Earlier text: The Annual LessonLoyalty to a Cause
By F. M. W.
THIS is an age of much-vaunted loyalty to men, to principles, and to movements. With loud acclaim zealous advocates protest their loyal adherence to various causes. If the cause be a righteous one, the ardor of its supporters is to be commended; if, however, the loyalty be given to unrighteous principles, it is as greatly to be deplored. There is much that passes for loyalty which is such only in name—a mere sentiment, moving the emotions and impulses only, and not affecting the deeper and truer purposes of the life. Sometimes this sentimental loyalty is made the garb of disguised disloyalty and apostasy. Clothing itself in the habiliments of professed reverence for God and devotion to his truth, error has ever found the most effective ways of gaining entrance to the heart, and consummating its purposes in the life. In these last days we find its advocates professing allegiance to the truth, but at the same time they seek to undermine faith in its fundamental principles. They claim for themselves loyalty to Christ, and charge those who differ from them with being “loyal to a cause” merely. What is comprehended in this charge which some now make? Is “loyalty to a cause” loyalty to Christ? That depends, of course, upon the character of the cause. Loyalty to an evil cause most certainly would not be loyalty, but disloyalty, to Christ. But loyalty to Christ’s cause is the highest type of loyalty to Christ. We can not separate Christ from his work; his own life is bound up in it. Apply the principle still closer: Is loyalty to this cause of the third angel’s message loyalty to Christ? What does this cause embrace? The answer to this last query must determine the answer to the former question. This cause embraces the grand and final proclamation of the gospel message, of which Christ stands as the great central figure. The glad news of Christ’s return, the reformation regarding the law of God, the solemn warning against the wicked combinations represented in the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, the exposure of Spiritualism and its seductive allies, the development of a class of people keeping the commandments of God and having manifested in their midst the spirit of prophecy, and finally the ministry of the Lord Jesus himself as our great High Priest, the work of the investigative judgment conducted by the Father and the Son with the holy angels, the redemption of the saints with their promised inheritance, and the destruction of Satan and the finally impenitent,—these mighty and gracious principles are comprehended in the message now going to the world. In the carrying forward of this work God has developed in various ways among his people a heaven-born system of organization and support. This constitutes the bone and sinew of the message, through which its proclamation is hastened, and its forces directed. This chain of truth, together with the organization which, under God and guided by his Spirit, makes it effective, constitutes the cause, which, pre-eminent over all other considerations, should receive the faithful, loyal support of every Seventh-day Adventist. This cause is the cause of Christ. It has for its foundation divine revelation, for its Author7 the Lord himself. Can it be truly said that he who is faithful to this cause and to the only organization and church which stands as its conservator, is “loyal to a cause” merely, and not loyal to Christ?—Nay, verily. Disloyalty to this cause and to the church and people carrying it forward is the highest kind of disloyalty to Christ. The god of such a one is not the God of the Scriptures, not the Lord Jesus Christ, but the god of his own vainglory and evil imagination. Nor is such a one the minister of God for good, but the emissary of the evil one, seeking to disrupt God’s work and bring into it alienation and confusion. No matter how soft his speech, how retiring and modest his disposition, how gracious his manner, or how sympathetic his spirit, the advocacy of such insinuating and insidious principles stamps him as a subtle deceiver, and every grace of speech or person, and every profession of loyalty to Christ, but makes more potent his power to deceive the unwary. Such was the character of Lucifer’s efforts in the beginning of evil. He set in operation his wicked designs against heaven under a “specious profession of loyalty to God. He claimed to be seeking to promote the honor of God, the stability of his government, the good of all the inhabitants of heaven. While instilling discontent into the minds of the angels under him, he had artfully made it appear that he was seeking to remove dissatisfaction.” The same tactics have been employed by human leaders of rebellion. Korah and his associates carried on their nefarious warfare against the church, while at the same time “professing great interest in the prosperity of the people. Their insinuations were so readily received that they ventured still further, and at last they really believed themselves to be actuated by zeal for God.” Sympathizing with those in wrong and deserving of reproof, they secured their co-operation in the work of rebellion. “There was greater union and harmony among the discordant elements of the congregation than ever before.” In all the ages the advocacy of truth has been associated with some system, some people, some organization, which stood as its conservator in the earth. That movement constituted for that period the cause to which the promoters of truth gave their allegiance. The work of Satan has ever been to ensnare, to corrupt, and to weaken the church by sophistical arguments, and always under the plea of great loyalty to truth and to God. Nehemiah promoted in his day a cause. Moses was faithful to a cause. Paul was true to a cause, and for its purity he contended most zealously against those who would weaken it. Thus did Luther and Wesley and William Miller and Joseph Bates and James White. The cause for which they gave their lives was the cause of Christ, though it had to do with finance and management and church discipline. They could not separate their loyalty to Christ from their loyalty to the work Christ gave them to do. No more can we to-day. Only that man should receive recognition as a teacher or leader in this movement who is true to that for which this movement stands, and to the principles it embraces. Of those who do not do this, the apostle John advises: “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed: for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.” In the times before us we shall need to heed this counsel. The strait truth of God will cause an alignment of forces. Already the line of demarcation is being drawn. The strength of Israel is being tested. Loyalty to-day, and as applied to this work, means a decisive, clear-cut stand for Christ as against Satan, for truth as against error, for order as against anarchy, and for the leadings of a sound mind, directed by the Word and the Spirit, as against the vain imaginings of men and the sophistries of the evil one. True charity is not a “good-Lord-and-good-devil” policy; not a commingling of the evil with the good for the sake of harmony. Those who stand with the spirit of Elijah will not be “milk-and-water” men and women, but they will stand with all the faith, humility, and unswerving loyalty of their prototype of old; combined with meekness and humility will be moral backbone and strength of character. May God make us loyal indeed to him, to his truth and people, to his work in the earth. In this loyalty to his cause we shall give highest proof of our loyalty to Christ. F. M. W. Where Rests the Blame?
By C. M. S.
A CORRESPONDENT of the London Catholic Times, writing from Paris concerning a mock religious procession in a suburb of that city, bemoans the blasphemy of such exhibitions, and lays the blame for them upon the present attitude of the French government toward the Catholic Church. But the length of time that the Catholic Church has dominated France, and the fact that the demonstration complained of was wholly against the Catholic religion, would seem to indicate that the blame was not rightly placed by the correspondent of the Times. The paraders wore grotesque masks and the garb of priests, monks, nuns, acolytes, and choir boys, while they sang vulgar songs, and indulged in mock genuflections and parodies on religious exercises. Strange, is it not, that we must go to a Catholic country, centuries old in Catholic instruction, to find such public performances? If this were in a country where the system of religion practised by that church was new to the people, such a demonstration might be accounted for without any reflection upon the religious system involved. But in France this can not be done. The people have been subjected to a religion of compulsion, instead of being invited to a religion of choice. They have not heard the voice of love, reasoning with, persuading, drawing them to a Saviour smitten for their sins; but the voice of authority, commanding, compelling, driving them through a routine of form and ceremony that cost them dearly at every turn, and professed its ability to hold them under punishment even beyond the grave. That church grew rich through its professed power to open the gates of purgatory on payment of a fee; and while professing power to open and shut heaven as well as purgatory, many of its exponents led lives before the people that shocked the moral sensibilities even of men of the world. When a church professing to represent God, conducting its operations upon such a system, and claiming such unlimited power, is stripped of its property, and its congregations are scattered, simply by the power of man, it is not to be wondered at that the people rise and demonstrate their liberties by going to unseemly excesses in reviling such a system. The religion represented in that system has won neither the love nor the respect of a great portion of that people. Many a wicked man has listened to the gospel set forth in its purity and simplicity and love, and though not accepting it, has not felt in his heart to revile it. The correspondent already referred to sets forth some of the unsatisfactory conditions existing in France, in the following complaint:— Our rulers serve a “proces verbal” on a Suisse who crosses the road from the church to his own door in the uniform of his office; a priest is put in prison for wearing his ecclesiastical vestments in officiating at the interment of the mortal remains of one of his own parishioners, and women are forbidden to kneel in prayer as a funeral procession passes. All this in order that the susceptibilities of freethinkers may not be offended, and liberty of conscience (to infidels) may be safeguarded. But there is a reason for this. It was not always thus, and it never would have been thus had not the very officiousness of that system, its domineering characteristics, and its refusal to recognize the rights of others, invited the oppression of which it now complains. France has lived with the Catholic religion for centuries. She should have learned to respect it, and it is not entirely her fault if she does not. Wholly Thine
By JOHN M. HOPKINS
COME, Holy Spirit, fill my heart,
And all my ransomed powers control,
Until, renewed in every part,
Christ sits enthroned within my soul. Yes, every fiber of my frame,
Lord, I would consecrate to thee,
To magnify thy holy name,
Since thou didst give thy life for me: My heart to be thy dwelling-place;
My feet to walk thy peaceful ways;
My lips to tell thy wondrous grace,
And sound thy name in prayer and praise; Till every word that I shall speak
Shall be what thou wouldst have me say,
Wert thou to stand, holy and meek,
In just my place in every way; Till all that I shall say or do
Shall witness to thy guiding power;
And in thy service kind and true,
I follow thee from hour to hour. The Need of Earnest Labor for Others
By Ellen G. White
THOSE who become children of God are under obligation to him to do all in their power to seek and to save the lost. They are to make use of every possible means to give to sinners the word of life and the saving grace of Christ. Remembering the sacrifice that Christ made that he might give to men a perfect example, church-members are to follow his example of self-denial and of self-sacrifice, that they may save the souls that are perishing in unbelief and sin. Heavenly beings are greatly interested in the salvation of the souls for whom the Father has done so much. God gave his only begotten Son to be the Redeemer of the fallen race. Christ gave himself to a life of humiliation and poverty that he might be able to leave to all an example of what life should mean to every member of the human family. He tasted death for all, that every soul might have the privilege of becoming acquainted with God. And heavenly angels are “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” And yet how many church-members there are who feel little responsibility to make Christ known to their friends and neighbors. If all had carried the love of Christ in their hearts, and the truth on their lips, if we had been diligent in opening the word of life to those about us, showing what Christ is to us, and what he is willing to be to them, hundreds more would be rejoicing in the truth to-day. But we shut ourselves up within ourselves. We seem to think that it is well with us, and that it is not in our line to speak of Christ. Is he not all in all to us? If we obtain any victories, is it not through his grace that they are wrought? Then why should we not lift him up? The parables of the lost piece of silver and the lost sheep teach most precious lessons. They deal with the subject of man lost and man recovered. Many, many more would be recovered if they were labored for as represented in these parables. Growth in grace is shown in an increasing ability to work for God. He who learns in the school of Christ will know how to pray, and how to speak for the Master. Realizing that he lacks wisdom and experience, he will place himself under the training of the Great Teacher, knowing that only thus he can obtain perfection in God’s service. And daily he becomes better able to comprehend spiritual things. Every day of diligent labor finds him at its close better fitted to help others. Abiding in Christ, he bears much fruit. My brethren in the ministry, a most solemn, sacred work is given you to do. Labor to give the light to those who know not the truth. Church-members, ask God to give you a burden to open the Scriptures to others, and to do missionary work for those who need help. Some will be rescued in one way, and some in another, but the work must always be done as the Lord shall lead. Let us prepare to raise the standard of the Lord, the standard of purity and holiness. Let every soul purify his own heart, and prepare for the Lord when he shall come in power and great glory. Let believers be quickened by the grace of Christ to work for the saving of their fellow beings. Let the publications containing Bible truth be scattered like the leaves of autumn. Lift him up, the Saviour of souls, lift him up higher and still higher before the people. It is time now to gather strength from the source of all strength, to cry aloud and spare not, to press back the clouds of darkness, that the light of heaven may be revealed. Christ’s last act before leaving the earth was to commission his ambassadors to go to the world with his truth. His last words were spoken to impress the disciples with the thought that they held in trust the message of heaven for the world. In obedience to the Saviour’s command, the disciples returned to Jerusalem, and there waited for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Heavenly intelligences co-operated with them, and gave power to the message that they bore. The Holy Spirit gave efficiency to their missionary efforts, and on one occasion three thousand were converted in a day. The delegated servants of Christ are to bear their testimony in the power of the Spirit. The yearning desire of the Saviour for the salvation of sinners is to mark all their efforts. The gracious invitation first given by Christ, is to be taken up by human voices and sounded throughout the world: “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” The church is to say, Come. Every power in the church is to be actively engaged on the side of truth. The followers of Christ are to combine in a strong effort to call the attention of the world to the fast-fulfilling prophecies of the Word of God. O, how solemn and important is the work entrusted to us! How far-reaching this work is in its results! How are we to obtain strength and wisdom necessary for its successful accomplishment? As Daniel sought the Lord, so we are to seek him. Daniel declares, “I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.” We are to seek the Lord in humility and contrition, confessing our own sins, and coming into close unity with one another. Brethren and sisters, pray, pray, for your own sakes, and for the sake of others. We are to come to God in faith, and pour out our supplications before him, believing that he will work in our behalf, and in behalf of those we are seeking to save. We are to devote more time to earnest prayer. With the trusting faith of a little child, we are to come to our Heavenly Father, telling him of all our needs. He is always ready to pardon and help. The supply of divine wisdom is inexhaustible, and the Lord encourages us to draw largely from it. The longing that we should have for spiritual blessings is described in the words, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” We need a deeper soul-hunger for the rich gifts that heaven has to bestow. We are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. O that we might have a consuming desire to know God by an experimental knowledge, to come into the audience-chamber of the Most High, reaching up the hand of faith, and casting our helpless souls upon the One mighty to save. His loving-kindness is better than life. If we but realized how earnestly Jesus worked to sow the world with the gospel seed, we, living at the very close of probation, would labor untiringly to give the bread of life to perishing souls. Why are we so cold and indifferent? Why are our hearts so unimpressible? Why are we so unwilling to give ourselves to the work to which Christ consecrated his life? Something must be done to cure the terrible indifference that9 has taken hold of us. Let us bow our heads in humiliation as we see how much less we have done than we might have done to sow the seeds of truth. My brethren and sisters, I speak to you in word of love and tenderness. Arouse, and consecrate yourselves unreservedly to the work of giving the light of truth for this time to those in darkness. Catch the spirit of the great Master worker. Learn from the Friend of sinners how to minister to sin-sick souls. Remember that in the lives of his followers must be seen the same devotion, the same subjection to God’s work of every social claim, every earthly affection, that was seen in his life. God’s claims must always be made paramount. Christ’s example is to inspire us to put forth unceasing effort for the good of others. God calls upon every church-member to enter his service. Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted to others, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Every one must learn to work, and to stand in his lot and place as a burden-bearer. Every addition to the church should be one more agency for the carrying on of the great plan of redemption. The entire church, acting as one, blending in perfect union, is to be a living, active, missionary agency, moved and controlled by the Holy Spirit. As surely as we seek the Lord earnestly, he will make the way plain before us. All around us are doors open for service. Let us prayerfully study the work to be done, and then enter upon it with full assurance of faith. We are to labor in quietness and humility, in the meekness and lowliness of Christ, realizing that there is a trying time before us, and that we shall always need heavenly grace in order to understand how to deal with minds. It is the patient, humble, godlike worker who will have something to show for his labors. As a people, and as individuals, our success depends, not on numbers, on standing, nor on intellectual attainments, but on walking and working with Christ. The more fully we are imbued with his Spirit, the greater will be our love for the work, and the greater our delight in following in the footsteps of the Master. Our hearts will be filled with the love of God; and with earnestness and power we shall speak of the crucified Saviour. And as he is uplifted before the people, as they behold his self-sacrifice, his goodness, his tender compassion, his humiliation, and his suffering, their hearts will be melted and subdued, and they will be won to his cause. In considering the third angel’s message, we have noticed at some length the warning against the symbolic beast, and have found that beast to be the papacy, with all that term comprehends, — the concrete result and outcome of the great apostasy from the religion of our Lord and Saviour, which sets itself up in the so-called temple, or church, of God, claiming for itself the attributes and prerogatives of God. But associated in this warning message is another power also,—another so-called “beast,” which performs a great work. “And I beheld another beast as coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Rev. 13:11-17. Of what is this two-horned beast a symbol? We have seen that in symbolic prophecy living creatures are used as symbols of mighty nations, especially in the books of Daniel and The Revelation. The four beasts of Daniel 7; the ram, the he-goat, and the little horn which waxed exceeding great, of Daniel 8; the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, of Revelation 12; the leopard beast, which has been shown to be the papacy, of Revelation 13, etc., are familiar examples. Revelation 12 and 13 are one connected line of prophecy, reaching from Christ onward to the end of the world, the great red dragon representing pagan Rome, and the leopard beast Rome ruled by the popes. It is distinctly stated that the two-horned beast is “another beast;” hence it can not be the same as any of those which preceded it, nor a part of them. How much territory did the first two include? Pagan Rome had conquered and incorporated into its own territory all that was formerly occupied by Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Grecia; that is, all of western Asia, northern Africa, and all of Europe. Hence there was no portion of the Old World where the two-horned beast could exercise its dominion; for it was “another beast.” About four hundred years ago Columbus discovered America. It was sparsely settled by aborigines. Here was a theater for the development of a great nation. The United States of America, after a little over a century of political existence, has a population of nearly one hundred million people, and no nation on the earth to-day has greater influence in the world’s affairs. Should not this wonderful country, with its rapidly growing population, power, wealth, and influence, be noticed in prophecy? Here people have settled from almost every land on earth. Here liberty has prevailed. Here Protestantism has had a greater influence than in any other nation. Here, as in no other nation, the grand truths of Christ’s soon coming have been proclaimed. No other country of earth has so rapidly increased in power, prestige, wealth, and population as this. What was the particular period marked out by the prophecy for this power to rise? It was seen “coming up” in 1798, when the papacy received the “deadly wound.” The United States became an acknowledged nation by the other great powers in 1783, at the close of the war of the Revolution. It had fairly begun its wonderful career in 1798, when the French carried off the pope. It was then a youthful power. It had “two horns like a lamb.” Its horns were just beginning to develop when John beheld it in vision at that important epoch. The dragon and the leopard beast arose from the sea, which, as explained in prophecy, means peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. Rev. 17:15. Those powers came up among the myriads of peoples of the Old World. But this power came up in the wilderness of the New World, still largely unexplored. Eminent authors and historians, in describing the rise of our country, have used such language as this: “Like a silent seed we grew into ‘empire;’” “emerging;” “amid the silence of the earth;” we gained our power “by peaceful conquests.” To a great extent this is true of our past progress. It has a republican form of government. When desiring to accomplish its purpose in making an image to the beast, its appeal to the people is direct: “Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they [the people] should make an image to the beast,” etc. This demonstrates that in this case the people rule. This indicates a republic. The description of this power in its first appearance, as given by the prophet, indicates innocency and gentleness. No other great nation ever arose to prominence with so much of justice and so much that is praiseworthy as this country. The oppressed people of the world were drawn toward the great republic. They came from every quarter. Various nationalities are incorporated into the United States. Many fled from tyranny, to come and enjoy liberty and human rights under the star-spangled banner. The Declaration of Independence recognizes the equality of men before the law. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The province of human governments among men is to safeguard these rights. The federal Constitution guarantees these rights. “No religious test shall ever be required as10 a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” etc. In this nation Protestantism is the prevailing religion. “The Bible, and the Bible alone,” was the platform of Protestantism. Surely, these are lamblike principles. Uriah Smith, in his volume, “Daniel and the Revelation,” page 540, edition 1897, sums up the argument on this question of the United States in prophecy as follows:— “(1) That the government symbolized by the two-horned beast must be some government distinct from the powers of the Old World, whether civil or ecclesiastical. “(2) That it must arise in the Western hemisphere. “(3) That it must be seen assuming a position of prominence and influence about the year 1798. “(4) That it must rise in a peaceful and quiet manner, not augmenting its power, as other nations have done, by aggressive wars and successful conquests. “(5) That its progress must be so rapid as to strike the beholder with as much wonder as would the perceptible growth of an animal before his eyes. “(6) That it must be republican in its form of government. “(7) That it must be Protestant in its religion. “(8) That it must exhibit before the world, as an index of its character and the elements of its government, two great principles which are in themselves perfectly just, innocent, and lamblike. “(9) That it must perform its work in the present century, or this side of 1798.” All these specifications positively identify the United States of America as the power symbolized by the two-horned beast. The next point mentioned is this, “He spake as a dragon.” We have noticed the earlier character of this beast. We shall now be obliged to consider its later history. “Answer Him Not”
By A. SMITH
The writer in common, no doubt, with many of his brethren, has been in receipt, from time to time, of publications opposing our faith and work as a people, while at the same time advocating some of the doctrines and customs that distinguish us from the popular Christianity. While all profess a more or less distorted view of holiness and sanctification, they do not agree among themselves, one sustaining, with commendable strength of argument, the perpetuity of the law of God and the Sabbath it embodies, and another urging with equal emphasis the voluminous and threadbare argument in support of first-day sanctity. All agree, however, in opposing what they term “sectism,” the most disturbing element of which they discern in the organization and distinguishing name of our people, claiming that we are in Babylon and classing us incidentally with the popular churches, and particularly with Dowieism, Mormonism, etc. It would be impossible for Seventh-day Adventists to carry forward without thorough organization the stupendous work in which they are engaged; and such organization would be incomplete without a general name. Seventh-day Adventists have no time to come down from their Heaven-appointed work to meet the specious arguments of those whose principal business appears to be opposition to, and hatred of, the special message which we as a people have been raised up to proclaim. As a rule, when the enemy rages against us, it is the wisest plan to “answer him not.” This attitude is in harmony with the spirit of Christ, who, “when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:23. See 1 Cor. 4:12, 13. Satan is the great accuser of God’s people (Rev. 12:10), and the most vehement agents that he can employ are those who were once associated with us in Christian fellowship and honored labor, but who have become stranded amid the wreckage of unbelief. “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. . . . No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” Isa. 54:15, 17. Our Attitude Toward Worldly Organizations
By S. W. VAN TRUMP
“IN union there is strength,” is a generally accepted axiom. However, it is subject to some modification. The basis of union may consist of principles so weak, and of aims so selfish, that in its boasted strength is revealed more of weakness than of strength. What are the principles underlying the various schemes of worldly organizations? Bring them to the light of truth shining from the sacred page, and see if they match the holy principles there revealed. A condemnation of all worldly organizations would be manifestly unjust, for there are many with whom we may properly associate. Educational, medical, philanthropic, scientific, temperance associations, and others of similar aims may be co-operated with to mutual benefit, without deviation upon our part from right principles. But there is another class to which we can not give approval in the light of the message which is the one thing of importance to us and all the world to-day. Chief among this class are the secret societies or lodges. It is not necessary to mention any one of the many specifically. They are all founded upon the same general principles,—secrecy, exclusiveness, classism, oath-binding, power through force of numbers, etc. The church is God’s model of organization set forth in the Scriptures. In this the elements of secrecy, respect of persons, and the idea of strength through mere numbers have no place. The idea of mutual benefit is not the motive actuating those who join the church. The love of Christ is the impelling power that draws, and in that love the members of the church bear one another’s burdens and minister to one another’s need. It is not the scheme of worldly insurance, but the plan of the Lord for the poor of his people that wakens the sympathy of the prosperous, and supplies the want of the needy in the church. The church has the commission to take the gospel to “every creature.” The lodge shares its benefits with the favored few of its own selection. The church trusts in the unseen power of God for its strength, rather than in its numerical power. This is an age of combination. Under various names and for many purposes men and women are associating together. In finance, politics, labor, religion, etc., the idea of confederating for strength is taking hold upon minds. For obvious reasons the members of such organizations must agree upon certain principles, and consent to prescribed rules, pledging themselves to concerted action. It is here that we meet a vital point. Individual responsibility must in this be compromised, and each one acknowledges their accountability for the united actions of his association. It is true that many worldly organizations teach lofty principles, and perform commendable acts. Yet these points of favor make only more dangerous the general attitude of its members toward the only organization bearing the supreme sanction of the Scriptures; namely, the church. The Lord says, “Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” Who desires to be connected with any such plant? As the last conflict draws to a close, the dividing line between the forces of truth and of error will become more distinct. There will be but two classes upon earth when probation closes,—one the loyal to God, the other the disloyal. Where are you standing to-day, brother, with one foot in the church and the other in the lodge or society? Where will you stand when the other members of the lodge join in the worship of the beast and his image, as all but the remnant will? There will be but two classes when Jesus comes,—the wheat and the tares. Are you binding yourself now in the bundles with the tares, or are you preparing for the heavenly garner? Preparation for Emergencies
By Edward I. Bosworth
No man gets ready for an emergency in a moment. What he is in an emergency is determined by what he has been regularly doing for a long time.
— Edward I. Bosworth.