Earlier text: With Our Inquirers"When Ye Shall See These Things, Know"
WHEN the Master was presenting to His disciples the evidence that was to appear in the world, showing when His second coming was drawing near, He made the following statement: "Now from the fig-tree learn her parable; when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; even so ye also, when ye see all these things, know ye that He is nigh, even at the doors." Matt. 24:32, 33. We may not know the exact day or date for the second coming of Christ, but we are commanded to know when He is near. The statement is made advisedly and deliberately that we are commanded to "know" when the time of His coming is near. "When ye see all these things, know ye that He is nigh, even at the doors." We do not guess and conjecture about things that we definitely know. Definite knowledge rests on facts that are familiar to us. Everything that is actual knowledge to us we know, and we know that we know it. And it is just this definite knowledge in regard to His coming that the Master desires to impart to us. There are certain things that He tells us to see, and when we have seen "all" these things, then we are to know that He is near. We are not to speculate or guess. We are to know. In presenting the things that we are to look for as the sure evidences of His coming, the Master refers us to the prophecy of Daniel. We are to study that prophecy, among other things, to make us intelligent in regard to His second coming. It is the prophecy of Daniel that reveals the fact that the old Roman Empire, as it stood in Christ's time, was to be split up into the various nations of Western Europe. When Christ foretold the signs that were to mark His coming, as recorded in the chapter from which the above text is quoted, there was just one nation in all the world, and that was Rome. Speaking of that period of the world's history, the skeptical historian Gibbon said that "the Roman Empire filled the world." One can imagine that the caviler of Christ's time would have had a great deal to say about His ignorance in saying that "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," before the end of time. But more than 600 years before the time of His earthly ministry, He had inspired the prophet Daniel to foretell that the old Roman Empire would fill the world, and finally be divided into ten lesser kingdoms. Hence it is with the precision of confidence that He proceeds to tell His disciples that "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," as one of the "all things" that were to be seen, and when they are "all" seen they are to cause us to "know" that He is even at the door. In the latter part of the fourth chapter of his first letter to the Thessalonians the apostle Paul comforts them by telling of the sure truth of the resurrection of them that have died in the faith of Christ. He tells them that "the Lord Himself" shall descend to raise the dead. He will not trust this work to another, but will come in person to attend to it. And having assured them of this very comforting doctrine, he continues to say: "But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in nowise escape.
"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober." 1 Thess. 5: 1-6. Those whom the apostle addresses as his "brethren" know something, so he tells us. And furthermore he says they know it "perfectly." These "brethren" of the apostle Paul have been in the school of Christ until they have learned their lesson; they have not learned so that they can just barely pass, but they have learned it "perfectly." That which is perfectly learned brings definite knowledge. This perfect knowledge enables the "brethren" to know that "the day of the Lord" comes as a "thief in the night," upon those only who are traveling the road to sure destruction. It is only those who are to be visited with "sudden destruction" that are surprised by the day of the Lord as those caught by a thief in the night. "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." He styles the "brethren" as "sons of light, and sons of the day." The "brethren," then, must be students of prophecy, for it is only by the study of the prophecies of the Bible that any one can be led into the light of a clear knowledge concerning the second coming of Christ, or the "day of the Lord" in which the second coming of the Master occurs. Of the prophecies of the Bible, another apostle says: "And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1: 19-21. Then we have the word of God for it that "prophecy" is the "lamp" that shines in the dark future of this world to light it up and to cause us to know of the things that are to come upon the earth. It is prophecy that shines "until the day dawn, and the daystar arise" in our hearts. Then it is prophecy that enables the "brethren" to become "sons of light, and sons of the day," so that the great day of the Lord that visits destruction on so many will not come to them as a thief in the night. As we study the works of God in nature, we are charmed by the precision with which He acts. Everything moves with an infinite exactness. And it is just as true of His prophecies as of His works in nature; every prophetic utterance will be fulfilled to the ultimate of perfection. "No prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." The imperfection of the human is not in the prophetic word; only the attributes of divine perfection are there. Such being the character of prophecy, and it being true of all the great lines of prophecy that they have their focal point in the second coming of Christ, how full of meaning is the command of the Master to "know" when His coming is near. He who knows the prophecies of the Bible is not wandering in some vague, mythical, or superstitious notions concerning the coming of that great day of the Lord. He has perfectly definite knowledge, because he is looking in the place where the hand of God is holding out the great lamp whose rays7 of light grow stronger and stronger until they are blended in the still greater glory that surrounds the Lord at His second coming. The Coming of the Lord.
By Uriah Smith
(By the late Uriah Smith.) Coming, coming, coming! Who?
Christ, the Lord of life and glory,
He who once for me and you
Died!—O depths of sin's sad story!
Coming, not a helpless stranger,
Cradled in the friendless manger;
Coming, Lord of earth and heaven!
King! to whom all power is given,
Judge! at whose all-searching bar
All must stand, just what they are;
And the wicked tell with shame,
Why they've cursed His holy name. Coming, coming, coming! How?
Clothed in strange, unearthly splendor,
Glory, men ne'er dream of now,
Grandeur earth ne'er had attend her.
At His sight the heavens shall wither,
From His presence earth shall flee,
Islands move, and mountains thither
Seek the caverns of the sea.
Every eye shall then behold Him,
All the nations feel His ire;
While the brightness that enfolds Him,
Is to them consuming fire,
Thunders all the air shall thrill,
All the heavens with lightning blaze,
All the universe stand still,
While thro all its realms is heard
That profound, omnific word,
Which to life the dead shall raise. Coming, coming, coming! Why?
To redeem His purchased treasure,
All His saints o'er sin who sigh,
All who make His will their pleasure;
To bring back within their borders
His, whom Hades holds to-day;
To arrest sin's wild disorders,
And the monster, Death, to slay;
Coming to fulfil His plan,
Make His oath and promise good
Which secures repentant man,
Life eternal thro His blood. Coming, coming, coming! When?
Ah! that question, solemn, thrilling!
For when He appeareth, then
All their earthly scenes, fulfilling,
His sure word shall have an end.
And, behold, the day is near!
Signs in heaven and earth portend
That the Lord will soon appear;
Angry thrones thro wars proclaim it,
Scoffers, by their scoffing name it.
And the mute and solemn sky
Has hung forth its prophecy.
Coming! While we wait and dally!
Coming! While we sleep in sin!
Swift as light o'er hill and valley,
That great day is coming in!
Sinner, rouse thee to thy fate.
Saint, be watchful at thy gate.
Saviour, make us meet t'appear
At Thy coming, now so near. Do You Rejoice at the Thought of His Coming?
WHEN the doctrine of the second coming of Christ is preached many people will be heard to say that it frightens them. They seem terrified at the thought of the possibility that the time may be near when the Christ of God will be seen coming in the glory that surrounds the majesty of His person. That the feelings of men purely of the world, who have no hope in the promises of God and who have no personal acquaintance with His Son Jesus Christ, should thus be stirred up with dread at the thought of the coming of Jesus of Nazareth is not to be wondered at. But why should professing Christians dread the coming of Christ? There can be but one answer to this question, and that is they are not Christians in fact. They are such only in name. The Jesus that all prophecy shows will soon come again is the same Jesus that was here on earth nineteen hundred years ago. "This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven." Acts 1:11. He is the same Person when He returns that He was when He went away. All the tenderness of His nature that caused the common people of His day to hear Him gladly; all His kindness of heart and manner that drew the little children to Him; all His depth of feeling and sympathy for humanity as He wept at the grave of Lazarus, together with every other one of the desirable attributes that were so beautifully blended into His perfect character will remain with Him when He comes, for they are a part of His very being. He could not be separated from His nature of tenderness and infinite love and mercy. But righteousness and justice are just as much a part of His nature and of His inseparable attributes as are mercy and loving-kindness. The Lord Himself has impressed the truth of this upon every human soul. And the fact that at His coming we will have to meet His righteousness and justice, as well as His mercy and kindness, accounts for the dread that is in so many minds when the evidence is presented that shows the coming of the Lord to be near. Then if we would enjoy the knowledge of the truth that this reign of sin is about to be destroyed at the soon coming of Christ, we must get a personal acquaintance with the Master Himself. We must come to Him in honesty of purpose and allow Him to wash away every sin by His own blood, and thus prepare us for His coming. Then we can look forward to the day of His appearing with a joy that is simply beyond description. To enjoy the hope of His coming, we must first enjoy the work of His forgiveness and cleansing from sin. If we have thus been brought into personal touch with Him, we will study every fresh evidence of His coming with a constantly increasing delight. The man who is loaded with sin and crime, and who clings tenaciously to his wickedness can have nothing else than a crushing load of dread at the thought of the appearing of the One whose whole being is filled with righteousness and truth. But oceans of delight flood the soul of him who has tasted of the forgiving and cleansing power of the Man of Nazareth, and who has learned from the lamp of prophecy to know of His coming. Search the Scriptures
By F. D. Starr
THE three epistles of John were written as late as A.D. 90, or between that date and the close of that first century. John, the beloved disciple was then in his old age, being nearly a centenarian. The love that characterized his life in his earlier days, increased as the years passed; and now, so near the close of life, love seems to be his all-absorbing theme. In this first epistle of only five chapters, the term love in some form occurs fifty times, which would nearly equal, on an average, once in every two verses. This book is most decidedly a treatise on love. The thought suggests itself that the most appropriate thing to do in writing about this epistle would be to insert the book entire. This we certainly would do, were it not for the fact that doubtless every reader has the epistle in his possession. Who can fail to be impressed with the unspeakable riches of its contents upon reading it anew, tho he may have previously read it a hundred times? Notice the marked similarity between the first verse of this epistle and the commencement of the Gospel of John: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life." "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." And these in turn call our minds back to the first verse in the Bible: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Thus our thoughts are turned toward Him who is without beginning or end, the Creator and Redeemer. The truth of the Gospel is the same blessed truth that has been from the beginning. In explaining the eternal principle of love, the apostle tells what love is and what its opposite is. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Keeping the commandments of God, then, is love, consequently the violation of these commandments is the opposite of love. "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. Here, then, we have two very plain definitions—the definition of "love" and the definition of "sin." Love is the keeping of the commandments; sin the transgression of the commandments. Love to God is shown in keeping the law, obedience; hatred of God is shown in breaking the law, in disobedience. This latter is prompted by the spirit of disobedience (See Eph. 2:2), the other by the spirit of obedience. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected." There is no stronger argument against antinomianism than the argument of love, neither is there any stronger motive of obedience than this same principle of love. "O, how love I Thy law." "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." These are the sentiments of truly converted men in whom the love of God abides, whether it be men like David in the old dispensation, or men like Paul in the new dispensation. We should be careful to know what manner of spirit we are of. John warns us: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God." The test of these spirits is then given. Spirits that do not acknowledge the divinity and incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, are not from God. Another test is given in Isa. 8:19, 20. When the guidance of familiar spirits is being urged, the test to be applied to these spirits is: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." True Christians will be found keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Inseparably connected with this matter of love and obedience is the experience of the new birth. "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4),—victory for the faithful commandment-keepers. Inspired of God.
By Adam Clarke
PERHAPS there is scarcely any point of view in which we can consider prophecy, which is so satisfactory and conclusive as that which is here stated; that is, far from inventing the subject of their own predictions, the ancient prophets did not even know the meaning of what themselves wrote. They were carried beyond themselves by the influence of the divine Spirit; and after ages were alone to discover the object of the prophecy; and the fulfilment was to be the absolute proof that the prediction was of God; and that it was of no private invention, no discovery made by human sagacity and wisdom, but by the especial revelation of the all-wise God. This is sufficiently evident in all the prophecies which have been already fulfilled; and will be equally so in those yet to be fulfilled, the events will point out the prophecy; and the prophecy will be seen to be fulfilled in that event. "THAT prayer rises highest that comes from those who bend lowest in service for others." Fundamentals—Their Importance.
FUNDAMENTALS are important. They are the foundations of things. Ignoring them, one is left without a foundation, his edifice constructed of fancy, his foundation imagination. In no place are fundamentals more important than theology; in no place are they more ignored with sadder results. God's universal government and unchangeable law are fundamental facts; but they have been ignored, and sin and anarchy and rebellion are the result. Men seek to smash the mirror rather than to clean their face. God's Gospel, founded in His love, wisdom, and power, necessitated by man's sin, separation from God, and utter helplessness, is fundamental. Denying it, and we have the rejection of the vicarious atonement, the resurrection, the second advent, and in their place all the vagaries of Higher Criticism, New Thought, and Christian Science. An article in a recent missionary journal suggests these thoughts. It is based on an entirely erroneous understanding of an expression in Isa. 43:24: "Thou hast made Me to serve with thy sins." And the idea is carried that every man, good and evil, is a temple of God; and God is subject to the man. When the man is righteous, God rules; when the man sins, God is servant, and man the master. In the first place, these words of the prophet are not addressed to all people, nor to the unbeliever, nor to the sinner, but to God's professed people who bore His name, and by sinning reproached Him because of their professed relation to Him, and not because He dwelt in each one personally. The American Standard Revised Version gives a much better rendering: "Thou hast burdened Me with thy sins, thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities." Nowhere does God say that He dwells in the heart of the sinner. Nowhere does He say that the sinner is a temple of God. On the contrary, He tells His people that before conversion they were "sons of disobedience," "children of wrath, even as the rest," "separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world," "alienated from the life of God." Eph. 2:2, 3, 12; 4:18. That is the truth. That is what every sinner feels and knows under normal conviction. He feels that he is slave and Satan and sin masters. He longs for power to free him from the bondage. It is the refinement of cruelty to tell him, "You have that power within yourself; God is there; only let Him rule, instead of making Him your slave of sin." Such a message has no Christ in it, however sweetly it may talk of Him. It is a libel upon the Gospel. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist. . . . Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:2-4. If He comes into the flesh, He was not there before. How does Christ come into the flesh? —"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God." 1 John 5:1. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20. God's message to the poor, hopeless sinner is not that of a God who is made and kept a slave by the sinner's will, but of a Saviour who took upon Himself all the weaknesses of humanity and conquered for every soul. And when submission and acceptance—faith—opens the door so that He may come into the flesh, He comes not to serve with our sins, a servant to our lusts, but a conqueror of sin and lust. Preach to the sinner this glad message. "When They Are Saying, Peace and Safety."
By T.
Is there a time of peace and safety before us? We say most emphatically, and positively, Yes. The most glorious period of all the centuries is dawning even now. But we must look in the right place for this peace and safety in order to possess and enjoy it. For we read of a certain class: "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in nowise escape." 1 Thess. 5: 2, 3. This scripture tells of certain persons who are saying, "Peace and safety," and the very thing that they are saying, because of the ground on which they are saying it, is to be a sure sign to those who are truly intelligent upon the subject that "sudden destruction" is right upon them. Another fact is apparent from the text, and that is that it is when "the day of the Lord" is imminent that a refrain of "peace and safety" is to be sounded as the precursor of "sudden destruction." The apostle speaks of a class in the third person. He says when "they" are saying "peace and safety," it is then that "sudden destruction" is to be visited upon "them," and "they" are to "in nowise escape." But of another class the Scripture continues to speak in the verses that immediately follow the foregoing quotation, by referring to them in the second person. The words are: "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober." 1 Thess. 5: 4-6. Those whom the apostle classes as "brethren" are not "in darkness;" they are "sons of light, and sons of the day:" and therefore the day of the Lord will not overtake them as a thief. They will not be pointing to a species of "peace and safety" which can produce only destruction. In the very nature of things, the persons that would be claimed as "brethren" of the inspired writer would be those who believe in and abide by the teachings of the word of God. They must be those who are not merely assenting to the teaching of the Bible, but they are such close students of the divine Book that they know what it says and are therefore standing in the light. They are "sons of light, and sons of the day." We have entered upon a time of much discussion of the question of peace. Peace congresses and conventions are the order of the day. The texts already quoted in these paragraphs tell of "they" who shall say "peace and safety," when only "sudden destruction" can await them. Then those who are thus deceived must be looking for their peace and safety in the wrong direction. And now the question for us to look into is, What hope has the world for a general peace? Certainly there is no very bright prospect before us in that direction. There never were such great preparations for war as now. And no nation is willing to set the example of disarming its army and navy. But rather the sentiment is constantly gaining ground that the only way to make assured peace is to have such a well-equipped army and such a formidable navy that other nations will be afraid to fight us. And with that sentiment prevailing, every nation is exerting itself to the utmost to keep ahead in the arts of human destruction. But they all know that it is inconsistent to make the professions of enlightenment and civilization that are made in these days and still devote so much thought and energy to the preparation of the slaughter of our fellow men. And so some of the foremost manufacturers of armor plate and other war implements and materials are the loudest in calling for peace congresses and peace proclamations among the nations. And, judging from the import of the scripture quoted at the beginning of this article, the agitation for peace will continue right in the midst of the prevailing preparations for war, until the great mass of the people will persuade themselves that all is "peace and safety," regardless of the facts and conditions that actually exist, and that every one can see if not blinded by a contrary sentiment. And, now, note particularly that when this peace and safety talk becomes general, it is one of the tokens by which the careful student of Bible prophecy will know for sure that the destruction of the world is here. This prophecy in Paul's letter to the Thessalonians is very significant. The words of peace and safety are being talked, while all the facts show that the world is preparing for the most furious war that has ever been9 seen in the history of all time. God says that "sudden destruction" is the next number on the program. Keep your eye on what He says; for He knows the truth, and tells it plainly. In the face of the appalling evidences to the contrary, the whole world will take up the "peace-and-safety" refrain, and may even continue to sing it while on their furious march to the great battle of Armageddon. But those who study the word of God intelligently will not be deceived by such voices. They will clearly see the "sudden destruction" that lies just beyond. T. The Tried and Triumphant.
THERE are many things tried and found failures. A great architect is planning a mammoth building twenty-five stories high. The owner wishes it to be builded of a certain kind of rock that to him is beautiful, and by association of boyhood, dear. "Will it stand the test?" asks the master architect. "What test?" asks the owner. "The crushing force of thousands of tons in building and contents," is the reply. Test it. Therefore a small portion of the rock is taken and submitted to great pressure. It fails, and is rejected. Another is taken and tried, and found sufficiently hard, tenacious, and elastic to endure the crushing force of tons, and is chosen. An engineer in a military expedition must span a deep chasm with a suspension bridge or the army be delayed. He has cable enough for two spans. Will it stand the strain and carry the men and material sufficient for the successful prosecution of the war? He must first test it. He takes one or two strands of the wire cable and tests the tensile strength. It bears the test. The cable is strung, the bridge laid. The great Jehovah is building a living temple for eternity. He is gathering out a people to glorify His name thruout endless ages, so that to whatever worlds they shall go, wherever angels or men of other planets shall look upon them, they shall be seen "to the praise of the glory of His grace." The character of God will be interfused in them and stamped upon them. They will tell the story of God's wisdom, love, and power to other worlds. They will instruct intelligences yet to be created in the knowledge and love of God. God delights in tried things. His word is said to be a tried word. Ps. 12:6. Jesus Christ is the "tried Stone," the "precious Corner-stone," and therefore the "sure Foundation," of God's building. Isa. 28:16. Into this spiritual house God is building of the children of earth. Of course, they must be a tried people, those who have developed a fiber in character not rotted with sin, not weakened by lust, not interwoven with disintegrating selfishness. First, God calls us from sin and strife and darkness and slavery to righteousness and peace and light and freedom. If we accept the call, He enrols our names in the book of life, as candidates for the eternal character of His choosing. If we overcome, that eternal character and name is ours, a new name known only to us of all men, because it is the name of our experience. If we are conquerors, the victor's crown of righteousness, of life, is placed upon our brow. But in the overcoming there are trials sore and many to the natural heart. It will seem at times that we are wholly forsaken; that God has forgotten to be kind. But let faith not waver. He knows the trial and the need; knows how much the heart needs the loveliness; knows how hot the furnace fire needs to be to burn away the dross; knows how friends must seem unkind that we may learn of Him the only true Friend. He knows it all; and therefore no test will be made stronger than His grace will enable us to bear. If our own fiber fail, as it will, He will put into it stronger fiber, created anew. He will not suffer temptation to hedge up about so there will be no way of escape. Read 1 Peter 1:7; Job 23:10; Deut. 8:2, 3, 16; Ps. 66:10-12; Mal. 3:2, 3; 1 Cor. 10:10-12. He proves us that we may prove Him. Rom. 12:1, 2. Only by such trial and steadfastness in such trial, can we be made partakers with Christ Jesus our Lord. Would God that every soul who hears God's call and yields himself to the promptings of the Spirit could see the necessity of the trial, the sureness, if we elect, of the end. To its happy, eternally glorious result the throne of God is pledged if we will yield to His purpose. Rom. 8:28. Read the text as in the A.R.V. margin: "We know that to them that love God, God worketh all things with them for good." "All things?"—Yes, all things. "Sickness and loss of work?"—Yes. "The earthquake and fire?"—Yes. "The loss of husband, or wife, or child?"—Yes, "all things." By no "fortuitous combination" of circumstances, by no happen-so, does God do this, but by direct, positive working in behalf of each member of His spiritual body of believers, His church. Separate, the things may be evil. Separate, the stripe in our web of experience may be ugly. But "together," God's finished testing and all will be beautiful with divine glory. He has given us His pledge of this in the death of His Son; will He withhold anything now to prevent the perfection of the work? Rom. 8:32. We look at His greatness and the holiness of His law, and feel that we can in nowise meet the charge. But the only one who can lay aught to our charge is the One who justifies. We look upon the life of Christ, and feel condemned; but He does not condemn; He intercedes for us in all our weaknesses. Unbelief and complaint declare, "For Thy sake we are killed all the day long," but faith in His purpose declares, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors thru Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 8:36-39. O soul, whoever you are, accept God's call, submit to His proving, share His glory. IT is not God's will that His children should go on in darkness. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows the baleful fruitage of sin and wickedness. He knows how the injustice, oppression, corruption, and wrong of every sort will result in the disintegration and ruin of State and nation. Not only does the great Jehovah know, but He overrules to save the world. He puts down kings and raises up kings. He humbles one and exalts another. He casts down proud Babylon, who has outlived her usefulness, and plants in her stead successively Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. If His own people become willing captives to sin, He permits the cruel of earth to humble and punish them, that they may learn wisdom, and turn to Him. But always God forewarns of the evil. Was the Deluge to enflood the earth?—God sends faithful Noah to preach and labor, that the world may repent and be saved. Has Sodom's sin become so great that it were a mercy to destroy the city?—Warnings are sent to its people. And these are only two of many instances which God has given, all demonstrations of His inspired assurance: "Surely the Lord Jehovah will do nothing, except He reveal His secret unto His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. Men of the world are in darkness over the things coming on the earth. Scientists are making contradictory guesses. Preachers are dreaming of cloud lands of peace. Statesmen are at their wits' ends, and frankly confess that the future is dark before. And yet God has revealed it in His word. He would have all the world know. He has given us prophecy as a light "in a dark place until the day dawn." 2 Peter 1:19. He would have all to know and follow the light. Do men want to know?—Surely they do; but they want it their way. Many of them are too proud to learn from the Book of God discounted by the "higher critics." In the nature of the case, He can not teach the proud and self-sufficient. "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom." "The friendship [secret, counsel] of Jehovah is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant." "The meek will He teach His way." "Ye are all sons of light; . . . so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober." Tyre was the great commercial city of ancient times, the London, the Liverpool, the New York of the Orient. The extent of her commerce is set forth in the 27th chapter of Ezekiel. Yet the Lord says of that great city, "They shall destroy the walls of Tyre, and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her a bare rock. She shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah." And the place where old Tyre stood is now a place for the spreading of nets, and the very stones of her buildings removed elsewhere.