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SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS
Our authority for the doctrines we teach is the Bible. Quotations are usually from the King James Version or the American Standard Revised.
MIRACLE-WORKING POWER
By E. E. A.
Its Relation to Faith—Something More Important than Healing from Physical Disease—Miracles Not a Sure Evidence of Goodness
OD still lives, and listens to the prayers of His faithful servants. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it can not save; neither His ear heavy, that it can not hear." Isa. 59: 1. If we do not see His power revealed in an extraordinary way in answer to our prayers, possibly it is because our iniquities have separated between us and our God, and our sins have hid His face from us, that He will not hear. Verse 2.
AT SIGHT OF WAVES HE BEGAN TO SINK
How often did the Saviour reprove His disciples for their lack of faith! When Peter, in obedience to the Master's invitation, "Come," stepped upon the water, his faith supported him, and he, like his Master, was able to walk upon the waters of Galilee.
"But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Matt. 14: 28-31.
Those who enjoyed the most exalted privileges ever conferred upon men; who for three and a half years were daily with their Lord, listening to His teaching; who witnessed the healing of the sick; who saw Him call Lazarus forth from the tomb, and heard Him speak as never man spoke,—to these chosen disciples Jesus, after His resurrection, said, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe." Luke 24: 25.
How it must have grieved the heart of the Saviour to see those whom He loved to the end so slow to trust Him implicitly!
WOULD WE HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
We wonder how they could fail to believe Him fully, when they had so many indisputable evidences of His infinite love and of His supreme power. We are inclined to think that had we been in their place we would have done differently. Possibly we would, but I fear we would have done worse than they.
Let us look at those same weak, hesitating, unbelieving disciples after the ten days of heart searching, of sincere penitence and confession. As they press the arm of faith up through the clouds, higher and still higher, it touches the throne of infinite power; the fountain of grace is unsealed, and they are baptized with the Holy Ghost. No more weakness, no more hesitancy, no more unbelief; but, strong, courageous, and powerful, they go forth on their mission of love, to meet opposition, persecution, and death, triumphantly to carry the glorious gospel of the blessed God to the ends of the earth.
HE WILL DO GREATER WORKS
Said the Master: "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14: 12-14.
While physical healing is a blessed work, and is one of the signs that were to accompany the preaching of the Word, it is not the object to be sought, nor the greatest miracle to be wrought. The healing of the soul, the restoration of the image of God in the heart, the creation of a new man in Christ Jesus—these constitute the supreme object of Christ's life on earth, of His suffering and death, and of His ministry at the throne of grace. To persuade men to believe in Jesus as their personal Redeemer and Saviour, to surrender to the control of His blessed Spirit, to obey His holy commandments, and to obtain an inheritance among those who are sanctified, are the supreme objects of the preaching of the gospel, and are therefore greater than the healing of the body alone.
Undoubtedly it was this work, wrought for the thousands who believed on Pentecost and thereafter, of which Jesus spoke when He said, "Greater works than these [miracles of bodily healing] shall ye do."
MIRACLES OF HEALING NOT A CHIEF SIGN
Miracles of healing do not constitute the chief sign of apostleship, or of the true faith of our Lord. "Prove all things," said Paul; "hold fast that which is good." 1 Thess. 5: 21. The rule by which we may test the genuineness of any teaching is not the miracles that may be wrought to confirm it, however marvelous they may appear to be; but instead, we are directed by the prophet Isaiah "to the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word," says the inspired writer, "it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8: 20.
And again: "If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not harken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Deut. 13: 1-3. "There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders: insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt. 24: 24.
WROUGHT TO ENFORCE FALSEHOODS
Miracles will evidently be wrought in support of false teachings. Rev. 13: 14; 2 Thess. 2: 9, 10. Every doctrine is to be tried, not by the miraculous powers its advocates may seem to possess, but by the word of God, with which, if it be true, it will be in perfect harmony.
Notwithstanding all the efforts of the enemy to deceive us, it is possible for us to know the truth. "Ye shall know the truth," said Jesus, "and the truth shall make you free." "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." John 8: 32; 7: 17.
The one whose heart is fully surrendered to God, and who desires to know only the will of God, will know from personal experience "that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb. 11: 6. He would have us "know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places." Eph. 1: 18-20.
DESIRES US TO EXPERIENCE RESURRECTION POWER
Think of it,—God would have His children know the power which was manifested in the resurrection of Christ, and in His ascension to His own right hand. He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Eph. 3: 20.
Often we meet with such wonderful promises as this: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16: 23, 24. Why should we not, then, take all our trials, all our cares and perplexities, all our sorrows and our sicknesses, to Jesus, and ask Him to give us grace to endure the trials, leave our cares and perplexities at His feet, asking Him to sweeten the cup of sorrow, and, if He can be glorified in so doing, to heal our sicknesses? Let us ask in faith, and it shall be done.
THESE SOUL-HELPFUL PROMISES
How I love to think of those beautiful words of the Saviour of men: "Verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall . . . not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11: 23, 24.
Can it be possible that our dear Saviour meant to mock us with such promises? God forbid! All His promises are true. They are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Like the commandments of God,219they "are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness." Ps. 111:7, 8. They are anchored to the throne of the great Creator, and they can not fail.
Though the heart be deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, "A new heart also will I give you," says the Lord, "and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Eze. 36:26.
Though we have been in bondage to our depraved appetites and passions, and could not keep God's holy law, again the promise comes, "I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them." Verse 27.
Are we sick, are our lives threatened with some terrible disease, and have we sought in vain for relief? "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" Ah, yes; "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up."
Whatever our need, the promise of God, clear and beautiful and strong, covers our need. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." Isa. 41:10. "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19.
"Have faith in God."
BURNING BIBLES IN THE PHILIPPINES
By Editor
As Usual, the Attempt to Destroy the Book Increased the Interest and Its Sale
PASTOR L. V. FINSTER sends us a late issue of the Renacimiento Filipino, a daily paper published in Manila. The large head-lines on the front page read:
"Vigan Friars Publicly Destroy 2,500 Copies of Holy Scripture. Awestruck Spectators on Plaza Witness Anathema of Protestant Literature by Representatives of Catholic Organization. Three World Powers May Be Plunged into Serious Church Controversy as Result of Religious Cine Exhibit."
The opening sentence of the article reads:
"2,500 Bibles burned in the plaza of Vigan, the largest and most important city in northern Luzon. Burned by representatives of the Catholic Church. Burned as an evidence of the displeasure of the old established church at the activity displayed by the Protestant missionaries in spreading the word of God through the provinces. Thus, briefly, is told the tale of the most flagrant and iniquitous act perpetrated in the name of religion since the days of the Inquisition."
Then the article goes on to tell that the agents of the American Bible Society gave a moving-picture entertainment showing numerous Bible scenes. This was done with the idea of creating an interest in the Bible itself, a Bible being given as a premium to each one who had a ticket for the entertainment.
The Catholic priests immediately got up an entertainment, and made as a provision that no cash would be accepted for admission, but that the price would be a Bible. In this way 2,500 of those who had received Bibles surrendered them to the priests in order to get into this entertainment; and after the priests secured the Bibles, they publicly announced a general burning of all these books the next afternoon.
It is needless to say that this created a great furor in the town; and another very interesting thing is that immediately following this public burning of 2,500 Bibles, the people of the place purchased more than 3,000 additional ones from the agents of the Bible society.
This incident shows very clearly the spirit of religious bigotry and the lengths to which it will go. It also should encourage all true believers in the Bible, and those who are working to promulgate the great truths that it contains; for this instance is serving to advertise the Bible all the more strongly in that part of the world, and thus its great light will shine all the more brightly.
Our Catholic friends ought to be able to see that when their church seeks to keep them from reading and studying the Bible for themselves, it is curtailing their liberties. If a man does not have freedom of thought, he is not free in any sense of the word. Occurrences of this kind should be as great an object-lesson to Catholics as to Protestants, and it should be particularly so in liberty-loving and free America, England, Germany, and other great Protestant countries.
Question Corner
By Editor
WE can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.
4288—"ANOTHER ANGEL"
In Rev. 14:6 it says, "And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven," etc. This is referred to as the first angel's message. Why say "another"?
The heart and soul of the book of Revelation is prophecy. It is showing in sublime language, usually in the form of symbol, the leading events to mark the progress of history on to the close of time. In the eighth chapter and the thirteenth verse, the revelator speaks of an angel flying in mid-heaven announcing the "wo" trumpets that were to sound. By the use of the term "another" in the fourteenth chapter and sixth verse, there is no opportunity for confounding these two angels, both of which are seen flying in mid-heaven.
4289—"WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH"
Please explain, in the question column, Rom. 14:23, particularly the expression "whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
Rom. 14:23 reads, "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." The apostle, in this fourteenth chapter of Romans, among other things, is talking about clean and unclean meats; and while the question of our food is important, yet he shows that there are other things that are of even greater importance, and an individual should have an intelligent faith as a basis for anything that he does.
The same apostle, and in this same letter, tells us how we obtain faith: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." We will be judged in the great day by the saying of God's word. "If any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not. . . . He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:47, 48. God's word is the great standard. God's word is to be the basis of every act of the Christian life. It is the great instrument through which God implants faith in our hearts; and "whatsoever is not of faith," or that is not in harmony with that word, "is sin."
SYSTEMATIC BIBLE STUDY
By Editor
EACH one of the psalms expresses, in the beauty of Hebrew rhythm, the wonderful truth of God. Some of these psalms are especially striking. The hundred third, which is in our reading for this week, may be included among the number that contain some of the most wonderful things to be found in the word of God. In the eleventh verse God tells us that "as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him." And again, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." Verse 12. The distance between the east and the west expresses infinity, and thus far does our Father remove our transgressions from us. What wonderful power and comfort are here expressed in His gospel of truth! And then again, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him." Verse 13. Satan has tried to make this world regard our heavenly Father as a stern-visaged, exacting tyrant; but He asks us to consider our own tender, compassionate father—not the irate, passionate father, but the truly ideal father that we meet so frequently among the children of men. And like as this father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him. Our own fathers would not withhold any good thing from us, and our heavenly Father gave these earthly fathers all of their sentiments of love.
How helpful it is to be continually reading the Bible through by course, for in this way we are constantly finding new beauties in these gems of truth.
Read one chapter in Leviticus or Numbers each week-day and two in Numbers on the Sabbath. Read one psalm each day. Read one chapter in Acts or Romans each week-day and two in Romans on the Sabbath.
Christ’s Second Coming
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9:28. This is one among the many promises of His coming. It can not possibly fail.
MESSAGE ADVANCING AMONG THE LATIN PEOPLES
By H. H. Hall
PROGRESS WHERE THE BATTLES OF CALVIN WERE ONCE WAGED—SCHOOL, SANITARIUM, AND PUBLISHING WORK ARE FLOURISHING—SOME OF THE HISTORIC GROUNDS OF THE VAUDOIS—WORK WELL ORGANIZED IN SOUTHERN EUROPE
By H. H. HALL
ON the brink of Lake Geneva—or Leman, as they usually call it here—and in plain sight of the Prangins Woods, in which the eight hundred heroic Waldenses gathered on the evening of August 16, 1689, for their wonderful march across the Alps to their native valleys, are grouped the Gland sanitarium, the Latin Union school, and the publishing headquarters.
INSTITUTIONAL HEADQUARTERS
Perhaps no more appropriate site in all Latin Europe could be found for these institutions, representing, as they do, the principles which the Waldenses so bravely maintained in Italy; the Albigenses and the Huguenots in France, that noble band of scholars and martyrs in Spain, and the liberty-loving Protestants in Switzerland.
Geneva, for so many centuries the asylum of the persecuted, whence Calvin sent his army of Bible sellers, is only some thirty minutes' ride to the southwest. The old town where the Waldenses landed after leaving Prangins shore is just across the lake, and in plain view from the upper story of the school building. To the northeast, rising out of the blue waters of Leman, is the far-famed castle of Chilon, in the cold stone dungeons of which the Protestant Bonnivard paced away the long hours and days of his six years' incarceration, from 1530 to 1536.
The nearly one hundred acres on which our buildings are located, includes between two hundred and three hundred yards of the lake shore, and widens as it stretches back into the wooded hillside, making a most delightful retreat for health seekers, and an ideal spot for students.
The sanitarium is becoming so well known that it is overcrowded in the summer months, and plans are already under way for its enlargement. Dr. De Forest has been in charge for many years, and thoroughly understands his duties.
MAIN BUILDING OF THE LAKE GENEVA SANITARIUM, GLAND, SWITZERLAND
The food factory, which is connected with the sanitarium, and under the direction of Brother J. Robert, does an annual business of $30,000.
The school, with Prof. Paul Steiner as principal, is advancing year by year, and has an enrolment of forty-two, nearly all taking advance work. The language of the country, and consequently of the school, is French.
PULPIT OF JOHN CALVIN, WITH HIS PULPIT CHAIR ON THE FLOOR BENEATH
I was interested in the plan followed by some of its students, as well as some of those I met elsewhere in Europe. While specializing on German, the English, French, or Scandinavian student attends the school at Friedensau, where German is the language of the people. Likewise he goes to Skodsborg for his Danish-Norwegian, and to Gland for his French. The German, French, or Scandinavian student goes to Watford for his English.
PUBLISHING ITEMS
Brother Borle, who is in charge of the publishing department of the union, has a small office and depository here, from which he directs the manufacture and distribution of books in Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, the printing itself being done in Barcelona, Florence, Basel, and Lisbon. Their policy is to have this manufacturing done on the outside and in the various countries represented, rather than to invest the capital necessary in a plant of their own.
As an indication of the increasing call for publications in these languages, our people are now printing a ten thousand edition of "Christ Our Saviour" in French, and have completed a seven thousand edition of "Mystery Unfolded" and a liberal edition of "Steps to Christ" in Italian. While I was there, arrangements were practically completed for the publication of a ten thousand edition of "Coming King," Italian, to be used in America and Europe.
A GLIMPSE AT GENEVA
In Geneva Brother Borle and I visited the old cathedral and adjoining building in which Calvin preached, where Farel taught, and John Knox both preached and taught during the two years of his exile from Scotland. I also saw the chapel site our people have recently secured. It is quite centrally located, and was secured, through a series of providential circumstances,221for only $5,000. It would seem to be worth twice as much. Our members, who number less than 150, are making tremendous efforts to raise the additional $3,000 for the building. May they quickly succeed, and thus a memorial to the steady advance of the gospel in its last-day setting be raised in this ancient Protestant citadel!
LATIN UNION SCHOOL BUILDING, GLAND, SWITZERLAND
A VISIT TO THE WALDENSIAN CAPITAL
A night's ride brought me to Turin, Italy, and two hours more to La Torre, the Waldensian capital itself.
As it was snowing heavily, I could not go far from town; but fortunately a meeting of the near-by pastors was held that day in the office of the vice-moderator, the Rev. C. A. Tron, whom I visited. There I met the pastor of Angrogna, which includes their ancient school site, Pra del Torre; of Val Martin, at the head of which is the famous Balsille; of Lucerna, which was so often ravaged in the terrible days gone by; and of St. John, where Girardet, on his way to the stake, proclaimed the eternal nature of the truth for which he was about to suffer, by picking up and rubbing two stones together, and informing the priests that it would be easier for him to grind those stones to powder than for them to destroy the Waldensian churches.
One of the La Torre pastors showed me through their museum, where, among other things, I saw the old Olivetan Bible, published in 1535 as the gift of the people of the valley to the then rising cause of the Reformation in France. He also took me through their church, and I saw their primary and normal school buildings, also their college and administration buildings, nearly all of which had their ancient insignia, "Light Shining in Darkness," inscribed upon them.
I went away feeling that I had been on hallowed ground, and praying that the still greater truths connected with the Lord's soon coming might enter the hearts of the descendants of those humble men who did so much to keep the light shining during the Dark Ages. We already have a few representatives at La Torre, but I had not the time to hunt them up.
THE LAND OF THE INQUISITION
Brother Borle joined me at Valence, France, and together we went to Barcelona, a city of half a million, situated on the Mediterranean, in northeastern Spain. Here our depository for Spain is located, and here they have manufactured and partially sold large editions of "Glorious Appearing," "Daniel and the Revelation," and "Practical Guide to Health."
SCENE IN LISBON, PORTUGAL. Under the cross in the principal part of the picture are the ruins of the Cathedral Do Carmo, destroyed by the great earthquake in 1755. This earthquake marked the opening of the sixth seal as foretold in the prophecy of Rev. 6: 12.
Many of the SIGNS readers know Brother Edward Forga, a Spaniard of rare literary ability, who accepted this message a few years ago; and they will be pleased to learn that he and his wife are now living in Barcelona, where he is editing our Spanish paper and doing important translation and research work. They are a great help to our little church there.
The Bond brothers, who have been in charge of the work in Spain from the beginning, were out of the city, and I was not able, therefore, to learn of the present progress of their evangelical work.
Brother John Brown, formerly of Fernando Academy, California, who is in charge of the colporteur work, was just leaving for his company of workers in Saragossa. As this was on my way to Madrid, we had the day on the train together, and needless to say we had a good talk over the incidents occurring in their work in Spain, which go so far toward cheering up the men on the firing line. Brother Brown hopes to double the circulation of our books in Spain during 1914.
When we call to mind the times of the Reformation, in which books from Geneva had such a powerful influence in spreading the gospel throughout Spain, in one instance causing the conversion of an entire monastery, we can all the more heartily bid God-speed to this present-day band of colporteurs, knowing that He whose work it is "is the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever."
EXPERIENCES IN LISBON
At Vigo, northwestern Spain, I joined Brother and Sister J. T. Thompson, of California, on their way to Uruguay, their new field of labor.
At Lisbon we were met by Elders Rentfro and Meyer, the former being superintendent of the field, with headquarters at Oporto; the latter engaged in evangelical work in Lisbon, which is a city of not less than a half million. We visited their little rented chapel, where Brother Meyer is holding three evening meetings a week, with an attendance of fifty. We met their only colporteur, and examined the beginning they have made in publishing—a few tracts and one little book. Small they looked; and yet the titles are about as numerous and the retail value is about as great as the entire denomination could boast of fifty years ago.
We were particularly interested in the old cathedral Carmo, destroyed in the great 1755 earthquake, and never rebuilt. How many perished in it, will never be known. Its broken walls still stand, a mute testimony to the severity of that disaster, which the Bible student knows was an item in fulfilling prophecy. The accompanying engraving is from a photograph taken of that222portion of the water-front near which the old quay was located that disappeared upon that occasion, with its load of humanity.
MEMBERSHIP AND OTHER STATISTICS
It was not my privilege to see the president of the union, Elder L. P. Tieche, who was in Paris, therefore I did not learn of present plans and future prospects; but the division conference records show that Switzerland,223France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal have 53 workers, 34 churches, and 1,392 communicants. Their total tithe and donations for 1912 were $19,263.92, and their nine colporteurs sold gospel literature to the value of $17,211.27 during that time.
Progress of the Work in Europe
By Editor
WE trust that all are reading these articles Mr. Hall is furnishing from time to time, concerning our work as he observes it during his extensive trip. He has had an illustrated article telling of the substantial organization and progress of this work in the British Isles, another telling of our work in Scandinavia, and last week he told of the remarkable prosperity of our "European Division Conference," and its active mission enterprises in Africa. EDITOR.
