p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 1. (1/6/1898)

Earlier text: THE BEATITUDES

Paper Covered Books

CENTS

Abiding Sabbath and Lord’s Day, B. S. L. No. 2 . . . 20

Ancient Sabbath; Objections Considered . . . 10

Appeal from the U. S. Supreme Court Decision, R. L. L. No. 8 . . . 15

Angels; Their Nature and Ministry, B. S. L. No. 83 . . . 20

Bible Sanctification, B. S. L. No. 1 . . . 10

Captivity of the Republic, R. L. L. No. 6 . . . 15

Change of the Sabbath . . . 20

Christ and His Righteousness, B. S. L. No. 72 . . . 15

Christ in the Old Testament, and Sabbath in New . . . 10

Christ Our Advocate, B. S. L. No. 128 . . . 10

Christian Science, B. S. L. No. 93 . . . 15

Church and State, R. L. L. No. 3 . . . 10

Due Process of Law, R. L. L. No. 1 . . . 15

Diphtheria . . . 25

Evils of Fashionable Dress . . . 10

Experience and Views . . . 25

Helps to Bible Study . . . 25

Historical Sketches of Foreign Missions . . . 50

History of the Sabbath . . . 75

Honor Due to God, B. S. L. No. 135 . . . 10

Hope of the Gospel . . . 10

The Judgment, B. S. L. No. 55 . . . 15

Legal Sunday, R. L. L. No. 22 . . . 40

Life, Its Source and Purpose, B. S. L. No. 108 . . . 10

Lord’s Day the Test of the Ages, B. S. L. No. 134 . . . 15

Man’s Nature and Destiny . . . 50

Matthew 24, B. S. L. No. 58 . . . 10

Modern Spiritualism . . . 20

Morality of the Sabbath . . . 15

Nature and Obligations of the Sabbath, B. S. L. No. 54 . . . 10

Objections to Visions . . . 20

Papacy in Prophecy . . . 25

Position and Work . . . 10

Prophetic Lights, B. S. L. No. 117 . . . 50

Rejected Ordinance . . . 10

Redeemer and Redeemed . . . 10

Review of Baird . . . 10

Review of Gilfillan . . . 10

Rights of the People, R. L. L. No. 32 . . . 40

Sabbath and the Law, B. S. L. No. 53 . . . 20

Saints’ Inheritance, B. S. L. No. 140 . . . 10

Sanctuary and 2,300 Days . . . 30

Seven Trumpets . . . 10

Siberia and the Nihilists . . . 25

Social Purity and Talk to Girls . . . 25

Spirit of God . . . 15

Sun of Righteousness, B. S. L. No. 97 . . . 10

Sunday, B. S. L. No. 80 . . . 15

Sunday Laws of States and Territories . . . 20

Sunday, Seventh Day Examined . . . 10

Sure Word of Prophecy, B. S. L. No. 131 . . . 10

Three Messages of Rev. 14 . . . 15

Thoughts on Baptism . . . 25

Will a Man Rob God? B. S. L. No. 145 . . . 10

IN buying these publications you buy reading, not binding.

Abiding Sabbath

Contains some 1,500 reasons for Sunday observance.

Bible Students’ Library, No. 2, 20c.

PRICE, 20 CENTS.

PRICE, 20 CENTS

Angels; Their Nature and Ministry

Part 1 treats of the nature and work of the angels, while Part 2 considers Satan, his origin, work, and destiny.

Bible Students' Library, No. 83, 20c.

TO CONTRIBUTORS.

By Editor

THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES is a purely missionary enterprise. For this reason it has felt free to ask for contributions from its friends. It pays nothing for contributions, either prose or poetry, unless solicited by the editor, and then the fact is stated when the articles are asked for. This is a plan rarely followed, but sometimes deemed expedient.

Articles Desired.—Those which set forth in the Spirit of Christ the great saving truths of God, short and to the point. It is better to treat one important truth clearly, in a short article, than many points vaguely in a long one. We desire no caustic, critical productions, which might minister to personal pride or pleasure, but can not save souls.

How Prepared.—Write plainly, with typewriter or ink, with wide space between the lines, to freely admit of editing, writing of subheads, etc. Write on one side of the sheet only. Sign the name to the manuscript, as it becomes oftentimes separated from accompanying letter. Anonymous contributions are not used, whatever their merit. If the writer does not wish his name to appear, let him furnish a pseudonym for the public. But we wish the name.

SPECIAL TO OUR FRIENDS.

By Editor

This, our first issue of the year, is sent to a number of our December subscribers whose renewal has not yet been received by us. Reader, if you are one of these let us say a word to you.

In view of the important time which we have now reached in this world’s history no one can afford to be without the SIGNS OF THE TIMES during the new year. As our name indicates we are faithfully pointing out these signs, which are more marked every day as we approach the great crisis that will usher in the coming of the Just One.

Are you not pleased with this our first issue? Those that follow will be none the less attractive and interesting; and what is more, we are planning to better the paper each succeeding week during 1898. Don’t neglect to send us your renewal at once if you have not already done so. Yours faithfully,

SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

BOUND VOLUMES OF THE SIGNS

By Editor

WE can furnish volumes of the SIGNS for 1897 (vol. 23), bound in half-roan, at $2.50 each, post-paid. We have a few volumes of recent years left, which we can furnish at the same figure.

Christ Our Advocate

The great truths of the remedial system are here made clear and plain.

Bible Students’ Library, No. 128, 10c.

Bible Sanctification

The scope of this work is well expressed in the title,

Bible Sanctification

Bible Students' Library, No. 1, 10c.

PRICE. 10 CENTS

By M. H. Brown

The entrance of thy Word giveth light.

THE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY

A Study of the Book of Daniel

By M. H. BROWN

PUBLISHED BY

Pacific Press Publishing Company.

OAKLAND, CAL.

Compulsory Marriage.

—A Mrs. Charlotte Smith proposes a system of national Marriage Bureaus, and asks Congress to create her the first “Commissioner of Matrimony,” says a late newspaper despatch. Among the demands made is “that every man and woman of marriageable age be compelled to marry by law.” This is to be enforced by fine and imprisonment, wealthy bachelors to be fined annually a sufficient sum to support a family. Mrs. Smith has memorialized Congress to this effect. Now marriage is a divine institution! It was God who said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make an help meet for him.” Marriage is coeval with the Sabbath; one of the “in-the-beginning” things. Now if it is right and good that man should enforce compulsory Sabbath-keeping, why not compulsory marriage? Of course it is good to keep the Sabbath God commanded. “Marriage is honorable in all.” Why should not the State seek to compel the latter as well as the former? In simple reason it should. But every one knows that a compulsory marriage law would in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred work discord, strife, and evil. A compulsory marriage is not the marriage ordained of God. Well, this is just as true of Sabbath-keeping. True Sabbath-keeping is of choice. It can not be enforced; and any attempt to enforce it is productive of discord, strife, and evil. We can see a thing better sometimes by looking at its principles as reflected in something else. All this effort to compel men in morality or righteousness has its root in the selfish desire of the human heart to exalt itself. Men desire to be as God to rule over their fellow-men. Men can only be won by love to a better life; and the duty of civil government in this respect is purely negative. It should afford equal protection to all its subjects. It should interfere with the natural rights of none. It is in the very nature of the case debarred from interfering with man’s duty to his God.

PENSION FRAUDS.

THAT those who imperiled their lives to defend and maintain a government in time of strife should be pensioned we heartily believe. The widows and children of those who were slain should be amply supported; against all honest pensioning and receivers of pension we would not utter one word. They deserve it and should have it. But it is very evident that there is a stupendous amount of fraud connected with the pension business which robs the government of millions of money. The following figures are at least striking:—

The pensioners of the United States Government now number over 975,000. The pensions appropriation in 1866 was $13,500,000; in 1876, $28,250,000; in 1886, $64,500,000; in 1896, $138,250,000. It will be seen that it has more than doubled in each decade since the close of the war. It is estimated that it will reach $141,000,000 this year. Commenting on this the Thrice-a-Week World says:—

“As there are 975,000 pensioners, one family in every fourteen in the country is largely supported by a collection of $2.00 from each member of the other thirteen families.

“But a better way of realizing the grab is by means of the tables of the probability of human life used by our life-insurance companies.

“Double the chances of life as shown by these tables.

“Assume that everybody who took part in the war was alive and well at the end of it.

“Assume that the average age of the participants was only thirty-two years in 1865.

“Assume that everybody in the army was married in 1865.

“Still you get this result: There ought to be now alive less than one hundred thousand soldiers and widows of soldiers who were wives at the end of the war.

“The pensioners outnumber the probable survivors nine to one.

“A miracle! A miracle!”

But this is only one of many of the great schemes of public and systematic robbery which indicate the increasing corruption and emphatically declare that the dissolution of all earthly rule and the coming of Christ are near at hand.

Only One Dollar a Year

Only One Dollar a Year.—That is less than two cents a number for a paper like the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Where can you get a paper which will teach as much Gospel truth during the year for so low a price?

A Whole Year.

By Editor

We propose to give this year fifty-two numbers for the volume instead of fifty as heretofore. This will cost us much more; but we believe it will be appreciated by our subscribers and readers.

First a Willing Heart; Then All

By Editor

Read the article entitled, “First a Willing Heart; Then All,” by Sister S. M. I. Henry. We are sorry to have to continue it; but we could not get it in one number. It is a tale of truth, and is more interesting than any tale of fiction.

Our First Number for 1898

By Editor

Our First Number for 1898, reader, is before you. How do you like it? That it does not meet our desire and expectation we hope to demonstrate by giving you many better numbers in the future. This number has been gotten out under great difficulties and many delays, always incident to the holiday season. We hope, however, soon to be running smoothly, and sincerely pray, as we shall earnestly labor, to make each one of the fifty-one succeeding numbers of 1898 better than this. Will you not aid us by your support and prayers?

Publication Delays and New Equipment

By Editor

We expected that this number of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES would be printed by the power furnished by our new Corliss engine; but we are disappointed. The engine is not yet in working order, tho on the ground. We expected that it would be printed on our new perfecting press, but we are disappointed in that also. The press is not yet here, but is, we believe, somewhere on the way. But tho we have been delayed in some things, we thank God that we have gotten along as well as we have. It is difficult to get work done by the world during holiday time, but the devil’s work does not cease, neither must the work of God. We may be a little late in reaching our subscribers, but we hope that it will not happen again.

Views of California Scenery.

By Editor

We shall give from time to time views of objects of striking interest in the great West. There are places and things in this immense State which show the wonderful works of God, and minister to more than mere curiosity. Next to seeing the object itself is to see a good picture of it. Our photo-engraving in this issue shows the wisdom and providence of God in opening such a harbor on this coast. In this harbor is sufficient room to float the navies of the world. Through the Golden Gate the ships of all nations come and go on their various missions. This makes the port a most important missionary station, especially for work among the sailors, and for the mission fields in Polynesia, China, and Japan.

OUR PRAYERS ARE BEING ANSWERED.

By Editor

For many months we have looked over the great field of poor, needy, homeless, workless humanity. It has been our earnest prayer that we might do more for them in a systematic, helpful way. This prayer is about to be realized. With the co-operation of earnest Christian workers the SIGNS OF THE TIMES will enter into direct work in relieving the needy, rescuing the perishing, and saving the lost in the great city of San Francisco and around the bay. In the blessings of this work we are going to give our readers the privilege of sharing. Of this we shall have more to say in the future. We ask the prayers of our readers that God may guide in the establishment this work so much needs.

A CATHOLIC STATE.

In reply to an interrogator as to what the State is, the Christian Citizen, of Chicago, goes to Cardinal Gibbons for a reply, as follows: “The State is what we ourselves make it. It is our own creation, for the State is made up of units of citizens. The destiny of the State, under God, is in our hands.” And so the Christian Citizen will find it. When the success of the “Christian Citizenship” movement, for which the Citizen is working, is assured, it will be found to be a Catholic State, with its destiny in Catholic hands. It is fitting that the Citizen should quote from Gibbons, “The destiny of the State is . . . in our [Catholic] hands.” And the Christian Citizen is laboring hard to put it there. Why can they not see it?

INDIFFERENCE TO TRUTH.

The Christian Advocate, of New York, referring to a recent diocesan address of Bishop Ryle, of England, thus speaks:—

“The most painful symptom that marks the present age Bishop Ryle takes to be the increasing indifference to all distinctive doctrines and opinions in every part of the land. The growth of the school of indifference, in his opinion, is one of the most dangerous signs of the times, and he avers that the land contains myriads, to be found in all the churches, who are not communicants and never exhibit any interest in vital religion.

“This condition is not confined to England nor to the Church of England, though there are not a few flatterers of the age, descendants of Eli, who are constantly declaring that the religion taught in the New Testament never was making such progress as it is now. There never were so many branches, nor so many twigs, nor so many leaves on the various ecclesiastical trees known as Christian; but it is not counted a good sign anywhere else when a tree planted for fruit runs to leaves, or when most of the fruit falls off before it is ripe.”

The Christian can never afford to be indifferent to the teachings of God’s Word, least of all in these solemn days of our Lord’s coming.

Postal Revenue Deficit.—

For many years the government has had to meet a deficit in the postal service. Cheaper letter postage has been demanded, and refused because of the deficit. It has been said that one cause of the great expense of the postal service to the government is the carrying of so much second-class mail matter in the issue of pamphlets and serial libraries. On this ground bills have been presented to Congress from time to time asking for such change in the postal laws as to exclude this class of matter. But now it is openly charged that the true cause of the deficit is not the amount of matter transported through the mails, but that the railroads have systematically defrauded the government to the amount of from four million to six million dollars annually. This is done in various ways in the weighing of the mails, once in four years, when the estimates of remuneration to the railroads are made.

It Is Met in Christ.

—Says a secular or infidel writer: “Our hearts swell within our breasts, and we feel as did Tennyson when he wrote:—

‘And all, for a man to rise in me, That the man I am may cease to be.’

We became dissatisfied with our present state of things.”

But this very thing, “a man to rise in me,” is just what Jesus Christ, whom infidels reject, will accomplish for every one who will believe, who will submit to have it done. And that “man” will be “the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of truth.” Eph. 4: 24. It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1: 27.

Theosophy

Theosophy.—One of the false religions, or cults, of the present time is Theosophy. There is no doubt that it is multiplying its adherents by the thousands. There is about it so much vague uncertainty and mysticism that takes with a certain class! But the one thing that appeals to the natural man more strongly than all else is that it is a religion founded upon self. It appeals to the selfish heart. True, it teaches self-denial, self-abnegation, even self-effacement, but it is all wrought by self and for self. There is but one way that its delusive theory may be discerned, and that is the way of the Gospel. He who knows God by Jesus Christ will know that Theosophy is not the wisdom of God.

The Religious Press and Politics

By J. G. Woolley

“THE religious press, as it treats political questions, is as distinctly secular as a circus poster, but more refined.”—J. G. Woolley.