The fourth chapter of Daniel consists of a most remarkable document, which is complete in itself. It is a personal confession in the form of a public proclamation by one of the greatest kings of either ancient or modern times, in which he gives his own account in detail of the experience which resulted in his conversion. On two occasions the God of heaven had revealed himself through his servants to Nebuchadnezzar, so that the king had acknowledged that he was “a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets,” and that “there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.” Thus the gospel of the kingdom was publicly proclaimed throughout all the king’s realm, and the existence of the true God and his power to save were made known to all the people. But the gospel of the kingdom is not preached as the Lord would have it, by merely calling public attention to these facts. The message, “Behold your God,” must be brought to each individual with a clearness and power which will require him to make a definite choice whether he will personally acknowledge the right of the King of heaven to rule in him, and whether he will yield himself to be his servant. So it was with Nebuchadnezzar, and it is this experience which he himself relates.
“Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”
The God of peace had set up his kingdom in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, and the same power which had delivered the three captives from the burning fiery furnace had now wrought in him to deliver him from the violence of his own passions. No outward sign or wonder can be so great to any person as his own experience in being rescued from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God. There is then revealed to him and in him “the power of an endless life,” and the conviction is wrought into his inmost soul that the kingdom and the dominion are eternal. And he who has had such an experience is prompted by an earnest desire to make it known “unto all people.” “We can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”
“I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of315Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.”
The failure of the wise men of Babylon to meet the requirements of the occasion was more complete than when the king dreamed the dream of the great image. Then they said, “Tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation;” but now they did not offer any interpretation, although the dream was related to them. They were utterly unacquainted with the King of heaven, or the principles of his kingdom, and so they could not interpret these mysteries to anyone else. But the king evidently remembered his former experience, and knew where to turn for help in his extremity.
“But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: the leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; he cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches: nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass in the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.”
Daniel was known and recognized in Babylon as one “in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.” This was not due, however, to any claim which he made for himself, but to the simple fact that a power and a wisdom were manifested in his life, which testified to communion with a God greater than the gods of the wise men of Babylon. This is the testimony which carries weight with it, and is just what is needed in the world now. The gospel of the kingdom can not be proclaimed simply by expounding creeds and prescribing ceremonies, but by revealing the principles and the power of the kingdom in the life. Those who have the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, are really the worst enemies of the truth, and they do more to hinder the kingdom of God in the earth than do the avowed unbelievers. Men are wanted to-day who know “the mystery of godliness,” and who like Daniel are living representatives of the kingdom of heaven, and then in time of perplexity many of those who have come to feel their need of help will turn to them. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isa. 60: 1–3.
The picture presented to Nebuchadnezzar in his dream was not an arbitrary one. The tree in the vegetable kingdom answers to man in the animal kingdom, and these two kingdoms may very properly be regarded as two portions of the same kingdom of life, and the man as a tree with a power of moving at will from place to place. And so the trees are constantly declaring to us that we should be “rooted and grounded in love,” that it is God that “causeth . . . to grow,” that “every good tree bringeth forth good fruit,” and that “by their fruits ye shall know them.” Thus every tree, through the interpretation given to it in the written word, ought to preach to us the gospel of the kingdom, just as the one in his dream, through the interpretation given to it by Daniel, preached the same gospel to King Nebuchadnezzar. With fair leaves, and abundant fruit, supplying food for all, it is a universal object lesson which tells of the man “crowned with glory and honor,” a king and a priest, ministering the gifts of God to all about him.
And there is nothing in the structure of the tree which would indicate that it was not intended to “stand forever.” Under right conditions it ought to continue from generation to generation; but the tree of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was to be hewn down, the branches to be cut off, the leaves to be shaken off, and the fruit scattered. When Daniel had heard the dream, and the words of the watcher and the holy one, he saw that the King of heaven was sending a message of warning and yet of encouragement to Nebuchadnezzar, that he might cease to be a cumberer of the ground and become a tree of righteousness. But the experience was to be a severe one, and the contemplation of it disturbed the mind of the interpreter.
W. W. P.
(This study to be concluded next week.)
IT IS TRUE.
In the following extract from the Interior of March 8 there are several profound sermons:—
“Foresight is the projection of existing conditions and causes into the future, and calculating the results. It is an equation of what they have done with what they will do. . . . The whole past of life is a record of successive alternations of rising and ruin. . . . One after another, civilizations and empires have passed away; and since history began, they left the record of the forces which lifted and then overthrew them. . . . The world moved at a leisurely pace. A thousand years was, in results, then, as one day. The world moves swiftly now—a day is as a thousand years.
“One century has seen a nation grow on this continent from a straggling fringe of log huts on the Atlantic, till it became the wealthiest and potentially the most powerful homogeneous power that ever dwelt upon the earth. Judging by any standard in the past, such precocity means a short life. Even an old forest tree seldom falls by its own weight. The immediate cause is a blow of the wind, or fire. No empire or nation ever disappeared by slow and quiet decay. Every one in the past was destroyed by force. Decay was the proximate, but not the immediate, cause in any instance. As our nation has grown to maturity so quickly, will it not perish as quickly? If one century was sufficient to bring it to maturity, will not another century mark its decline and fall? If an empire could survive a thousand years when all causes moved so slowly, can ours survive long when they operate so swiftly?
“If we inquire for the causes which operated to destroy the empires of the past, we shall find that they were all included in, or grew out of, wealth and luxury—the moral and physical enervation which it induces; but wealth increased very slowly indeed. We make a greater increase every day than Persia or Egypt ever made in a year—we may say in an age. Their luxuries have become our necessities. We struggle for wealth as they never did. History never saw a people so mad for the possession of money as we are; and no people ever squandered it as recklessly, not to say as riotously, as we do.
“The licentious passion for wealth as it then existed found expression in combinations of men for its sudden acquisition. They organized into robber bands and launched pirate fleets, to war upon productive industry and upon each other. Do we not see the same thing now under the forms of law? What are these labor unions and capitalistic trusts but rapacious tribes, engaged in warring upon each other and upon productive industry? What is the objective of this tremendous struggle and conflict, what the ideal, if it be not luxury, idleness, and selfish indulgence?—perhaps not the immediate ideal of all those engaged in it, but it is the ultimate ideal—selfish indulgence. It appears therefore that the disintegrating forces which caused other empires to fall are working with unexampled energy in our own. . . .
“Selfishness, individual and national, destroyed the empires of the past, from Alexander's to Napoleon's. It was an unmitigated selfishness, lighted up by no ray of philanthropy. The destruction of Sodom was symbolic teaching for us, and there is hope in it. If there had been ten righteous men in the city, they could have saved it. . . . At first general view one would say that the future is not hopeful. It would appear that as we grew in a night, we are to perish in a night.”
SOUTH AFRICA.
[The following private letter from Sister Sara Willson, we are permitted to print. It will be of interest to all our readers, and especially to the many acquaintances of Brother and Sister Willson. —Ed.]
KIMBERLEY, SOUTH AFRICA, Oct. 31, 1899.
Dear —— and ——: I am going to write you a few lines to-day; but I have no idea when there will be a chance to send it, as we are entirely cut off from the outside world. No telegrams, no trains, nothing but “Boers,” and they are all around us. We are well protected by forts and barriers and intrenchments. Our water works have been blown up, but the reservoir was full, and now they are pumping from the pan of the Wesselton mine, so we are well supplied for the present. The Boers have blown up the railroad bridges, torn up the track, and cut the telegraph wires, so we are living in a world of our own. There is a system of some kind by which they get word from Cape Town, but I do not know what it is. The soldiers have a signal system for their own use. I heard yesterday that they will not repair the line for three months yet, but will conquer the country first. I hope it will not be that long, for I do not just relish the idea. Wish I could send you some of the daily papers we are getting now; but you probably get a good deal from the papers at home. I never was in a war before. The news went to Cape Town that we were all dead or taken prisoners, and it may have crossed the “big water;” but I assure you we are all very comfortable thus far, and I hardly think the English government will let us suffer, if it can be helped. There has been only one battle near here, about five miles out; four were killed and eleven wounded. I saw some of the wounded as they were brought in. One of the soldiers was telling a few moments ago that they used the X-rays on them, located and extracted the bullets, and had them all in bed inside of two hours, and all have nearly recovered. The battle was over a week ago. The home is about deserted, as all the men have joined the volunteers or the Home Guards. Many of them spend part of the day here, and sometimes take a meal, but have to be on duty, or sleeping at the Drill Hall at night. They have to sleep with their clothes on, even to their boots. Our wood yard has sold all its wood, closed up, and most of our help will quit to-night; the rest work without wages, and are at liberty to go any time they can get a job elsewhere. We have sold one horse, and will sell the other. We have four refugees here, and a number come in for dinner only. The government furnishes one meal a day to all refugees, and lodges, I think, but I am not certain.
They are casting about to see how much food there is still in the city, so we know how soon they must plan supplies here. We are under martial law, and the government sets prices on everything, and we get foodstuffs at the old price as yet; that is, the substantials,—the luxuries are higher: for instance, butter is seventy-five cents a pound, and eggs are one dollar a dozen.
By the way, we have had to get used to English money, but it is quite natural now; and on the street I feel quite at home turning to the left. There are so many things that are different from the States, and I think I would like to tell you about them as they happen, or my mind is called to them; but when I write, I forget them. I went into a store (shop in this country), and asked for some gingham. The clerk looked at me inquiringly, so I asked him what they called it, after I pointed to what I wanted, and he said it was zephyr. Calico is print, and muslin is calico. Molasses and syrup is treacle. I do not think of anything else, but these are a few words. Hardware stores are ironmongers, and lumber is timber, etc.
Our rooms are quite American in looks, and the people who call seem pleased with the furniture and arrangement. The houses here look much alike on the outside, as they are built of sun-dried brick, plastered over, then painted. They are also plastered on the inside, and calcimined or papered.
Nov. 11, 1899.
Will write a few lines now, just in the time of excitement. I suppose you are reading accounts of the war every day, and wondering what has become of us. Well, we are right in it yet, but are still all right. I wish you could know how it is with us. We are entirely shut off from the world, as far as mails and telegraphs go, but a little news comes occasionally by dispatch riders. The Boers are all around us in large numbers, but they do not come near enough for the English to fire on them from the forts, and the English are not strong enough to go out and drive them off. Last Saturday they (the Boers) sent word to take care of the women and children, for they were going to shell the place within twenty-four hours; but they did not begin until Monday morning, when they sent sixty shells at a lively rate.
N. B. These holes were made by a Boer shell that went through, while on our desk, Nov. 14, 1899, at 1:15 P. M. This hole was made by bullets from a chain-shell, nine-pounder.
Nov. 16, 1899.
Again I will attempt to write you. I will send all I have written just as it is. I had started to tell you about the shelling of the town last Saturday morning, and left the letter lying on the desk in the office, intending to step in and finish it soon; but time slipped along until Tuesday at 1:15, when they began shelling again. We were in the dining room, having just served dinner to the men, and had stepped to the front door to listen to the whistle of the shells, and watch where they struck, as they were falling thick all around us, when one struck very near. We rushed to the back to see12where, and found it had gone right into the office and exploded, tearing things to pieces generally. There are seventy-two holes in the walls and furniture. The chair that I sit in to write,—and just as I left it when writing to you,—has a piece taken out of the back. The desk is badly torn to pieces, one piece going right through my letter to you and the paper under it. Jared, Floy, and I were standing together, and about ten feet from where the shell exploded; but there was a thick wall between. One piece of shell went partly through the wall. We were certainly very thankful to the Lord for such an escape. We were right in the path of the shell; and had it exploded in the next room, where our whole family was at the time, it would probably have meant instant death to every one of us at once. A Kaffir boy stood on the step directly under where the shell entered the building. He said he thought he was “doded” (dead). A church near us was badly torn with a shell; a bar in another direction near us; a horse was killed nearly across the street from the same bar at another time. A Kaffir woman was killed while going to her work early Sabbath morning.
This has been quite a new experience for us. A prominent brother in our church here was arrested for treason, and is now in jail. We trust he will get out when the war is over; for we do not think he was guilty, although it was proved against him. He is Dutch, so they would naturally watch him.
Feb. 21, 1900; 3 A. M.
I was awakened at midnight by a drunken man, and after lying awake for three hours, decided to get up and write you so as to get it off on the first mail. It is a long time since I wrote any on this letter; but I had no disposition to write as I could not send it, and then I was so very busy. Our baths were closed for four weeks on account of the water supply being cut off by the Boers. Then it was arranged to pump from a mine at Beaconsfield; so we were allowed to open again by being careful of the water, and we have done a good business ever since. The work has increased every week until it crowds us now, and Jared and I have had to carry it alone and also at the home, as all the help left when their wages stopped. Some went to work on the road and boarded here, working nights and mornings and Sundays to pay their board. This helped us some. Now I have a good colored girl to help me, and I hire some washing and cleaning done besides; still I have to work very hard. We have many soldiers in for baths, and Jared has three for daily massage, and another every alternate day. We have earned considerable money during the siege. Have kept the home going all right, paid several debts, and have over two hundred dollars to our credit in the bank, and have not run in debt a cent. This we regard as pretty good, considering the home was running in debt at least two hundred dollars a month when we took it.
Well, the siege was a long, tedious thing. We put in supplies for three or four weeks and it has been one hundred and twenty-four days, exceeding everybody’s expectations. We had enough to eat, though it was rather plain some of the time, and we drew rations for the family, the same as everybody else. We had a small garden from which we had some green stuff for ourselves, and were able to sell over twenty-five dollars’ worth to some people who wanted something green to eat. We had string beans, cucumbers, and lettuce. Have some ponderosa tomatoes ready to ripen now. At the beginning of the siege, we had a few bushels of potatoes, which we sold for over three dollars a bushel. The necessaries were kept down to original prices by the military, but the luxuries went up. Potatoes went as high as twenty-five dollars a bushel; eggs, five dollars a dozen; butter, one dollar and a half a pound. There was a long time of quiet waiting for relief, in which the Boers did not do much, nor the English either. The Boers finally got a ninety-four-pound gun ready, and began shelling the town. We were right in their range, so came in for our share. February 9 one of their ninety-four-pound shells struck our east wall, shattering it badly, but hurting no one, although J. V. and I were standing at the front, about fifteen feet from where it exploded. The 12th another, a one-hundred-pound schrapnel, struck in the same place, tearing the wall down, breaking two windows for us, and damaging the next building to us. These large shells struck many buildings near us. A man was killed about a block from us, and Mr. Labram, about three blocks away. There were many marvelous escapes. Floy stayed with a friend who had a bomb-proof, as she was quite nervous. Jared and I were the only persons on our premises one night; and one night we slept out of doors, with four brick walls between us and the shelling. When the large shells began coming in freely, word was sent to the Relief Column that Kimberley could wait no longer, and so General French’s flying column hurried in, riding for six days, hardly stopping to eat or sleep. The Boers got word somehow, took down their big gun, and got away as fast as they could. General French is after them, and it is rumored that he has surrounded them. There was quite a demonstration when General French arrived, and there would have been more had all the people known it; but he came in suddenly, and only stayed one day. Cecil J. Rhodes was in Kimberley during the war, and did very many kind acts. He has a fine large garden at Kenilworth, a suburb, and he sent fruit to many families of rich and poor. We shared with the rest to the amount of four half-bushel lots of peaches, one-half bushel apricots, one-half bushel nectarines, and some grapes and vegetables in small lots several times. We think we like him. He sent an invitation to women and children to go down in the mines during the shelling. We went over; but there was such a crowd we came back again, and were all right at home. We feel very thankful to the Lord for his tender care over us all through, and we saw many tokens of his guidance and protection. We just trusted our lives in his hand, and felt sure he would keep us.
I did not get this letter off in this week’s boat as I had intended, so will add a few lines. The Relief Column reached here Thursday night at 7:30, February 15. The railroad was repaired and ready for business the next Monday night, but only provisions were brought in at first. No mail came until Thursday, and we did not get a thing until Friday night just before sundown. Then thirteen letters came, and more to-day,—all October and November mail. No papers as yet. We will not do much but read and write, I guess.
We received a letter from Elder Hyatt and a prepaid (both ways) telegram from the Claremont Sanitarium this morning, asking of our welfare. We had already written. Jared, Floy, myself, and a colored girl are all the workers here now at the home. Many have gone to Cape Town on the free tickets furnished by the government. We do not care to go, but may be sent for to attend the conference to be held in about a month. The military have everything in their hands, and will hold it until the war is over, I suppose. We must have a permit for nearly everything we buy, and the rations are about half what one needs. We are all thin in flesh on account of scarcity of food, and the hot weather and hard work, of which we have had a plenty; but have kept well all through, and will soon pick up when the strain lets up a little. The work has been very prosperous during the siege, and we are glad to have been here. We have heard the whistle of the shells till they are quite familiar; but nevertheless, terrible. We are so glad we hear them no more.
CAPE TOWN, March 5, 1900.
This morning finds Floy and me here at the mission. We decided rather hastily to come down with some friends, so we left home Thursday at 7 A. M., reaching here on Sabbath, at 3 P. M., and were gladly received by the friends here, who did not know whether we would come through the siege alive or not. We came down free, and will return free after about two weeks. Jared could not leave at the same time, but I rather expect after I return he will come down to conference, which begins the 23d. I was not very well when I left home, but am all right now. I found I was completely tired out, but did not realize it until I quit work. I shall enjoy a few days’ rest. We shall visit old friends here, and do considerable resting. We have not received nearly all our mail as yet, but it keeps coming every day. The railroad is busy bringing up troops, horses, military supplies, foodstuffs, fuel, etc., for Kimberley. You, of course, read all about the war in the papers at home, so I will not say much about it. The place where Cronje surrendered was about twenty miles from Kimberley. That was a big victory, and everybody thinks the war will soon be finished now. We all hope so, for we have had enough. Brother Gaskell’s folks are here in the mission now. Brother Hyatt is still president of the Conference. There is much party feeling in all the churches of our people, as both Dutch and English are well represented. When the matter is finally settled, it will be all right, for they will accept the situation. Many Americans have gone back since the siege set in. Since coming down, I have learned of the death of D. A. Robinson, W. C. Grainger, and Sister Henry. Have not seen many REVIEWS yet. We are getting our oldest mail first at Kimberley. I will write again when I get back home. Perhaps the coming Conference may change our plans. —SARA.
DEDICATION OF THE WOODLAND (WIS.) INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
By Wm. Covert
ACCORDING to appointment the Woodland school was dedicated Sunday, May 6. Meeting began Friday evening, the 4th, and continued over Sunday evening. Many people were present, and all, as far as the writer could learn, were greatly pleased with the school and its prospects. The time was well filled up with sermons and other exercises appropriate for the occasion. It is not known how many were in attendance; but though the rooms are sufficiently large for all practical needs, yet all the people could not be seated.
The remarks made expressing satisfaction and appreciation of the services were to the effect that they were the most blessed ever experienced. Of the building, the premises, and the school it was said they exceeded the expectation of the visitors, and that the Lord had planted the institution. What most impressed the hearts of those who love the Third Angel's Message was the fact that almost317every student was converted, and with many this precious experience had been gained at the school.
The treasurer's report showed that $8,880.06 had been expended in buildings and furnishings for this institution. Of this amount, a little more than one thousand dollars has been given by those not of our people. There was a small balance not paid, but this was fully covered with cash and pledges before the dedicatory services closed; so that there is no debt to embarrass the work, and discourage the people.
There is only one coat of paint upon the building, and a number of articles are yet needed to complete the furnishings, so that some more money will be needed to fully equip the enterprise. The delegates at our last annual conference voted that the builders go no faster in investments than the means in sight would warrant. Compliance with this vote left the large part of the painting yet to be done, but this will very soon be accomplished.
It is needless to say that this report gave general satisfaction. Some had feared that the enterprise would embarrass the Conference and also keep means from being paid to other departments of the cause; but it has done neither. On the other hand, it has given courage to our people, and has acted as a strengthening tonic to cause them to do even more for the general cause than they have previously been doing.
We embody in this report thoughts from the address of Professor Tenney, given at the dedication, also a poem written for the occasion by Elder Godsmark. Surely the Lord is anxious for his people to have courage, and work in behalf of Christian education.
Wm. COVERT.
Greetings From England
By Lauretta Kress
OUR work is moving on well in England. We are always glad to welcome the REVIEW. It seems like a good big letter from home. We wish you God-speed. DR. LAURETTA KRESS
A VOICE FROM THE CHACO.
By Juan McCarthy
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” And truly the Lord deserves all recognition on our part, for the innumerable benefits we are constantly receiving. How can one fail to realize the power of the gospel, when he sees so many incontrovertible evidences of its power wherever he may turn.
Speaking from personal experience, we remember when we first came up to the Chaco, we found a very small company of believers,—five or six, if I remember right. Brother Vuilleumier had labored faithfully up here, but against great difficulties, since at that time he was unable to speak the Spanish language. Brother Brooking, too, had manifested great zeal in his canvassing trips, doing some real, substantial missionary work in this great Chaqueño field.
Full well we remember Satan strove to destroy Brother Westphal, Brother Brooking, and myself, upon our first trip to the Chaco, by overturning our cart into a large river; and it is only the goodness of God that preserved us in that dangerous circumstance.
Satan knew that there were many thirsting souls longing for the water of life. He knew many were panting after the truth as it is in Jesus; and so he contrived to annihilate those who were bearers of the message of truth. But the angels of God were encamped about them, and they were safe. Ps. 34: 7; Deut. 33: 27.
We have spent the principal part of the last two years laboring in the different parts of the Chaco. And we can in truth testify that we have seen manifested in a remarkable way the power of the eternal gospel. Throughout a large stretch of one hundred and fifty miles, from Malabrigo to Las Toscas, we now see those who are rejoicing in the knowledge of the present truth. Eighty-five per cent of these believers were Roman Catholics, and those of the most superstitious type. Twelve different nations are represented in them. So heterogeneous by nature, yet made homogeneous by the power of this last, great message; thus beautifully illustrating the truth of Christ's sublime prayer. John 17: 20-23.
Of late, however, the Catholic priests, realizing how great are the losses they have incurred, have begun to stir themselves. Severe methods have been recommended by them to their adherents, with the object of extirpating the “heresy” which has pervaded their ranks. Not long ago they made a collection of all the Bibles, “Steps to Christ,” and “Gospel Primers,” that they could get hold of, and tore them in the church, before the whole congregation. Thus we see that the Spirit of the Council of Constance is not by any means extinguished, it is only latent, awaiting the occasion to present itself with all the horrid intolerance of the Dark Ages.
However, the Lord is keeping our brethren faithful amid the persecution which has arisen; and although they are boycotted on every side, they are still rejoicing in being participators in the suffering of Jesus Christ.
There is room for ten workers in the Chaco alone, while now there is only one. The interest in the truth is increasing, and we have our hands full, in responding to the various calls. Would that many more would take hold of the gospel plow to break this fallow ground. We can assure such of hard, difficult work, but the results will more than recompense the labor expended therein. Work, brethren, while it is day, for the night comes, when all opportunities to work for God shall have flown into the past. JUAN McCARTHY.
