Earlier text: PROTESTANTISMThe End of the World.
By Dr. Tait
If the body's death seems to teach the lesson that modesty is becoming to the scientific speculator, what shall we say as to the prospects of that material frame which is beyond ourselves—the general orderly frame of the universe as we see it around us? People would suppose, from the way in which you hear men talk now, that there was not the slightest chance of any great organic change ever coming across the outward world in which we live. No doubt God works by fixed laws. No doubt the world goes on morning and evening, and summer and winter; but what reason have you to suppose that it will so go on to infinity? Have no great catastrophes befallen the world before now? Does not physical science itself speak of these catastrophes? What is there to prevent other catastrophes, produced by the operation of laws of which at present we are very ignorant, coming athwart the globe on which we live, and a complete change taking place in the relations in which things, even in the outward world, stand at present, so that in the scriptural sense of the word there may be an end to the world, as there is certainly to be an end of our earthly life? To be sure, things have gone on for a long time in the same way; but is that any proof that they are to go on in the same way forever? You arise morning after morning in good health and strength, and seem to say to yourself for a time that this will last forever; but one morning something happens, you cannot explain what; the best physician in the world cannot tell you what; but something has happened that lays you on a bed of sickness, and in two days sends you off to your grave a corpse. Will the experience of the reality of the way in which everything has gone on since you were young, till you have attained maturity, save you from that great mischance? Again, men for centuries had ranged over the mountains in Campagna; they thought that all would go on there, herds and flocks feeding and vineyards growing as they had done for centuries; and suddenly there was a strange sound heard, and a volcano burst forth, and the greatest philosopher of the age came to look at it, and lost his life while he was looking. But neither he nor any of the men who had speculated with him ever expected that these great cities were to be swept to destruction, and their beautiful pastures to become for a time an arid wilderness. I do not say such instances explain or tell us distinctly that such catastrophes will befall the whole globe; but at all events, I think they ought to make us modest, seeing that the wisest know so very small a portion of the laws that regulate God's creation. Surely, we may not dogmatically assume that such catastrophes are beyond the range of possible or probable events. It is true, I say, things have gone on for a long time, and men may say: “Where is the promise of His coming, for all things continue as they were from the beginning of the world”? But still with Him, with whom one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day, there may be changes maturing of which no philosopher of the present or of any previous age has ever dreamed, which will bring this great catastrophe to the globe, which will answer, on the whole outward creation, to something as great as is our passage from life to death, and what is beyond it. I do not think there is anything fanciful in such an expectation. I believe that a man, of that modest mind which is the characteristic of true science, will hesitate before he pronounces with any assurance that such a change may not come over the world as has been distinctly predicted in the Scriptures.—Dr. Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury. Direct and Short: The Secret of Prayer
When we hear a person in his prayers going round and round the point, instead of going right at it, we feel that he cannot be very much in earnest. Great need is always direct and short. There was no circumlocution in the publican’s prayer; and that little beggar-boy had the secret of prayer who, fearing the door would be shut in his face, contrived to get his whole plea into one sentence: “Please, ma’am,” said he, “can’t you give me some clothes; I am so hungry I have no place to sleep to-night.” Far, far away o'er the deep blue sea Lived a man who was kind as kind could be. He loved little children, and spread every day A table from which none went empty away. Poor children came in from the alley and street, With rags on their backs, and no shoes on their feet; Girls and boys, large and small, some naughty and rude, But John Falk loved them all and did them all good. And, while they were eating, he often would tell Of the Lord Jesus Christ, who on earth did once dwell; How he loved little children—each one of them there. He was watching from Heaven with tenderest care, And how happy and blessed would be the child's part Who would let the dear Saviour come dwell in his heart. Each day when the children assembled to eat, He taught them to offer this grace for their meat: “Bless, Jesus, the food thou hast given us to-day, And come and sup with us, dear Jesus, we pray.” But once when the children had finished this prayer, One poor little fellow stood still by his chair For a moment, then ran to the closet where stood The bright cups of tin and the platters of wood. “Now what is the matter?” said Falk to the child, The little one looked in his kind face, and smiled: “We asked the Lord Jesus just now in our grace To sup with us here; but we've given him no place. If he should come in, how sad it would be! But I'll put him a stool close here beside me.” Then the boy, quite contented, sat down to his food; He was hungry and tired, and his supper was good. But a few moments after, he heard at the door A knock low and timid—one knock, and no more. He started to open it, hoping to meet The Lord Jesus Christ come to look for his seat; But when it was open he no one could see But a poor little child, much poorer than he. His face blue with hunger, his garments, so old, Were dripping with rain, and he shivered with cold. “Come in!” cried the boy, in a tone of delight, “I suppose the Lord Christ could not come here to-night, Though we asked him to come and partake of our bread, So he's just sent you down to us here in his stead. The supper is good, and we'll each give you some, And tell the Lord Christ we are glad you have come.” From that time, when the children assembled to eat, There was always one place called “the Lord Jesus' Seat.” And the best that they had was placed there each day For one who was poorer and hungrier than they, And the Lord Jesus Christ, in reply to their grace, Sent always some person to sit in his place; And sweet was the food that the Lord did provide For the stranger he sent them to eat at their side. Dear friends, who have read this short story, you know, The words that our Saviour once spake when below, If we wish for his presence to hallow our bread, We must welcome the stranger he sends in his stead, When we set out our feasts, this our motto must be. “As ye do to my poor, ye have done unto me!” Faith and Works.
By C. P. Whitford
A RELATIVE with whom I have had correspondence remarks that “it is by faith we are saved, and not by deeds of the old Jewish law,” and also adds that Abraham was justified by faith, and not by works. We admit that Abraham was justified by faith. But, query, Did his faith free him from obedience to the law of God, as our friend claims that faith now frees us? Let the Lord answer: “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Gen. 26:5. By this we learn that God accepted his faith, because he obeyed him and kept his laws. In Gal. 3:29, we read, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Every Christian of course claims to be Christ’s. Whoever, then, is Christ’s, Paul says is a child of Abraham. Thus we claim that all Christians are Abraham’s children. Now listen to the declaration of Jesus, John 8:39: “They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.” Did Abraham keep all the law and commandments of God? He did. “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” Paul says that all Christians are Abraham’s children. Jesus says that if they were Abraham’s children, they would do the works of Abraham; and the Lord says that Abraham kept all his commandments. Therefore, the conclusion is unavoidable that Christians are bound to keep the same law that Abraham kept. The gospel undertakes to create in men the righteous character which the law demands. When the gospel has finished its work, it steps out, and all men pass into the hands of the law. Then the cases of all are examined to see if they are just in God’s sight. Now a second justification becomes necessary. If men are now what God’s law demands, they are pronounced just; if they are not, they are condemned. Men are justified therefore in the Judgment, by virtue of what they really are. It is thus that the doers of the law are to be justified. God will save in his kingdom simply those who are just what his law demands that they should be. How great then the preparation for the Judgment. Berkshire, Vt., Feb. 26, 1875. REMARKS ON THE PROPHECY OF JOEL.
By Uriah Smith
Verse 12. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; 13; and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God? In view of the coming of the day of the Lord described in the preceding verses, and the agencies which will come forth in swift and solemn array to execute God’s will, the Lord now turns, through the prophet, to his people with an all-powerful appeal that they will turn unto him. “Turn ye even to me with all the heart.” The day of the Lord is no ordinary day, and the preparation required to meet it is no ordinary preparation. It must be with all the heart. No half-way work will answer. The sense of sin which causes God’s displeasure must be so great, and the work of contrition and repentance so deep, that it will cause fasting and weeping and mourning. The heart must be rent and not the garment. Not that there would be anything improper in rending the garment, if that was a customary way of expressing grief at the time here brought to view. It was customary in Joel’s day; hence it is used as a figure to enforce a lesson for this time. But in those outward forms, a great deal of hypocrisy might be used. Men might cease to anoint their heads, and might put on sackcloth, and appear to fast, when the heart was not in it; so they might rend their garments, and appear to mourn, when their hearts were not affected, and when all they did was to be seen of men. The Lord simply tells them here that the work must be genuine. There must be no hypocrisy here. The heart must be rent. The inducement we have to return is then given; namely, the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. If the Lord was not very slow to anger, we should not long see the world going on as it is, its vast volume of aggravating crime, and outbreaking guilt, rolling and surging onward, threatening to engulf all. At some of the doings of multitudes of miscreants that walk the earth in human form, we can hardly refrain from the feelings which the disciples had when they asked the Lord if they should call fire down from heaven to consume them. But the Lord calmly waits; and Peter tells us why. He says it is for the purpose of salvation. 2 Pet. 3:15. He waits till the last soul who will do so, has subscribed to the gracious terms of his salvation. Mercy then ceases to act by limitation, and there is no occasion for longer delay. And the Lord repenteth him of the evil. Will he repent, or turn from his purpose of bringing in the great and terrible day of the Lord? By no means. That is as fixed a fact as the shining of to-morrow’s sun. How then does he repent of the evil? He never repents in the sense of changing the attitude he bears toward sin. But we, by our repentance, change our relation to him. His rule of action is declared in Jer. 18:6-10. When God’s denunciations are out against sin, so long as we continue as a part of the company of sinners we are subjects of the threatened judgments; but when by reformation we put away our wrongs and seek his pardon, in our cases, he repents or turns from the evil which would otherwise have come upon us, and we suffer it not. It is a promise to all who repent. So unwearied is his long-suffering, so great is his mercy. The blessing promised; a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord your God; that is, such a blessing will be bestowed upon those who seek the Lord in the manner here described, that they will be able to render unto him acceptable worship. In Mal. 3:3, where the refining and purifying work of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary just before the great day of the Lord is brought to view, we read: “And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” And when this offering in righteousness is presented by his people before the Lord; when they are enabled to offer that worship to him, in which his all-searching eye shall behold no trace of human imperfection; when his people shall throw open the door of their hearts, and bring the Saviour in as a guest, to sup with them, and they with him, Rev. 3:20, then may we look for the windows of heaven to be opened and a blessing poured out that there shall not be room enough to receive it; Mal. 3:10; then may we expect the fulfillment of the promise, “Greater things than these shall he do, because I go to my Father.” John 14:12. What Shall We Do With Our Daughters?
By Squire Sensible
Teach them self-reliance. Teach them to make bread. Teach them to make shirts. Teach them to foot up store bills. Teach them not to wear false hair. Teach them to wear thick, warm shoes. Bring them up in the way they should go. Teach them how to wash and iron clothes. Teach them how to make their own dresses. Teach them that a dollar is only a hundred cents. Teach them to cook a good meal of victuals. Teach them how to darn stockings and to sew on buttons. Teach them every day, dry, hard, practical common sense. Teach them to say, No, and mean it; or, Yes, and stick to it. Teach them to wear calico dresses, and do it like queens. Give them a good, substantial, common school education. Teach them that a good rosy romp is worth fifty consumptives. Teach them to regard the morals and not the money of their suitors. Teach them all the mysteries of the kitchen, the dining room, and the parlor. Teach them that the more one lives within his income the more he will save. Teach them to have nothing to do with intemperate young men. Teach them that the farther one lives beyond his income the nearer he gets to the poor-house. Rely upon it that upon your teaching depends, in a measure, the weal or woe of their after life. Teach them that a good steady mechanic without a cent is worth a dozen loafers in broadcloth. Teach them the accomplishments, music, painting, drawing, if you have time and money to do it with. Teach them that God made them in his own image, and no amount of tight lacing will improve the model.—Squire Sensible. Labor and Rest in This Life
“This life to toil is given;
And he improves it best.
Who seeks by patient labor
To enter into rest.” The Power of the Truth.
By Uriah Smith
WE take the liberty to mention the following case as illustrative of the power of truth, when investigated by honest and candid minds. The case is that of our aged and esteemed brother, Joseph Young, of this city, who, with his companion united with our church last Sabbath. Bro. Y. has long resided in our midst; but no especial influence has been brought to bear upon him, in relation to our views, except a voluntary investigation of them, prompted by a desire on his part to know the truth. And when, in connection with this, we take into consideration the fact that Bro. Young is now over 82 years of age, has been for 54 years a deacon of the Presbyterian church, and was up to the time of his uniting with us, in active service as a deacon of the Presbyterian church in this city, we consider it as remarkable and cheering an illustration of the clearness of the truth, and its power to convince the judgment when candidly investigated, as could well be furnished. In all such evidences we can but rejoice. Editorial Correspondence.
By John Nevins Andrews
We have now been in the vicinity of Elberfeld about twelve days. We have had meetings nearly every day since our arrival, and some of the time have had two meetings a day. These have all been lengthy meetings, owing to the fact that two languages must be used, the English and the German, for each sentence that was spoken. But every meeting has been solemn and interesting, and it has been evident that the Spirit of God has been specially present to make the hearts of the people tender, and to set home the truth with power upon each heart. I have made each discourse partly doctrinal and partly practical. The practical part I have made as close and as searching as by the help of the Spirit of God it was possible for me to make it. I desired to see how such preaching would be relished. But instead of causing offense, this has given us the hearts and the confidence of this people to the fullest extent. On sixth-day last we went to Gladbach, near the frontier of Holland, where quite a number of these Sabbath-keepers reside. As we returned on first-day at noon to fill an advertised appointment in a public hall, we could only have four meetings in G., but these were very interesting though very lengthy. In my first two discourses, I spoke so earnestly upon the necessity of faithful obedience to all that God has commanded, and of the danger of apostasy from God, and of final ruin as the result, that some first-day Baptist friends who were present, and who were strong Calvinists, came to me before the third discourse and said that they were believers in the doctrine that God elected his people before the foundation of the world, and that the elect would never fall away; and that my doctrine concerning the necessity of strict obedience to God could not be true. They wished to know what I had to say on the subject. It was time for meeting to commence again, and so I told them that I would speak on the subject. God gave me great freedom in speaking. I took as my text the passage on which they placed the greatest reliance, viz., Eph. 1: 4-6. I stated that the Bible does certainly speak of election before the foundation of the world, and that I was disposed to admit every principle of truth involved in this subject, and disposed to deny only the erroneous inferences drawn from these principles. I stated that without doubt God foresaw the fall of Adam when he purposed to create him, and that he formed a purpose as to what he would do in that event, so that the fall of Adam did not take him by surprise, or find him unprepared for the event; that he would gladly have made the first Adam and his family the everlasting possessors of the earth had they remained in innocence; but that, foreseeing the fall of Adam, he formed the following fixed purpose:— 1. That there should be a second Adam to take the place of the first, and that to this second Adam and his family he would give the earth. 2. That this second Adam should be God's own Son, clothed with humanity. 3. That he should die to redeem sinful man. 4. And that those who were finally possessors of the inheritance through the second Adam “should be holy and without blame before him in love.” Thus much God fixed without condition and without uncertainty. He appointed the way of salvation through the second Adam, and chose him and his family in place of Adam the first and his natural descendants. 5. Another thing which he fixed in his purpose was that the offer of adoption into the family of the second Adam should be made to all mankind. 6. But now comes the point which God did not fix. He did not decree that a part should receive this salvation, and shut out the remainder from the possibility of sharing it. He offered it to every man, and extends to each grace to accept, but he compels none. And this offer he holds open from age to age till the number necessary to his purpose have accepted. God has provided the way of salvation without man's asking it, and of his own sovereign will has determined what character the saved shall bear, but he has left each man to choose whether he will have a part in this great salvation. I also quoted some of the words of warning found in the Bible with regard to the apostasy of the righteous. Finally, I showed that the day of Judgment is to decide the cases of all men according to their works—a plain proof that not God's decree, but their own conduct, determines the fate of men; and that a day of Judgment is absolutely inconsistent with the idea that God selected or rejected each individual before the foundation of the world. The meeting closed with a very solemn impression upon all present. During the night, my mind was much exercised on the subject of election, and I determined that if those Calvinist friends came again I would speak further on the subject from Rom. 9: 15, 16. I was not disappointed; for they came, and certain others with them, so that we had quite a number of persons present who are not Sabbath-keepers. I gave first a general view of the doctrine of election in the chapter, showing that it relates here not to the salvation nor to the damnation of men, but to God's choice among men of those who shall fill certain important places in his work, and that this choice, while placing a heavy responsibility upon the man chosen, does not make it certain that he will be saved; while the men not chosen and not thus highly honored have nevertheless the full privilege of receiving salvation through Christ if they will. I illustrated this by God's choice of Abraham, which seems to be the starting point of Paul's statement concerning election in this chapter. Thus, at the very time when God chose Abraham as the father of the family of the faithful there lived a greater than Abraham, Melchisedec, whom he saw fit to pass by or reprobate. I showed secondly that it is God's just prerogative to fix the terms on which he will pardon sinful man, and that man cannot complain that God has never consulted him on the point or asked his opinion of the justice of the conditions. God's sovereignty is here seen, and must be here acknowledged. Thirdly, I showed what conditions God has fixed. “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” Now upon whom will the great King have mercy? He answers it himself: “Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isa. 55: 7. I also showed, out of Hebrews 3: 12, 13, how men harden their hearts by sin, and that God hardens men's hearts only by withdrawing his tender Spirit when they persist in grieving it. Such a man as this was Pharaoh, and because Egypt was very wicked, and Pharaoh fixed in sinfulness, God opened the way for this extremely wicked man to take the throne, and to contend with the Almighty. When the meeting closed, the chief speaker among these Calvinists came forward, and expressed his thanks for what had been said, and stated that he believed I had spoken the truth. My first discourse here in Prussia was addressed to the brethren from 2 Pet. 3. It was a very solemn season, and the word made so much impression upon them that they asked me if I would repeat it to the public in case they would hire a hall for first-day last, and would advertise the meeting and the subject. I said, Certainly I will, so they advertised that I would speak in English, and that Bro. Ertzenberger would interpret in German. Doubtless the novelty of the announcement helped to call out the people. We returned from Gladbach direct to this meeting, and on entering the hall found it filled with an intelligent-looking, well-dressed audience. As the hall was insufficiently seated, more than half of those present had to stand up. It was not without some misgivings that we entered upon this service, but God helped us both. We began at once, and the Spirit of God soon raised us above the embarrassment of the situation. God gave a good degree of liberty in speaking, and I think the subject must have been of interest to the people. Though the discourse was of necessity quite lengthy, and though the position of many was not one of rest, every person present paid strict attention from beginning to end. As soon as the meeting closed, I returned at once to the place where we were to stop for the night, at some little distance from the hall. In a few minutes who should come in to converse, but the pastors of two of the principal national churches in that place. Indeed, one of these gentlemen is the superintendent over the national churches in this section, an office corresponding somewhat to that of bishop in the English national church. They had both been present in our meeting. This superintendent can speak English. He said he wished to know the object of our mission. I told him that I would answer his questions with the greatest pleasure; that I had come to Europe to preach to the people upon the prophecies which indicate the speedy return of the Son of man, and also to preach in behalf of the Sabbath of the Lord which the great apostasy has trodden under foot. He said in reply that there is in Germany and Switzerland an extensive association of ministers that are engaged in the study of the prophecies, and that they are generally agreed that the coming of Christ must be near. He said that he is a member of this association. I asked him if he thought I had taught the people error in what I had said in his hearing. He said, “No; I cannot deny anything you have said, but would it not have been better to preach the gospel?” I asked him if a description of the day of Judgment was not a part of the preaching of the gospel as we found it in the New Testament. He said, “Oh! yes.” Then I gave him quite a definite account of the Sabbath cause in America, and of the nature of our work. This was what he wanted to know. Then he said if we kept the Sabbath we ought to keep the Jewish feasts. I told him that we recognized the obligation of the moral law, but not that of the ceremonial, and I asked him if he did not do the same thing, and in particular if he did not believe and teach that men should keep the ten commandments. He said, “Yes.” Then I added that this very position constrained us as honest men to hallow the seventh day, and that I was unable to see how he could honestly do otherwise. He replied, “Christ when he arose entered into his rest, and his rest must be our rest, and it is much superior to the seventh-day rest,” etc. He spoke here at some length, and in an animated though good-natured manner. As soon as he paused, I told him that I had only one objection to offer, and that was that nothing of this kind was said in the Bible. He smiled, and then said, “But we have the apostolic meetings upon this day to show that it is the right day.” I answered that there was barely one such meeting in the book of Acts, and that though Luke is very particular when recording any act that is a custom to mark it as such (see Luke 1: 8, 9; 2: 27, 42; 4: 16; 22: 39; Acts 16: 13; 17: 2; 18: 4 and other places), he does not intimate that meetings on the first day were customary, though if they were such it was of the utmost importance that he should state the fact. It was therefore only a meeting caused by Paul's departure next morning. To this he made no reply, only that there were some other texts which mention the first day. I referred him to 1 Cor. 16: 2, as perhaps the text he wanted. He then took out his Greek Testament to read the passage when I made this direct appeal to him: Does not “par heauto” signify that each individual was to lay apart by himself, and not to put his offerings on that day into the public treasury? He was frank enough to own, what indeed it was impossible for him honestly to deny, that this text related to what each one should do at home. But, said he, the day itself is called “one of the Sabbaths.” I asked him if he would translate it thus instead of the common translation “first-day of the week”? He said, “Yes.” Then said I, if you translate it thus how do you know it is the first day that is intended? He asked if I did not believe that the first day was here intended. I told him I did, but that it had no Sabbatic character in this text, for that the Hebrews spoke of all the days from one seventh-day to another in this manner, as “the one of the Sabbath,” “the two of the Sabbath,” etc. I asked him if he was not aware that the best authorities confirmed this. He said, “Yes,” and dropped the point. But, said he, there is the Lord's day, and he quoted the Greek of Rev. 1: 10. I replied, There is nothing in the connection nor in any other part of the Bible to show that Sunday is here intended, or that it has any right to that title, but there are many facts to prove that the seventh day is God's holy day, and the day which Christ claims as his own. But, said he, “We have the Christian fathers to prove that Lord's day is the proper title of Sunday.” I told him that I had carefully examined all of the Christian fathers on this subject down to the Council of Nice, and that I have them now in my library at Neuchatel. I told him that no one of them gave Sunday this name till about two hundred years after the birth of Christ. And yet several of them speak of the day before that time, but only as Sunday or first-day. He referred to Barnabas. I told him that the epistle of Barnabas was spurious, and asked him if he did not think so. He assented to that view. But I said that he would find in Barnabas no sacred title for first-day, much less that of Lord's day. “Well,” he said, “there are the writings of Papias.” I said, Yes; but Papias does not mention the first day, or even allude to it. “But,” said he, “why was there not a violent controversy on this subject between the adherents of the two days?” I told him that the apostasy was a gradual departure from God, like that which in the lapse of years elevated the pastors of the church of the Romans to claim supreme authority. I said to him that Sunday was a day of ordinary labor85 during the first three hundred years. At this point it was necessary that he should leave to take the cars. He acted like a gentleman throughout our entire interview, and never appeared in the slightest degree vexed. He invited me to call upon him, which perhaps I shall hereafter do. The other pastor remained a little longer. I said to him, I will change the form of pastor E.'s question, and give it to you to answer. If the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day by Christ, why do we never find the Jews laying this change of action to the charge of the apostles? There is never a hint of controversy between them on this point. Can you explain this? He thought the seventh-day was a point of no importance. I told him in God's sight it was important enough to be put into the ten commandments. But, said he, we can call Sunday the seventh day. I said, Yes; but God has called the previous day by that name. I referred him to Luke 23: 56; 24: 1, to show him that the Sabbath according to the commandment is the day preceding the first day of the week. I also referred him to James' statement that he who violated one of the commandments becomes guilty of all. I said to him, I do not judge you, but I have very decided convictions that you and all others should keep the Sabbath of the Lord. Here our interview ended. This gentleman also was perfectly courteous throughout our entire conversation. Probably I cannot hope to lead either of them to the truth, but I do believe they were made to see it and to feel its force. Elberfeld, Prussia, Feb. 15, 1875. Prosperity of the Cause.
By Uriah Smith
FROM the extreme wings of the good cause of present truth, most encouraging reports are received. Bro. Andrews’ reports in last week’s REVIEW, and in the present number, respecting the work in Europe, speak for themselves, and will be read by all our people with absorbing interest. And we have just received No. 16, of The Signs of the Times, from Oakland, Cal., full of life and good cheer. The special session of the California Conference held in that place, Feb. 12, 1875, is reported as a meeting of very deep interest. It brought out further evidences of the faithfulness, zeal, and willingness to bear burdens, of our people on the Pacific Coast. The Signs is to be published hereafter weekly. Twenty-eight thousand dollars, have been subscribed for a publishing house, to be located at Oakland. A lot has been purchased at a cost of five thousand dollars, and a building to cost some ten thousand more is to be erected immediately. It is designed to have the building completed, fully equipped, and a large sized Cottrell and Babcock cylinder press in operation by steam, by the last of May next, when Bro. White designs to leave California to attend the eastern camp-meetings. To this end all are called upon, who can, to pay their pledges, both the California brethren for the erection of the building, and the eastern brethren, to furnish it with type press and engine. A legally incorporated Association is soon to be formed to hold the property. Bro. and sister White and Bro. Canright held meetings Feb. 20 and 21, in Santa Clara. The friends there, though left almost without help since embracing the truth, and losing some of their number by removals, and being subjected to opposition of the meanest nature, have all stood firm. First-day afternoon three hundred were out, to listen to sister W. and gave good attention. Bro. Waggoner reports the meetings in San Francisco, Feb. 13, 14, and 20, 21, as follows:— “The regular appointments, Feb. 13, 14, I attended. The prayer-meeting on Sabbath evening was a spirited meeting, and a large number were there. The room was more than full. I spoke to them on Sabbath morning and Sunday night. The interest was good. The cause is advancing in this city. “Two persons who have been connected with the first-day Adventists in the East took a decided stand for the Sabbath and the present truth at this meeting. The Lord was with us, and we felt encouraged. “The above remarks will apply also to the meetings Feb. 20, 21.” And in the more central portions of the field, there is a steady growth and some remarkable cases of conversion, as shown by reports in our Progress Department. Sabbath, March 6, was an interesting occasion for the church in Battle Creek. The day being the regular quarterly celebration of the ordinances of the gospel, the afternoon was employed for that purpose. Some two hundred or more participated. Eight united with the church. It was a season of solemnity and interest.