Earlier text: General ArticlesThe Son of God Died.
By Editor
HAVING noticed the humiliation of the exalted Son of God, we come to the question at issue: Who or what died for man? The answer is, Christ, the Son of the Most High; the pre-existent one that was with God in the beginning; the Word, who was made flesh. Now that the scriptures quoted all refer to the "higher nature" of Christ, the pre-existent Son of God, no one can doubt. Indeed, if the incarnation of the Holy One is not therein revealed, it cannot be revealed at all, and Socinianism is the only resort. But it is therein revealed plainly; and it is equally plain that the same Word, or Son, or Christ, died for our sins. We remarked that the titles of the Father are given to the Son, whereby he is called God: In Isa. 9:6, 7, he is called the son given; the child born; Wonderful; Counsellor; the mighty God; the everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace; and he is to sit upon the throne of David. These expressions clearly identify the anointed of God, even Jesus. And he is evidently called here Prince of Peace in the same capacity that he is called the "King of Peace," in Heb. 7, because "he is our peace," Eph. 2:14, or makes peace for us on the throne of his Father; for it is only in his priestly office that he is King of Peace, that is, a priest after the order of Melchisedec. But Paul again says that he is our peace, reconciling us unto God by the cross, we being "made nigh by the blood of Christ." Eph. 2:13-16. We have seen the necessity of blood to make an atonement, and that the high priest never entered the holies without it; and Christ, the King of Peace, our High Priest, obtains redemption for us "by his own blood." See Heb. 6:20; 7:1-3; 8:1; 9:11, 12. Therefore that exalted one referred to in Isa. 9:6, 7, shed his blood or laid down his life for us. Again he is prophesied of under the name Immanuel, which Matthew said means "God with us." The angel said he should "save his people from their sins." Matt. 1:21, 23. And Paul said he accomplished this or put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, purging us "by his own blood." Heb. 9:11-14, 26. The gospel according to John, as quoted, takes up the Word, in the beginning, as God, with God, by whom all things were made; says the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; represents him as saying he came from the Father and returned to him; as praying that the Father would restore to him the glory which he had with him before the world was; relates how he taught and wrought miracles; was falsely accused of the Jews; was put to death on the cross; his blood was shed; he was buried, and rose again from the dead. Now we ask the candid reader to look at this testimony, and answer: Is the history of any other person given in this book than of him who is called the Word, who was in the beginning? And if any other individual or person was referred to, who was that person? Phil. 2:5-8, as quoted, speaks of Christ as being in the form of God; he thought it not robbery to be equal with God; was made in the likeness of man; humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Again we appeal to the candid: Is not all this spoken of one person? Or did one person humble himself, and another become obedient to death? Paul, in Col. 1:14-20, uses the same form of expression that he does in Heb. 1. He says of the Son: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins; who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, . . . all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself." Here is a description of power, of authority, of fullness, of divinity, truly wonderful; yet this exalted one, by whom all things were created, has made peace by the blood of his cross, and was raised from the dead; he is the head of the church, and we have redemption through his blood. Such testimony cannot be avoided; it needs no comment. Jesus, in his testimony to the churches, takes up the same idea expressed by his apostle in Col. 1, as being creator of all, and first-born of every creature, and says: "I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth and was dead." Rev. 1:17, 18. Here it is expressly affirmed that he who is the first and the last, was dead. Thus it is abundantly shown that Christ, the Son of the Most High, the Word, by whom the worlds were made, in whom all things consist, the first and the last, the image of the invisible God, in whom all fullness dwells, was made flesh and laid down his life, to purge us from sin, and to redeem us to God by his own blood. We have remarked that we should not question God's plan, whatever that might be. But we find that there is a fitness, a conformity to the necessity of things, in God's arrangements. The value of the Atonement is not merely in the appointment of God; for, were it so, "the blood of bulls and of goats" might have answered every purpose, had God so appointed. But Paul says it is not possible that such blood should take away sin, or purge the conscience. Again, it is not in mere suffering; for, were that the case, man might atone for himself were he to suffer long enough. But it is evident from every principle of just government, that a man under the condemnation, to death, of a holy, just, and immutable law, could never make atonement for himself. But, the value of the atonement really consists in the dignity of the offering. As a man under condemnation could not make an atonement for himself, so no one of the race could make atonement for another, all being alike involved in sin. And we may go further than this: Were a part of the human race unfallen, or free from sin, they could make no atonement for the other part, inasmuch as they would still be the creatures of God, and the service of their lives would be due to him. Therefore, should they offer their lives to God for their fellow-creatures, they would offer that to which they had no absolute right. He who owes all that he possesses cannot justly give his possession to pay the debts of another. And the same reasoning would hold good in the case of the angels. They are but the "fellow-servants" of all on earth who serve God. Rev. 19:10; 22:8, 9. The life of an angel would be utterly inadequate for the redemption of man, as the angels are dependent creatures as man is, and as really owe to God the service of their lives as man does. And again, as man has been in rebellion, were it possible for him to extricate himself from his present difficulty, he could give no security—no satisfactory assurance, that he would never again turn from his duty. And of the angels, we must say that sin has entered their ranks; the "Son of the Morning" exalted himself to his ruin. Isa. 14:12-15; the covering cherub lifted up himself against God. Eze. 28:13-17. Any redemption wrought by them, or by beings of that order, would still leave distrust in regard to the security of the Government from any future attempts against its authority. But there was one Being to whom this reasoning and these remarks would not apply. It was the Son of God. He was the delight of the Father; glorified with him before the world was; adored and worshiped by angels. Prov. 8:30; John 17:5; Heb. 1. All creatures were made by and for him, and he upheld all things by the word of his Father's power. John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:3. Enjoying the glory of the Father, he sat with him upon the throne from which all law proceeded. Now it is evident that he to whom such remarks will apply could make an offering that would meet the necessities of the case in every respect. He possessed the requisite dignity to magnify and vindicate the honor of the law of his Father in suffering its penalty. He was the Truth as well as the Life, and he said the law of his Father was in his heart, which was a guarantee that he would do no violence to the law himself, but would shield it from desecration and rescue it from reproach, even to the laying down of his life in its behalf. He was so far removed by nature and position from the rebellion that he could not be suspected of any complicity with it. He was so well acquainted with his Father's holiness and justice that he could realize, as no other could, the awful condition of the sinner, and the terrible desert of his sin. He was so pure and exalted that his sufferings and death would have the desired effect upon the minds of those who were the recipients of his grace, to produce in them an abasement of themselves and an abhorrence of the sins which caused him to suffer, and thus to guard against a future rebellion amongst them whom he redeemed. And he left that throne of glory and of power and took upon him the nature of fallen man. In him were blended "the brightness of the Father's glory" and the weakness of "the seed of Abraham." In himself he united the Lawgiver to the law-breaker—the Creator to the creature; for he was made "sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." He was a connecting link between Heaven and earth; with one hand on the throne of God, and the other reaching down to grasp the poor, ruined creatures under the condemnation of a holy law. He "humbled himself" as it is not possible for any other to do. "He was rich" in a sense, and to an extent, that no other was. He had something to offer, of value far beyond our comprehension, and he freely gave it all for us. For our sakes he became poor. He left that glory to take upon himself grief, and toil, and pain, and shame, and to suffer even unto death; a death the most cruel that the malice of his enemies could invent, to save his enemies from well-deserved ruin. "O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
Was ever love, like thine?" Well might an inspired one exclaim, "Oh! the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Well might he pray that we "may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge." With this clear testimony before us, we are better prepared to appreciate the law of God, to the honor of which such an amazing sacrifice has been offered. If we estimate it according to the price paid for the vindication, we are lost in wonder, and can only pray with David, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." Ps. 119:18. The law is holy and just, and without a sacrificial offering, man must have perished. And what an offering! the brightest ornament of Heaven, by whom the Eternal Father made all things, who was worthy to receive the worship of angels, became obedient to death to redeem guilty man from the curse of his Father's law, thus showing to a wondering universe that the law cannot be set aside, nor its judgments reversed. Truly has the Lord fulfilled his promise, to "magnify the law and make it honorable." Isa. 42:21. All the statements of the Bible writers are shown by this to be fully warranted, in regard to its perfection, completeness, as containing the whole duty of man, the elements of justification, a rule of holiness, etc., also the remark previously made, that the holiness of this law, and of course of those who would keep it perfectly, is that which grows out of the attributes of God, as pure and changeless as Heaven itself. And we leave it to the candid judgment of those who lightly esteem and wantonly break the law, if God in justice spared not his Son, his well beloved Son in whom he greatly delighted, but let him suffer its penalty when he took its transgressions upon him, how can they hope to escape his justice and his wrath in the great coming day, if they continue to transgress it? Reader, can you hope that God will be more favorable to you if sin be found upon you in that day, than he was to his Son? True, his death was expiatory; he died for you; but do not therefore presume on his grace, but turn from sin, and live to his pleasure and glory. Do not abuse his mercy, because he grants the "remission of sins that are past," by claiming indulgence for sins in the future. Be warned in time, for Christ is not the minister of sin, but of righteousness. He will not save you in sin, but from sin. While the carnal mind is enmity against God, and not subject to his law, the Christian can say, "I delight in the law of God." Rom. 7:22; 8:7. May this be your happy experience. Editor. Dr. Cuyler once said: "I wish some of our preachers would spend less time in propping up the cross, and more in pointing men to it. Life is altogether too short to defend the word. Preach it." The Soul’s True Direction
By Golden Rule
The needle of the compass will not settle until it points toward the pole star, and so the soul can find no lasting peace until it turns with full purpose of faith to Christ. The Sabbath-School.
By W. N. G.
Lesson for Pacific Coast.—December 29.
“FOR we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake.” The apostle here refers to the apostles and ministers of Christ, as the context shows; some of them had been put to death, and others were in constant danger, as the Lord himself had told them, and as Paul frequently testifies. See Acts 9 : 16; 20 : 23; Rom. 8 : 36; 1 Cor. 15 : 31. “THAT the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in the flesh.” The 11th verse is explanatory, or rather an emphasis, of verse 10, the latter clause being a literal repetition. Grotius, Locke, Clarke, and Barnes all vary somewhat in their application of this clause—the first three referring it in some sense to the resurrection life of Christ. Barnes carries the idea that the apostles would follow his example in this life—imitating his zeal, self-denial, meekness, patience, and unselfish devotion to the salvation of men. And this seems to be sufficient for the purpose of the epistle. “So THEN death worketh in us, but life in you.” That is, the self-sacrificing labors of the ministry, while exposing them to persecution and death, were working for the life and salvation of the church. Compare verse 15; chap. 13 : 9; also 1 Cor. 4 : 8 and onward, and 2 Tim. 2 : 10. This spirit on the part of the apostle seems to carry out the idea of the manifestation of the life of Jesus in the flesh, as expressed in the preceding note on verse 12. VERSE 13 shows the unity of the Spirit of faith which actuated the psalmist and the apostles, under trials and afflictions, to call upon and believe in God, as also to speak for his cause before men. It is also another of the many references Paul makes to the Old Testament Scriptures in proof of his positions, which are far too frequent to justify the assertion of many professing Christians that the Old Testament is not in force under the Christian dispensation. VERSE 14 is a continued manifestation of the apostle's faith in the gospel, as he boldly proclaims the principal tenet: “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” Notice, he expects that they will all be presented together. He certainly did not expect that they would all die together. And here we have indicated the importance attached to the resurrection in the gospel message as proclaimed by the ministry in the days of the apostles. This fully harmonizes with 1 Thess. 4 : 15-17. “FOR all these things are for your sakes,” &c. Verse 15. The writer here seems anxious to impress upon the minds of the church how much had been done for them, and that much thanksgiving was due from them on account of the abundance of grace bestowed. On the word “redound,” in this verse, Dr. Barnes remarks that “here it means abound, or be abundant, and the sense is, that the overflowing grace thus evinced in the salvation of many would so abound as to promote the glory of God.” The whole sentiment of the verse should be deeply pondered by those who have the privileges of the truths pertaining to the last days. “FOR which cause we faint not,” &c. Verse 16. There is never any spiritual discouragement when the glory of God is in view, although the body may become fatigued and worn with much labor. The Saviour could forget his hunger in view of the whitening harvest, and the Spirit sustained him with meat that even his followers knew not of; and it is even so with those devoted servants whom he calls to represent him here while he intercedes for believers in Heaven. And “though our outward man perish [grow old], yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Those who think from this expression that man is composed of two independent entities, will please read the comment, in another column, on chap. 5 : 1-10, by Eld. Andrews. WHEN Paul compared the trials of himself and co-laborers with the ease and comfort of the Corinthian church, he laid much stress upon his hunger, thirst, buffetings, fatigue, and persecutions generally; but when he draws the comparison with his prospective future reward (verse 17), he sees these “light afflictions” which are “but for a moment” in a far different light. And so may any Christian. If an apostle, appointed by the Lord himself to “show him how great things he must suffer,” could thus view his trials, who of us can have the temerity to complain, in view of the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” which tribulation will work out for us? See Matt. 5 : 11, 12. VERSE 18: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen,” &c. This ought to be an easy task away down at this stage of time, when “the things that are not seen” are drawing so very near. Surely the Christian now should have faith enough to lift up his head and rejoice, looking away from the cares of this life, and the imaginary lions in the way, for his redemption draweth nigh. “The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” In regard to these things that are not seen, the apostle, in his first epistle (chap. 2 : 9) to this church quotes the prophet Isaiah: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” ON the first ten verses of chapter five, the following comment, by the late Eld. J. N. Andrews, is both concise and comprehensive:— 1. The apostle represents the Christian as having two houses, one a temporary structure, called a tabernacle because liable at any time to be taken down; the other an eternal house, because incapable of dissolution. 2. The tabernacle or temporary house is our mortal body, or the present state of mortality. 3. The eternal house is our immortal body, or immortality itself. 4. The dissolution of the tabernacle or temporary house is the unbuilding of the mortal body by death. 5. At death we have the eternal house, not in actual possession, but by God's promise which is then ours without condition. 6. For the eternal house, or house from Heaven, is the immortal body, or more properly it is immortality itself. And this is not given till mortality is swallowed up of life. 7. But mortality is swallowed up of life, not at the death of the body, but when it is raised from the dead. 8. The unclothed or naked state is that of death, for the tabernacle is dissolved, and the eternal house exists only in God's promise. The man has laid down the mortal life, and has not yet laid hold on the immortal life. He is asleep in death. 9. Paul did not desire this state of death, but did desire the state of immortality in the resurrection. 10. This immortal state is that for which God hath wrought man. 11. The indwelling of the Spirit of God is the earnest or pledge, not of death, but of the resurrected or immortal state. 12. Paul speaks of the first of these houses in which we have always lived as our home, and so long as we continue in this home we are absent from the Lord. 13. He was “willing rather,” that is, he chose, to be absent from the mortal body and present with the Lord. But this cannot mean that he chose death, for he expressly declares in the previous verses that he did not. 14. But as he has used the figure of two houses, one a temporary structure in which we have always lived, and which for that reason he calls home, and the other an eternal house, so now he speaks of moving from our home, when we are absent from our mortal body, and present with the Lord in immortality. Until the resurrection, Paul did not expect to be with Christ. 1 Cor. 15 : 32. 15. Let it be observed that there is but one house at a time, for the two houses are simply the body in its mortal and in its immortal state. The figure is like that used with respect to conversion when it is said that we put off the old man and put on the new, and yet these are simply two conditions of the same mind. 16. And the apostle fixes the time when we shall appear in the presence of Christ to receive our reward, and that time is the Judgment. It is manifest that Paul looked not to death but beyond it to the immortal glory of the resurrected saints in the presence of Christ. “KNOWING therefore the terror of the Lord,” &c. Verse 11. This refers to the day of judgment, when he who is now represented as all love and compassion for the sinner, will display his wrath upon the finally impenitent. See Rev. 6 : 15-17. “But we are made manifest unto God.” This is an appeal to God to witness their unselfish purpose, in so earnestly “persuading men to flee from the wrath to come,” and the apostle trusted that the church would also see his labors in the same light. VERSE 12 shows that he did not wish merely to commend himself to them; but to give them an argument against those who were “puffed up” by their own attainments, and were disposed, through jealousy, to deny his apostleship and hinder his work. This class, who “glory in appearance, and not in heart,” is referred to in his first epistle 4 : 18, 19; and it is probable that at least some of them maintained a lasting hostility on account of their exposure, as some of a like class do to this day, toward the servants of God who point out and denounce their errors. ON verse 13, “For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your cause,” we quote Dr. Barnes: “Festus thought Paul was deranged when he said, ‘Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad’ (Acts 26 : 24); and the Saviour himself was regarded by his immediate relatives and friends as beside himself. Mark 3 : 21. And at all times there have been many, both in the church and out of it, who have regarded the friends of revivals and of missions, and all those who have evinced any extraordinary zeal in religion, as deranged. The object of Paul here is to show, whatever appearances might be, or whatever might be the estimate which they affixed to his conduct, the real principles which actuated him. Here the idea is that they were charged with being deranged, or that others esteemed or professed to esteem Paul and his fellow-laborers deranged.” “IF one died for all then were all dead.” Verse 14. This sentiment advances the theory that if one died for all, of course all would be considered dead. And some preach universal salvation because Christ died for all. But it must be remembered that something more is required than his death to procure our salvation. There must be a resurrection also (See 1 Cor. 15 : 12-18) to complete the work; and even then it is conditional. “Whosoever believeth in him” is a restriction laid down by the Lord himself. John 3 : 15. And they that die to sin in his death, must be buried with him by baptism, and rise again to newness of life. So herein is seen the force of verse 15. “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Compare Rom. 6th chapter. “WHEREFORE, henceforth know we no man after the flesh.” Verse 16. That is he did not estimate men according to the flesh, or with the judgment of the unconverted. Even though he had formerly known or judged Christ by that standard, yet now henceforth [after his conversion] he did not so know him any more. “WE pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” Verse 20. There is perhaps not another expression in the Scriptures that shows as much condescension on the part of the Creator toward the erring creature. After going so far as to give his only Son to die, he allows the offending party to occupy the place of one that is to be conciliated, and sends his ambassadors to beg of him to be reconciled to his Creator and Redeemer whom he has so grossly insulted. How would it be were the case between man and man? In human affairs the party offended is always the one to be reconciled. But God's ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts than ours. Isa. 55 : 8, 9. Were it not so, we must all have perished in our sins. But it will not always be so. God's Spirit will not always strive with man. The judgment of the unreconciled is “near, even at the doors.” THIS number closes the ninth volume of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Of the paper itself we have little to say; our readers are the judges of what it has been. We have had many assurances that our labors have not been in vain, and that the paper has been appreciated by its thousands of readers. Of course this cannot fail to be gratifying to us, because we greatly desire to see the cause of the truth which we are advocating advance and find favor with the people. The honor of God and the good of man is concerned in the success of the cause of Bible truth. In its prosperity we ever rejoice. The past year has been one of unusual prosperity with us at this office. The increase of subscribers has been largely in excess of that of any previous year. We have sensibly felt the increased responsibility which is thus placed upon us, as our work is set before so many more people who are being tested by the Third Angel's Message of Rev. 14 : 9-12. And there is every prospect that this increase will be continued in the future. We must express our heartfelt thanks to God for his prospering hand. This is his work, and to him we give all praise and glory. We shall not cease to pray for strength and wisdom to do all according to his will and pleasure. While we shall do our utmost in the future, as we have endeavored to do in the past, to make the paper a faithful exponent of the truth of the message—of the doctrine of the Lord's coming, and the sacred obligation of all the commandments of God,—the Board of Directors of the Publishing Association have been carefully considering the advisability of making such changes as cannot fail to give it greater acceptance with its readers. Several matters have forcibly presented themselves before us in deliberating upon this subject. As the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has from the first refused to do a general advertising business, and is continuously rejecting offers which, if accepted, would bring us large money gains, it has not been considered prudent to largely increase the expense of its publication. It has been the constant effort to serve the highest interests of its readers and of the cause of truth; to publish it purely as a means of moral and religious instruction. It is one of the very few religious papers in the United States which do not advertise as a means of paying expenses. But we have not been satisfied with some features of our paper in the past. The stitching has not been what we desired, but it was not possible to resort to other means unless we could use a folding and pasting machine. But this we could not do, while it was a 12-page paper, as it had to be printed on two separate sheets. And with the sizes of type we use, which it was decided to retain, we could not afford to print a 16-page paper at the present price of the SIGNS, and of its present size. Therefore it was decided, 1. To procure a machine to fold and paste. 2. To change to 16 pages. 3. To make the pages somewhat smaller than they are at present. This will be advantageous in every way. True, it will increase the expense of publishing somewhat, as the pages will not be cut down so much as to keep the matter which it will contain down to the present amount. The reading matter will be somewhat increased, and some additional space will be given for notices of our books and other publications. In the past we have not given our publications the advertising which we felt that they demanded. The truth which they contain ought to be presented to the world; it must be placed before the world. If our paper were the only means we have of publishing the doctrine of the Lord's coming, and of advocating the claims of the Sabbath of Jehovah, we should then give it our undivided attention and interest. But our books, pamphlets, tracts, etc., "all speak the same thing," and we have the same interest in their circulation. We feel confident that the changes contemplated will meet the approval of our patrons. By the use of a folding machine we expect to get the paper in the mail in considerable less time than at present, whereby it will reach its readers earlier than it now does. Our thanks are not due to a few individuals, or to any class, for the prosperity which has attended our labors on the paper. As instruments in the hands of our Heavenly Father, the Tract and Missionary Societies, the ministers in the tent-meetings and camp-meetings, all the canvassers and colporters, have shown an interest in, and labored for, its success in a manner which has greatly aided and encouraged us, and, we trust, has met the approval of the Lord of the harvest, whose work it is. May God bless their labors in the future as he has in the past, and a reward be reaped by all in the everlasting kingdom. It will be our endeavor to secure the best assistance possible, both at the Office and in correspondence, to make the paper both interesting and useful. And we ask the prayers of all who love the truth that we may have both strength and wisdom given by Him who said, "Without me ye can do nothing." THERE is a growing tendency toward antinomianism in this age on the part of all classes who wish to avoid the argument in favor of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. We find this tendency even among some Presbyterians, the last place in the world where we should look for it, while it is strongly manifested among the Methodists, though it is directly contrary to their "standards," to which their last General Conference decided that all their ministers must conform. In a book which treated of the position of the various denominations, we once read the following words:— "The Methodist Conference under Wesley in 1770, declared that the universal immorality then prevailing was because of the wide-spread opinion that Christ has annulled the moral law, and that evangelical freedom dispensed with the ten commandments. Perhaps no part of the work of the early Methodists received stronger condemnation from those of the established church, than "Wesley's Notes" on this Conference. This controversy brought out Fletcher's celebrated "Checks to Antinomianism." Thus it will be seen that we are correct in saying that every sermon, every written article, by a Methodist, which is antinomian in its tendency, is contrary to the standards of Methodism, and therefore in defiance of the resolution of their General Conference. Among works of this nature may be mentioned the pamphlet of Mr. Armstrong against the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and those of Dr. Benson and Mr. Woodward on this Coast, especially the latter, which is as strongly antinomian as any work which we have seen from any source in many years. No man can read his work approvingly and retain reverence for the decalogue, the moral law of God, as a rule of life. The spirit of antinomianism has shown itself very prominently among those who are called "First-day Adventists." The chief organ of these people is the World's Crisis, of Boston. One of its most prominent correspondents once argued at length that the observance of law, was contrary to the spirit and freedom of the gospel; that the rule of law could not be carried forward into the immortal state, because law supposed penalties, and the idea of penalty was abhorrent to our ideas of the perfect freedom of that state. He thence argued that the ten commandments, with their penalties, were altogether unsuited to perfected beings, and that on such only the two great commandments can be binding, namely, to love God and to love our fellow-man. And we take it as an evidence of the blinding tendency of antinomianism that the writer did not see that his conclusion was inconsistent with all his argument. These also are commandments; they are law; they are given with the authority of law, and as such have no penalty. If not, then they may be violated without any serious consequence resulting! The truth is, that if his argument is good, then these two great commandments cannot be binding in Heaven, and there would be no violation of obligation if they were not kept there! An article in a recent number of the Crisis (first published in the Quarterly Journal of Prophecy), by a late editor of that paper (M. G.), gives evidence that he is being converted to a more reasonable faith, or else it is an instance, which we sometimes happily see, of a man's intuitions being better than his religious theory. The gist of the remarks to which we refer is found in the following sentence:— "Perfect obedience to perfect commandments affords perfect liberty." These are "acceptable words, even words of truth." Eccl. 12:10. But how a man can utter these words and with his Bible open before him oppose the law of Jehovah written therein, we cannot just see. There is one law given in the Bible which has a claim above everything else to be called "the law of God"—the expression of the will of the most High. That law is the ten commandments. "God spake all these words." Everything else recorded in the Bible was committed to the people through human agency. But God spoke these words, and wrote them himself on tables of stone, and had them deposited in the most sacred place on earth. These bear the impress of Deity alone. And to these reference is made in many places in both Testaments in such manner as to show that the writers and speakers regarded them as "perfect commandments." David said directly: "The law of the Lord is perfect." This law certainly existed in David's time. And Solomon said: "Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man; for God shall bring every work into judgment." Two important statements are here made: 1. These commandments contain the whole duty of man. Therefore they constitute a perfect, moral law. 2. By them man will be judged. They were not temporary and local, but they reach forward into the judgment. Therefore, this is the same law of which Paul spoke in Rom. 2, by which man will be judged, by which also he would have been justified if he had kept it, identified there as the law which forbids theft, adultery, the worship of idols, etc. This is sufficient as showing the perfection of the law which is written in the Old Testament. On the violation of this the New Testament is based. Had this been perfectly kept no gospel would have been needed. The conclusion would be unavoidable, without even a word of proof, that this law would insure "perfect liberty" to all who kept it. But we have evidence on this point also. David said: "I will walk at liberty; for I seek thy precepts." Ps. 119:45. The nature of this liberty may be learned from verse 165 of the same psalm: "Great peace have they that love thy law; and nothing shall offend them." The first psalm is a strong testimony of the blessedness of him whose "delight is in the law of the Lord." James speaks twice of "the law of liberty." He says: "Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." Jas. 1:25. And again: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point, or commandment], he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." Jas. 2:10-12. Here again is the same law identified; the law by which we shall be judged; and called the law of liberty. But we must remember that perfect commandments afford perfect liberty only in perfect obedience thereto. If broken they condemn the transgressor; and the more complete and perfect the law, the more sure and terrible the condemnation. This shows the great folly of those who speak evil of the law because it condemns and will not justify the transgressor. None but a bad law would justify a sinner. It is not the province of law to justify its transgressor. "For we know that the law is spiritual." Rom. 7:14. It cannot harmonize with carnality, and the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Rom. 8:7. All the outcry against the law is made to evade the claims of the Sabbath, of which the Lord said: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath," no longer tread it under foot, "and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable," not sneer at it as "the old Jewish Sabbath," "and shalt honor him," etc.; God's honor is concerned in the memorial of his creation, "then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." This is the greatest "liberty" we can enjoy; it is the sum of gospel blessings. And "the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it." And who dares contradict what he has spoken? David loved the law of God, yet he prayed, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." Ps. 119:18. Much more do they who oppose the holy law of God, need to have their eyes opened, that they may discern the holiness, justice, spirituality, and perfection of the law of Jehovah.