Earlier text: Tract List for Busy WorkersMANY influential religious journals are exalting science, or philosophy, to a place of greater eminence than the plain Word of God. This is not done by direct assertion, but the result accomplished is the same as if it were. The most vital declarations and principles of the Bible are made to conform to the findings, or accepted speculations, of men, often of those who are declaredly antagonistic to the Word of God. The thing that does the conforming must be greater than the thing that is conformed by it, just as the power which transforms, or alters, a law is greater than the law upon which it operates. To accept the teachings of Darwin in reference to the origin of man, and still claim to be a believer in the Bible, means that we have given an interpretation to the Bible which completely nullifies its plainest declarations of fact, and makes confusion of its whole purpose. Of such a character is an editorial utterance in the Northwestern Christian Advocate of February 3, speaking of Darwin, Carlyle, and Emerson. After declaring that these men were all trained for the pulpit, and through their writings exercised the “profoundest influence on the thought of their generation,” the editor says:— But at that time the church had no place for them. They were forced to make good their ministry through other channels. Happily, the church is learning that the God she believes in and worships is “wise enough to make all truth-seeking safe, and good enough to make all truth-telling useful.”
That puts the teachings of these philosophers by direct statement on a par with the work of the ministry, and by logical conclusion above the Word wherever their teachings and that of the Word disagree. It is a remarkable development that has come to pass when human teachings that undermine the Word of God are exalted to so high an eminence. The Prerequisites of Success
ONE of our exchanges, in speaking of the present dearth of conversions and the reasons therefor, truthfully says:— When pastors and laymen have the spirit of the fathers, they will have the success of the fathers. . . . In order to have that, they must believe as their fathers believed. Their fathers believed the Word of God; their fathers’ pastors taught the Word of God as they understood it. Men and women were converted to God by such teaching. The same work and the same methods will produce the same results in our day. The great converter of hearts is the Word, and there is nothing that can take its place. THERE has been considerable discussion of the recent proposition to honor Abraham Lincoln by making his birthday a legal holiday and suspending all general business. In that discussion one of our exchanges, speaking editorially, touches a point which it is equally well to consider in the matter of the proposal to enact new and more stringent Sunday laws. We quote:— What is the good of establishing a day of idleness and calling it a day of honor for Lincoln? People talk grandly of the cessation of labor to contemplate the memory and to honor the character of a great man. This is wordy bombast, and nothing more. There is no honor for Lincoln in mere idleness, which would be the resort of hundreds. True honor to Lincoln lies in, so far as possible, following his example, and in nurturing his spirit. To establish a sabbath by civil law is merely to establish a day of idleness for all those who do not care to observe the Sabbath from motives of religious conviction; and those who observe it from motives of religious conviction do not need the civil law to compel them to observe it. Paraphrasing the above quotation, we can say that true honor to God lies in, so far as possible, following Christ’s example and nurturing his spirit. WHEN wasted by sickness and weary with pain, Ps. 41:3. To whom shall I look, to whom shall I cry, John 6:68. But to thee, blessed Jesus, who ever art nigh? Matt. 28:20. I know thou art near in my deepest heart's distress, Isa. 43:2. O! be near to sustain me, to comfort and bless; Isa. 63:9. But remember thy anguish was greater than mine. Luke 22:44. 'Tis because I have sinned that I languish and sigh, Luke 23:41. And since thou hast suffered, for me to atone, Isa. 53:5. O! take me, and wash me, and make me thine own. Ps. 51:2, 10. Do thou help me to seek thee, and thee I shall find; Ps. 25:4, 5. May thy Spirit enlighten my ignorant mind! John 14:26. A lamb of thy flock I humbly would be, John 21:15. For I know that thy mercy can reach even me. Heb. 7:25. Kind Shepherd, O, take me, as thou didst of old, Mark 10:16. And then shall I nevermore stray from thy fold! John 10:16. I am feeble and weak; give me strength from above, Isa. 40:29. To believe with true faith, to trust with true love; I John 4:18. To be patient in anguish, submissive and still, Ps. 39:9. And quietly wait thy heavenly will. Lam. 3:26. Bless all the dear friends whom thy goodness has given; Matt. 21:22. To praise thee forever, in that blessed home, Rev. 5:9. Where sorrow, and sin, and pain never come. Rev. 21:4. Labor in Faith and Humble Dependence
By Ellen G. White
I wish that I could present before all our people the light God has given me regarding the spirit of labor and of humble dependence upon him that should be encouraged throughout our churches. Many of the members of our churches are Christians only in name; if they truly believed in Christ, they would, as his disciples, be doing the works of Christ. “If any man will come after me,” the Saviour declared, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Sinners make a fatal mistake in continuing in impenitence and unbelief. But professed Christians make a more grievous error when they refuse to acknowledge their responsibilities, and leave those without the fold to perish. If they were truly Christians, they would follow the example of Christ. He left the heavenly courts, where he was the adored of angels, to come to earth and accept a life of poverty and self-denial, that he might unite humanity to the infinite God, fallen beings with the sinless inhabitants of unfallen worlds. By sacrifice of self he would make men the recipients of his grace, and bind them to the family of heaven by the golden cords of mercy and love. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Wonderful divine economy! Notwithstanding their fallen state, men, through the redeeming power of Christ, are enabled to co-operate with him for the salvation of the race. Their influence, no longer destructive, becomes God’s helping hand to correct the existing evils. Their powers and capabilities become agencies for the restoration of good. That which heretofore has helped on the work of destruction, brought under the discipline of the Holy Spirit, becomes a means of recovery to souls that are ready to perish. That which in the past has driven from the paths of right and truth now binds souls to the throne of God. This is God’s purpose for those who accept his name and character. This is no time for any of the Lord’s workers to lose heart. The commission to the first disciples was, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Very shortly after these words were spoken, Christ was received up into heaven. As the disciples were gazing up into heaven for a last glimpse of their departing Lord, two angels stood by them, and said, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” This promise is soon to be fulfilled. We are watching and waiting for its fulfilment. And while we watch and wait, God bids us work courageously to proclaim the message of his return, “unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The promise of the Saviour’s presence was given in connection with the great commission. “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,” the Saviour said; “go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” These are the words of inspiration. You need not fear that you are making a mistake by believing fully in them. “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” Here is set forth the life of the church. The Son of God gave his life that he might become the propitiation for the sins of the world. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” The promise of the Father concerning his Son had been, “He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” At the close of his work on earth the Saviour could say, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” Christ claims his own recompense for his conquests. “I am glorified in them,” he says. His ransomed church is to be the chief source of his glory. Through them, unto principalities and powers in heavenly places is to be made known the manifold wisdom of God. “I have given them thy word,” Christ said; “and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” It is the privilege of every believer first to talk with God in his closet, and then, as God’s mouthpiece, to talk with others. In order that we may have something to impart, we must daily receive light and blessing. Men and women who commune with God, who have an abiding Christ, who, because they co-operate with holy angels, are surrounded with holy influences, are needed at this time. The cause needs those who have power to draw with Christ, power to express the love of God in words of encouragement and sympathy. As the believer bows in supplication before God, and in humility and contrition offers his petition from unfeigned lips, he loses all thought of self. His mind is filled with the thought of what he must have in order to build up a Christlike character. He prays, “Lord, if I am to be a channel through which thy love is to flow day by day and hour by hour, I claim by faith the grace and9 power that thou hast promised.” He fastens his hold firmly on the promise, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” How this dependence pleases the Master! How he delights to hear the steady, earnest pleading! How quickly the sincere, fervent prayer is recognized and honored! How intensely interested the heavenly angels are! “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” With wonderful and ennobling grace the Lord sanctifies the humble petitioner, giving him power to perform the most difficult duties. All that is undertaken is done unto the Lord, and this elevates and sanctifies the lowliest calling. It invests with new dignity every word, every act, and links the humblest worker, the poorest of God’s servants, with the highest of the angels in the heavenly courts. True believers are the light of the church and of the world. God has true messengers of healing in the world. They are those who are taught of God, who are imbued with his Spirit, ministers who experience the sanctification of the Spirit. The sons and daughters of God have a great work to do in the world. They are to accept the Word of God as the man of their counsel, and to impart it to others. They are to diffuse light. All who have received the engrafted word will be faithful in giving that word to others. They will speak the words of Christ. In conversation and in deportment they will give evidence of a daily conversion to the principles of truth. Such believers will be a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men, and God will be glorified in them. The Causes Which Led Up to the Fall of Babylon
By George I. Butler
“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. . . . And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Rev. 17:15, 18, A. R. V. In a previous article attention was called to the woman sitting upon many waters, whose name was “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.” Rev. 17:5. In verse 15 we have an inspired definition of the word “waters” as used in these texts,—“peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues,”—the great sea of humanity, surging and moving in great waves or commotions, in political tempests and tumults. High in authority and influence, sits this woman, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and religious apostasy. Such has been the great Roman Church, rightly named indeed. For twelve long, dark, and weary centuries she ruled superior to all others, apparently supreme. The great men of the earth, kings, and all rulers, were in her communion; but the church was supreme. In both the Old and New Testaments a woman is used as a symbol of the church. “The daughter of Zion,” “the spouse” of Christ, was representative of the pure and blessed church of Christ. A harlot represents that church-and-state union seen so conspicuously in the past eighteen centuries, an attempted mingling of Christ and the world, really as impossible as the mixture of oil and water. How few realize what the great controversy is which has been in progress ever since the fall of man! As the Bible truly represents it, evil and good, sin and righteousness, Satan and Christ, have been in controversy throughout all the centuries. God made man, and pronounced him very good. Satan deceived the holy pair. He lied, of course; for as Christ declared, he was the father of lies. This was the first apostasy on earth. Since then evil has generally been predominant. Two lines of people continued till the flood,—the “sons of God,” or descendants of Seth, and Cain’s posterity. The latter gradually succeeded in corrupting the former, till the earth was filled with iniquity. Only one family remained as representatives of God; at last the Lord cleansed the world in the deluge. By this act it would have seemed hopeful that righteousness should predominate. But not so. In a few generations, evil became again predominant, and the great mass were practising idolatry, worshiping beasts, serpents, the sun and stars. God had representatives, however, all the way along. Abraham was removed from his heathen ancestors, and devoted himself to the true God, to his service and worship. God accepted him. He was a remarkable character, and he commanded his household after him; so his descendants became a chosen seed to represent righteousness in the world till God’s own Son came personally to earth to rescue all who would receive him. From time to time, God brought in important crises, through which to make manifest his power. He sent his people into Egypt, and after many years brought them out with an outstretched arm and plentitude of power, thus leaving upon their minds and hearts, and upon those of others who were interested, a deep impression that God is the Almighty One. A noble code of laws was given, and in their own land and their glorious city all their environments were made favorable. What was their response?—Apostasy, idolatry, and many forms of evil. The Lord in mercy spared them as his representative people till Christ should come. Great reformations, from time to time were brought about, as in the days of Elijah and Elisha; but after a little, the people returned into sin and rebellion. All the other inhabitants of the world were idolaters. The Son of God appeared in humble circumstances. None of the pomp of this world was connected with his coming. Born in a stable, and cradled in a manger, the Light of life came to earth. He said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” “He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” yet “never man spake like this man.” He went about doing good. Miracles of love and compassion followed him everywhere. None were so poor or despised or sick or afflicted but he ministered unto their necessities. Yea, the dead heard his voice, and, responding to his call, lived again. We should suppose that all would have received him as the long-promised Messiah, but the religious leaders hated him, and put him to death. The Jews as a nation forfeited their high position and blessings as God’s special people. His glorious gospel was proclaimed all over the world, and thousands received it. The darkness of heathenism was illuminated, the idol temples were forsaken, and in all countries believers in the humble Nazarene greatly increased. Satan was now forced to adopt other tactics. As pagans were nominally converted, they brought with them some of their old ideas, and these began to be woven into the Christian fabric. The Christian religion itself became corrupted. The heathen Sunday was exalted as a so-called Christian institution. The immortal-soul doctrine was imported from Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and incorporated into the church creed. Various heathen practises, holidays, and customs utterly contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures, were introduced, accepted, and followed by the masses of Christendom. These were imbibed so gradually that they were almost unconsciously received. At last the Emperor Constantine saw that this kind of Christianity was becoming popular, and so he himself favored it, though he really remained in heart an unconverted man, a great tyrant in practise. Now the church, with the favor of the state behind it, became Babylon,—confusion, mixture, heathenism mixed into a vast system, and forced upon the people. In some instances armies were marched up by the so-called converted ruler, and baptized by the thousands into nominal Christianity. One can easily see what kind of religion would result from such conditions. The sure result was Babylon the great, the mother of all abominations. Persecutions enforced upon alleged heretics caused the death of from fifty to one hundred millions of these heretics; so she is called “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” No wonder that the prophet says, “And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.” It was not strange that he should wonder when he beheld professed Christians murdering other Christians. It was a new manifestation of satanic power, and demonstrated the complete fall of the mother of churches, and her final apostasy. The great Reformation, under Luther and others, came at last, and multitudes left the communion of the Roman Church. In many things there was a10 great reform. The traditions of that church lost their hold upon millions. Many accepted the great truth that the Bible alone is the foundation of faith. The Reformers were not all united in their faith and practise. Some reformed but very little in their religious views. The Church of England, as a church-and-state body, held to many forms and ceremonies of the mother church. The Lutheran state church never got as far away from her as some others did. The Presbyterians, led by Calvin, held fast to some of her doctrines; but as they clung to the Bible in many things, God blessed them while they continued in the pathway of reform. But some of the Protestant churches have been persecuting bodies, putting to death men who did not agree with them. Calvin caused the death of Servetus, in Geneva. The Church of England put to death many noble men and women whose belief was not in harmony with her views. John Bunyan lay twelve years in Bedford jail because of his faith. The persecuting spirit has been more or less manifest with many of them. On the whole, it can be safely said that the great Reformation was a reform only in part. That movement has not resulted in bringing honest people to the unity of the faith. There is one great feature in which these Protestant bodies have been sadly deficient,—the acceptance of the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ the second time. They have turned against that doctrine. There has been, indeed, a great change for the worse among them. Able, talented Christian men who were great students of prophecy have arisen from time to time. Martin Luther was one, and John Wesley was another. Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Thomas Newton, and others loved the prophecies greatly, and taught them. A century or less ago a great movement arose whose exponents proclaimed throughout the Christian world that Christ’s second advent was approaching, thus causing the hearts of multitudes of Christian people to thrill with joy. It must be evident to all candid, thinking people that the doctrine of Christ’s soon coming will be a test question in the last day; for it is impossible that that great event should be unheralded by a world-wide message of warning. More will be said on this important subject. The Apostle Paul's Confession
By I. Sanborn
“But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” Acts. 24:14. The apostle defines this law: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Thus he quotes four words of that the ten commandment law, and then describes the character of the law: “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. . . . For we know that the law is spiritual.” Rom. 7:7, 12, 14. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:19, 20. This proves that the ten commandments are binding upon all the world, and that it is only by the law that we can have a true knowledge of sin. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Rom. 3:31. To establish the law is to obey it. “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl. 12:13. And as Paul believed all things written in the law, he believed that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, that it is holy, that all the world are commanded to remember it and keep it holy (Ex. 20:8-11); that Christ magnified the law, and made it honorable (Isa. 42:21); and that he said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27, 28. Christ himself made the Sabbath when he made the world; for “all things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3. God “created all things by Jesus Christ.” Eph. 3:9. Christ tells us plainly that unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, we can in no case enter into the kingdom of God. And to the Pharisees he said: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44. And still they claimed to be the children of Abraham, and were all the time making void the commandments of God by their traditions. Therefore the Lord says: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Col. 3:5. These were the sins which the scribes and Pharisees were continually committing. And as covetousness is idolatry, in what condition is the world to-day? See the professed people of God with their feet upon the Sabbath of their Lord, doing their pleasure upon his holy day, and professing to believe that the next day, Sunday, the first day of the week, is the Lord's day. All this array of scripture in this article, shows most clearly that the law is holy, just, good, and spiritual, and that Jesus made the seventh day holy, and commanded all the world to remember to keep it holy. Rom. 3:19, 20. But every one must first be converted and get rid of the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, ‘for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’ Rom. 8:7. No one can keep the Sabbath holy with the carnal mind, therefore there is great opposition to the Sabbath. The Covenant of Sacrifice
By C. A. Frederick
“GATHER my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” Ps. 50:5. We occasionally meet earnest men who bemoan the lack of a full treasury in the house of the Lord. They desire greatly to help the cause advance more rapidly, and in pursuance of that laudable wish put all their money and time into a mining or other enterprise, expecting the Lord to lead them to great wealth, which they will give to the cause, and thus impart a mighty impetus to the proclamation of the third angel’s message. But has the Lord ever done this? Were such expectations as these ever realized?—Not once. Then it must be evident that it is not God’s plan to accomplish the mighty work to be done in this generation in any such way. The Master is looking for those who, by careful planning and economy, lay aside their gifts daily, weekly, monthly, and with earnest prayers hasten the accumulated treasure on its mission. Thus do our people grow in liberality, and consequently in spirituality. In this way the interest of each one is riveted to each foreign field. Let us imagine the other idea in operation. Suppose some brother should uncover a storehouse of wealth, which he would promptly put into the cause, with an endless stream behind it to enlarge the work to any proportions needed. When the knowledge of the needs of the field was presented through the REVIEW and other papers, the answer of each of us would naturally be, “O, Brother—will attend to that from the output of his mine.” Our dollars would remain in our pockets, our interest wane, and our prayers cease. Lifting the duty of support of this precious cause from this people would chill the spirituality of the whole denomination, and unfit them for the closing work. Therefore, brethren, when the calls for help come, let us make a covenant with Christ by sacrifice, and respond as one dealing with him with whom we have to do. This work has been and will be carried on by the gifts which represent a sacrifice on the part of the givers. However small it may be, God loves it, and loves the giver; and in the time of final rewards, now so near, our hearts will be gladdened if we have obeyed the command to lay up our treasures in heaven. We must get ourselves and our money into the message, praying the Master to bless abundantly.