Joy of the World.—Many rejoice, or have joy, in the lustful things of this life—some in riches, some in fame, some in pleasure, and all in man or some thing or things that man has done or may do. All this, apart from God, we are assured by the wise man is "folly," and folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom. The prophet declares that such "rejoice in a thing of naught;" hence, at the best, "the joy of the godless is but for a moment." And this the children of earth know to be true. "Man
CHRIST prayed for his disciples, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world."
While Christians are to be in the world, they are not to be of the world. In order to be a saving power, they must separate from all worldliness. As oil does not mix with water, so they are not to mix with that which God condemns. They must keep themselves "unspotted from the world;" for they can not touch that which is unclean, and remain unpolluted. The truth as it is in Jesus must sanctify their souls. Its deep, living principles must preside over thought and word and action.
On every hand there is that which would tempt the Christian to forsake the narrow way; but those who would perfect a character fit for eternity must take the will of God as their standard, separating entirely from everything that is displeasing to him. Thousands are betrayed into sin because they leave the citadel of the heart unguarded. They become engrossed with the cares of this world, and true godliness is driven from their hearts. They rush eagerly into speculation, seeking to accumulate more of this world's treasure. Thus they place themselves where it is impossible for them to advance in the Christian life. "Be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." And while you pray, strive earnestly to guard your heart from all pollution; for prayer without effort is a solemn mockery.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Every moment of our time belongs to God, and we have no right so to burden ourselves with cares that there is no room in our hearts for his love. At the same time, we are to obey the injunction, "Not slothful in business." We are to labor, that we may have to give to him that needs. God does not desire us to allow our powers to rust through inaction. Christians must work; they must engage in business; and they can go a certain length in this line, and commit no sin against God.
But too often Christians allow the cares of life to take the time that belongs to God.
They devote their precious moments to business or to amusement. Their whole energies are employed in acquiring earthly treasure. In so doing they place themselves on forbidden ground. Many professing Christians are very careful that all their business transactions shall bear the stamp of strict honesty, but dishonesty marks their relations with God. Absorbed in worldly business, they fail to perform the duties they owe to those around them. Their children are not brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The family altar is neglected; private devotion is forgotten. Eternal interests, instead of being put first, are given only the second place. God is robbed because their best thoughts are given to the world, because their time is spent on things of minor importance. Thus they are ruined, not because of their dishonesty in dealing with their fellow men, but because they have defrauded God of what is rightfully his own.
The maxim, "Religion must give way to business, is Satan's device to lead men astray." He who follows this rule may think that he is the soul of honor, but his life is one long act of complicated robbery against God. And when this life closes, of what use to him will be the treasure he has lost so much to gain?
The folly of giving all to the world is illustrated in the parable of the foolish rich man. He had been greatly prospered by the Lord, but instead of giving God what was his due, "he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." Is it any wonder that the Lord said to him: "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"
Like the rich man, many to-day are living wholly for the world. The deception of the enemy is upon them, and their senses are perverted. Under this spell they sacrifice eternal riches for worldly treasures, which will be theirs no longer when their life history closes; and in God's eyes they are fools.
Through the love of the world Satan deadens the senses of men. Are you going to allow him to lead you astray? It is infinitely better for you to struggle with poverty now, to endure privation and neglect, to see your cherished hopes shattered, and to know that you have a title to the heavenly mansions, than to possess much worldly treasure, and in the last great day hear the irrevocable sentence: "I know you not." "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."
But while Christians are to be distinct from the world, they are not to seclude themselves, raising a wall between themselves and their fellows, because of the temptations that they fear will assail them. They have a work to do for those around them. Great sacrifices have been made for their redemption, and Christ says to them, "Freely ye have received, freely give." Temptations will assail them, their work will be made hard; for their foes will be tireless in their efforts to dishearten them. But Christ is their Leader, the Captain of their salvation. If they are clothed with the whole armor of God, if they fight as in view of the heavenly universe, they will conquer in his name.
When trials come to those who have separated from the world, is it not enough for them to know that Christ endured the same afflictions? He was the Majesty of heaven, the well-beloved Son of God. But when he came to this earth to deliver men from the bondage of sin, they saw in him no beauty, that they should desire him. They did not understand his union with the Father; they had no conception of his divine character. "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." The world's Redeemer was "despised and rejected of men." Those whom he came to save esteemed him "stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."
Even so it is with the followers of Christ. They are the sons and daughters of God, joint-heirs with Christ. The kingdoms of the world belong to them. But worldly men are actuated by worldly principles; they can understand no others. They see a people few in number, weak and unpopular, struggling against evil. In their ranks very few of the wealthy or learned are to be seen. They see them bearing the cross of humiliation, acquainted with sorrow and grief. They see them afflicting their souls before God, chastened and humbled because of their sins. All this the world sees, and they think that there is nothing desirable in the lot of a Christian.
But tho God's people are strangers among men, accounted weak, foolish, and unworthy of notice, tho the world fails to discern the relationship that exists between them and God, yet they are more precious in his sight than the gold of Ophir. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." The followers of Christ must not be surprised if they are not recognized by the world. As the world discerned not Christ, as it refused to acknowledge his divinity and sonship, so it will slight and neglect his followers. "The world knoweth us not," writes John, "because it knew him not." But this should not be a source of discouragement and trial. "Know ye not," asks James, "that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
We are living in the great day of intercession, the day of atonement, and to each one6comes the word of warning, "Keep thyself unspotted from the world." You can not with safety join hands with the world. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father; but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." Better than all the friendship of the world is the friendship of Jesus Christ. Better than a title to the noblest palace on the earth is a title to the mansions which Christ has gone to prepare. And better than all the words of earthly praise, will be the words of Jesus to his faithful servants, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
TRANSFIGURATION AND SERVICE.
By George E. Price
BY GEO. E. PRICE.
HAVE we been upon the mountain,
Listening to the Teacher's voice
And the accents of immortals,
That have made our hearts rejoice?
Have we felt the enrapturing blessing,
That the place and voice bestow?
There are demon-tortured brothers,
Waiting on the plain below.
THE IMPENDING CRISIS;
By W. W. Prescott
OR
The Real Significance of the Eastern Question and the Downfall of Turkey.
BY PROF. W. W. PRESCOTT.
The Light of the Word.
THE experiences of human life and the history of nations present problems which can be solved only in the light of the Holy Scriptures. Apart from the revelation which God has given to us, we should be utterly unable to straighten out the tangled threads, to have any clear understanding of the present, or of any well-defined hope of the future. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16), and in every possible way God has taught man of this love and how he may avail himself of it. The Lord is "the Governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:28), and is desirous that "the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (Dan. 4:17).
In the prophecies of the Bible the Lord has caused the history of the nations to be written in advance, in order that those who still study and believe his word may know of "the times and seasons," and thus may be able to understand the progress of events among the nations in their relation to the development of God's plan to save men through Christ. Through all the centuries God has wrought "according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord," that man might be saved from the power of sin, restored to the image of God, and brought back to the enjoyment of all that God intended for him when he said, "Let us make man in our image." In furtherance of this plan Christ came to this world the first time, and in the consummation of this plan he will come the second time. In order that his children might know when "the times of restitution of all things" are at hand, he has described in his word, with great minuteness, the history of the world until "he is near, even at the doors."
The Government of Turkey.
One of the nations whose history has thus been written in advance is Turkey, and this is done in three different places in the Bible. In the closing part of the eleventh chapter of Daniel, Turkey is spoken of under the name of "the king of the north." This is made perfectly clear by reading the whole chapter and comparing it with the history of the world since the time of Daniel. Cyrus was the reigning king in Persia at that time (Dan. 10:1), and Daniel was told that "there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia [Cambyses, Smerdis, and Darius Hystaspes]; and the fourth [Xerxes] shall be far richer than they all; and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia." In fulfilment of this prophecy Xerxes raised an army of over five million men, and invaded Greece.
In continuing, the angel said to Daniel: "And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven." This prophecy was fulfilled in Alexander the Great, whose achievements have been the marvel of the world, but who died suddenly in the height of his power. After a brief period of confusion his kingdom was "divided," but "not to his posterity" (verse 4), for four of his generals established themselves in his former territory, "toward the four winds of heaven." Cassander took the east, Seleucus the west, Lysimachus the north, and Ptolemy the south, taking Daniel's country, "the glorious holy land," as the center. Thus Lysimachus held Thrace and Bythinia on the north, territory of which Byzantium was then, and Constantinople is now, the center. And Ptolemy had Egypt on the south. These are simple facts of history. In the eleventh chapter of Daniel is given the history of the world until Michael (Christ) shall stand up and the deliverance of God's people shall take place and the resurrection of the dead (Dan. 12:1, 2) shall occur. Now whatever power throughout this chapter shall occupy the territory originally assigned to Lysimachus is the "king of the north."
And now, as Constantinople is the center of the territory originally held by Lysimachus, the first "king of the north;" and as the power that now reigns in Constantinople holds the identical territory held by Lysimachus himself, it is plain enough that this power is "the king of the north" of the last verses of the eleventh chapter of Daniel. And as it is the Turkish power that now occupies Constantinople, it is perfectly clear that the Turkish power is the power referred to in the words "king of the north."
This prophecy is dealing with "the time of the end" (verse 40), and just before Michael (Christ) stands up it is said of the "king of the north" (Turkey): "And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Everyone knows that Turkey would have come to his end more than half a century ago if the great powers of Europe had not interfered and helped him. Everyone knows he could not stand a day now if the great powers were not still helping him. Everyone knows that the probability is that the Turk will be driven out of Europe in a very short time, which means that he will leave Constantinople and go to Jerusalem "between the seas in the glorious holy mountain." "Yet," says the prophecy, "he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." The daily papers are recording the progress of the fulfilment of this prophecy. Lord Salisbury's speech at the Mansion House, Nov. 9, 1895, and a letter from the president of Robert College, Constantinople, printed Feb. 6, 1896, show the opinion of these gentlemen, that the downfall of Turkey would "involve all that is most powerful and civilized in Europe in a dangerous and calamitous contest," and that "we are approaching a great crisis in the world's history."
But "at that time . . . there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time." Dan. 12:1. It will be seen from verse 2, that this crisis is nothing less than the end of the world, as this scripture brings us to the resurrection of the dead and the reward of the righteous. This is "the impending crisis," and the real significance of the Turkish question. All the nations are expecting it and are arming for it, and it is certainly time for every individual to arm for it, by putting on "the whole armor of God." Eph. 6:13. There have been crises in the world's history in the past, but this is the crisis of the ages. Our only safety is to hide in Christ. He alone is able to save in this time. Are you ready for the downfall of Turkey? Are you ready for the time of trouble such as never has been? Have you made your peace with God? "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Isa. 26:20, 21.
We are now prepared to consider
"Further Evidences of the Impending Crisis,"
as set forth in other prophecies which deal with the Ottoman Empire.
In the book of Revelation, which was written when the Roman power was at its height, are given prophecies which treat of the breaking up of that mighty empire. The line of the seven trumpets (see Revelation, chapters 8 and 9, and 11:14-19) marks the great events in the ruin of the Roman power, and what should follow to the end of the world. The first four trumpets herald the fall of the Western Empire of Rome; the fifth and sixth trumpets, the fall of the Eastern Empire of Rome. And the seventh trumpet gives the fall of all nations and of the world itself. The fifth trumpet, the first wo (Rev. 9:1-11), marks the rise and spread of the Mohammedan power. (Compare Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," chapters 50 and 51.) The five months (verses 5 and 10) are one hundred and fifty days of prophetic time, or one hundred and fifty years (see Eze. 4:6). This marks the time when this power "had a king" whose name was A Destroyer (see verse 11 and the margin). This king was Othman (after whom the empire took the name of the Ottoman Empire), and his destructive work began July 27, 1299 (see Gibbon, chapter 64, par. 14); and hence this marks the beginning of the one hundred and fifty years. This period would close July 27, 1449.
Now comes the second wo and the sixth trumpet, and additional elements of destruction are let loose "for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year." This would be 360 days (years), and thirty days (years), and one day (year), and the twenty-fourth part of a day (year). The total would be 391 years and fifteen days. Reckoning this time from July 27, 1449, it would extend to7August 11, 1840. To this date, according to this prophecy, the Ottoman Empire was to continue. And on that very day, the actual power of the Turkish Government passed into the hands of the great powers of Europe, and from that day to this, the very existence of the Ottoman Empire has been, and is now, solely by the support of these great powers. And so it is said in a pamphlet on the Turkish-Armenian question, recently published in London:—
"It is impossible to talk of the Ottoman Empire as if it were a nation like the United States or like Holland. It is an artificial . . . creation of treaties, that is kept in existence by the powers for their own convenience."
Thus on the 11th day of August, 1840, the time set by the Scripture for the existence and work of the Ottoman Empire, that empire as such, ceased. On that day the sixth trumpet ceased to sound, and the second wo ended; and of the seventh trumpet (the third wo) we read: "The second wo is past, and, behold, the third wo cometh quickly." Rev. 11:14. Every expression in the record of the sounding of the seventh trumpet proclaims the end of all things of this world. Read Rev. 11:15-19, and this will be perfectly clear. All these things are, according to the word of God, to come "quickly" after August 11, 1840, the date when the Ottoman Empire ceased to be an independent power. Compare this with the eleventh chapter of Daniel, and it will be seen that these prophecies in the book of Revelation fill out more definitely the picture given by the prophet Daniel, and emphasize the fact there clearly indicated that the crisis now approaching is the crisis of the ages, the end of the world.
But it must be remembered that the expulsion of the Turk from Europe, and the consequent coming "to his end," that is to say, the downfall of Turkey, for which the world is now watching and which every one sees is sure to come soon, mark the time for the beginning of all this trouble. And God has revealed this in the prophecy and is now causing it to be proclaimed to the world, that men everywhere might accept the deliverance and the salvation so freely offered in Jesus Christ. O that all to whom this message comes would accept of this salvation! It means rest amid all the turmoil and strife which is just ahead of us; it means peace amidst universal commotion; it means "that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Only those who heed this invitation and whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, are prepared for the downfall of Turkey. Are you ready for it?
EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT.
By C. A. Wyman
Objections.
AGAINST the positions before taken the objector will doubtless urge that the parable of "the rich man and Lazarus" teaches that there is now a literal burning hell, into which the wicked pass at death, and are "tormented."
Since this is seized upon, with a few other texts, to sustain the "eternal torment" theory, we will briefly examine it in the light of God's plan, as revealed in his word.
The Human Mind the Place of Error.
The word of God can not teach contrary doctrines, neither will the Spirit of God, which uses the word, speak "yea and nay" to the same things. The human mind is the place of confusion and contradiction, and Satan having sown the error of "inherent immortality" in all the earth, it is not strange that the doctrines held by the mass of mankind are opposed to the word of God. Where error is tenaciously held, the truth is neither sought nor desirable. The field first occupied by the foul seed offers no good ground for the tender plant of truth.
With the punishment still future it follows that the general interpretations of the parable controverts the Scriptures. This will further appear from the fact that if the scene presented in Luke 16:19 actually transpires, then the reward comes to each one at death,—a doctrine wholly opposed to the plainest teachings of the Bible. The Saviour declares by the Revelator, "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12. Paul preaches:—
"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds." Rom. 2:5, 6.
"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." 1 Cor. 4:5.
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." 2 Peter 2:9.
The Judgment Must Precede the Reward.
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? . . . Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" 1 Cor. 6:2, 3.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Rev. 20:4.
"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Rev. 20:11, 12.
Thus the judgment of the wicked, preceding their punishment, is a work that is still future; and those who participate in it must be "brought up out of their graves," which alone takes place at the resurrection when Jesus takes his people to himself. 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.
And since "the harvest is the end of the world" (Matt. 13:39), and only at that time do these "go away into everlasting punishment," it follows that the general interpretation of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is contrary to the Scriptures, in that the sentence is executed before the judgment is in session. And further, as the wicked only awake at the resurrection of the unjust, to damnation (John 5:29), it follows that by the whole tenor of the Scriptures there is no torment till that time. All, both fallen angels and wicked men, are reserved unto the day of judgment, to be punished.
When the Lord comes, the living wicked are slain "by the brightness of his coming" (2 Thess. 2:8; Ps. 50:3; Isa. 24:1-6), and live not again till the thousand years are finished (Rev. 20:5). Therefore it again follows that the interpretation is contrary to sound doctrine.
More than this, the error places Abraham and Lazarus in heaven in a state of bliss without a resurrection, when Paul tells us that if there be no resurrection "then they which have fallen asleep in Christ are perished" (1 Cor. 15:18), and contradicts the statement that the ancient worthies should not be made perfect without us (Heb. 11:39, 40).
If's, Why's, and What's.
If the righteous dead are in heaven enjoying life and immortality, will some objector tell us what the resurrection is for?
If these two transcendent gifts are inherent in man, why should the Scriptures, line upon line, exhort us to seek for them, and show that they are given only at the resurrection of the just? Rom. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:53.
If Abraham and Lazarus were praising the Lord after they were dead, and before their resurrection, why should the psalmist exclaim, "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence"? Ps. 115:17.
If death is the gateway to "life and bliss," why should Job exclaim: "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come?" Job 14:14. And, "If I wait, the grave is mine house; I have made my bed in the darkness." "And where is now my hope?" "They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust." Chapter 17:13, 15, 16. But knowing that his Redeemer lived, and that he would raise him from the dead, he looked forward to that time alone when he would "call" him to himself. Chapter 19:25, 27; 14:15.
If the mind lives on in happiness or misery, why should David exclaim of man, "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish?" Ps. 146:4.
If death is "swallowed up in victory" when the eyes of the faithful are closed to earthly scenes, why should Paul tell us that it is at the resurrection there comes to pass the saying that it is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory"? 1 Cor. 15:54.
And if Abraham, Lazarus, and all the other saints were in heaven, having received their reward, why was David not there? "For David is not ascended into the heavens." Acts 2:34.8
To such lengths of confusion does the common interpretation of the parable lead, that the justice of God, the judgment, and the resurrection are made void. It places the sinner at once in the torments of hell, and yet Satan, his persecutor, is free. Thus the wisdom, mercy, and justice of God are impeached, and all because some one has said, "Ye shall not surely die." Gen. 3:4.
The same lie that caused the fall of our first parents, the destruction of their home and us, Satan still uses as his master speech of deception, whispering in the ears of earth's teeming multitudes, "Ye shall not surely die." Your body may die, but you, you can never die. Albeit God has said: "Ye shall surely die;" "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Eze. 18:20.
Inasmuch as the righteous are recompensed "at the resurrection of the just," it follows that the doctrine of rewards and torments is without foundation in the word of God, as pertaining to the present.
(Concluded next week.)
Religion in Secret Prayer
A MAN has only so much of religion as he has in secret between himself and God. The outward manifestation is only the suggestion of what is within. It is the field of prayer and communion with God, and on this field the great battles of pure Christianity are fought, and the great victories won. The people of conquest are the princes in prayer. — The Advance.
Sin in the Seed, Hell in the Harvest
"SIN is hell in the seed; hell is sin in the harvest;" and hell is eternal death.
Sowing the Seeds of Revolution
By Prof. Charles Morris
CHAPTERS IN UNITED STATES HISTORY.* NO. 8.
Sowing the Seeds of Revolution.
The Tax on Tea—Troops Sent to Boston—The "Boston Massacre"—The "Boston Tea Party"—Boston Punished—Sentiment of Rebellion—Preparation for War—The Verge of Revolution.
HERE was taxation without representation in a new shape, and a fresh opening for tyranny to invade the colonies. It was no more welcome than the stamp act, and was resisted as vigorously. Samuel Adams and others vowed to "eat nothing, drink nothing, and wear nothing" that came from England until the obnoxious duties were removed. The people were in a ferment of opposition. So general was the resistance to the law that the king, instead of taking warning as a wiser man would have done, determined to carry it through by force, and sent for this purpose two regiments to Boston, which city was most violent in opposition.
He could have done nothing more likely to provoke rebellious feeling. The troops, on entering the town, marched through the streets like conquerors, with flying banners and beating drums, while the citizens looked on with barely repressed wrath. Quarters were refused the soldiers, and the bulk of them were obliged to encamp on the commons. Here they planted cannon, posted sentinels, and challenged passing citizens, adding daily to the irritation of the incensed Bostonians.
A climax came in March, 1770, when the city guard was insulted by an unruly mob of men and boys. The soldiers fired in return, and killed and wounded a number of citizens. This affair, which was widely denounced as the "Boston massacre," created an intense excitement. The bells were rung; the citizens gathered in multitudes; the country people flocked to the streets; a dangerous outbreak was threatened. An immense meeting was held, and Samuel Adams, in the name of the people, ordered the governor to remove the soldiers from the town. If they remained he would not answer for the consequences. The governor obeyed, and sent them to one of the islands of the harbor.
Meanwhile importation of British goods had largely ceased in America. Homespun cloth generally replaced foreign fabrics. Raspberry leaves and other substances were used as substitutes for tea. The spinning-wheel and the loom hummed in many households. A single family is said to have spun and knit in eighteen months 487 yards of cloth and 36 pairs of stockings. The law was a flat failure, and the colonies were on the verge of rebellion. An outbreak took place in North Carolina, and blood was shed in its suppression. In Rhode Island the revenue cutter Gaspee was seized and burnt by a secret party. In Massachusetts it had been ordered that the judges should be paid by the Crown. They were threatened with impeachment if they should accept a penny from this source. The Legislature of Massachusetts sent a circular letter to other Legislatures, asking them to concert measures of resistance. The king, in a rage, dissolved the assembly, and all others which favored its action. It was replaced in 1772 by "committees of correspondence" between the towns. In 1773 similar committees were formed to act between the colonies. This was the first step towards a colonial congress.
Finally, in 1773, the king, still resolved to tax the colonists without their consent, but at his wits end how to do it, devised a new plan. The duties were taken off all articles except tea, and the price of this was purposely lowered, so that the tax would add nothing to its cost. This was necessary, for at that time nine-tenths of all the tea that entered America was smuggled from Holland, and if English tea was to be sold it must undersell the smuggled article. It was supposed the people would buy it because of its cheapness, and thus be cheated into paying the tax. The event proved that George III. did not know the Americans. They were more interested in saving their liberty than saving their money.
In the autumn of 1773 shiploads of tea were sent to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. They were everywhere rejected. In three of the cities the consignees were frightened by the temper of the people, and resigned. Philadelphia and New York sent the ships home again. In Charleston the tea was landed, but was stored in damp cellars, where it rotted. A ship sent to Annapolis with a private consignment of tea was burned, and a similar consignment sent to New York was emptied into the harbor. In Boston the excitement reached its climax. The governor and the collector of the port were determined that the tea should be landed. The people were equally determined that it should not. On Dec. 16, 1773, the trouble came to a head. The collector was prepared to land it by force the next day. A great town meeting of 7,000 citizens was held in and around the Old South Meeting House. The governor had been appealed to to intervene. He refused. When, in the evening, word of this refusal was brought to the meeting, Samuel Adams, the leader of the populace, rose and solemnly said, "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country."
The words were a signal. They had hardly been spoken before a loud war-whoop was heard in the street before the church, and a party of young men disguised as Indians, rushed past on their way to the wharves. Here they boarded the tea ships, ripped open the chests of tea, 342 in all, and poured their contents into the water of the bay. In a few hours $100,000 worth of tea was consigned to the fishes. It was the most costly tea party the world had ever known.
News of this violent proceeding in due time reached the king, and converted his anger to fury. Boston was the offender, and he resolved that Boston should pay the penalty. Its port was ordered to be closed until the tea had been fully paid for. The charter of Massachusetts was annulled, and General Gage, the commander of the troops, was appointed governor with despotic powers. As Boston would not pay for the tea, it suffered severely. Its business was ruined, its working people were thrown out of employment, and only the active aid of the other colonies saved many of the citizens from starvation.
But the Americans retaliated. "There is no longer any room for hope," thundered Patrick Henry, "we must fight." A Continental Congress was convened, and met September 5, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia. It was respectful, but resolute in tone. It did not ask for representation in Parliament. The colonies had gone beyond that. It demanded the right to make all laws and levy all taxes in the colonial assemblies. Massachusetts went still farther. The authority of Gage as governor was ignored. A provincial congress was called, with John Hancock for its president. It took the significant step of preparing for war. Colonial troops were enlisted, and military stores collected. Twelve thousand volunteers were raised, of which one-third were "minute men"—men ready to march and fight at a minute's notice.
It was too late now to recede, even had king and Parliament so desired. Independence, not redress, was now demanded. General Gage, alarmed by the spirit of the people, fortified Boston Neck, and seized all the powder he could find. Finally, on the night of April 18, 1775, he sent a secret expedition from Boston to seize or destroy some military stores which had been collected at Concord, twenty miles away. It was this act that ended the season of suspense, and transformed rebellion into revolution.
