p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 10. (3/11/1913)

Earlier text: Principles of Our President

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Pacific Press Publishing Association

Mountain View, California

If It Had Been Different

By Editor

Massachusetts is interesting herself in an effort to get a state law to prevent smoking in street-cars and other public places. Let the good work go on, and may it spread over the whole land. What can be conceived of as more rude or coarse than for a man to stand in front of you, and puff smoke in your face in a street-car or depot, where circumstances for the time compel you to remain.

If It Had Been Different.

If Turkey had had before her during the centuries a true type of Christianity, there would be more Turkish Christians now and a different state of things. Dr. George Washburn, president of Robert College, Constantinople, from 1870 to 1903, says:

“The truth about it is that there are very few Turks—even those who are most intelligent—who know what Christianity is. They look upon it, first of all, as something political, something that is anti-Turkish; and they look upon it not simply as something anti-Turkish, but what they see of it in the old Christian churches there makes them look upon it as, after all, a form of idolatry. It does not encourage them to become Christians.”

We should say not. No political religion ever won anybody to Christ.

Replenished from the East

By T.

It has not been many years since we were sure that the "civilization" of this time, and particularly as it was manifested in its finest fruitage in this country, had carried us far beyond any of the mystic and superstitious religions of the Orient. But we have seen Christian Science come forward and claim its adherents by the hundreds of thousands. Christian Science is simply another phase or guise of the mystic religions of India; but men and women of culture and education have taken hold of it simply, and often solely, because it relieves them from that class of disease that is all in the imagination. It does not cure real consumption nor set broken bones; it can go no further than to tell you that your consumption is all "a delusion of mortal mind." And if it turns out that all the consumption you have is in your imagination, why, of course, you can proclaim yourself well, because you have not in reality been sick.

But the mystic vagaries of Christian Science can not satisfy all minds. And so we are having an epidemic in some parts of the country now of "Bahaism." The philosophy of Baha is "the brotherhood of man," as if there was anything new in that doctrine. But there is a mystic air about the prophet from India that furnishes food for the superstitions of the people, and so they flock to him. And the curious thing about it all is that they think they are advancing to higher planes of culture and living when they step under his banner. Men of standing in the official world, and women of education and social distinction are brought under the hypnotic spell of the Oriental mystic.

If men would read and believe their Bibles, they would know better than to be led away by any of these mystic cults. For God's Word has plainly said: "For Thou hast forsaken Thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the East; and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. And their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots."

Then in a time when the land is full of silver and gold, and when there is no end to the horses and chariots — and chariots would certainly include automobiles and the like — the people will be filling themselves with "customs from the East," and will be soothsayers. And if the time when the scripture applies is not clear, we need only to read the first part of the chapter from which the text is taken. There it is definitely stated that the prophet is viewing what "shall come to pass in the last days." It is intensely interesting as well as assuring to find that the prophecies go so minutely into detail as to tell us of those who in the last days will be turning to the old religions of the East in filling themselves with their customs. It is also both interesting and assuring to find that these predictions are being so literally fulfilled. It enables one to know where we are in the world's history, and also to understand that the prophets of old actually foresaw the conditions that exist to-day.

And this is only one of the many predictions that have foretold the actual conditions and doings of this time. The grand old Book is very specific and definite in telling what we will see in the world when the last generation is reached. The studies that should engage our attention the most, are the prophecies contained in the Book which also discloses the divine plan of salvation. T.

Bible Versions and Subscription Information

By Editor

Our authority is the Bible, the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. When the Common ("King James" or "Authorized") Version or the American Standard Revised Version is used, the version will not generally be designated in reference. Any Bible quotation in this paper, therefore, differing from the Common Version, unless otherwise indicated, will be almost invariably from the American Standard edition of the Revised Bible, copyright 1910, by Thomas Nelson & Sons.

For further particulars, subscription rates, etc., see page 15.

Contained in This Issue

By Editor

Question Corner

4012—"With Us, Even Us." Deut. 5:3; 4013—Old Wine and New; 4014—Secret Societies; 4015—By the Child-Bearing; 4016—"Corban," Mark 7:11, 12; 4017—Time to Die . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Our Bible Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

General

An Impressive Miracle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Resurrection to Life and Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The New Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Books in Heaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Our Bible Reading

The Law and Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Editorial

God's Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Day Not the Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Worship the Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Assured Against Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Modesty in Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Replenished from the East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Studies in Ephesians

Alive from the Dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Missions

A Missionary's View of Turkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Our Work and Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Outlook

Principles of Our President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Principles of Our Vice-President . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 16

Poetry

Prayer—Born Again—Heart-Throbs—Keep the Lights Burning—Per Pacem ad Lucem—A Will and a Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Loving Christ’s Appearing

Says Paul in 2 Tim. 4:7, 8: "I have fought a good fight: . . . henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." How can men love Christ and not love His appearing? They do not, it matters not what they profess. The more we love an individual, the more we love his personal presence. It is impossible to dissociate the two. And when men ridicule those who believe in His soon coming and scoff at the doctrine, they show that they do not love the Coming One. The love of Christ was the secret of John's prayer, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." And we would reverently respond, Amen.

God’s Standard of Holiness

"Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy." The words were not merely an injunction, but an enabling act to Israel of old. It was expressive of God's character and man's standard. It is God's character and man's standard still. The apostle Peter echoes the same thought and supports it by quoting the above scripture. Compare Lev. 19:2 with 1 Peter 1:15. God's standard for His children is the same in all dispensations, and His power to enable man to meet this standard is free and undiminished.

Utah Sunday Bill Defeated

The Utah Legislature has had a Sunday bill before it, and after a vigorous discussion of the measure it was defeated.

Penalties for Intoxicated Driving

By Editor

The first bill to be signed by Governor Sulzer, of New York, makes it a penitentiary offense for a person to drive an automobile while intoxicated. This is a just law, and, while it is the first of its kind in the country, it is to be hoped that the other states will follow with similar enactments.

Western Fuel Company Indicted for Fraud

The leading officers of the Western Fuel Company, of San Francisco, have been added to the list of large firms that the United States Government has found it necessary to indict for immense frauds. The frauds charged against this company were perpetrated against the government itself, and it is believed will reach beyond the million mark.

Arkansas Temperance Bill Nears Prohibition

The temperance bill recently passed by the Arkansas Legislature is believed to practically give state-wide prohibition. The measure provides that before a person can open a saloon in any locality he must first procure the signatures of a majority of the white adults. This requires that the names of both the women and the men must be secured, and it is believed that there are very few if any localities where there will be enough favorable sentiment to permit the opening of a saloon.

Reeducation Treatment for the Insane

A new system of treating the insane has been in process at the Stockton, California, asylum for several months, and success has been decidedly pronounced. Several patients who were at first thought hopelessly insane were pronounced cured, and discharged. The system has been carried on by Miss McCann, of Rochester, New York, and is known as the "reeducation" treatment by medical men. The class of patients especially benefited are those despondent and morose. They are treated just as tho they were babies.

Graft and Corruption in Mexico

Gustavo Madero, who was shot on the downfall of his brother's government, was denominated the "most hated man in Mexico." A large part of this hatred was caused, so it is affirmed, by the name that he had of being the "arch-grafter of Mexico." His family was said to have a fortune of some $75,000,000, and Gustavo controlled a large part of it. Thoughtful men will certainly take note of the evidence of the gigantic frauds and grafting schemes that are constantly being disclosed in all parts of the world.

One Drink Cost His Life

By Editor

"One Drink Cost His Life."—This was the heading to a newspaper paragraph a few days ago. An unidentified man was found dead. He had got drunk, quarreled with some others, and was killed. How much of crime, and murder, and suicide, and indescribable miseries are chargeable to that "one drink" that so many men and women have dared to take? When the consequences are so fully and so generally known, why is it that there are so many that will dare to take the fearful risk?

A Good Enterprise

A Good Enterprise.—The Girls' Club of the Ladies' Home Journal has undertaken to raise among its members a fund of $1,200, to be used for endowing a perpetual scholarship in medicine for Chinese women at the Union Medical College for Women, located at Peking, China, with the understanding that the successive beneficiaries will devote their services to the neglected and suffering among their own sex. June 1, 1913, is the date set for the completion of the fund, the Journal subscribing to one half of the fund, if the members of the club, by individual contributions, will make up the remaining $600. Only members of the Girls' Club are to be allowed to contribute to the fund, and the money must be earned through personal effort.