p. 8 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 14. (4/7/1909)

The Great Threefold Message

By R. S. Owen

By R. S. Owen

VI. “Worship Him”

In true worship there must be a recognition of God, of His position, of His character, of His claims. While it is not possible for the human mind to fully grasp any one of these, yet just as far as it is capable of so doing, these must become elements in all true worship.

Worship does not consist of forms, or rounds of service, or of oft-repeated sentences; yet these may be and often are parts of true worship. Upon this point the Saviour said: “When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogs and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.” “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Oft repeated words, lofty or eloquent language, are not necessary to prayer.

“Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, Uttered or unexpressed, The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear, The upward glancing of an eye When none but God is near.”

In the simple sentences, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and, “Lord, save us; we perish,” there was more true worship than in all the set forms of prayer in all the prayer-books in all the world, and repeated parrot-like by thousands of people every day.

Prayer is the outreaching of the soul to God, the feeling after Him if haply we may find Him. In these simple expressions of the desires of the heart, the suppliant feels his own needs. And at the same time he has some conception of God’s power and majesty, some sense of His love and goodness, some hope in His mercy and grace. And as the petitioner pours out his soul to God, Spirit meets spirit; the divine touches the human; the strong bears the infirmity of the weak; the debased is uplifted and ennobled; the Spirit-filled soul is enlightened; and so Paul says, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.”

The psalmist says: “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” “Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill: for the Lord our God is holy.” Ps. 29:2; 95:6; 99:9. In each of these Spirit-inspired expressions there is a recognition of God’s greatness, love, mercy, and power.

When Jesus was speaking to the woman at the well in Samaria, she raised the question of true worship. And the Saviour’s answer we may well study in the light of other scriptures. The woman said: “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:20-24.

Let us inquire upon what grounds both the Jews and the Samaritans claimed a specific place of worship. Going back in the history of these two peoples, we find that when God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, and at the base of Mt. Sinai delivered to them His will and instructed them as to how they should worship Him, He told them that they should build an altar of earth or of rough, undressed stones, and that in all places where He should record His name, there He would meet them and bless them. Ex. 20:24, 25. Again in Deut. 12:5, 6 we read: “But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come; and thither ye shall bring all your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices.” etc.

Place of His Name

From these and many other texts which might be quoted, we learn that acceptable worship could be carried on only where God had written or placed His name, and that where His name is placed, is His habitation. But His name is His character. See Ex. 34:6, 7. Then let us determine where among that people God did place His name or give a revelation of His character. The only thing that Jehovah ever wrote is the Ten Commandments. These He first spoke with His own voice to them, and then wrote with His own fingers on two tables of stone. See Deut. 4:13; 10:1-5. This law was the expression of God’s will, the expression of His character. In the fourth one of these precepts God has placed His descriptive title—the Creator of the heaven and the earth. This descriptive title is that which is used by all Bible writers to distinguish between the true God and all false ones.

These two tables of stone containing the revealed will of God in which God had placed His name, was taken by Moses and, according to the instruction, was by him placed in the ark. Above this he placed the mercy-seat, on either end of which stood a covering cherub overshadowing it with glory. Between the cherubim God manifested His presence. Here He dwelt in the light of the Shekinah, for we read: “Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.” Ps. 80:1. Thus we see that in the Ten Commandments with all that is involved in them, and in the mercy-seat with all that is involved in it—the plan of salvation—we have the complete revelation of God’s character to Israel. Here God fully placed His name, and wherever this ark stood, to that place must they bring all their sacrifices and offerings, and before this ark all their services were to be conducted, and toward it all their worship was to be directed.

By reading Deut. 11:29; 27:12, etc., and Joshua 8:30-33, it will be seen that after the Israelites came into the land of Canaan, at the mountains, Ebal and Gerizim, there was conducted one of the most remarkable and imposing services ever participated in by that people. Between the two mountains all Israel assembled. There stood the ark of God, and beside it were the priests of God. The people were then divided into two companies, six tribes in each. One company stood on Mount Gerizim (the mount of blessing), and the other on Mount Ebal (the mount of cursing). Here they all listened to the reading of the blessings which God had pronounced upon all those who would keep His law, and to these the company on Gerizim responded a hearty assent. Then were read the curses upon those who violated that law, and the company on Ebal responded with a solemn Amen. Here was represented the time when God’s will, as set forth in the Ten Commandments contained in the ark, and His purpose in the plan of salvation, as set forth in the mercy-seat, shall be fully comprehended by all, and when every member of the human family, by having made choice in harmony with or against God’s law, shall have fully developed a good or bad character, thus placing himself either on the mount of blessing or on the mount of cursing.

But God’s character will be so fully vindicated by the unfolding and working out of His plan that even those under the curse will be compelled to recognize His wisdom and justice.

But to return to our line of thought. Here at Ebal and Gerizim, where the ark stood for a time, Israel worshiped. In David’s day the ark was removed to Jerusalem, and that became the city where God’s name was placed, and to which they must bring all their sacrifices, and toward which all their worship must be directed.

At the captivity, the ark was lost. When the Jews returned and began to rebuild the temple, they refused to allow the Samaritans to assist them. Since neither had the ark in their possession, and since it had once stood in Ebal and Gerizim as well as at Jerusalem, and since God had there given the solemn scene representing the final judgment and vindication of His name, the Samaritans set to work and built a rival temple on Gerizim, the mount of blessing. Hence the dispute which was still a living and interesting one in Christ’s day. But the reply of the Saviour was to the effect that neither Jerusalem nor Gerizim was the true place of worship, but that each individual in whom God’s Spirit and truth is, constitutes a shrine where the true worship of God is conducted.

Then the altar in Jerusalem, Gerizim, Shiloh, or any other place where the ark stood, represented the heart of the man in whom true worship is found, and this is one of God’s dwelling-places. For He has two habitations. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose

name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.” Let us examine and see in what respects these altars or shrines where the Jews worshiped resembled the true worshiper.

First, The altar was to be built of earth or stone. So man is of the earth, earthy, and we have the treasure in an earthen vessel.

Secondly, They were not to attempt to dress the stones, but were to use them rough and unhewn as they found them. So man must not try to make himself better, but must come to God just as he is.

Thirdly, At each place of worship was found God’s law, in the ark, written by God Himself. So God says of the true worshipers, “I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.” Jer. 31:33. And of Jesus, as Son of Man and our pattern in all things, we read: “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Ps. 40:8. And of the Corinthians whom Paul had led to Christ and instructed in the way of life until they became epistles, known and read of all men, we read: “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” 2 Cor. 3:3. Thus we see that the Ten Commandments, not as changed by the beast, not as enforced in the image, not as interpreted by man, but as originally spoken by the Lord and written by Him on two tables of stone, will be written by His Spirit in the heart of the true worshiper.

Fourthly, Above the law was the mercy-seat. So in the heart of each one there will be erected by faith the mercy-seat from which Jesus as king of Grace will speak the pardon of past sins. Here will be the ministration of holy angels, and the covering cherubim will flood such a heart with glory. Here God’s character will be fully revealed, and by beholding the true worshiper will be changed into the same image from glory to glory, until the character of God is fully placed there; and such an one worships in spirit and in truth.

Fifthly, In carrying out God’s instruction, they were to write upon the plastered surface of the altar where all could see it, God’s law. So while God writes the law in our hearts, we must transcribe this law into the words and actions of the outward man, for we must not only have Christ, who is but the living expression of God’s will, enshrined in the heart, but we must put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Such become living epistles, “known and read of all men,” showing forth the praises of Him who hath created us unto “good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

That God designs that we shall have a knowledge of His will and that we must be entirely submissive to it in all things, and that to wilfully substitute anything for God’s will renders our worship useless and vain, is clearly proved by the following texts of Scripture: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Ps. 66:18. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Prov. 28:9. “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matt. 15:8, 9.

Dear reader, please study carefully the law of God and see if there is any part of it from which you are turning your ear away. Is there any iniquity (transgression of the law) which you are regarding or cherishing in your heart? Go prayerfully over the articles of your faith and see if in any one of them there be a substitution of any precept of man for the commandment of God.

When this great Threefold Message calls upon the human family to worship Him that made heaven and earth, it calls for the writing of God’s law upon the heart, including the seventh-day Sabbath as a sign of His creative power. It calls for the conformity of the daily life to this law. It calls for the setting up and constant recognition of the mercy-seat in the heart. It calls for the reproduction of the mind and life of Christ in each believer. And so God describes His people under this message by saying, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17.

The Heavenly Telephone

By H. A. St. John

In the morning Jacob arose from his lowly and lonely bed, refreshed by slumber, but most of all refreshed by a vision in a dream. He saw a ladder reaching from the place where he was to heaven. Angels were ascending and descending upon that ladder. The Lord stood above it, and talked with Jacob at the lower end. Perhaps He talked through the visible angelic telephone. That ladder was a living wire. Jesus said the Son of Man was the ladder upon which the angels come and go. No other way of communication is opened between heaven and earth than through Jesus, by whose directions millions of angels are sent to and fro to minister to mortals.

This heavenly telephone line is a most marvelous instrument of transmission. It is far superior to man’s telephones in many particulars. Let us consider some of the important features of superiority.

First: Its Length. We talk about the long-distance telephones of earth, but they do not compare with this for long distance. It reaches from earth to heaven, from this world to the home of God, Christ, and all the holy angels, the very center of God’s great universe. It is the only line between the places named, and no power on earth can destroy this, or establish any other. By this the saints on earth and the King of saints in heaven are brought very near together. Space is annihilated. By this Jesus reaches down His human arm, and embraces His children on earth, while at the same time with the other hand He grasps the throne of the Eternal. Thus the otherwise impassable gulf is spanned. O, what a wonderful expression and provision of divine love!

Second: Its Accessibility. To get access to the telephones of men, it is often necessary to go some distance; and to many, a telephone is utterly inaccessible. But it is the privilege of every soul to have the heavenly telephone, not simply in his house, but that which is far better, he may have it in his own heart. He himself becomes the instrument, the receiver, and thus has communication with Heaven at all time, night or day, and in all places.

When Jacob awoke, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.” The child of God, who has become connected with the heavenly ’phone by repentance toward God and faith in Christ, ought never to forget that the Lord is with him all the time, everywhere, in every place, an ever-present Saviour.

Third: Its Privacy. The heavenly messages between God’s children can not be known or taken off the line by another. Others may hear the message if the receiver or the Lord wills, but not otherwise. Alone, in the place of secret prayer, or in the secret chamber of the heart, even if surrounded by friends or foes, he may send messages to heaven and receive answers of peace. No pope, no priest, or prayer-book is necessary to an intelligent, constant, and joyful communion.

Fourth: Its Reliability. This means of communication is uniformly and infallibly accurate. The child of God may inaccurately and ungrammatically express his desires; the petition may be made with the lips only, with no heart in it; or it may be uttered in brokenness of heart, with sobs, tears, and groans, but the Lord at the other end of the line never mistakes the full import of the message, and will answer in accordance with heavenly wisdom. There are no switches that can alter or turn the message aside. And more, if from any cause the power of utterance is gone, the deep yearnings and aspirations of the soul may be transmitted with certainty and distinct answers returned, without the voice of speech.

Fifth: Its Sufficiency. The terminal of this line is in heaven, at the throne of the universe, where are seated the Father and Son. And Jesus is there especially for us, clothed with all power in heaven and earth, and filled with the riches of infinite wisdom and love, ever ready to listen to messages of song, prayer, or service. In heaven there is a fulness of everything that pertains to life and godliness, and the message from God to man is, Come boldly to the throne; ask and receive fulness of grace to help in every time of need. Every good gift, and every perfect gift comes from the Father of lights through the ministration of holy angels. Through the same living channel of light and glory, we may receive healing, comfort, truth, wisdom, deliverance, love,— indeed, all the rich blessings of Heaven are thus made available to us.

But O, how much depends upon the human

instrument, the receiver? If we turn away our ears from hearing God’s law, our prayers become an abomination to Him. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, He will not hear us. If we become careless, indifferent, forgetful, backslidden, or lukewarm, our prayers are hindered, our communion with God is vague and unsatisfying. But if we are in the heavenly current, in the fullest accord with the Divine, the place to which the Lord is calling us, then we will talk with Jesus, walk with Jesus, sup with Jesus. And, blessed be God, there is no power on earth that can prevent it. Wars, fires, earthquakes, storms, and such like calamities, often prostrate human lines of communication, but none of these affect in the least the stream of God’s love and blessings. The soul thus connected with God may be in the fiery furnace, the lion’s den, the darkest dungeon,—anywhere in this world,—yet he is with Jesus, walking and talking with Him.

“O, to walk and talk with Jesus; ’Tis a blessed thought to me; This my daily prayer, my Saviour, Let me walk and talk with Thee.” H. A. St. JOHN.

Not Doing Enough to Do It Well

It is one of the commonplaces that we ought to consider quality rather than quantity. But this antithesis is not so sharp as we are disposed to think. The very reason the quality of some acts is so poor is simply that the quantity of them is so small. A thing has to be done often to do it well. Excellence never comes from doing a thing at very rare intervals, but from doing it so often that it becomes instinctive. Well-doing, after all, means much-doing, little as we are inclined to think so, and inattention to this vulgar matter of quantity is just what is impoverishing the work of many who have a real appreciation of excellence, but who do not know enough about how it is attained. The surest way to do a thing well is to do it often enough.

Who ever heard of a great preacher who was made so by preaching as seldom as possible? The best preaching comes from those who preach a good deal. There never was a great orator who became such by limiting himself to a half-dozen monumental occasions. Webster touched his high-water mark at last simply because of the number of times he had tried to do his best. Wendell Phillips had to have a hundred nights of delivery behind him before his great lecture on the “Lost Arts” became his greatest lecture. The world might never have known much about it if, in order to protect its quality, he had decided to give it only twice. When a young writer offers himself for training in English, he is not told to write as seldom as possible, but to write a theme a day, and to get saturated with English, and not to expect much in the way of quality until he has behind him many efforts, most of which have been failures or half-successes. We have to do a great deal more than the one thing needful if we are ever to do that one needful thing.

The trouble with much of our Bible teaching, for example, is that the teacher studies with all his might the one portion of Scripture which is before him, and nothing more. He studies his lesson faithfully, and can not see why more does not come of it. And so we get just as good Bible teaching as can be expected until one studies vastly more of the Bible than he can ever directly use in the teaching of the lesson. Sometimes it comes over us what a mysterious thing the scriptural quality is. We feel that we want that steady and instinctive atmosphere of the divine which is the natural air of the Bible. So we go straightway to find it all in some chapter or verse, and for a little we feel the glow of it; but it is soon shut off. Then we begin to realize that it is not acquired by any casual forays into that region, but only by keeping ourselves in it and steeping ourselves in it for years. Those who knew him best, said they found Joseph Parker forever turning over the Bible. And Boyd Carpenter speaks of “the hard path of daily and persevering personal study of the Bible” as necessary to any large success in getting its real quality out of it. Like all other great influences, the Bible is apt to baffle those who use it only a little.

All this applies especially to the religious life. Why is it that when we have done so many things that are individually right and desirable, they yet seem to count for so little? It is simply because they are done so seldom. People do a great many individual things which are all that could be desired. They know that they are well done and sincerely done, yet they do not seem to count for much. Why? Because they are so occasional. There is no steady output of that sort of thing, so that they can be marked by it and counted on for it. Nobody knows how far they will go, and people pay little attention to any one’s influence until they have found out how far he intends to go.

It will take a deal of repetition to reassure them on that point. People stop easily. They do good things, and leave us mystified as to why they do not do more. They take part in religious services, they have fits of going to church. Sometimes they will pray for a season, and the results are evident. Then everything cools down, and nobody knows what to make of it. They don’t do enough to do it well. And we don’t know what they will do next. At times they do as well as anybody, but they do not do it often enough to make us feel perfectly assured as to their quality.

Emerson said that what he wanted in a writer was “a sense of mass,” that is, enough of his product to enable one to make out just what sort of product it was. In order to form a judgment we need fulness of materials upon which to judge. We want to think the best about people, and therefore we wish they would give us a little more to go upon.

And they wish the same of us. Do we keep on long enough and repeat our best often enough really to assure them what we mean, and what they can count upon, and that we mean business? Do we not confuse those upon whom we really desire to exert a good influence, just because of this spasmodic character of our doings? We do not make clear what we mean by simple persistence and continuance in well-doing. We seem to think that we have sufficiently put ourselves on record when we have done it once or twice.

Well-doing, in order to be effectual, needs momentum. Like a ship, we need to have enough motion to furnish steerageway. But too many of us stop just as soon as we have had a success or done one good deed. That seems to settle it to our satisfaction that we can do it if necessary; yet before we know it we have lost steerageway, and life is no longer under control, but is courting disaster. “Ye were running well,” says Paul to the Galatians; “who hindered you?” They had proved that they could do well when they tried, but, like so many of us, they had not yet proved anything about that quality of which the New Testament makes so much,—the ability to do it again, and to keep on doing it.

When, therefore, we have been successful in anything, it is no time to sit down and survey the scene with contentment, as if to say that everything is now settled. If we are wise, we shall ask ourselves how long we can keep this up. It is the question of quantity, and it is not the vulgar question we have sometimes thought it to be. Because we have thought ourselves above asking it, we have often fallen below our mark in respect to quality. We sat down and gloated over our achievement instead of swiftly adding to it the other attainments that would keep it alive and powerful.

That is the secret of much failure. We did not do enough to do it well. Our intentions were right, and we had the ability, but we missed this point, and so we lost ground in spite of much excellence. For the greatest element in well-doing is continuance in it.—Sunday School Times.

“Them That Are Asleep”

By H.

THAT Paul believed and taught that the dead sleep in their graves till the resurrection “at the last day,” is evident from that wonderful chapter on the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15. “If Christ hath not been raised, your faith is vain,” the apostle declares. “Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” Not only those who accepted of Him through His personal ministry on earth, and through the ministry of His apostles, but all the righteous of all the ages, are included, for the ancient worthies looked forward to Him, and in their death as truly “fell asleep in Christ,” as did those who died after His earthly ministry.

Now if the righteous receive their reward at death, Paul was mistaken in speaking of these “that are fallen asleep in Christ” as having perished. Evidently they had not entered into their reward. And so he continues, “But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of them that are asleep.” He has risen, the “first-fruits;” His saints “are asleep,” waiting the “set time” to which Job looked for the awakening. Then “in Christ shall all be made alive, . . . they that are Christ’s, at His coming.”

OUR BIBLE BAND

Schedule for Week Ending April 17, 1909.

Day	Date	Morning	Evening
Su.	April 11	1 Sam. 17, 18	Luke 11: 1-28
Mo.	” 12	” 19, 20, 21	” 11:29-54
Tu.	” 13	” 22, 23, 24	” 12: 1-31
We.	” 14	” 25, 26	” 12:32-59
Th.	” 15	” 27, 28, 29	” 13: 1-22
Fr.	” 16	” 30, 31	” 13:23-35
Sa.	” 17	2 Sam. 1, 2	” 14:1-24

Suggestive Notes.

Our Old Testament lessons for the week conclude the first book of Samuel, from chapters 17 to 31 inclusive, and the first two chapters of 2 Samuel. The story of Saul’s jealousy and his effort to slay David, the covenant between David and Jonathan, the noble, unselfish generosity of Jonathan, are told in detail with the illustrative incidents of the principles involved, to the close of the book. The wonderful contrast between the jealous Saul and his noble son stands strikingly forth, as well as David’s hope and trust in God, and his utter refusal to take vengeance in his own hands upon the enemy who was pursuing him.

The closing part of the book relates the sad story of Saul’s utter downfall in turning to the power of Satan, to the woman who had a familiar spirit, and his blindness in undertaking a war with the Philistines under such circumstances, and the sad story of his utter defeat, with the loss of his own life, and that of Jonathan. In the first chapter of 2 Samuel additional light is thrown upon David’s character in the way in which he treated the Amalekite who slew Saul, and in the song that he taught Israel of the virtues of Saul and Jonathan, Saul’s imperfections are forgotten by his successor, and his virtues as a warrior are brought uppermost. But David is not to have the kingdom peaceably. Saul’s son and army still proposed to hold the kingdom by force, altho David reigns at Hebron.

Our New Testament lessons begin with the 11th chapter of Luke, opening with a lesson on prayer, followed by a miracle of casting out evil spirits, and the solemn adjurations of our Lord against the Pharisees. Chapter 12 is full of intensely interesting lessons to the children of God, while the following chapters are miracle and teaching interspersed. How strongly, and yet how clearly, are the conditions of salvation laid down in the last part of chapter 14 in connection with the parable of the great supper.

The Resurrection of Jesus

By H.

Its Significance

1. Upon what threefold basis does the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ rest?

“I make known unto you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, by which also ye are saved. . . . That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He HATH BEEN RAISED on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

2. How much depends upon the fact that Christ was raised?

“If Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we witnessed of God that He raised up Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:14, 15.

3. What is the evidence that He was raised?

“The angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, even as He said.” Matt. 28:5, 6.

“He appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve, then He appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then He appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to a child untimely born, He appeared to me [Paul] also.” 1 Cor. 15:5-8.

4. Future life therefore depends upon the resurrection of Christ.

“Now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of them that are asleep. For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Cor. 15:20-22.

5. David sang of the awakening from the sleep of death.

“As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding Thy form.” Ps. 17:15.

6. Isaiah prophesied of the same event.

“Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.” Isa. 26:19.

7. Jesus Himself told of the resurrection.

“The hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth.” John 5:28.

8. When will the resurrection be?

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.”

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise.” 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:13-18.

9. What is the final consummation?

“Then [at Christ’s coming] we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:17.

10. What is the divine philosophy of Christ’s life, His death, His resurrection?

“Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” Rom. 14:9.

“If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Rom. 8:11; 2 Cor. 4:14.

11. What then should be the ambition of every Christian?

“That I may know Him, and the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death; if by any means I may attain unto the RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.” Phil. 3:10, 11.

The Cleansing Blood

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Suttle

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Suttle

Once in the deep and solemn night A vision passed before my sight: The gates of heaven stood ajar, And through the blazing skies afar, Swift toward the shining, heavenly dome, Bright legions bore earth’s ransomed home.

At length, the while I stood amazed, As ’mong the white-robed throng I gazed, I saw one I had known on earth,— A puny cripple from his birth,— To whom I spake: “I scarce did know Thy face and form of long ago. For once thy face was lined with care, Thy head was crowned with silvery hair, Thy body bent, until I trow It scarce can be the same as now. For now, how beautiful is thy face, Right regal is thy form of grace, No longer bent, no longer bowed— Art thou the same?” I cried aloud.

“The same,” he said, “but glorified; One drop of BLOOD from Him who died Upon Mount Calvary’s rugged side— One drop of BLOOD hath cleansed my soul, And made my new-born body whole.”

And then, methought, aloud he sung Till heaven’s echoing arches rung.

Then, ’mong the rest, one passed me by,— I knew him by his shining eye. “What! art thou here in this fair land Where all is innocent and pure? I knew thee when to touch thy hand Was more than Virtue could endure. I knew thee when the very smile Upon thy sensual lip was vile. I knew thee when thy father wept, And thy poor mother plead in vain; Pray tell me; hast thou found a Cure To purge away thy soul’s dark stain?”

Quick made he answer, while his face Grew fair with heaven’s celestial light, His words were few but full of grace, His kindling eye with love was bright: “Praise ye the Lord!” he joyful said, For Christ hath healed my sin-sick soul,— Hath poured upon my guilty head The cleansing BLOOD which maketh whole.”

And then the angels round the throne Brake out anew with joyful voice: “All worthy is the Lamb alone, Let all the universe rejoice.”

Another passed. “What! art thou here!” Again I asked in accents clear. “I knew thee many, many years Within the earthland, full of tears, I knew thee, friend, when thou wast bound By the red, poisonous cup of hell. When howling demons compassed round— Thy low estate no man might tell. And thou didst struggle, oft, in vain; Thou could’st not break the accursed chain.

“Yet here thou art in this fair land, No demons now about thy head, No cup of death is in thy hand,— Thou hold’st a harp of gold instead. Who sought thee in thy low estate And brought thee e’en to heaven’s gate?”

With bated breath and wondering eye I listened while he made reply: “Emmanuel hath saved my soul, Tho overwhelmed by sins’ dark flood; My wounds and bruises made He whole, And washed me in His precious BLOOD. I know not why He cleansed my soul, I know not how He made me whole, I know not why; but this I ween; Because He loves me, I AM CLEAN!”

Another passed. “I, too, am here!” He cried in accents low and clear: “Ah, once when I was sick with sin, I heard Him call my humble name, Quick made I answer: ‘Lord, come in, For I am sick and bruised and lame.’

“The dews of night were on His head, Indeed, I could not say Him nay, His blessed feet were pierced and bled, For He had sought me night and day, I know not why He cleansed my soul, I know not how He made me whole, I know not why; but this I ween: Because he loves, I am clean!”

Then heavenly music, sweet and long, Rolled up from that redeemed throng, And every creature heard I sing, In heaven and earth and in the sea, Till whirling suns with praise did ring For Him who died on Calvary: “Ye gates of pearl, wide open fling,— Welcome Emmanuel, our King.”

The Emblems of the Lamb and Dove

By Whittier

The emblems of the Lamb and Dove! Man turns from God, not God from him; And guilt, in suffering, whispers Love! —Whittier.

Continue reading: “Easter” in the Holy Land