Signs of the Times, Vol. 4, No. 15. (4/18/1878)

Signs of the Times

Apr 18, 1878

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Apr 18, 1878

General Articles.

By Ellen G. White

THE FOUNDATION STONE.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

In building the temple of Solomon the stones were entirely prepared at the quarry, so that when they were brought to the place of building the workmen had only to place them in position; the hewing, squaring and polishing had all been done. "And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone-squarers. So they prepared timber and stones to build the house." "And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building."

Not an instrument was to be used upon the stone when it was brought to the place of building. One stone of irregular shape was brought from the quarry to be used in the foundation of the temple. But the workmen could find no place for it and would not accept it. There it lay unused, and the laborers passed around it or stumbled over it, greatly annoyed by its presence. Long it remained a rejected stone. But when the builders came to the laying of the corner-stone, for a long time they searched in vain for a stone of sufficient size and strength, and of the proper shape, to take that particular place and bear the great weight which would rest upon it. Should they make an unwise selection of a stone for this important place, the safety of the entire building would be endangered; they must find a stone capable of resisting the influence of the sun, frost and tempest. Several stones had been chosen at different times; but when subjected to the pressure of immense weights they had crumbled to pieces. Others would not bear the test of sudden atmospheric changes, and were therefore pronounced unfit for the place.

But there lay the stone so long rejected by the builders; it had endured exposure to the air and to the scorching rays of the sun without revealing a seam or the slightest crack. Storms had beaten upon it, yet it remained the same. The attention of the builders was finally attracted to this large stone, and they examined it closely. It had already borne every test but one. If it could bear the test of severe pressure they decided to accept it for the corner-stone. The trial was made to the satisfaction of all. The stone was accepted, brought to its assigned position and found to be an exact fit.

In prophetic vision Isaiah was shown that this stone was a symbol of the Saviour of the world. He says: "Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken." Carried down in prophetic vision to the first advent, the prophet is shown that Christ is to bear trials and tests of which the treatment of the chief corner-stone in the temple of Solomon is a symbol: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone a sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste."

God in infinite wisdom chose the foundation stone and laid it himself. He called it a "sure stone;" the entire world may lay upon it their burdens and griefs, yet it can endure them all. They may build upon this stone with perfect safety. Christ is a "tried stone," and never disappoints those who trust in him. He has borne every test imposed upon him. He failed not in the wilderness of temptation when he endured the pressure of Adam's guilt and that of his posterity. He came off more than conqueror of the powers of evil. He has borne the burdens cast upon him by those who, falling upon this rock, have been broken. In Christ their guilty hearts have found relief. Those who make him their foundation rest in perfect security.

Christ is represented by the chief corner-stone. Jew and Gentile must build upon this foundation, and their connection with Christ, this "precious stone" makes them living stones. Peter in the following figure clearly shows to whom Christ is a foundation stone and to whom a stone of stumbling:— "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it in contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe, he is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed."

In revealing to the Jews their doom for rejecting the Son of God and making of him a stumbling-block, Jesus also addresses all those who are impenitent, and do not accept him as their Redeemer. The fate of the unbelieving Jews will be theirs. The only safety is to build upon the right foundation. Millions are to-day building their hopes and prospects upon foundations that have not been tested and proven; they will soon totter and fall, bearing with them the flimsy structures built upon them.

Jesus had passively borne the abuse of sinners, just as the rejected stone had borne the abuse of the workmen who stumbled over it. But the time was to come when they would see him exalted, even as the despised and rejected stone was made the head of the corner. Then the rejecters of Christ were to be punished for their iniquity. The city and temple of the Jews were to be destroyed. The stone was to fall upon them by which all their glory would be broken and scattered as the dust which the wind driveth away.

Jesus has set before us the only true foundation upon which we may securely build. It is broad enough for all and strong enough to sustain the weight and burden of the whole world. To fall upon this stone and be broken is to give up our self-righteousness and to go to Christ with the humility of a child, repenting of our transgressions and believing in his forgiving love. All who build upon this foundation, which is Christ, become living stones by connection with him, the chief corner-stone. Many persons are hewn, polished and beautified by their own endeavors, but they will never become "living stones" because they are not connected with Christ. When the rain falls, and the tempest rages, and the floods come they will fall in ruin because they are not riveted to the eternal rock, the chief corner-stone, Christ Jesus.

The stones were not prepared for their respective places just as they were about to be laid in the wall of the temple; all the fitting and planning was done previous to their being brought to the place of building. So it is that all the hewing, fitting and polishing of character must be done during man's probation. When Christ shall come again to earth it will not be to purify and refine the characters of men, and to fit them for heaven. His work then will only be to change their corruptible bodies and fashion them like unto Christ's most glorious body. Only a symmetrical and perfect character will in that day entitle men to the finishing touch of immortality.

Earth is the quarry and the work-shop where men are to be fitted and refined for the courts of heaven. As the stones composing Solomon's temple came together in the wall a perfect fit, without the touch of ax or hammer or any other instrument, so will the resurrected saints, and those who are alive at the time of his coming be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, each one fitted for the great change and taking his proper place in the temple of God.

But when Christ shall visit the wicked, his judgments will fall not only on the Jews but upon all who have refused the heavenly benefits of the grace of God. The stone that was passive, bearing humbly all the abuse heaped upon it, will then lift itself in life and power above those who despised and rejected it. They will see in this their rock of offense, an avenging mountain falling upon and crushing them.

A Sermon.

By Alonzo T. Jones

[Delivered by Elder A. T. Jones at Jefferson, Oregon, on Wednesday evening, January 16, 1873, and published by special request.]

"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matt. 4:10.

These words were spoken by our Saviour when under the temptation to worship another than God; when Satan offered Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, if He would fall down and worship him, but Jesus repelled his proposition with the words of our text. Certainly it is no more than right that man should worship the Lord his God, and Him only. But there are some even in these days who will stand with ancient Pharaoh, and utter the same sentiments that he uttered as recorded in Ex. 5:2, when Moses told him, "The Lord God of Israel says let my people go," he made answer as follows, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go." So now there are those who when we read the words of our text will say, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to worship and serve him? I know not the Lord neither will I worship nor serve him." And not content with making the assertion that they do not know him, which might be taken as an admission that there are some things of which they are ignorant, they will go so far as to say, "There is no God."

Now we wish to show that there is no excuse for any man making such an assertion, for God has taken away every excuse. We read Rom. 1:19, 20; "Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them, (margin to them) for God hath showed it unto them, for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Here we see that they are without excuse because God has shown them the things which reveal him and which make his power known. Certainly, if any one shows me a thing I am without excuse for not seeing it. Paul also says that these things are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork," Psalms 19:1. Step out of your house in a clear night, and as Isaiah says, "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number, he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth." Yes, go night after night and you will find them all there "not one faileth." Whose is all this work? We can only reply in the words already quoted it shows the "handiwork of God."

Again we read Ps. 19:2; "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." Yes, night unto night from the days of Job, the heavens have been showing knowledge; and astronomers who make it the labor of their lives to obtain knowledge of, and from them when their lives close can only say with Sir Isaac Newton—the prince of Philosophers, if not also the prince of astronomers—when the time came for him to lay down his grand and useful life, "I feel as though I have been but a child gathering shells on the beach of the great ocean." These may not be his exact words, but they give the sentiment, and they are true for he knew that "night unto night showeth knowledge," and that he in his whole life had not been able to gain any more from it, comparatively, than a child gathering shells on the ocean's beach.

But we read on, Ps. 19:3-6: "There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof." Think a moment of the system governed by the influence of our sun. It consists of eight planets with their satellites (moons) and one hundred and seventeen asteroids (minor planets) ranging in distance from thirty-five millions to two billions, seven hundred and fifty millions of miles from the sun; the nearest one, Mercury, is sometimes hidden from view, being completely enveloped in his glorious rays, and the farthest one Neptune is not "hid from the heat thereof."

Think of it, the sun darting his rays two billions seven hundred and fifty millions miles, and giving heat and light to the inhabitants of that planet and to the planet itself. If the heat is so intense as to penetrate to that distance, why are we not consumed? for we are only ninety-one and one-half millions of miles from the sun. True, Neptune receives only one-thousandth'as much as we do but the wonder is that it receives any at all. Again: these all revolve round the sun, and they not only revolve round it, but the sun with his whole system, revolves round other grand central systems, and systems of systems till we are overwhelmed with the immensity of the firmament, and these planets and systems rolling in their orbits at a rate of speed that is almost incredible. The earth revolves on its axis at the rate of more than one thousand miles an hour it rolls forward in its course round the sun sixty-four thousand, eight hundred miles in an hour, more than one thousand miles in a minute, eighteen miles in a second. To convey a faint idea of this speed, we will say that a rifle ball goes at the rate of about one thousand miles in an hour, therefore, we with the earth, go in one direction as fast as a rifle ball, and at the same time in another direction sixty times as fast,

and in a third, we cannot tell how fast, and with a circuit so vast in extent that it will be millions of years before we shall be again where we now are. The Psalmist says truly: "His circuit is to the ends of heaven." Now we ask again, who does all this? and again we must say, and most reverently too, it shows the handiwork of God. Aye, there is a God, and "The Lord he is God."

We wish to ask those persons some plain questions, we shall read them from Job 38:2-6; "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Were you there? or can you say that there was no one who did it? "Declare if thou hast understanding." "Who hast laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?" If God did not do it, who did? "If thou knowest, "Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?" Can you tell? No more than, as all things prove the truth of the words of Job 26:7: "He hangeth the earth upon nothing." "Who laid the corner-stone thereof; when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Were you there at the creation that you can say there was no song of joy? or more, that God was not there? No, no. Then cease darkening counsel by words without knowledge. "Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the day spring to know his place?" Have you done or can you do this? You have not, then do not say, "There is no God," for he might be the one who did it and you not know it. "Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in search of the depth? Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all." Leaving out all the others, we can ask this question, Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? and the answer must be, no. Well, "If thou knowest it all," you ought to be able to answer that. Therefore as you do not know it all how can you say, "There is no God?"

Again, 19th verse: "Where is the way where light dwelleth? and for darkness, where is the place thereof, that thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths thereof? Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? Were you there when light was formed? Were you then born, that you can say that "God did not do it?" Or "knowest thou it because the number of thy days is great?" Are you so old that you have seen all these things?

Verses 24-27: "By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Who hath divided a water-course for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder, to cause it to rain on the earth wherein no man is, on the wilderness where there is no man; to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?" Who does this if there is no God?

And now after compassing the earth with questions that not one of those can answer, He directs our eyes to the heavens, and how much less can they answer now. Verses 31-35: "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send lightnings that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?"

And after spanning the heavens with these questions, he comes directly to you with this one, "Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?" On this point we wish to go to chapter 39:13-17. "Gavest thou goodly wings unto the peacocks, or wings and feathers to the ostrich? which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust, and forgeteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain without fear; because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding." Now we ask in the words of Elihu, Job 35:11. "Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?" How is it that you know more than the ostrich? or how is it that you have more understanding than the beasts? Let the same answer, Job 32:8: "But there is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding."

Yes it is God who giveth these very men wisdom and understanding enough to say, "There is no God," and deny him. But surely I have used a misnomer when I said that they had wisdom enough to say, There is no God; for I have already read from Ps. 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." It is, must be true, for surely none but a fool would say it.

Sometimes, however, by the very force of circumstances they are caused to acknowledge that there is a God, and to call upon him. I shall read from Ps. 107, some instances which illustrate this and doubtless there are many of you who are familiar with such instances: "Fools, because of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted; their soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses, he sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." Verses 17-20. How often is this the case, men get into a strait, and think their last moments have come. Then they will pray and cry unto the Lord, help comes, they are delivered, and then instead of doing as the next verse calls upon them to do: "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men, and let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing," instead of this, they forget all that the Lord has done for them, and profane his holy name and never thank him. . . . They go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble. they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end, then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses; he maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still, then they are glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven." Then what do they do? render thanksgiving and praise to him, because he has delivered them? Not often; but instead, they will go off to the theatre, to the ball-room, and all other places of festivity, and never remember the goodness of the Lord. "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." Verse 43: "Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord." For Ps. 92:1, 2 says: "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name O most High; to show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night." See "His loving-kindness in the morning." Do you do so? do you remember with David, Ps. 4:8, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety." Know you not that it is his loving-kindness that keeps you?

Now we come near to every one, and show that the Lord has not left himself without witness to any one. Acts 14:15. When the Lystrans were about to worship Paul and Barnabas, they said to them, "Sirs why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities, unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, the sea and all things that are therein; who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." This is also mentioned beautifully in Ps. 65:8, 9. "They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens, thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth and waterest it, thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water" &c. See how God sends you rain to nourish the things which you have planted causing them to grow and then blessed the growing thereof that they may bear fruit for the service of man. Oh why will he not observe these things, and give Him "thanks always in all things," who giveth us so richly all things to enjoy? Will he still say "There is no God?" If you can get along so well without you do you not do these yourself?

But he does not stop here. We read Acts 17:24, 25: "God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything seeing he giveth to all life, and breath and all things." He not only gives you fruitful seasons and all those things, but he gives you life and health to enjoy the things that he so richly bestows. And will you not thank Him? When I was here last winter I heard a story related, of an insane man rushing madly along the streets of one of our cities; and as insane men sometimes say the sanest things, so did he. He suddenly and wildly accosted a man with these words, "Did you ever thank God for your reason?" The man answered, "No!" Then said he, "Well, do so quickly, for I have lost mine."

It would almost seem that, through the wild delirium of this madman, God was trying to bring sane men to their senses. And now we can repeat his words to you. Did you ever thank God for your reason, life, friends, health, home, happiness? if you have not, do so quickly for many, Oh! how many, have lost theirs, and you know not how soon you may be deprived of yours. Therefore you ought to serve the Lord your God, you must serve him, it is right, it is just. Then worship the Lord thy God, and him only serve. Ps. 100:2-5: "Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing, know ye that the Lord he is God, it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Euter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise, be thankful unto him and bless his name, for the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting."

But if we do not worship, nor serve him, then what? We will show by reading Isaiah 5:1-7: "Now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well beloved, hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill, and he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" Now suppose you should go to a nursery and at great expense, obtain the choicest vine, bring it home, set it out, dig round and cultivate, train up and take the best of care of it, finally it bears abundance of fruit, it ripens, you come to gather it, when lo the grapes are both sour and bitter, ("for so were the wild grapes of Palestine,") "they cannot be eaten they are so bitter." All your labor and care have been spent in vain. Now what would you do, let the weeds, thorns, and briers grow up and choke it, or else cut it down. Well, that is just what the Lord did for he says, verse 5: "And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard; I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned, nor digged, but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it." Now he tells us what this means. "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant plant, and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression, for righteousness but behold a cry." In Matt. 21:33-43, Jesus explains this parable, he says: "There was a certain householder which planted a vineyard and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country; and when the time of the fruit drew near he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. . . . But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son, but when the husbandmen saw the son they said among themselves, This is the heir come let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

If these men were miserably destroyed for not rendering the fruits which the Lord had a right to expect in return for the many blessings and great care which he had bestowed upon them, and he has let out his vineyard to us, will he not do the same with us if we do not render him the fruits of righteousness, and righteous judgment between man and man, and not oppression? And if we too, instead of thanks for all his kindness and mercies, return only disrespect, rebellion and profanity shall not we meet the same fate? Most assuredly we shall. Jesus shows this in Luke 13:6-9: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came, and sought fruit thereon and found none; then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none, cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?"

How long has He waited for fruit from you, and waited in vain? all the day long has He stretched out His hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people. Would you not have been cut down long ago had not Jesus said as he does, verse 8: "Lord let it alone this year also till I shall dig about it,- and if it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Yes with all our unthankfulness and evil, Jesus pleads, "Spare them a little longer, O Lord, a little while longer." But oh! "Woe worth the day," when our kind and loving Saviour shall step aside and say, "Thou shalt cut it down." Why will you not bring to the Lord the fruits of the life and loving-kindness, that he so kindly and freely bestows, before he shall pour out his fury upon the heathen that know him not, and upon the families that call not upon his name? Upon how many, many families will his fury be poured out! for how many, many families never call upon his name from the commencement of the year to its close. They lie down at night without remembering his faithfulness during the day. They arise every morning and go about the business of the day without remembering his watchfulness during the night; they come to the table with never a word of gratitude, or thanks to him whose bountiful hand supplies so abundantly their bread. Why is this? With men amongst men, if they at any time receive anything from another, though he be a perfect stranger, without thanking him, they regard it as impolite, if not disrespectful. Then what must God think of our conduct, who day after day receive so many benefits from Him with never a word of thanks? Is it not ungrateful? Is it not disrespectful? My friends these things ought not so to be. Heed the words of Paul in "Giving thanks always in all things unto God, and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Eph. 5:20. And "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess. 5:18. For it is written, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

The Signs of the Times.

By Mrs. L. D. A. Stuttle

AN ACROSTIC.

The Master is coming, the Lord of the vineyard, High up in the heavens he hangeth his signs, Earth's nations beholding, with awe and amazement, See written in nature, the signs of the times. I gaze o'r the earth, and behold desolation, Gaunt famine and pestilence over the land, No longer lie dreaming, ye saints of Jehovah, Say, why will ye ever, in idleness stand? Oh rouse for the conflict, ye slumbering Zion! For earth must be warned of its terrible doom. The friends of our Master must herald the message, Haste, haste to the Refuge, while yet there is room! Earth's bosom is rent by internal convulsions. The "hearts" of the mighty "are failing for fear," In vain do blasphemers proclaim "peace and safety," Mid signs that portend that destruction is near, E'er mercy departeth and sealeth thy fate, Speed, speed to the Refuge, e'er thou art too late!

Mrs. L. D. A. Stuttle.

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