt. 25: 1-13), and by the spirit of prophecy (“Early Writings,” page 145), that the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven to deliver his people will be at midnight; so that this must mean a coming to the names of individuals in the investigative judgment, and of that time we know nothing. The thirty-fourth verse contains the thought I wish to present for consideration: “For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.” This language is not addressed to the disciples alone, but to every child of God. Christ has given to every man his work. Hence the question that should arise in every mind is, Am I doing the work that God has given me to do, so that when my name is called in the judgment, whether in the morning, or at evening, or at noon, or at midnight, I shall be found faithfully discharging that work, and thus be entitled to an entrance into the Master’s kingdom when he shall return from the wedding? We have now been many years in the time foretold by our Saviour; and, as we continue, we can see more and more the reason for this admonition at the end of each of our Saviour’s discourses. He evidently looked down to the time in which we are living, and saw that a desire for ease and self-gratification would take hold of the people of God, and this would be one of their greatest dangers in this time. While having a knowledge of the theory of the truth, their love of ease and self-gratification would overbalance and outweigh their love for it; so that at a time when God would expect them to be active agents in spreading a knowledge of the truth, many, very many of God’s people would be doing practically nothing in that line. In other words they would be sleeping when God would expect them to be wide-awake and active. We are told in an unpublished Testimony that “there has been so much preaching in our churches that they have almost ceased to appreciate the gospel ministry. The time has come when this order of things should be changed.” Now the object of the gospel ministry and all the instrumentalities which God has placed in his church is not that the members of the church shall be fed from Sabbath to Sabbath, and carried along by these agencies and instrumentalities, but that they might be teachers to instruct the church as to how its whole membership might be engaged in the work of the ministry; that is, in disseminating the light of truth that God has given it. Concerning the gifts in the church and their object, we read, in Eph. 4: 11-15:— “And he it is who gave to the church apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, teachers, with a view to fitting his people for the work of the ministry, and so for building up the body of the Christ. This work will continue until we all attain to that unity which comes from a fuller knowledge of him, until we reach the perfection of manhood, and that degree of development of which the ideal to be found in the Christ is the standard. We shall then no longer be like children, tossed backward and forward, and blown about by every breath of human teaching, and driven toward the snares of error by the trickery and craftiness of men; but by following the truth in the spirit of love, we shall grow up into complete union with our Head—Christ himself. For it is from him that the whole body, which is closely joined and held together by every link in the system, derives its power to grow in proportion to the activity of each individual part; and so it is being built up in a spirit of love.”—Twentieth Century Translation. We see, then, that the church derives its power to grow not by those agencies alone which are placed in it. They are placed there to teach the people, and fit them for the ministry. The body will grow just in proportion to the activity of each individual part. A church whose members simply settle down, and depend upon the minister to feed them from Sabbath to Sabbath, they themselves exercising none of the gifts God has given them,—that church will deteriorate instead of grow. We read from the Testimonies:— “Let the ministers call out the individual church-members to help them by house-to-house work in carrying the truth to regions beyond. Let all co-operate with the heavenly intelligences in communicating truth to others. What though it be in weakness? It is Christ who speaks to the heart; it is he who creates an interest where there has been no desire to hear.” There is one mistake we are all liable to make. We think we must be possessed with some power of our own that will compel a hearing and the acceptance of the things we preach and teach. We can only speak to the ear. “It is Christ who speaks to the heart; it is he who creates an interest where there has been no interest to hear.” In Ps. 68: 11 we are told, “The Lord gave the word: great was the company [margin, army] of those that published it.” This text was a favorite one with our beloved Sister S. M. I. Henry; and before she accepted the present truth, she applied it to the work of the W. C. T. U. But I believe it applies more especially to the work of the gospel in these closing days. You will see by comparing this with other scriptures that it is a latter-day prophecy. Reading from the fifth verse of this chapter, we can see where the connection should be made:—10 “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; the earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it is weary. Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor. The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” The expression “plentiful rain” found in the ninth verse refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain of the third angel’s message. This whole psalm is especially applicable to the remnant church in the closing work of the third angel’s message. Connecting this psalm with statements like the following, found in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah, one can readily see that it is a latter-day prophecy, and must meet its fulfilment at the same time: “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.” You can see from this that it has an application in the last days. “The Lord gave the word; great was the army of those that published it.” If there is to be a great army to publish the word in the last days, it must mean more than the ministers and the accredited workers of the denomination. It must certainly mean that; because the ministers of the denomination could not be said to be a great army. At present they would only make a small battalion. So, then, in order to make a “great company,” or “an army,” the whole denomination must be included. He who gave the word, and calls for a great army to publish it, not only promises to create an interest, but to give the increase. So the one who plants is nothing, the one who waters is nothing; but it is God who works in and through all, so that no flesh can glory in his presence. Takoma Park, D. C.
(To be concluded) Has the Church any Protection From Inward Foes?
By G. I. BUTLER
INWARD foes are the most dangerous of any. Civil wars are the worst kind of wars. Inward foes of the family, church, or nation, by the advantage they possess of being in the closest relations with each, can make the most trouble of any kind of enemies. Has the church any means of protecting itself against troublesome elements in its own bosom? When the nation has conspirators, secret enemies, it can banish, arrest, and imprison, or even put to death such dangerous foes. In the family relation, in extreme cases, the troublesome member can be ousted, and the disturber can be driven out. Must the church always tolerate mischief-makers, and hold in its bosom, and fellowship, destructive elements which tear down that which others are building up? The church of God is an institution of heavenly origin. What is a church?—“A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together.” “A body of Christian believers holding the same creed,” “observing the same rites, acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination,” etc.—Webster. God has had a church in all ages. We read of the “church in the wilderness.” Acts 7:38. So God certainly had a church in Old Testament times. A host of scriptures speak of the Christian church. Does the Bible give any information as to how to get rid of unworthy, disorderly, or rebellious characters? Or does it teach that such elements should always be tolerated, or held in fellowship?—Abundant provision is made in each dispensation for getting rid of such elements. In the Old Testament the expression is used “be cut off from his people.” See Ex. 30:33, 38; 31:14; Lev. 17:9. It is well known that excommunication for certain causes was practised in the Jewish economy in the Saviour’s time. Excommunication is “to put out of communion; especially to cut off or shut out from communion with the church by an ecclesiastical sentence.”—Webster. It is in substance to do exactly what those scriptures just referred to state; namely, to cut them off from among the people of God for doing things forbidden by the Word of God; in common parlance, it is to turn them out of the church, as unworthy of fellowship. Communion and fellowship are very nearly the same thing. When one’s conduct is wicked, contrary to the principles of true religion, the church labors with the person to show him the wrong. If he still persists in it, and does not admit or confess that wrong, but justifies himself in it, what can the church do? They can not justify the wrong. There comes a conflict of opinion. There must be a giving up of the standard of right on the part of the church or fellowship must be withdrawn. We have an illustration in the Saviour’s time of the method in use among the Jews,—methods existing for ages among that people,—in the case of the man born blind whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath: John 9. “The Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he [Jesus] was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.” Verses 22, 23. “And they cast him out.” These words, no doubt, refer to his excommunication. Our Lord warns his disciples that they will have to suffer excommunication at the hands of their countrymen (John 16:2), and the fear of it was such that people of good repute were prevented from acknowledging Christ. When we come into the Christian dispensation, we are instructed by Christ himself and by the apostles in reference to this subject of excommunication; how and when people should be cut off from the fellowship of the church. Our Saviour in Matthew 18 gives us a lengthy lesson concerning it. We can not in this brief article enter into all the particulars. Our object in writing is being mainly to establish the fact beyond question that it is a feature of the great scheme of the gospel designed of God to keep his church pure in doctrine and practise, and to exclude from it influences leading to confusion and corruption. In the scripture referred to, verses 15-18, our Saviour teaches us what steps should be taken in cases of trespass, where the rights of a member have been violated. The person injured should show to the trespasser the injury done him; lay his fault before him. If he would not listen, he should take with him one or two others as witnesses. If he would not hear them, the matter should be laid before the church. “If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” He further states that if these steps have been taken in the proper manner, that decision of the church will be ratified in heaven. All such matters are of deep moment to the one trespassing and not repenting. They affect his eternal destiny. It must be evident to every fair mind that when one becomes to the church “as an heathen man and a publican,” he has ceased to be a member of the church. He stands, in fact, on the same ground as one who has never been a member, but not to be hated or treated unkindly. When one will not hear the church, the church can no longer be of benefit to him or he to the church. The only relation he can then sustain to the church is that of one who is to repent and confess his sins. Union and fellowship must be restored before he can sustain any closer relationship. These are the personal directions of our divine Lord, designed to keep the church pure and its members in peace with one another. Christian Contentment
By G. B. F. Hallock
POVERTY is largely a matter of fancy. The real poverty is in the mind—in the mind’s attitude. There is such a thing as being rich without money. That man is rich who is rich in integrity, and who has that best of all blessings, a contented mind, Christian contentment. This last great boon is gained through making the most of our little enjoyments, through making the least of our little lacks, through doing our best at our little duties, through trusting in God and doing the right. We can all be millionaires of character and of faith, possessing that godliness which, with contentment, is the real gain.—G. B. F. Hallock. The Hour of Trial — the Shaking Time
By A. E. HASSELL
There will be a time of trial for the people of God before the appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Rev. 3: 10. It will try all on the earth; and when it is ended, the declaration is: “I come quickly.” We are entering upon that time now; already is the beginning of the shaking, or sifting, time. “Intensity” has “taken hold of everything.” The powers from beneath are indeed exerting their baneful influence, and will continue to do so more and more powerfully until the time comes for the climax of the controversy. Who will be able to survive the deadly influences of such a time?—God alone can tell. The whole world is contaminated. Would that it could be said of those who have professed this truth that they are free indeed; but such a declaration can not be made of them at present. “To our people, ministers and lay-members, I am instructed to say: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord,’—for many ministers and people are walking in strange paths,—‘and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’” Isa. 55: 6, 7. Let every soul be on the alert. The adversary is on your track. Be vigilant, watching diligently lest some carefully concealed and masterly snare shall take you unawares. Let the careless and indifferent beware lest the day of the Lord come upon them as a thief in the night. Many will wander from the path of humility, and, casting aside the yoke of Christ, will walk in strange paths. Blinded and bewildered, they will leave the narrow path that leads to the city of God.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. VIII, pages 99, 100. It is sad indeed that any of us should walk in strange paths, but sadder still that we should fail to listen to this merciful call to return and be healed, until, blinded and bewildered, we lose the path to the city of the living God. Because of our blindness and self-satisfaction, Satan will come in—yea, is even now coming in—with his subtle and pleasing theories and fables in one form or another, picking us off, one by one, thinning out our ranks, even as a sharpshooter picks off his victim. Pantheistic and spiritualistic theories are doing their deadly work, and other, if possible more subtle, deceptions will follow. “The experience of the past will be repeated. In the future Satan’s superstitions will assume new forms. Errors will be presented in a pleasing and flattering manner. False theories, clothed with garments of light, will be presented to God’s people. Thus Satan will try to deceive, if possible, the very elect. Most seducing influences will be exerted; minds will be hypnotized.”—Testimonies for the Church, Vol. VIII, page 293. “The hypnotic influence of Satan will rest upon those who turn from the plain Word of God to pleasing fables.”—Ib., page 294. “It is those who have had the most light that Satan most assiduously seeks to ensnare. He knows that if he can deceive them, they will, under his control, clothe sin with garments of righteousness, and lead many astray. I say to all, Be on your guard; for as an angel of light Satan is walking in every assembly of Christian workers, and in every church, trying to win the members to his side. I am bidden to give to the people of God the warning, ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked.’ God has not laid upon any one the burden of encouraging an appetite for speculative doctrines and theories. . . . He [Satan] will employ the power of mind over mind to carry out his designs.”—Ib., pages 295, 294. We must awake to the danger, and put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand in this evil day against the wiles of the devil. We need to clear the King’s highway by repentance, confession, and earnest prayer; and if we do this, the power of the Spirit will be ours to strengthen and protect. This power is what we stand in need of now, but it will not come to us by accepting wild theories concerning God, or other theories that tend to disestablish the great principles of present truth. Let us take heed to the light already given us in his Word and through his Spirit, and humble ourselves before the Majesty of the universe, seeking his loving face with all our hearts. Then we shall see his glory among us as never before; the enemy will be defeated in his purpose concerning us, and we shall shout for joy over the victory gained. But if we do not take heed now, we shall have to experience sad things among ourselves according to these infallible Testimonies from the Spirit of God. “Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing, until she shall abhor herself. When she resists the evil and chooses the good, when she seeks God with all humility, and reaches her high calling in Christ, standing on the platform of eternal truth, and by faith laying hold upon the attainments prepared for her, she will be healed. She will appear in her God-given simplicity and purity, separate from earthly entanglements, showing that the truth has made her free indeed. Then her members will indeed be the chosen of God, his representatives.”—Id., page 250. Shall we heed these warnings, and live? or shall we refuse to heed, and join at last the hosts outside the city? When we think of the infinite price paid for our redemption, how can we afford to be indifferent? How can we cling to anything that will jeopardize our salvation? Wrong decisions or indecision are alike fatal in such a time as this. Let us each decide as did one of old, “Cost what it may, I will serve the Lord.”