p. 15 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 15. (4/10/1901)

Earlier text: THE TAHITIANS, THEIR FOOD AND RAIMENT

HELPS OVER HARD PLACES

These drawings are taken from the pamphlet entitled Christ Our Advocate.

No. 4. DIAGRAM OF THE 2300 DAYS. (Symbolic Time.)

and though greatly reduced in size show how carefully the author makes easy the hard places in the lessons on the Sanctuary. These Sabbath-School Lessons will continue for six months, and this pamphlet will help you every week of that time

It contains 112 pages and costs but ten cents

Order of your TRACT SOCIETY, or

Pacific Press Publishing Company

11 W. 20th St., New York City : OAKLAND, CAL : 18 W. 5th St., Kansas City, Mo.

Genuine Waltham Movements

By Editor

Gentlemen’s Watch

The works are solid nickel. It contains fifteen jewels, compensated balance, patent breguet hair-spring. The case is solid silver, either open face or hunting. It is handsome, but not showy; valuable, but suggests no extravagance; a neat, attractive, and very serviceable watch. Stem winding and setting.

One of the above described watches given free to every one sending us 15 new yearly subscriptions to the “Signs of the Times” at $1.50 each

Ladies’ Watch

The Waltham is too well known to need any recommendation. In the above offer the publishers sincerely believe is a rare chance to obtain a good watch. We have examined them personally, and can recommend them as being just such watches as we would be inclined to purchase. These watches would usually retail for at least $15.00 and $10.00 for the gentlemen’s and ladies’ respectively.

Also has solid nickel works, seven jewels, patent breguet hair-spring, solid silver case, very neatly engraved, beautiful hunting, or open face if preferred. Stem wind and set.

This is given free to every one sending us 10 new yearly subscriptions to the “Signs of the Times” at $1.50 each

This offer is made as liberal as possible because the object is not to make a profit on the premiums, but simply to encourage readers and friends to aid in increasing the circulation of the SIGNS.

N. B. If preferred, you can have the Elgin movement instead of the Waltham

If interested in the offer, write us, addressing

SIGNS OF THE TIMES OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

OUR PREMIUM WATCHES.

By Editor

We are receiving numerous requests for prices on these watches. Some of our friends want to purchase them, and to such we wish to say that we handle these watches not to make money but to increase the circulation of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, and we are pleased to see so many taking advantage of the offer. It is not a very difficult thing to secure ten new yearly subscriptions at $1.50 and get the lady’s watch or fifteen new yearly subscriptions at $1.50 and obtain the gentleman’s watch. We will gladly furnish on request the canvassing outfit, consisting of sample copies of the paper, receipt book, etc.

The watches are the best makes, Elgin and Waltham, and are first class. A little diligence in the canvassing business will secure a good watch.

Address SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.

PLEASE notice the advertisement of our Bible Dictionary in another column. The book is worth more than it will cost you to get it.

It is not necessary, when working for a premium, to send all the names at once. Send them in with the cash as received, and mention the premium for which you are working. We will keep account of your work, and when your list is complete we will send the premium. Subscriptions should not be held longer than one week.

An agent speaking of the selling of the SIGNS, says, “It is not all sunshine, altho I receive a blessing every time I go out with the papers.”

THE SIGNS of January 2 and January 9—two excellent papers both sent to any address in America for three cents. Send in list of names and addresses.

Revival That Revives

By Editor

THE readers of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES should not overlook the fact that in our general department an article appears each week from the pen of Pastor J. O. Corliss that will be helpful to all who study the Sabbath-school lessons. And in our editorial department there is an article from week to week written by “G.” that will help those who study the Sunday-school lessons.

Revival That Revives.

The newspapers of the country are filled with predictions made by clergymen to the effect that there is to be a great revival of religion at the beginning of the twentieth century. An organized effort is to be made on this line. An excellent plan, but we also need a revival that will apply the principles of religion to every-day life. The Chinese heathen can not obtain a very high idea of religion when he sees that that religion does not operate upon our army and does not protect the heathen from the looting process. We also need at home a revival that will prevent highway robbery by monopolies and wars for the purchase of trade.

What a little thing thwarts the mightiest efforts of men! The great flour trust has been closing mills in Wisconsin, aiming greatly to enrich the interested ones by the staples of life; but now even the trust is menaced. The dreaded Mediterranean moth is said to have established itself in the flour mills of Wisconsin, being discovered first in a mill at Superior. It multiplies at a prodigious rate, seeming to feed on flour dust. Some of the chutes were literally choked with them. They are carried from mill to mill by interchange of sacks and bags. It is a fitting partner to the gypsy moth. Man may propose great things, but providence by a little insect ruins all his projects.

RUMORS of war have been the burden of the press for several days. England and Russia have been standing, as it were, with weapons in their hands. Upon the recommendation of the German field marshall, both the Russian and English troops have withdrawn from the disputed territory near Tientsin; but the Russians returned and planted their flags over the disputed railway siding. Russia has shown that she did not intend to let Manchuria slip out of her grasp, and as a consequence Japan has assumed a menacing attitude, some of her representatives declaring that she must soon fight Russia. China has again appealed to the powers for assistance in resisting Russia’s demands; but so far none have given assurances of assistance. Japan has also sounded the other governments to see what moral support she could depend upon in the event of a conflict with Russia. She seems to have received little encouragement of support; and still the Japanese, as a nation, are clamoring for war. Japan has protested against Russia’s policy in Manchuria, and the United States is said to have protested against Russia’s policy in Korea; but America’s desire for trade relations with Eastern Russia will prevent her doing anything that Russia would regard as unfriendly. Thus is the skein of the nations becoming a hopeless tangle; the hatred of the nations is preparing them for that great battle which will end the affairs of this troubled earth.

THE SUNDAY ISSUE.

By T.

It is evident to every one that Sunday is coming to be more and more of a holiday. But this is not a desirable thing for a great many, and so they are seeking to get state and municipal laws to compel a better observance of the day.

After all the lessons of history that verify the warnings of the Word of God, it is strange that men will still seek to compel others to obey their religious convictions. When ministers of the Gospel fail to reach the people of their communities thru the Christian method of persuasion, it is a poor plan to turn to the civil power and seek the forceful execution of man-made law. We condemn such methods in the Dark Ages; then why should we practise them now?

When we as Christian workers, no matter what our line of work, find that we are not reaching the people, we should go to the Lord for more of His power, and not turn to the world to get human power. The world has always been in some kind of opposition to the church. Sometimes it has been less aggressive and persecuting in its warfare, but it has nevertheless been in conflict against the cause of Christ. Will we now think of turning to the world, to ask the world to compel the world to obey Christ?

But supposing we did ask the world to compel obedience to the Sunday institution, wherein would that be obeying Christ? He has not in all His Word asked us to observe that day as the Sabbath. He has commanded another day instead. Since the Lord does not compel the observance of the true Sabbath, how grossly wrong it is to compel rest on a day contrary to God's commandment! But the world having gone wrong in regard to the day that God has appointed as the Sabbath, it is easy to take the next step of compelling men to obey the false institution that men have set up.

We should not allow our prejudices to keep us from seeing the truth that is involved in this matter, for it is a vital issue at this time. Carefully study the Word of God, so that you may know that you are right. Any kind of uncertainty or guessing will not suffice.

Knew not Jesus.—

When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb where Jesus had been laid, and found it empty, she was greatly troubled. She wept bitterly because she could not find His lifeless body. And when He appeared to her alive, and spoke to her, she “knew not that it was Jesus.” How many professed followers of Christ are mourning over their troubles to-day because they do not recognize Jesus. And why do they not know Him?—Because of unbelief of His Word. Had Mary and the other disciples believed His instruction, they would all have been at the tomb earlier that morning, expecting to see Him arise and come forth. So to-day, because people do not have implicit confidence in the Scriptures of truth, they do not fully realize that they have a living Saviour, who is “a very present help in trouble.” Ps. 46:1.

The latest government statistics show that eight gallons a year more of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to the person are used to-day in this country than twenty years ago. Strong drinks and mineral waters and prepared drinks of that kind are largely taking the place of plain water just as it was given us by the Creator. This increase in the use of mineral water and other prepared beverages of the kind is doubtless largely due to the fact that the germ theory of disease has been discovered and promulgated so extensively. But there is danger of the good being perverted that should come from this knowledge. Be sure that you have pure water, then drink lots of it. It can not be improved upon in the line of a drink.

War Preparations and the Prince of Peace

Queen Victoria has bequeathed a kingdom to her son, but she has not, along with the kingdom, bequeathed him peace. One of the first acts of his reign is to sanction a program for the building of thirty-three new warships, and also largely to increase his army. This shows that the conditions are such in the world that he sees wars ahead, and desires to be prepared for them. Men, urged on by the powers of darkness, will soon have this world in a terrible condition. Wars and rumors of wars will absorb the mind until finally the rush for the battle-field of Armageddon is made. But these things should not disturb us. The Lord Jesus Christ is soon coming, and He is the Prince of Peace. He will bring these evils to an everlasting end. The thing for each one of us now is to know that we stand on the right side. For in standing with Christ now we will be prepared to stand with Him in that great and terrible day when He comes to destroy every wicked person along with every sinful thing that may be found in all the world.

An influential Eastern contemporary says: “While the governments of the world are certainly growing more extravagant, especially in their annual outlay for war and war preparations, it seems fairly probable that for the mass of the people in all civilized countries, this is the thriftiest age the world has ever seen.” The idea of the existence of this thrift is based upon the fact that the savings banks of the world contain $7,000,000,000 deposited there by small depositors. These figures indicate that there are a large number of people who are laying up some money and thus trying to improve their circumstances, but they do not tell of the misery and degradation that is filling our large cities because of abject poverty. If the facts were known, it is altogether probable that there are quite as many who have no savings at all as there are who have something ahead. The fact should not be overlooked that if some of those who have nothing were willing to put forth the effort, and get right down and work for it, they might be in better circumstances. There are some who are destitute because of misfortunes that they can not control, but there are also a great many more who are destitute because of the misfortune that they are too lazy to work, neither will they deny self to economize when they do get any means. Christianity teaches the grand doctrine of lending a helping hand to our fellow-men who are in need, but the same Gospel teaches that it is a sin for man not to put forth every reasonable effort to gather means, not merely that he may help himself, but that he may have wherewith to help others who may meet with unforeseen reverses and misfortunes.

TWO EXCELLENT ISSUES.

By Editor

THE SIGNS of January 2 and January 9 have many valuable articles, among which are:

“A Spectacle unto the World,” with the picture “Ruins of a Pompeiian Theater.”

“Christianity as a Practical Necessity.”

“The significance of Church Federation.”

“Responsibility of the Father.”

“War and Peace,” with the striking illustration entitled, “Alexander Crossing the Indus.”

“Self-Denial—Self-Sacrifice.”

“An Awful Dogma.”

“Soul and Spirit.”

“The Father as a Companion.”

“Mother Nature’s Children,” etc.

We will send both these papers to any address for three cents. If you have read them, you know what they are, and you know of others who would be glad to read them. Get them for your friends, or for yourself if you haven’t read them. Send names, with money, to SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.

Is It More?

The Christian Work of March 7, in speaking of Rabbi Hirsch, who “would be willing to accept Sunday in place of the Jewish Sabbath if thereby a better attendance at the synagogue services could be secured,” remarks: “That is, the observance is more than the day. A right view.” Let us not hear the Christian Work pleading for Sunday sacredness then; for the principle is as good concerning some other day as Sunday. But how could Rabbi Hirsch, or the editor of Christian Work, keep holy a day which God has not made holy? God’s command is not as to a proportion of time, but as to a particular day.