Review and Herald, Vol. 22, No. 4. (6/23/1863)

Review and Herald

Jun 23, 1863

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 23, 1863

Signs of the Advent.

By Voice of the Prophets

THE substance of the following article was published some years ago. We re-publish it as very appropriate to the present time,—especially to those who have lately turned their attention to the investigation of prophecy.

One of the marks of hypocrisy in the Jews of our Lord's day, was, that in the midst of his numerous and astonishing miracles, performed in their midst and before their eyes, they came to him and asked of him a sign:—"Master, we would see a sign from thee." "O ye hypocrites," said the Saviour, "ye can discern the face of the sky; how is it that ye cannot discern the signs of this time?" How much like the present generation! In the midst of a flood of light, and some of the most astonishing wonders of the world, how perfectly blind are men to the fact, that just these signs were foretold to precede the great and terrible day of the Lord! But thanks be to God, there are some left who have faith enough in God's word to believe that when he promised signs of the second advent of the Saviour, he will be as faithful to fulfill them, as he was in the case of his first advent. There are many, however, and some of them profess themselves believers in God's word, too, yea and teachers of that word, who are ready to scoff at us when we point at the very things in real life, or as matters of authentic history, and profess to believe them a fulfillment of God's word. But we are not to be scoffed out of our faith; a more powerful instrument than ridicule will be requisite to drive us from it.

Some of the predicted signs I design to notice, and inquire if they have been fulfilled.

1. "There shall be scoffers in the last times." 2. Pet. iii, 2. This is one of the first signs laid down by Peter. "Knowing this first, that there shall come," &c. To guard the church against them, he wrote both his epistles. "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that ye may be mindful of the words spoken before by the holy prophets; and the commandments of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." He foresaw what an effort would be made to cast the prophecies into the shade, and persuade the people and the church, that the prophets gave no light on the second advent; that Daniel only predicted the overthrow of Antiochus, and, in the ninth chapter, came down to the destruction of Jerusalem; the greater prophets foretold the Babylonish captivity and return, the birth and death of Christ, together with the glory of the gospel dispensation, and occasionally alluded to some local circumstances of their own day. And so also of the minor prophets. Do we hear and witness any such effort to throw the doctrine of Christ's coming into the shade, in our own day—"Saying where is the promise of his coming?" 1 Thess. v, 3; "When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them." They are now saying it most emphatically. Universalists do it openly and unequivocally. Many evangelical (professedly so) ministers and Christians, like the Jews of old, are ready to say, "his blood be upon us," or, we take the responsibility to say he will not come * for a thousand years at least. This doctrine of a thousand years' peace and universal holiness before the coming of the Lord, is itself a most effectual anodyne to a sleeping church and perishing world.

2. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come." Matt. xxiv, 14.

This sign is fulfilled. There is no known nation which has never, to a greater or less extent, had the gospel preached to them. The late Rev. J. O. Choules, author of a voluminous work, a History of Missions, from the apostolic age down to the present day, being asked some twenty years ago if he knew of any nation which never had received the gospel, replied that he did not; but he thought the promise implied something more than its being barely preached in each nation.

But when it is preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations, "THEN SHALL THE END COME." There is no such thing as a millennium after it is preached in all the world. Why cannot the church see this? That end, then, must be just upon us.

3. The signs foretold in Luke, twenty-first chapter. This chapter is parallel to the twenty-fourth of Matthew; and as the events appear more consecutive and distinct, I shall follow this account, and examine it, rather than that of Matthew.

Luke xxi, 6, 7; "As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?"

In answer to these questions, Christ proceeded to tell them (from verses eight to twenty-four) what signs there would be which should precede the destruction of Jerusalem. The language is so plain that it cannot well be misunderstood. "Let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains." "For there shall be distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." All these predicted events have most certainly come on the Jews and Jerusalem. That devoted city is yet trodden down of the Gentiles; therefore, the prophecy has not yet expired. This, then, is my answer to those who would contend that the prophecy ended with the destruction of Jerusalem; it is not so, for it is yet in the course of fulfillment. In order to show that the prophecy ended then, it must be proved that Jerusalem ceased then to be trodden down of the Gentiles.

"Times of the Gentiles" is the period of their triumph over the church, holding it in bondage. It is shadowed forth by the metallic image of Daniel, second chapter, beginning with the Chaldeans, and ending with the Romans, in the entire destruction of the Gentile governments of the earth, and the setting up of the kingdom of God to fill the whole earth. Then, in verse twenty-five, and onward, follows a prediction of the signs that should indicate the kingdom of God at hand, with the same certainty that the budding of the fig-tree indicates approaching summer.

Verse 25. "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon." What these signs are, we learn from other parts of the Bible. Matthew, in referring to the same signs, says, "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light," Joel ii, 31; that "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall be turned to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come."

Has the sun been darkened in these days, as predicted by Joel and the Saviour? It has; and that within the memory of some now living. I refer to the dark day of A. D. 1780, May 19th. That was a day of supernatural darkness. It was not an eclipse of the sun, for the moon was at the full. It was not owing to a thickness in the atmosphere, for the stars were seen. The darkness began about nine o'clock A. M., and continued through the day, and also into if not through the night. Such was the darkness, that work was suspended in the field and shop, beasts and fowls retired to their rest, and houses were illuminated at dinner-time. Such a day of darkness has never been known, so far as I can learn from history, since the crucifixion of our Saviour. There have been several such events since, in different countries. Many can produce evidence of such an appearance before 1780, I will thank them most heartily for the information.

"And in the moon." At the time of the dark day, May 19th, 1780, there was a full moon, or nearly so [the moon fulled the 18th], yet the night was as dark as "Egyptian darkness." "The moon [did] not give her light."

The following extract from Gage's History of the

Town of Rowley, Mass., on "the dark day" of May, 1780, will set this point in a clear light.

DARK DAY OF MAY NINETEENTH, 1780.

Mr. Gage says, "The sun rose clear, and shone for several hours; at length the sky became overcast with clouds, and by ten o'clock, A. M., the darkness was such as to occasion the farmers to leave their work in the field, and to retire to their dwellings; fowls went to their roosts; and before noon lights became necessary to the transaction of business within doors. The darkness continued through the day; and the night, till near morning, was as unusually dark as the day."

Rev. Mr. Tenney, of Exeter, N. H., quoted by Mr. Gage, in some speculations on the cause of the darkness, forwarded to "The Historical Society," in which he says that "no satisfactory solution of it has yet appeared,"—in remarking upon the following evening, says, "the darkness of the following evening was probably as gross as has ever been observed since the Almighty fiat gave birth to light. I could not help conceiving at the time that if every luminous body in the universe had been shrouded in impenetrable darkness, or struck out of existence, the darkness could not have been more complete. A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes was equally invisible with the blackest velvet."

"The moon to blood." The following extract of a letter from Mr. Beadle, at Aleppo, and published in the Missionary Herald, June, 1842, p. 234, will illustrate this point. It is an account of an earthquake at that place in 1822. He says, "On the night of the earthquake there was something peculiar in the atmosphere, the moon appearing as red as blood. This greatly alarmed the inhabitants, who were continually crying out, 'Now we shall hear the trumpet sound, and the dead will rise! the day of judgment has arrived!'"

The following description of the forementioned earthquake is from the same writer:

"About ten o'clock the earth began to move, as if it had been placed upon the waves of the sea. This rapidly undulating motion continued for some seconds but produced no serious injury. Some walls cracked, but resumed their places when the earth rested. A moment after the undulating motion ceased, came the dreadful shock. It was strictly vertical, seeming to strike directly beneath the city. The confusion and ruin which succeeded that awful moment are beyond all description. The crash of falling houses, the shrieks of the dying and wounded, husbands calling for wives, and wives searching for husbands, children, entreating help from parents, and parents vainly seeking lost children, mingled with prayers and groans in many languages, presented a scene of suffering and woe, from which the mind turns instinctively away."

"The first impulse of the surviving inhabitants seemed to be, to rush to the gates of the city. Many were crushed in their flight, and those who were permitted to reach a place of comparative safety outside the walls were compelled to pass over mangled and dead bodies, and fly amid 'ten thousand deaths on every side.'"

"And in the stars." The sign in the stars is, that "the stars shall fall from heaven as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when shaken of a mighty wind." Rev. vi, 13, and Matt. xxiv, 29. Has such a phenomenon taken place? The remembrance of the shower of meteors, on the night of Nov. 13, 1833, is fresh in the minds of the present generation. The scene could not be more truly described than it is by the Revelator. Such a scene I find described as having occurred in 1779, on the 12th of November, and as having been visible from South America to Germany and Greenland. From where they were witnessed in South America, on the coast of Brazil, to Weimar, in Germany is 10,000 miles, and from the same place to Herrnhut, in Greenland, 7,000 miles. This was the earliest shower of meteors, of any considerable magnitude, I can find on record. This was about six months before the dark day. There are several instances of the kind on record since that. Indeed, the 12th and 13th of November seem to be their anniversary. But, it is objected, meteors are not "stars." I would ask the objector, then, what was it which went before the wise men and guided them to the place of the Saviour's birth? Was it a fixed star? Can one of these fiery orbs fall on the earth and not destroy it? Certainly not. Then they must be meteors.

But admitting it to refer to the fixed stars, will not the conflagration of some of those bodies within a few years, as recorded by astronomers, answer the prediction? The signs have most certainly appeared in the stars.

Recapitulation.

1. The sun has been supernaturally darkened from morning to night: in some places it being cloudy, and the sun entirely invisible, and in others it being visible, but having the same appearance as when totally eclipsed; and the stars being visible. I have both these accounts from many living witnesses, in different parts of the country; it being cloudy in the north and clear in the south of New England.

2. That the moon, although it fulled the 18th, the day before the dark day, and must have arisen soon after sunset, gave no light at all. Also the bloody hue of the moon has appeared.

3. That signs in the stars have appeared, whether it be understood of the showers of meteors, or of the burning of the fixed stars.

Observe:—Each of these events has made a deep impression on the world that it presaged the great and terrible day of the Lord; some in each time believing it had come, others that it would soon come. It was thus on the dark day, when the moon was turned to blood, and during the shower of meteors. To the people generally, at the time they were witnessed, they were a sign. If they do not fulfill the prophecy, it cannot be fulfilled; for if it is ever done, it must be by just these appearances. If this does not accomplish the prediction, the repetition of the same thing again would not do it, but rather produce infidelity by the commonness of the phenomena. I must, therefore, believe the signs to have already appeared.—Voice of the Prophets.

Daily Nearer.

NEARER home, nearer home! However dark and lonely The path through which we roam; This is a journey only; And though we oft, affrighted, Shrink back with sigh and moan, Our camp-fires still are lighted "A day's march nearer home."

Nearer home, nearer home! O, joy beyond expressing, That over thorn and stone Our feet are homeward pressing! For though we leave behind us Some buds of hope unblown, The sunset still doth find us "A day's march nearer home."

Nearer home, nearer home! O, many-mansioned dwelling, Beneath thy shining dome No tides of grief are swelling; And toward thy fadeless glory With eager haste we come, Repeating earth's brief story, "A day's march nearer home."

Nearer home, nearer home! Soon through its open portals The ransomed hosts will come, To welcome us immortals; Then be the path before us With wrecks or roses strewn, Each night we'll sing in chorus, "A day's march nearer home."

How Shall We Ask?

By M. M. Osgood

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Luke xi, 9.

We have here the word of him who is emphatically "The Truth." Those to whom these words apply may know they have the things for which they ask, for they will willingly comply with the conditions. To whom, then, are they addressed? By reading the first verse we find he is talking with his disciples, who asked him to teach them to pray. They were addressed to those who believed in, and followed, Jesus. It may now apply to all those who believe in, and fully follow, him. In Jesus' last prayer with his disciples he anticipates the wants of all those who should believe through their word, and asks for them, and the disciples present, like blessings. See John xvii, 11, 20, 21. We who believe them, through their written word, may claim the promise if we fulfill the conditions. What are the conditions?

1. We must not, like the hypocrite, pray to be seen of men. "When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret." Matt. vi, 5, 6. All who have realized the blessedness of communion with God, know that the secret place, where no eye but his can see, no ear but his hear, is the dearest, sweetest spot on earth.

2. "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have anything against any one. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark xi, 25, 26. New version.

3. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Matt. v, 23, 24. Our altar is the altar of prayer. The gift or offering we are to bring as a sacrifice, is a broken and contrite heart. See Ps. li, 17. If we come then to the altar of prayer, and remember that we have in any way, either by word or deed, injured a brother (or neighbor) we are to seek reconciliation first, by asking forgiveness of them. If we have spoken unkindly or falsely to them alone, to them alone is confession due. If we have spoken these words to, or in the presence of, others, to them we must also acknowledge our fault, and counteract as far as may be, the wrong influence and impressions our words have caused. If we have been guilty of oppression, or fraud in the least degree, this also must be confessed, and as far as possible reparation be made to the injured. Zaccheus was ready to restore fourfold all that he had obtained unjustly; and when the Lord takes full possession of our hearts, we shall be anxious to make full restoration.

Thus much in regard to the duties required toward our fellow-creatures before we present our petitions. What does the Lord require in regard to himself?

1. Have faith in God. "For truly I say to you that whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he saith. Therefore I say to you, Whatever things ye ask when ye pray, believe that ye will receive, and ye shall have them." Mark xi, 22-24. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind, and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." James i, 5-7.

2. In order to have a ground for the exercise of faith, we must do those things that please God. "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." 1 John iii, 20-22.

3. We must ask according to his will; that is, ask only for those things which he in his word declares himself willing to give. Whatever would make us holier, more like our Pattern, or whatever would tend to God's glory, we may ask, either for ourselves or others. See 1 John v, 16. But whatever tends to foster pride, or increase our covetousness, or selfishness, would not be in accordance with his will, hence improper to pray for. "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked from him." 1 John v, 14, 15. New version. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (margin, pleasures)." James iv, 3.

4. We must ask in Jesus' name. "Whatever things ye ask the Father in my name he will give you." John xv, 23. If we rely on our own merits, or promises of future obedience, they will all fail us. "There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." To illustrate. A. and B. are partners in the mercantile business, each owning a share in the firm, consequently considered by each other as responsible persons. A stranger comes to A., seeking and obtaining employment. At the end of the week he asks his wages, wishing to purchase necessaries for his family. A. writes a line to B., requesting him to give this man goods to the amount of $6, and signs his name to the line. Handing it to the stranger, he says, "Go to the store of A. and B., and take up $6 worth, and I will be responsible." He goes, gets the goods, tells B. that he has been working for A., who sent him there to get that amount. But B. says, "I cannot let you take the goods unless A. sends an order to that effect. You are a stranger; I cannot take your word." The stranger then thinks of the line, and presents it to B., who upon seeing the writing and name of A., hesitates no longer, but delivers up the goods. Although we are not unknown to God, yet we are no more responsible than was this stranger, hence we need the name of one who is worthy, to present. And it must be genuine. If the stranger had forged the writing and presented it to B., he would have been detected at once by B.

We may profess to believe alone in the merits of Jesus, and when we offer our formal prayers, may say, "All we ask is in Jesus' name." But God cannot be deceived; he will not regard it. If we abide in Christ and bring forth fruit like him, the parent vine, we

shall be his epistles, known and acknowledged by God whether by men or not. If Christ abides in us by his Spirit, he will move us to ask just those things that are proper for us. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." Rom. viii, 26, 27.

Oh that we might realize our poverty, and unworthiness, and thus be enabled more fully to appreciate the matchless love of Jesus in giving us an order on the bank of heaven, signed with his own dear, all-prevailing name. When we remember the wondrous price he paid to secure the blessings now offered to us without money and without price, may it melt our hearts with gratitude, and bind us living sacrifices, as with cords, to the altar.

Dear brethren and sisters, I want to say to you, How good the Lord is! I know it, I feel it. I do love and praise him for the victories he gives me over the world, the flesh, and Satan. I do wish that every thought, and word, and act, was just as he would have them. For this I am striving, for this I pray. I know the Lord is ready and willing to hear prayer if we ask as directed. I tried to do so, and he heard, and filled me with abounding joy. Praise his name! O, let us so live hour by hour, that we may come boldly to a throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. iv, 16.

The Soldier's Reception.

By Emma House

Living not many miles distant from a soldiers' rendezvous, we sometimes have an opportunity of witnessing the display that attends the usages of war, and now during the past few weeks, many regiments having served the time of their enlistment, have returned to be mustered out of service. It seems such a pleasure to the soldier to leave the field of slaughter and the din of battle, and once more behold the faces of friends. The citizens, wishing to give some testimonial of their gratitude, sometimes greet them with a warm reception, especially if the regiments are from the vicinity of home; a supper is prepared, and strains of martial music lend their charm to render the occasion a joyous one.

While hearing and reading of like events, my mind wandered into the future, to a reception that will soon be given the world-worn soldiers of the cross, when they arrive safely at their Father's house. I thought of the glory that should attend them in their journey thither, of angel harpers that should herald their approach, of the table spread—even the marriage supper of the Lamb, of him who himself should come out and serve them, and longings filled my heart, that I might be permitted to go with that company which our great Deliverer shall take with him when he comes to claim his own, longings to be "able to comprehend the breadth and length and depth and hight, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge," that I "might be filled with all the fullness of God." Who would not give the interests of this life for an assur-

ance that these yearnings should pass away and the reality appear! that his title was indisputable to a heavenly inheritance. With the belief that this assurance will be given, how can we falter! Only think of the little required of us to inherit all things. Merely to signify our willingness to walk in obedience to God's will, and then know of a surety that he is with us to shield and save by his own power alone. With a right understanding of our dependence upon God, we can with confidence trust all things into his hands, knowing he will safely pilot us through the rocks and shoals of life's voyage, and bring us to enjoy the glorious reward of the righteous. Emma House. Catlin, N. Y.

It is a Great Thing to be a Christian.

By M. E. Williams

How often we hear this expression, and how much is contained in it. To be a Christian is to be Christ-like. Was Jesus ambitious of worldly distinction and honor? Did he seek the favor and applause of men? Then may we also. Was pride an inmate of his heart? Then may we indulge in pride without sin. Did he exhibit a spirit of careless levity and mirth? Was his conversation interspersed with anecdotes, and jests, to create laughter in his hearers? If so, then may we exhibit the same spirit. Was he fretful and impatient, faithless and murmuring, distrustful of the Father's dealings with him? Then may we be also.

No; far different was Jesus' example from this. Had he been desirous of worldly honor, he would have sought to ingratiate himself in the favor of the proud and haughty Pharisee, instead of pronouncing a woe upon him. Had he been proud, he would not have said, Come, learn of me, for I am meek, and lowly in heart. Had he taken pride in his outward appearance, he would not have been attired in the seamless coat and plain garb of a servant, but would, as he might with propriety have done, arrayed himself in royal apparel. But the only ornament that ever decked that sacred head was a crown of thorns.

Had he indulged in a spirit of levity, he never would have said, "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." And that he was neither fretful, impatient, faithless, murmuring, or distrustful, is evident from the record of his life, to which that last great trial, the ignominious death of the cross, bears final and conclusive testimony.

Dear brethren and sisters, are we Christ-like, or are we Christians in name only? I see I come far short of the mark, and were it not that Jesus still pleads his precious blood that can wash away all sin, I should give up in despair at once. But he will not always wait for us. The shades of evening are gathering o'er us, the night draweth on apace, and what work we have yet undone, must be done quickly, else it will never be done. Soon the sentence will ring through all the earth, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still."

God grant that we may so take heed to our ways that we may by every word and act reflect the lovely image of Jesus, and be found among the holy ones at last.

M. E. WILLIAMS.

Mill Grove, N. Y.

Experience of a Young Disciple.

By Simon Patten

BRO. WHITE: The Lord has worked deliverance for me, and I thank him greatly for it. I can say with the Psalmist, "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my fears."

I will tell a little of my experience. I live in a very dark place, with no one to help me but my mother. The people here are bitter opposers of the Sabbath, the visions, baptism, &c.; but the Lord has helped me to take a stand for the truth without fear of opposition. The Lord is on my side, and who can be against me? I am willing to take up the cross daily and follow him.

Last fall I commenced to keep the Sabbath of the Lord our God, but was not converted. I prayed, and tried to serve the Lord, and keep his Sabbath. I loved to read the papers very much. The pieces in the Review and Testimonies on the subject of being in earnest, did me good. I had many seasons of sorrowing for my sins, away alone in the woods, before I got the blessing.

On the 11th of April, in the morning, I felt worse in mind than before—felt a strong desire to find the Saviour. About noon I went away and prayed the Lord to help me; but all seemed as dark as ever. I arose from my knees, sat down, took my pocket Testament, and read a few chapters. I then knelt down and prayed some time. When I rose from my knees my faith laid hold of the promises, and I felt that I should have a blessing. I went along a little way and it came to me suddenly, I cannot describe how I felt then; it was all glory to God. I came home very happy, praising the Lord for his goodness to me. I cannot praise the Lord too much for what he has done for me. Ps. xxxiv, has been precious to me since. I have had to watch very close in order to keep from grieving the Spirit away, but the Lord has helped me. In the strength of the Lord I am determined to go on to the kingdom.

I have been in the habit of saying a great many unnecessary, idle words; but with the help of the Lord I am gaining victory. I have had many sweet seasons of prayer, and have seen the answers of my prayers many times. The Lord truly is a very present help in time of need. "From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised." I have a desire to be baptized, and hope soon to have an opportunity. If it is the Lord's will, I should like to be where I could meet with those of like precious faith; but I feel to say, The Lord's will be done. If I cannot meet with you here, I hope to meet you in the earth made new.

Yours striving to overcome. SIMON PATTEN. Shields, Wis.

Why I am a Christian.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

By the grace of God I am a Christian. I have many good reasons for this.

1. I know that the book which we call the Bible is the word of the almighty Creator. It bears innumerable evidences of this on every page. The knowledge of the wants of man; the means proposed by which they may be supplied; the healthful and happy effects they produce when complied with,—all prove that it emanated from him who formed man. The exact fulfillment of the great chains of prophecy in Dan., Rev., Matt., &c., show that they were dictated by the Almighty, who knows and directs all things.

Infidels have attacked them in every age, with about as much success as a shark would oppose the progress of an Iron Clad. Every century adds a new pillar, and gives solidity and stability to the great platform of Christian faith.

Peter says, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place." With this sure light to instruct him, the humble Christian can say, "I know that our God he is the Lord."

2. When I view the lofty mountains; the boundless ocean; the great globe itself, traveling on in its orbit at the rate of sixty-eight thousand miles an hour; when I contemplate the heavens; the vast extent of space; the mighty orbs that fly with lightning speed around the great center of the universe; and then reflect that the being who brought them into existence with a word, and could blot them out in an instant, is my Father, it makes my heart rejoice. As we look upon these mighty works how good it is to say, "Father, thou hast created them, they are thine, and thou art mine, even my Father."

Well may the Christian rejoice and be glad; for is he not rich, being the heir of the world. Is he not honorable being the companion of angels (Ps. xxxiv, 7), the brother of Jesus Christ (Rom. viii, 17), and the son of God (Rev. xxi, 7).

3. The ennobling and elevating influence which Christianity has upon its recipient. It checks that base licentiousness, to which man is so prone; frees him from the superstition of paganism; gives him right ideas of his Creator; a pure system of morals; and noble views of man and his destiny. Why is it that we are not worshiping wood, stone, beasts, reptiles, plants, &c., as other nations do or have done? Why do we not murder our children in sacrifice to imaginary gods, inflict upon ourselves the most cruel tortures, or prostitute our honor, virtue, or manhood before them? Simply because Christianity has taught us better.

4. The reward it brings. That we may better appreciate this, let us compare it with that of the wicked, or those who reject or neglect Christianity. The ungodly man, for the short time he lives, is a prey to doubts and fears. If he denies its truth, he yet fears it may be true then he is aware that it is woe to him. If he acknowledges, and yet neglects it, his conscience upbraids him, he feels guilty before God, and knows he must soon meet his just reward, which is death,—a death from which there is no life, no hope, no resurrection.

The Christian on the other hand enjoys great peace of conscience, and nothing can offend him. The cold winds of poverty may whistle around his humble cot; the world may scoff at and persecute him; sickness and death may overcome him, yet he can rejoice in the hope of the gospel.

These are a few of the many reasons for the "hope that is within me." D. M. Canright.

Coldwater, Mich.

Lessons for Bible Students.

LESSON XVIII.

(HISTORY OF THE SABBATH, PP. 244-270.)

When God made the world what did he do?

When man apostatized from God, what did Satan do?

When did this festival present itself as a rival to the Sabbath?

Was the Sabbath observed in the early church?

Was the Sabbath confined to Jewish converts?

Mosheim states that the seventh day was not observed by Christians in general; what is his proof of this?

Is his conclusion called for, or correct?

What does Coleman say of the Sabbath in the early ages of the church?

What does the same historian say in regard to the law for Sunday keeping? p. 247, top.

What admission does bishop Jeremy Taylor, though an opponent of Sabbatic obligation, make in regard to the observance of the Sabbath during the first three hundred years of the Christian age? p. 248, top.

In the midst of the great apostasy on the Sabbath question, were there still steadfast bodies of Sabbatarians?

What class of this kind is first mentioned?

Who were these Nazarenes?

Is it strange that the church which fled out of Judea, at the word of Christ, should long retain the Sabbath?

What other body of Sabbath-keepers is mentioned?

From whom has come down to us a record of these sects which were called heretics?

What does Cox say of another class of Sabbath keepers?

How long does professor Edward Brerewood say the ancient Sabbath did remain and was observed in the eastern church?

What remarkable event occurred in the early part of the fourth century?

What emperor issued this edict, and in what year?

What did this law permit?

What relation does this law bear to the festival of Sunday? p. 252, note.

What fact in relation to this law is placed beyond all dispute?

What is Mosheim's testimony concerning it?

In what manner, then, shall we conclude that the Sunday was observed, previous to this law?

What does bishop Taylor testify?

What does Morer say respecting a command for the Lord's day, previous to the time of Constantine?

What is Sir Wm. Domville's testimony?

Was this celebrated edict of Constantine's, a Christian or heathen law?

On what day did Constantine issue his edict?

What kind of a decree did he issue on the following day?

Whose testimony shows that Constantine was himself a heathen when this edict was issued?

What may be said of his character as a professor of Christianity?

What of his character as a man?

As Constantine was a heathen at the time he issued his edict, and his edict was a heathen law, how did it become a Christian ordinance?

Who gave to the venerable day of the sun, the imposing title of Lord's day?

What change does Constantine's edict mark in the Sunday festival? p. 262, top.

What does Heylyn say of the Sabbath in Constantine's time? p. 263.

Did it recover strength in any degree after his edict?

What council struck a heavy blow at Sabbath-keeping in the eastern church?

Did this action of the council extirpate the Sabbath from the eastern churches? p. 265, bottom.

What facts exhibit the authority of councils in their true light?

What does Chrysostom confess?

What does Jerome say of Sunday labor?

How does Morer justify this Sunday labor?

What does the bishop of Ely testify?

What modern first-day arguments were unknown to Augustine?

What laws did pope Leo make concerning giving holy orders on Sunday?

What decree did the emperor Leo put forth in 469?

What addition did he make to the law of Constantine?

Was Sabbatical observance still practiced in the middle of the fifth century?

Who testifies to this?

What is the testimony of Sozomen?

What remarks does Cox make on these statements?

The time had now come when the Sabbath was deemed what?

What did the close of the fifth century witness?

Continue reading: Matt. vi, 10