Earlier text: DISCUSSION ON THE SABBATH QUESTIONThe Coming of Christ.—No. 5.
By S. F. Griswold
PROCEEDING in our examination of Scripture teaching on the coming of Christ, in Matt. 13: 47–50, we read: “The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” By the kingdom of Heaven here is meant the true Christian church, from which would be expelled every worker of iniquity. The time was at the closing up of the Jewish dispensation, αἰῶνος, age. Christ was speaking of the establishment of his kingdom then, as being near at hand. But, as if to leave no doubt about his meaning, Christ explicitly shows what he meant by the kingdom in Matt. 21: 33–45, in the parable of the vineyard. “There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country; and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.” That this parable referred to the Jewish nation cannot be denied. The cause of God was the vineyard—the kingdom of God. This kingdom of God was to be taken away from the Jews, and given to the Christians. This took place at the close of the Jewish dispensation, called the end of the world; in which the angels, messengers, human and angelic, were to aid in separating the chaff from the wheat, and the good from the bad, so that the righteous might shine forth in this new kingdom of their Father. It was in this new kingdom that Christ was anew to drink of the fruit of the vine, the Lord’s supper. At this last supper, Christ partook of the cup in the old kingdom, under the Jewish dispensation; but after the kingdom of God was transferred to the Christian dispensation, he drank anew in his Father’s new kingdom. The parable of the vineyard settles the question as to what the kingdom of God was; and, also the time when it was to be set up. Now, as the coming of Christ was synchronical with the setting up of the kingdom, and as the setting up of this kingdom was synchronical with the overthrow of Judaism it follows that the coming of Christ and the overthrow of Judaism were synchronical events; And as the destruction of Judaism was the end of the world, or dispensation, and as Christ’s coming was to take place at the end of the world or that dispensation, it follows that the coming of Christ is, as to its beginning, an event of the past. And, as he did not come personally, thus far our research goes to show that the Scriptures do not teach his personal coming. The parable of the king’s marriage of his son, as recorded in Matt. 22: 1–14, is of similar import to the time then passing. The Jews were the first invited, but as they declined to accept the invitation, it was extended to the Gentiles. The coming, then, of the Son of man, was his coming in his kingdom; an event then commencing to transpire—an event then about to be. When Christ was interrogated by the high priest as to whether he was the Messiah, the Son of God, Christ answered that he was, and added, “I say unto you, Hereafter, ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matt. 26: 64; Luke 22: 69. The time here mentioned was immediately to commence, when the Son of man was to sit on the right hand of power, and to come in the clouds of heaven. Henceforth, from that time, literally, from the now, (ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν), apo ton nun, from the now, from that time the high priest was to see (not with his literal eyes), to understand that the prisoner before him, Jesus, was to be elevated to a seat of power, in the divine administration; and to a coming in the clouds of heaven, the dispensations of the divine providence, to establish the kingdom of God. To this throne of power Christ was elevated at his resurrection out from among the dead ones, those who had finished their earth-life and were denizens of the spirit-world (see Romans 1: 4), and became the Son of God with power. I have thus examined some of the prominent references to the coming of the Son of man as contained in the gospels; and they all, undoubtedly, had and are having their fulfillment in the overthrow of Judaism and in the establishment of the gospel of the kingdom, viz., the Christian dispensation.—There evidently is no reference to an end of this material globe, the personal coming of Christ, or the popular idea of the Judgment-day; but to that administration of the divine government, which Christ, as mediator and king was to execute. The time when such language as, The kingdom of God being near at hand, as coming, as come, the coming of the Son of man, the end of the world, were all synchronical, and all began to have their fulfillment at the ascension of Christ, and the destruction of Judaism. Thus far we find nothing in support of the second-advent theory, but all in direct opposition to it. So far as pertains to the ground covered by the foregoing article by Bro. Griswold, the question which divides us is, To what dispensation does Christ in the parables of Matt. 13 refer? Bro. G. says, The Jewish. We say, The Christian. That the term, “The kingdom,” sometimes refers to the arrangement that has been put in operation for the salvation of men, may be admitted. In this sense the kingdom of Heaven, or kingdom of grace, has existed ever since such an arrangement was established, and has passed, and is passing, through several stages, the patriarchal, the Jewish, the Christian. The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. This was spoken to the Jews, and was a prediction of their rejection as the especial people of God. There was to be a transfer from them to another people of the agencies God had instituted to save men. It has been fulfilled in the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles. The vineyard is now in the hands of other husbandmen. But the work in their hands constitutes the kingdom just as much as it did in the hands of the Jews. And its work is still in progress; and to this work the parable of the sower, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the net of fish, &c., &c., beyond any question have their application. To show that it is not possible that these parables, some of them at least, like the wheat and tares, and the net of fish, were not fulfilled at the transfer from the Jewish to the gospel age, it is only necessary to consider that these parables bring to view the completion and end of the work which they are given to illustrate. Therefore they were not fulfilled at the end of the Jewish age; for the kingdom, in the sense of God’s arrangement for saving men, did not there finish its work, and come to an end, but was only transferred to another people. Hence to say that these parables which illustrate the completed work of this kingdom, were all fulfilled when this kingdom simply passed from one of its stages to another, is altogether erroneous. But this work is to come to an end. Christ is not always to officiate as priest. Mercy will not be offered forever, nor probation always last; for the time is coming, and that too in close connection with the second advent of Christ, when the sentence will go forth, “He which is filthy, let him be filthy still, and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Rev. 22: 11. Christ is to take the throne of his father David, and then reign as king forever and ever. This will constitute the future kingdom of glory which we are to seek, Matt. 6: 33; which the church in this life, the “little flock,” do not possess, but which is to be given to them, Luke 12: 32, 33, for the coming of which we are ever to pray, Matt. 6: 10; and into which we are to enter through much tribulation. Acts 14: 22. This is the kingdom which is ushered in by the second coming of Christ in glory, the destruction of the living wicked, and the resurrection of the righteous dead. It is by unnecessarily confounding the reign of Christ as priest on the throne of his Father, Zech. 6: 12, 13; Rev. 3: 21; with his reign as king on his own throne, 1 Cor. 15: 24–28; Luke 1: 32, 33, and mixing up these kingdoms of grace and glory, that all this confusion exists in relation to the second coming of Christ, and the supposed necessity has arisen for making that coming a mystical affair, and giving the language a spiritual meaning; a practice which Brooks in his Elements of Prophecy, p. 97, calls a device of Satan to render the Scriptures virtually useless. That the separation between the good and bad spoken of in the parable of the net and fishes, is future, is evident from Matt. 25: 31, 32: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” Christ has used the future tense to express the time of this gathering and separation; and it is to be when he shall come in his glory. At what point in all our world’s history thus far have the nations been gathered before the Son of man, more than another? None whatever. They were gathered before him just as much before his advent as at that time, or as at any time since. If it refers to anything that has transpired in the experience of the race thus far, the text should have read, Before him are gathered all nations; for they have been before him just as much at one time as another. But no, they shall be gathered, different from anything before the advent of Christ, different from anything at that time, different from anything since; they shall be gathered and separated, and the righteous shall, as the result, go into everlasting life, and the wicked into everlasting punishment. Then the gospel net will have been brought to shore, the good fish preserved, and the bad cast away. “The Judgment! the Judgment! the thrones are all set,
Where the Lamb and the white-vested Elders are met;
There all flesh is at once in the sight of the Lord,
And the doom of eternity hangs on his word.”
The Two Laws.
By H. M. Van Slyke
From a Bible text-book published by the American Tract Society, I copy the following references concerning the two laws; one of which S. D. Adventists believe to be abolished; the other, still to be holy, just, and good. H. M. VAN SLYKE. Given to the Israelites, Ex. 20; Ps. 78:5. Is It True?
By H. A. St. John
“A MAN may keep every one of the commandments, and yet not be a Christian.” Thus boldly, publicly, and emphatically, declared a minister not long since. Is it true? We had the privilege of as boldly, publicly, and emphatically denying the truthfulness of the statement. But there are some who believe in the perpetuity of the law, who think it true that a man may keep all the ten commandments without being a Christian. It becomes, therefore, a matter of no little importance to determine, if possible, the exact truth in the case. We are firmly of the opinion that perfect obedience to the law of God will constitute a perfect Christian. It is represented otherwise by those who teach the abrogation of the law. And it has ever appeared to us that the assertion, that a man may keep all the law and not be a Christian, is designed to belittle the character and sacredness of that holy law, and make it appear as a thing of insignificant importance. We are quite sure if this is not always the design of such teaching, it is the tendency. We will now submit a very few reasons deduced from the Scriptures of truth, which we consider of sufficient weight to decide the matter. We will first offer an illustration that will assist, perhaps, in getting at our thoughts upon the subject. Suppose neighbor A has a farm adapted to grazing. He employs B to take care of his stock. He informs B that his whole duty consists in caring for his flocks. For a time he is obedient and faithful, but one day he wanders from the farm and crosses a stream, and when once over finds to his regret that he cannot return without assistance. Now while B is in this position his whole duty as a servant of Mr. A is the same as when he was on the farm, caring for the flock, but now he has placed himself in a position where he cannot do his whole duty. Now suppose Mr. A takes pity upon B, pardons his wrong, bridges the stream, and permits him to return to his post of duty. Now he can do his whole duty, which, while on the other side of the stream, he could not do. Now it appears to us that the history of the human family presents nearly a parallel case. While man was in Eden, before he had sinned, his whole duty was summed up in the moral law. After he had departed from God by sin or transgression, his whole duty was the same as before, but he has now placed himself in a position where he cannot do his duty without assistance, any more than B could care for his master's flock while over the stream. But God takes pity upon helpless man, bridges the stream, constitutes the plan of salvation, whereby man may come back to the Father and do his whole duty, which he could not do while away. How is it then that we may get back to the Father where we may keep his holy law? “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. Then is it not plain? No man can do his whole duty without first coming to God through Christ. He must comply with the terms of the gospel before he can keep the ten commandments. The sinner must be slain by the law before he can be made alive unto God. He can be made alive unto God only through the Lord Jesus Christ; and he must be made alive unto God before he can perfectly keep his law. Thus we may understand how the law of the Lord converts the soul, Ps. 19:7, and how that fearing God and keeping his commandments is the whole duty of man. Eccl. 12:13. Out of many proofs and considerations that might be offered to sustain the same idea, we will submit but one more, which we regard as entirely conclusive. It is the language of Paul in Rom. 8:7, 8. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Can we be mistaken in our conclusion? The sinner that is in the flesh, that is carnally minded, cannot please God, cannot become subject to his law, it is impossible. Then comes the question, How is the carnal mind, that stands in the way of keeping the law of God, to be taken away? This question admits of but one answer, namely, Through Christ only, or by complying with the gracious terms of the gospel. Can carnality be put away? This point will not be disputed. The sinner comes to Christ humbly confessing his sins, finds pardon, has the carnal heart removed, and then goes on to obey the law of God, which he was never in a condition to obey before. Now is not such an one a Christian? Most assuredly. Without conversion, no man can keep the law of God, and conversion can never take place without Christ and the gospel. The law of God cannot be too highly appreciated. But while we talk of its beauties, its importance, and its sacredness; oh! may we never forget to square our lives by it, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Jesus Soon Is Coming.
By Nellie L. Wilkinson
WHAT a blessed thought to those that love God and keep his commandments. The trials and temptations which we have to pass through here are nothing compared with the glorious reward that is promised to those that overcome. If we are so happy as to enter the pearly gates, partake of the tree of life, and live forever, shall we ever be sorry that we have suffered and borne crosses in this life, and denied self to please the Saviour (his sufferings were greater than ours can be), even if we lose this life laboring in the cause for the good of others? No, never! We shall be glad that our eyes were opened to see our danger before it was too late, and that we have, by God's grace assisting us, endured trials, subdued our wills, and overcome all our sins. It is several years since I made up my mind to give up all for a home with Jesus. I love present truth; it is precious to me. I love to talk and read about it. It cheers my heart to hear that others are embracing it. I desire to live it out in every particular and be saved when Jesus comes. New Ipswich, N. H., Aug. 1, 1872. ONLY he who respects the liberty of others is worthy of liberty. Gratuities and Wills.
By James White
The General Conference Address on gratuities and wills, which appeared in the REVIEW AND HERALD for Feb. 6, 1872, is from the highest earthly authority with our people, and is a candid and able statement of the principles of the subject. The address should be re-read, in the fear of God, by those who do not feel the importance of the principles therein set forth, with an earnest desire to learn duty, and a resolute will to perform. But that which should be especially impressed upon the minds of the working men and women in the ranks of Seventh-day Adventists, is the consistency, and the real need, of acting the part of faithful stewards while they live, and while the cause of God can be benefited by the means in their hands. We are doubtless fast reaching the point of time when friends, many of them wealthy and liberal, shall be so numerous, and when there shall be so lively an interest throughout the ranks, that the treasuries of our different institutions and societies will overflow with means. In all probability, at the very close of our message to the world, hundreds of thousands of dollars will be urged upon the treasuries, for which there will be no room. This evidently will be the case, if we be allowed to reason from the past relative to the rise and progress of the work thus far. Twenty years ago, the friends of the cause were very few, and most of these were poor. To start the work then, under such circumstances, demanded great exertion and sacrifice. A few noble men felt called upon to sell their only earthly homes, and use a considerable portion of their value to advance the infant cause. Among these we might mention the names of Hastings of New Hampshire, Edson of New York, and Smith, Lyon, and Kellogg, of Michigan. Others sacrificed, and donated to the cause liberally. Then, one dollar was worth as much to the cause, and told as much on the final result of its advancement and growth, and will tell as much in the reward in Heaven, as ten dollars put into the treasury ten years later, at the time the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association was incorporated. All sensible men and women, who have real faith in the cause they profess, will approve the liberal course of those who sacrificed so much for the cause twenty years ago. In fact, it was absolutely necessary that somebody should do as these men did, or the cause could not have started by those instrumentalities, such as God has ever seen fit to employ. God showed himself able to set a table for the Israelites in the wilderness, and he may do the same for his people under like circumstances, but it has ever been his plan to draw upon the means in the hands of his servants when it was needed to advance his cause. And God has had an especial care for those who sacrificed liberally at an early period in the history of the cause. Most of them have much more of this world's goods than they had before they sacrificed to the cause. Some of them have fourfold, and some tenfold, more. But the reward that awaits them in Heaven is above all computation. Others in our feeble ranks, twenty years since, might have done as these trusting ones did, and could have received the same reward in this, and in the world to come, who drew back, and most of them are not with us. Had they “come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty,” and used a portion of their means when it was so much needed, much more could have been done during the past twenty years to spread the truth, the influence of which would have increased in far greater proportion than compound interest, adding to their joy here as they see the cause advance, and increasing their reward in Heaven. But the golden opportunity is forever past. We do not say that God will not accept of their offerings, even now, if they repent of past neglect; but we do say that hundreds of dollars from their abundance now, cannot, from the very nature of the case, tell more on the cause on earth, and the reward in Heaven, than single dollars would have told had they been put into the scanty treasury twenty years since. We come down to the time when our Publishing Association was formed, in 1861. Then, friends were comparatively few, yet fifteen thousand dollars were raised for the Office building, printing material, and stock, besides sustaining the cause in other departments. One hundred dollars appropriated to the cause, then, would tell as much upon the cause, in its final results, as one thousand dollars did ten years later, in 1871. Those who, from lack of faith in our message, or from covetousness, withheld means from the cause ten years since, let the golden opportunity pass, never to return. God may accept their free-will offerings even now; but ten dollars will not tell more in the cause in 1872, than one dollar, ten years since. And in this proportion will the free-will offerings of God's people decrease in real value, until there shall be no room for them in the treasury, and they will be disposed of by those who withheld them until that time when, as expressed by the prophet, “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed. [Margin, for a separation, or uncleanness.] Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord.” Eze. 7:19. That will be a fearful day for those who have let the cause of God languish for want of the very means they might have given without experiencing the least want; but which they covetously withheld. In view of the foregoing facts, we appeal to the friends of the Lord and his cause to do their duty, and to do present duty now. Whether you make your will, or do not make a will, in either case it is your duty to open your hands wide to the wants of the cause now, when your means can accomplish good. Hundreds of our people, who have had an indistinct idea that at some future time the words of Christ, “Sell that ye have, and give alms,” would be obeyed by all believers, have withheld from the treasury needed means, which they have used in making improvements, that their property might bring more money in the “selling time,” as it has been termed. This has been simply a delusion of the devil imposed upon them, in harmony with their feelings of covetousness. The “selling time,” so far as the extreme wants of the cause are concerned, and the great reward to be gained by so doing, is evidently in the past. That those who profess the truth will sell, and many sell rashly, and for small considerations, and that the rapid increase and wide extension of the work will call for much means, we doubt not. But no one who will candidly consider the foregoing will fail to see that it is simply preposterous to neglect present duty in view of some future selling and giving time, when the cause cannot be advanced by their hoarded means. Then he who professes to believe that the last message of mercy is being given, and has a double, or triple competency, or even more, and withholds his hand from the cause, while he exerts himself to obtain still more for the fires of the last day, is simply insane. He is blinded by Satan, and is going directly from, and not in the way to, eternal life. And what makes the case appear most painful is the fact that blindness and stupor, resulting from neglect of present duty, come over these so that in all probability they will be aroused to the terrible mistake they are making only when it will be too late to make acceptable offerings to the Lord. We cannot see that it is necessary for our people to sell their only homes at the present time, as some did twenty years ago. Should those in our ranks, who have more than a liberal competency, bring their surplus means to the treasury, a fiftieth part of it could not be used. Or, should all our people put into the treasury a tithe of their yearly increase there would be abundance. Instead of a tenth of their increase, the Seventh-day Adventists do not put into the treasury more than a fiftieth part of their annual increase. Let us see. Probably the New England Conference comes up to the plan adopted by our people nearer than any other. That Conference averages on Systematic Benevolence alone, ten dollars to a member. See page 13, of the work entitled, “An Appeal to the Working Men and Women in the Ranks of S. D. Adventists,” advertised on the last page of this paper. And, probably, the Michigan Conference comes up to the figures as near as our other Conferences generally, and much better than some. Michigan has a membership of 1800, and pays only $6000 S. B., or three dollars to a member. Now suppose that the members of the New England Conference come up to the figures, and no more, and that the members of the Michigan Conference are worth as much as the members of the New England Conference, and no more, then the annual S. B. of the Michigan Conference should be the handsome sum of $18,000. But from actual knowledge of the facts in the case, to quite an extent, we are satisfied that the average wealth of the members of the Michigan Conference is at least one-half more than that of the New England Conference, so that, should Michigan come up to her own adopted figures, the S. B. of our State Conference would not be less than $27,000. If the foregoing is fairly stated, we have the humiliating fact that our Conference, whose S. B. is only about $6000 annually, comes up not one-fourth to her own adopted plan. But let us look still more faithfully into this important subject. A tithe of our increase is a tenth part of the annual increase of our entire property. This is not reached by the man who puts down his property at $10,000, and pays only $100 during the year that his property increases to $12,000. His actual increase was $2000. A tithe of this increase is $200. He paid $100 only, and robbed the Lord of just $100. “Will a man rob God?” “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Mal. 3:8-10. We cannot expect the blessing of God upon our people, and that the cause of his down-trodden truth in our hands will prosper gloriously until we obey his voice in reference to tithes and offerings. And right here is one of the most important departments of the work of the officers of our Tract and Missionary Societies. It becomes their duty, according to the constitution, see page 15 of “Appeal,” “to bring about, as far as possible, equality among our people in the payment of Systematic Benevolence, in accordance with the plan adopted.” We solemnly believe that the S. B. of the Seventh-day Adventists scattered throughout the United States is not one-fiftieth of the actual annual increase of their property, or, on the whole, one-fifth of what it should be. Here is work to be done. To bring our people up to their own adopted figures will require patience, brotherly kindness, love, and energy. The power of moral suasion is the only earthly force that can be employed in harmony with the cause, Systematic Benevolence. But men who have not the moral courage, and the faithfulness to investigate, and leave no proper means untried to bring all our people up to the figures, are not worthy of offices in our Tract and Missionary Societies, or to go about from church to church as teachers of the people. There are but two departments of work for our ministers. One is to enter new fields and call out disciples. The other is to labor with our churches, to bring them up to correct positions, Systematic Benevolence not excepted. Those ministers who cannot do either, have no just claims on the treasury, and should turn to some other calling. We suggest that the duty of God's people relative to securing to the cause what God requires of them in point of means at this time may be summed up in the following order: 1. That they all come up to the figures on Systematic Benevolence adopted by our people. Let every man and woman assess his or her property at the figures they would ask for it in case they wished to sell. Then, acting upon the adopted plan, that the increase of property is equal to ten per cent interest, a tithe of our increase would be one per cent annually on all our property. Hence the man whose property is worth only one thousand dollars pays annually only the small sum of ten dollars, or about twenty cents each week, while the man who has ten thousand pays one hundred dollars annually, or about two dollars each week. And while the aged, and infirm, and widows, who are in limited circumstances, may be excused from coming up to the adopted plan, if they choose, the deficiency on their account should be made up tenfold by those young members of our churches whose wealth still remains in their strength to labor, and their ability to accumulate. 2. That those who know that their actual increase is more than one per cent annually on their property, pay into the treasury cheerfully a tithe of all their increase, whatever it may be. With many it would be from two to five or more per cent of all they possessed at the end of the year. 3. That those who have robbed God in tithes and in offerings in past time immediately bring to the treasury their trespass offerings. The amount is stated in Lev. 5:15, 16. 4. That those who have received at the hand of the Lord great spiritual blessings on themselves, or on their families; or have been especially blest in the good things of this life, bring unto the Lord thank-offerings liberally, in the spirit of rejoicing and gladness of heart. 5. That all those who have more than a competency, whether they make a will or not, use their surplus means liberally, as the rapidly increasing cause, with its corresponding wants, demands. He who withholds his surplus means from the cause, and puts it into his will for the benefit of the cause by-and-by, after his decease, when perhaps it will not be worth to the cause of God a tithe what it is in 1872, and then to be handled by an administrator whom he would now hardly trust to transact business for him to the amount of twenty-five dollars, is, to say the least, making a great mistake. Why not appropriate your surplus means now, when it will tell the most for the cause of God, and while you live, and can see to its appropriation yourself? Why not! Oh, why not! A brother in Oakland Co., Michigan, known to us only by name and the sensible manner (though not in all respects the most legal form) in which he is discharging his stewardship, sent to the REVIEW AND HERALD Office for a form of a will. He was informed that the specifications of wills were so various that, probably, no form had ever been printed, and that we could not fill his order. In a short time, however, a hundred dollars was received from the good brother, with the statement that it was a part of the amount he had willed to the Publishing Association. And in a short time he forwarded one hundred dollars more with the same statement. Sensible! He could not wait till he should be dead before the means in his hands designed for the advancement of the cause should be appropriated, and doing good. Certainly not; for now it is most needed, and will do the most good. And who could so well appropriate it as himself? Adopting the judicious maxim of Dr. Franklin, that “if you wish to have a thing half done, employ a hand; but if you would have it done, then do it yourself,” this brother was the very man to appropriate his surplus means while he was alive, and could attend to it himself. 6. That there are persons who should make their will, and thus secure to the cause of God that portion of their property they wish to be thus appropriated. These are of the following classes: (1) The wealthy who have more property in their hands than they wish to leave to children, or to more distant relatives. They should immediately decide upon a division of their property, as they would like to have it divided in case of their decease, then make their will legally, and then appropriate to the cause of their surplus means as the wants of the cause demand. If necessary, at any time, they can make another will, disannulling all former ones. A case comes to mind where a devoted sister lost her infidel husband, he leaving one hundred thousand dollars at least. Soon the sister died, leaving this amount of property to two or three inexperienced children. The influence of this amount of property upon those children could scarcely fail to ruin them, both for this life, and the life to come. We have no doubt but if the real wishes of this godly mother had been carried out, at least twenty-five thousand dollars of this property would now be in the treasury of the Lord. She should have made her will immediately on the death of her husband. She delayed a little too long, and her portion of that large estate fell to her children, whose portion was already too large for their safety. (2) Persons who have but a few thousand dollars, and have no children, and no near relatives they wish to share their property. These may be aged, or infirm, very liable to die suddenly. These should make their will. While they live, they should reserve enough to warrant them a support. When they die, their property can be used as they had designed. It will be seen by referring to pages 73 and 92 of the “Appeal,” that the amount of legacies for the benefit of our institutions is very small.77 At least three-fourths have been lost by imperfect wills, and considerable by unfaithfulness of administrators. If all those who have died in the faith the past ten years had made their wills, and had made them strictly legal, disposing of their property in the fear of God, in accordance with their own free choice, the legacies represented in this book would be twenty-fold what they now are. Judging from those wills already administered, which secured legacies to our institutions, not one in ten of the wills, now on deposit by their living framers, excepting those drawn under competent legal advice, would stand the close test of law. We close by saying to all those persons who feel that in case of sudden decease their will should be made, be sure that it is not only made in season, and to your mind, but in strict conformity to the law of the State, kingdom, or province, where you reside. And to all, whether you do, or do not, make a will, we would say, the living, interesting, important present, demands your serious and prayerful consideration relative to the immediate appropriation of a liberal portion of your surplus means. While it may be the will of God that the very poor should cast the two mites into the treasury to test their love, and that all should take some part in the work of cheerful sacrifice to the Lord, it seems most in harmony with reason and the word of God that those who have a double or triple competency should at once commence to liberally cast into the treasury of their surplus means. JAMES WHITE.
Colorado Ter., Aug. 7, 1872.