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Review and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 26.

MORNING
Earlier text: MORNING

DAVID AND SAUL.

By T. E. Bowen

T. E. BOWEN. (Rome, N. Y.)
In the recorded lives of these two kings there are many lessons for us. These men developed into two entirely different characters. David was at first a man “after God’s own heart.” “David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” I Kings 15:5. Saul took the opposite course; followed his own will, regardless of what the Lord commanded him; and, as the result, not only was the kingdom rent from him, but he perished by his own hand, without God and without hope, in the blackness of despair.
Two incidents which occurred during the time Saul was Israel’s acknowledged king, illustrate forcibly how David was developing a Christlike character. Saul had thrown a javelin at David, with intent to kill. David had fled, and soon Saul had an army hunting for him in the mountains. The Lord had previously told David that He would deliver Saul into his hand, and then he should do to him what he desired. Here God tested David. “Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.”
Here, now, is David’s opportunity. Here was the test. Here is an occasion for displaying what is in David’s heart. His personal enemy was delivered by God into his hand. What would you have done? It is evident that the men with David thought he ought to kill Saul. But David did not so think. It was not in his heart to injure the Lord’s anointed; so in the darkness of the cave, he carefully approached his enemy, and clipped a corner from his robe. When Saul had gone from the cave, he was surprised to hear David calling to him. Turning, he saw David bowed to the ground. Then he heard the noble, godlike words of his son-in-law: “Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee. . . . Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee.”
A second time God brings Saul into David’s power. Again David comes to Saul while both he and his army are fast asleep. David and Abishai descend into the valley; and while at Saul’s side, Abishai whispers to David, “God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear [Saul’s] even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.” Another temptation to put him out of the way, and none on earth but they two ever need know how it came about. But David said, “Destroy him not.”
Why could David thus render good for evil? It was because he lost sight of Saul, and desired the Lord to deal by him as he dealt by Saul. In speaking to Saul this second time, he said: “And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.” I Sam. 26:24.
This is why God did so much for David. David let Him do the avenging. The course of God is sometimes slow, but it is always sure and accurate. God overrules events. He shapes the destiny of our lives. Although David, during all this time, was anointed king, yet he permitted God to seat him on Israel’s throne in His good time and way. God took the kingdom from Saul. Samuel had said: “But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart, . . . because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”
David relied on God. He realized that in his relation with God, he was just as undeserving of the Lord’s kindness and mercy as was Saul of his in the cave and in the valley when brought into his power to do unto him as he chose. This spirit is the spirit of Christ. It pleased the Lord then, it pleases Him now. While the Lord knew David’s heart, and that he would develop this character, the people did not, and the only way for them to know was to bring David into severe tests. When they saw it, they loved him, and desired him to be their king.
This is the spirit the remnant must have. Although persecuted unjustly, we are not to retaliate. This spirit must not find a place in our hearts. God recognizes in His afflicted people, of whom the world is not worthy, kings and priests. They are to “reign with Christ,” but now they are to be tested before the universe until all shall know that it will be safe to intrust the interests of the heavenly kingdom in their hands. God knows when the fullness of time comes. These are in His own hands and power. Acts 1:7. But the sure promise to those who, like David, turn not aside from anything He commands is: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.” Rev. 3:21.

I CORINTHIANS 15: 23–28.

By Elder O. A. Johnson

ELDER O. A. JOHNSON.
(Concluded.)
We will next notice that,—
“3. The work of subduing His enemies is never, in the Scriptures, ascribed to Christ. Mr. Marsh’s third point is: ‘One grand object of His reign is to subdue, or destroy, His enemies.’ And Mr. Stephenson says, ‘Then the Son, having reigned until He has put all enemies under His feet, delivers up the kingdom.’ Yet, notwithstanding this opinion is advanced with such confidence (and upon it, indeed, the whole theory of the age to come rests), it is altogether unscriptural.
“In 1 Cor. 15: 23–28, as in Zech. 6: 12, 13, there are two persons brought to view, and the pronouns ‘he’ and ‘him’ refer to both, and so they must be referred, to preserve the sense of the text, and to harmonize it with other scriptures. The view advocated by Messrs. Marsh and Stephenson, and others of like faith, contradicts other passages, and destroys the sense of this. To show the utter absurdity of the idea that Christ subdues His enemies, and puts them under His feet, in that or any age, I will quote the text, leaving out the pronouns and inserting the name according to that view. It will then read: ‘Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at Christ’s coming. Then cometh the end, when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when Christ shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For Christ must reign, till Christ hath put all enemies under Christ’s feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For Christ hath put all things under Christ’s feet. But when Christ saith all things are put under Christ, it is manifest that Christ is excepted, which did put all things under Christ. And when all things shall be subdued unto Christ, then shall the Son [Christ] also himself be subject unto Christ that put all things under Christ, that God may be all in all.’”
“This is worse, far worse, than nonsense; yet how will the age-to-come believer avoid accepting this as the substance of his faith? It is evident that Christ becomes subject to Him that puts all things under Him; and if He subdues His enemies, and puts them under His own feet, as they declare, then it is equally evident that He becomes subject to himself! Against this fallacy I present the truth that,—
“4. The Father subdues the enemies of Christ, and puts them under His feet. Before I bring other scriptures to bear on this fact, I will give another rendering of the text, supposing this declaration to be true:—
“‘Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at Christ’s coming. Then cometh the end, when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when the Father shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For Christ must reign, till the Father hath put all things under Christ’s feet. But when the Father saith all things are put under Christ, it is manifest that the Father is excepted, which did put all things under Christ. And when all things shall be subdued unto Christ, then shall the Son [Christ] also himself be subject unto the Father that put all things under Christ, that God may be all in all.’”
“With the beauty and truthfulness of this view, all must be struck at a glance. The error of the other view is in referring the pronouns to Christ throughout, when it is evident that they refer to both Father and Son immediately after both are introduced in verse 24. As it is clear that the Father puts all things under the Son, we come next to notice when and where this work is accomplished. Is it during the one thousand years, while Christ is on the throne of David?—It is not; but,—
“5. Christ rules on the throne and in the kingdom of the Father until His enemies are put under His feet. Mr. Marsh has laid great stress on his construction of this text, considering it sufficient to prove his whole theory. But his construction is wrong, and his theory baseless. Others besides him have used this text as a stronghold; but with the establishment of this truth in regard to the reign, all claims of the age to come on this text are forever put at rest; and a mass of parallel scriptures, urged by the writers on that theory, are taken out of their hands, and arrayed in favor of the truth that the enemies of Christ will be ‘dashed in pieces’ at His coming.
“Now that Christ is to reign as king in two localities, that is, occupy two thrones, is proved by Rev. 3: 21: ‘To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.’ Thus, while Christ is on the throne of the Father, He is only in expectation of His own throne. That this is the past and present position of our exalted Head, is further proved by Heb. 8: 1: ‘We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.’ And that that is where He will reign till all enemies are put under His feet is clearly proved by the Scriptures. Ps. 110: 1: ‘The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.’ This is quoted by Jesus, as recorded by the Gospels (Matt. 22: 44; Mark 12: 36; Luke 20: 42, 43); and also by Peter (Acts 2: 34, 35), in his argument on the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus: ‘For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.’ This is a sure application of David’s prophecy, and proves the location of the reign (until His foes are made His footstool) to be ‘in the heavens,’ where Jesus is ascended. I hope the enemies of the truth will no longer mock at this, by derisively calling it a ‘sky kingdom,’ but remember that God is there, sitting upon the throne of His own holiness; for ‘the Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.’ Ps. 103: 19.
“Paul makes mention of the same in Heb. 1: 13, in remarking on the superiority of Christ to angels; and again, in his argument concerning the work of Christ as priest on His Father’s throne, says, ‘But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.’ Heb. 10: 12, 13. This point is established beyond the possibility of doubt; and the true sense of this scripture clearly appears, Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the mediatorial kingdom to God, even the Father; when the Father shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power [that is opposed to Christ]; for Christ must reign on the Father’s throne, till His [Christ’s] enemies are put under His feet, or made His footstool. Then the Son delivers up, or leaves, the throne of the universe, and takes His own throne in subjection to that of His Father. It thus appears that,—
“6. Christ delivers up that kingdom, or leaves the Father’s throne, and receives the throne of David, before His coming. The first part of this proposition is proved by the text. And that He takes the throne of David, or His own throne, before His return to the earth, has also been proved in our argument on the kingdom. But the views of our opponents should be further noticed, as on this point they directly conflict with the plainest scriptures. Luke 19: 12, 15, says: ‘A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.’ ‘And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom.’ The receiving of the kingdom is first; His return follows it; and His receiving the kingdom in this text is the same as that of Dan. 7: 13, 14, and both are identical with ‘all things being put under Christ.’ And it has been shown that He sits at His Father’s right hand till this is accomplished. But Mr. Marsh, giving the age-to-come sense of Dan. 7: 13, 14, quotes the text, and comments as follows:—
“‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him.’”
“‘The order laid down is— ‘a. Coming of the Son of man. ‘b. Giving the Son of man dominion, glory, and a kingdom. ‘c. All people, nations, and languages, and all dominions [rulers], serve and obey the Son of man, the Lord and King of the whole earth.’—‘Age to Come, page 13.”
“It is not very surprising that a superficial reading of 1 Cor. 15: 23–28 should produce such a view as that advanced by Messrs. Marsh and Stephenson; but no one, however superficial, can possibly read the advent of Christ out of Dan. 7: 13, 14, unless it be first assumed that the Ancient of days is on the earth prior to the second advent; for He came to the Ancient of days, and was brought near before Him. But Mr. Marsh’s view would make it read that He came from the Ancient of days, and was taken far away from Him to receive the kingdom. And, were it even assumed that the Ancient of days shall be on the earth, that view would not then harmonize with Luke 19 and other scriptures, which teach that He has received the kingdom at the time of His second advent. His receiving the kingdom is identical with ‘the marriage of the Lamb,’ which takes place before He comes; as the ‘little flock’ ‘wait for their Lord when He will return from the wedding.’ Luke 12: 36. And then will they be taken to the mansions prepared in the ‘Father’s house,’ where they will sit down at the marriage supper.
There can be no difference between His receiving the kingdom and having His enemies put under His feet; they must be identical. But there is a great difference between having His enemies put under Him, and His destroying them. In 1 Cor. 15: 28 the same Greek word is used to express the subduing of all things to the Son, and the subjection of the Son to the Father: ‘And when all things shall be subdued [hupotasso] unto Him, then shall the Son also himself be subject [hupotasso] unto Him that put all things under Him.’ The order of the events is given in Ps. 2: 8, 9: (1) The Father gives them to the Son; (2) the Son breaks them with a rod of iron, and dashes them in pieces, as has been shown takes place at His coming.
“7. Death, the last enemy of them that are Christ’s, will be destroyed, or swallowed up in victory, at His coming. After having arrived at the true sense of the text in other respects, there is left but little chance for controversy on this point. No one will deny that the resurrection of the righteous to immortality is the same as death being swallowed up in victory. See 1 Cor. 15: 53, 54. And it is only as the enemy of the saints that death is destroyed; the wicked will never be released from death—the second death. If they are, they must have a second resurrection. Whiting renders verse 24, Death will be conquered. The expressions ‘conquered,’ or ‘destroyed,’ and ‘swallowed up in victory,’ appropriately refer to the last enemy of the saints, but not to that of the wicked. Dr. Clarke says: ‘Death shall be destroyed; katargeitai: shall be counterworked, subverted, and finally overturned. But death cannot be destroyed by there being simply no further death; death can only be destroyed and annihilated by a general resurrection.’ This is true, and will so appear to all who have considered death as it is in truth, simply the opposite, or absence, of life, and not as an entity. It is by the resurrection that the saints get their victory over death. And this view is indorsed by those who endeavor to maintain their theory of the age to come by this scripture. Mr. Stephenson, in his work on the Atonement, page 64, says, ‘The Bible leaves all the wicked under the dominion of the second death, from which it offers no hope of a resurrection.’ Of course they have no victory over death, and of course the text cannot refer to them; which proves again that it does not refer to the end of the one thousand years, but to the time of the second advent, when the saints will be redeemed, and will put on immortality.”

The Spirit of God and the Humble Worker

“The Spirit of God co-operates with the humble worker who abides in Christ and communes with Him.”

THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE.

By Joaquin Miller

EUROPE was never so entirely and terribly armed. Woe to him who sets fire to Europe now.—Moltke.
Who was the bravest of the brave, The bravest hero ever born? 'Twas One who braved a felon's grave, Who dared to bear the scorn of scorn. Nay, more than this—when sword was drawn, And vengeance waited but His word, He looked with pitying eyes upon The scene, and said, “Put up thy sword!” Could but one king be found to-day As brave to do, as brave to say?
“Put up thy sword” into the sheath! “Put up thy sword,” “Put up thy sword!” By Cedron's brook thus spake beneath The olive trees our King and Lord, Spake calm and king-like. Sword and stave And torch and stormy men of death Made clamor. Yet He spoke not, save With loving word and patient breath, “Put up thy sword” into the sheath! The peaceful olive boughs beneath.
Ye Christian kings, in Christ's dear name I charge you live no more this lie. “Put up thy sword!” The time they came To bind and lead Him forth to die, Behold this was His last command! Yet ye dare cry to Christ in prayer, With red and reeking sword in hand! Ye dare do this as devils dare! Ye liars, liars, great and small, Ye cowards, cowards, cowards all!
O God, but for one gallant czar, One valiant king, one fearless queen! Yea, there would be an end of war, If but one could be heard or seen To follow Christ; to bravely cry, “Put up thy sword!” “Put up thy sword!” And let us dare to live and die As did command our King and Lord; With sword commanded to its sheath, The blessed olive boughs beneath.
—Joaquin Miller.

“THE PRECIOUS THINGS OF EGYPT.”

By Lee S. Wheeler

ELDER LEE S. WHEELER.
  • (Philadelphia, Pa.)*
It is said that the degraded and ignorant peasantry along the Nile look with a mingled sense of wonder, superstition, and jealousy upon companies of English or American workmen digging up the rubbish of their long-crumbled and sand-covered cities, poking it over carefully, and carrying it away in baskets, as if searching for gold. Well may we ask, What do people want of those old musty scraps? The answer is, They are looking for inscriptions. It means much labor which may amount to but little, yet now and then they strike something that carries a ray of light far back into the dark past, to scenes of which we read in no known book except the Bible. Then it becomes interesting, and helps us to prize the Bible as the only authorized account which God has had preserved of the earliest times of our world.
The inscriptions of Egypt were made in hieroglyphic writing, in Coptic (demotic), or in Greek. The hieroglyphic is the oldest form of Egyptian writing—a lost language.
This was, in time, changed to the Coptic, as the Copts were descendants of the ancient Egyptian stock. This is still the sacred language of the Coptic church in Egypt. The Greek was the literary language of Egypt under the Ptolemies. At that time all three languages were in use, however, and Ptolemy V, Epiphanes, inscribed one of his decrees in all three upon a stone, now known as the “Rosetta Stone,” which was found in 1799. That is how men have learned to read the most ancient language of the Egyptians. This stone is now in a glass case in the British Museum. It enabled men to read all the books of stone left by these ancient Egyptians, so that the very stones began to cry out, declaring the truth of the Bible.
Several years ago the Egyptian Exploration party, unearthing some ruins in the land of Goshen, came upon the ancient treasure city, or storage city, of Pithom, which we are told, in Ex. 1:11–14, the children of Israel were building for Pharaoh when he “made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick.” The town was square, and inclosed by walls twenty-two feet thick. The space of the town presented the ruins of vast storage chambers built of brick laid with mortar, some of the tiers with straw and some without straw, just as recorded in the Bible. The name of the city was found, also the name of the builder, Rameses II.
In July, 1881, the tomb of this king, the king of the oppression, was found. Far back from the Nile, across the plain from the great city of Thebes, among the dewless limestone hills, is the royal cemetery. Here in a deep chamber of rock, they found the mummy, all that was left of Rameses II. Taking it from its long-resting place with others that were in the vault, and carrying it down to the river, where, no doubt, the royal barge landed it three thousand years before, they conveyed it to the museum at Cairo. This wonderful discovery was made by the Turkish government, which forced the native Egyptians to tell where this burial place was.
The Egyptian servants performed the work of carrying the bodies across the plain to the river; for it was said of this their present master, “He shall have power over . . . the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.”
June 1, 1886, the mummy was unwrapped and exposed to the camera for his photograph, that Sabbath-school children, reading the story of Moses and Pharaoh’s daughter, might see a picture of the cruel king. There is no mistaking his identity, for his name was written on his mummy case, and again upon his burial coverings.

Build Your House Upon the Rock

“THE way to avoid the sand is to strike for the rock. Dig deep, and lay your foundation well. He that heareth the voice of Christ, and doeth His will, he is the wise man who buildeth his house upon the rock.”

Sinking Times Are Praying Times

On the whole, I rather like the venture of Simon Peter out of the fishing-boat to walk to Jesus on the waves; for, though he began to sink, he also began to pray. He found that sinking times were praying times; and when we learn that, we know where to re-enforce our own weakness by laying hold on the infinite strength.—Cuyler.

THE ’MOTE PULLER.

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

MRS. L. D. AVERY-STUTTLE.
Once there was a man who lived over the way, Who had nothing to do, so I've heard him say; Yet he was too busy, his neighbors said, To labor hard for his daily bread. Yes, quite too busy to earn his salt, So he made it his business to—just find fault.
In every person who passed along, This mote puller saw there was something wrong, Till day and night ’twas his only cry:— “I’ve discovered a mote in my brother’s eye! Here, brother, here, let me pull it out, You’re blind as a ground mole, I haven’t a doubt.”
If he went to meeting, ’twas all the same, The congregation were blind and lame; “The blinded parson can never see With that terrible mote in his eye,” said he. “Why doesn’t he ask me to pull it out? I, only, see what the man’s about.”
His poor old wife had never a rest, He would scold and fret with a zeal and zest, For he was sure he could always see A mote in her eye, and he knew that he Was the only fellow, without a doubt, Who was able and willing to pull it out.
So he went about it; but what do we find! It was all in vain, for he was blind; For the beam in his own eye grew so great That it couldn’t be pulled,—it was quite too late. And so, O pity! he had to die With a mighty beam in his own blind eye.

A RECIPE WORTH TRYING.

By Cordelia Hicks

CORDELIA HICKS.
(Highland Springs, Va.)
A NEIGHBOR had been in poor health about two years, as the after-effect of la grippe. He had a bad cough, raised a great deal, and it seemed probable that he might soon die of consumption. I made him a syrup of mullein and the best white sugar, of which he took a tablespoonful three times a day for several months. At the end of that time, he was as well apparently as he ever was. We were all surprised. Although I knew mullein syrup to be excellent for coughs, I had not expected such a success, especially as the surrounding circumstances were not very favorable. I cannot say that he had tuberculosis; but if he had died without the mullein, very likely his death would have been attributed to consumption.
The mullein should be cut a little below the ground, when it is dry, and spread on a hay mow till thoroughly seasoned, then put in sacks. Fill an iron kettle as large as a water pail with the dried mullein, cover, and let it boil an hour. Set off till it cools, squeeze the herbs dry, put water on them, and cook them again; put the two boilings together, boil down to a quart, and strain through a cloth. Add sugar to make it a thick syrup, when it is done. Watch it closely during the last part of the process; when it rises up considerably, it is done.

HOW TEMPERANCE WOULD HELP TRANSFORM THE EARTH.

By Amos R. Wells

Amos R. Wells.
The story is told of a toper who stayed very late one night in a saloon. “Send that fellow home,” said the saloon-keeper’s wife to her husband. “No, never mind,” was the answer; “he is shingling our roof for us.” These words happened to be heard by the sot, who said nothing, but soon went home. Several weeks later the saloon-keeper met him on the street. “Well, Jack, why haven’t we seen anything of you lately?” “Because nowadays I’m shingling my own roof.”
That is one way in which temperance would help transform the world; it would shingle the right roofs. It would put silk on the back of the laborer’s wife, not the saloon-keeper’s. It would feed his family, send his children to school, and build up a bank account for him.
Sir Isaac Newton well said, “I will not beget necessities for myself.” The successful life is the independent life, but a tippler soon becomes a slave. He thinks his hands are not so strong without his morning drink, but that drink is palsying every muscle. He thinks his nerves are not so keen without it, or his mind so clear, while all the time it is deadening his nervous system and befuddling his intellect. Work everywhere would be better done without alcohol, newspapers be edited better, lawyer’s pleas be more pleasant, tables be better made, and horses better shod. Did you ever hear of a situation where the fact of a man’s drinking moderately would recommend him? If even the most strenuous advocate of “personal liberty” were “out of a job” and seeking one, would he say to the desired employer, “One of my qualifications is that I am a moderate drinker”? However much employers may drink, and whatever aid they may pretend to receive from stimulants, they always give themselves the lie by preferring sober employees.
John Wesley, whose vigorous temperance teaching did so much for England, even gave up tea-drinking, about the middle of his life, that he might not be the slave of any habit. After three or four days of severe headache, he conquered his body in that respect, and concluded that the omission of that beverage was a decided gain to his health. When eighty-four, he declared that for twelve years he had not felt such a sensation as weariness, and he attained the excellent age of eighty-seven.
As a matter of contrast, pass down the streets of any city and look in at the saloon windows (providing you have the wise law abolishing screens). You will see no gray hairs in those places. Every bartender and every drinker will be a young man. Why is this?
After all, however, the severest perils of intemperance are in the realm of the soul. No drunkard can enter heaven. No drunkard will want to enter heaven. While, on the contrary, a temperate life is a life held close to God. As Hannah More wrote:—
“He who can guard ’gainst the low baits of sense Will find Temptation’s arrows hurtless strike Against the brazen shield of Temperance. For ’tis the inferior appetites enthrall The man, and quench the immortal light within him; The senses take the soul an easy prey, And sink the imprisoned spirit into brute.”

BEST METHOD OF WASHING.

By J. G. Yergin

J. G. YERGIN.
As I have noticed, in the Home department, a number of recipes for making washing easy, I send directions for what I think the best way:—
One bar of Fels-Naptha soap, cold water for the soak,—no boiling at all, no hot water, no steam, no rubbing to speak of, sudsing and rinsing. This requires that the clothes be soaked for half an hour or more, and the soiled places rubbed with the soap; after soaping, the pieces should be rolled up singly, and allowed to stand for a time in the tub, just covered with water. This soap takes out the dirt, and leaves the clothes white and clean. One half the work of wash day is saved by its use. The soap costs five cents a bar. The naptha in the soap loosens the dirt, naptha being a great cleansing agent.

CANCER CURE.

MRS. E. A. ROSE writes us from Stevens Point, Wis., June 8, 1901:— “Will you please tell the sister who requested prayers for her daughter with the three children, in REVIEW of May 14, 1901, and for herself, saying that she has a cancer on her breast, that if the cancer has broken out, or is breaking out, to split figs, after soaking them soft in a damp cloth, and bind them closely on the part affected; also to eat figs on an empty stomach, as many as she can without nausea, and to eat only plain food, and especially fresh fruit. I feel sure this will draw out the cancer. If the cancer has not broken out, tell her to eat figs, which will destroy the cancer germs. This I know to be true; for my own daughter stopped a cancerous growth in this way: the pain ceased after a few days’ treatment. A man in North Dakota, who lived near my daughter’s, kept figs on a cancer on his lip. The figs drew out the cancer and cured his lip. A woman with whom I am well acquainted had a cancer taken out of her forehead. She has the scar now. Her name and address is Mrs. Charlie Shreider, Lakota, N. D.”

TELL THE TRUTH.

There are too many persons who sometimes find it convenient to “lie a little.” The following incident in the life of General Grant, given in Sunday Reading, is a severe rebuke to such persons.
An important conference was being held in the executive mansion in Washington. A caller had sent in his card, but either the caller was unwelcome or the time was quite unsuitable for his admission. One of the persons present turned to a servant and said: “Tell the person who sent up the card that the President is not in.”
“No,” said General Grant, “tell him no such thing.” Then turning to his friends, the General remarked: “I don’t lie myself, and I don’t want my servants to lie for me.”
That was noble. If our boys want to copy the example of great men, let them pick out such things as this and follow them. Great men, as well as others, make mistakes. The mistakes they make are not any better or nearer right because they were made by great and leading men. We are not to be excused for following great men into wrong-doing. We should follow their examples only when they do right. The example of General Grant in reference to telling the truth is worthy of copying. His words, with a little change, are worthy of being used as a motto: “I don’t lie for myself, and I don’t want any one else to lie for me.”

Let Your Light Shine

“Jesus did not bid the disciples, Strive to make your light shine; He said, Let it shine.”

INVITING DECEPTION.

It would seem bad enough for people to be deceived, to be led to believe that which is not so, or to follow a path which leads only to loss and ruin. Are not such people entitled to our commiseration? But what shall we say of one who invites the deception, one who unites with the rank and file of the American people, who, as Barnum used to say, “like to be humbugged”? or one who, according to a common expression, “tempts the devil to tempt him”? Such a one certainly has no one to blame but himself for his deception.
But a great deception is before the world, and many seem to be preparing for, and even inviting, it. In reading the New Testament, one cannot fail to be impressed with the fact that in connection with the first advent of Christ, there was wonderful activity among unclean spirits. By their outcries in the presence of Christ, they showed their expectancy and their anxiety. They said, “What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” Matt. 8: 29.
Now we are nearing another advent of Christ, the last one. So, now, too, there is unwonted activity in the spirit world. The workings of modern Spiritualism are a repetition of the scenes of spirit-possession as they were seen in Christ’s day. As a sample of their claims as well as of their blasphemous utterances, we refer to the following fact: Speaking of the “Key to the Supernatural,” one who made an address at the General Conference of Spiritualists, in London, England, a short time ago, said: “That key is in the hands of the Spiritualist, who sees clearly enough that the man Jesus was a supreme medium, who lived so near to the spirit world and to the spirit forces, that our ‘supernatural’ was his ‘natural,’ as to some others it has been since, and may be again, and whose so-called ‘resurrection’ was only his supreme ability to present himself in a temporarily materialized form to his disciples. All this is to the Spiritualist perfectly plain, and what he offers is a perfect key.”
According to this speaker, there have been “since Christ’s day some supreme mediums; and there may be such again.” This, to our view, is a key to the deception that is coming. We have been forewarned that before Christ actually appears the second time, an impersonator will appear. Who is this, and how will he appear? He belongs to that class called “false Christs and false prophets,” who will appear and “show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matt. 24: 24. Who would naturally be more interested, active, and efficient in this work than the great arch-deceiver himself? It is he whom Paul associates with the same work, in 2 Thess. 2: 10–12, when Christ is about to be revealed, and of whom John says that he comes down at last upon the “inhabiters of the earth,” in a great burst of deceptive wrath, “because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Rev. 12: 12.
The book called “The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan” describes the scenes of the closing time of trouble, and the dangers and deceptions to which the saints will then be exposed. In the light of what we have read from the Scriptures, we are not, therefore, surprised to find in the “Great Controversy” these words:— “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The Church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men, as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air, ‘Christ has come! Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when he was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the gracious heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in the assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering, delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying, This is* the ‘great power of God.’ Acts 8: 10.
Such is the deception that is coming upon the world, when Satan closes up his wonder-working power in the earth, which, if it were possible, would deceive the very elect. The climax of this work is to be the appearance of Satan, impersonating Christ, and claiming to be himself Christ. Now when men are expecting some manifestation of this kind, under the impression that it is to be something of an entirely different nature from what it is, will not the way be completely prepared for the deception? and by fixing their mind upon it, and expecting it, will they not be inviting it? Would they not be ready to believe whatever might be presented? And this is just the position the world is in to-day.
Remarking on that key to the supernatural spoken of above, which Spiritualists claim to have in their hands, a writer remarks: “There is no doubt but Spiritualists are looking for some one to come who will lift the veil and reveal the whole matter.” That one will be Satan, claiming to be Christ; and what he will reveal will be the great deception which will involve them in their ruin. Take warning.
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