A DISCIPLE of Christ is one who believes his doctrine, reduces to practice the truths he taught, and follows his example. Cruden says: “The word Disciple, absolutely taken, signifies, in the New Testament, a believer, a Christian, a scholar, a follower of Christ or his apostles.”
The disciple enters the school of Christ as a learner. This is the attitude he must maintain if he would at last be a victor. To him the great Teacher says: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
The conditions of our discipleship are plainly and repeatedly stated by the Saviour. The following are his words: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27.
There is a daily cross. Says Jesus, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matt. 16:24. My brother, this means you, it means me, any one, each one who would follow Christ. He must bear his cross, not shrink from it, shun it, or walk around it.
It is the life of the Christian to bear the cross. Hereby he may acquire a love for it, yea, more, he may learn to glory in it. Says the apostle, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Gal. 6:14.
By means of this crucifixion Christ lived in the apostle, and the apostle lived in him: “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.
Who can read such scriptures and not desire to be a disciple of Christ—to suffer with him, that he might also reign with him? Reader, will you still be a learner in the school of Christ, and gain the promised rest, or will you refuse to bear the cross? Some will “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Heb. 6:6.
“Our flesh and sense must be denied,
Passion and envy, lust and pride.”
HOW SOME PEOPLE REPENT.
A GOOD illustration of the way some people repent is furnished in the following anecdote: A certain man went to the priest to have his sins pardoned. “Well, Patrick,” said the priest, “what have you been doing that is wrong?”
“I've been stealin' hay, yer honor.”
“Well, sir, how much did you steal?”
“And sure, yer honor, I think ye had better put the whole stack in; for Biddy an' me were goin' after the rest of it the first dark night.”
LIFE OUT OF THE BODY.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.
In 2 Cor. 12: 2, we read: “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell; God knoweth; (such a one caught up to the third Heaven.”
It is claimed from this that a man can live in the body or he can live out of the body. Paul says he went to Heaven, and he saw certain things there; but whether he went in his body or out of his body, he did not know. This is as much as to say that he could have gone without his body. Very well. Let us look at this candidly. The first verse shows that the apostle is speaking of himself, and of certain visions he had received. “I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” Then he tells how this man was caught up into Heaven, and heard certain unspeakable things. We understand him to mean simply this: He could not tell whether he was actually taken up into Heaven bodily, or whether the revelations were simply pictured before his mind, so that he saw them as an actual reality. Looking at his writings a little further, we find what he means by being absent from his body. He says to the Colossians, “For though I be absent in the flesh [that is, the body], yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” Chap. 2: 5.
Remember that while Paul sat at his table in Rome, writing to the Colossians, hundreds of miles away, he says, “Though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit.” His spirit, according to the theory of our opponents, was over there in Colosse, while his body was in Rome writing that letter. We ask our opponents if they really believe that Paul’s soul actually went out of his body, and left it there a dead carcass while his spirit was personally over at Colosse with the brethren?
In this case we know it does not mean this, and they themselves must admit that Paul was writing at the very time that he affirms this, that his spirit was in a place where his body was not. Again to the Corinthians he says: “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already.” 1 Cor. 5: 3. Here he asserts that while his body is absent, his spirit is present with them. What does he mean by this? No one is at a loss to know what he means. While he was personally in one place, his thoughts, his affections, his mind, were at the other place. This is the case in the passage under consideration. Paul’s mind, his thoughts, were carried to Heaven. The Lord gave him a vision presenting before him Heaven with all its glory. It was so real that the apostle did not know whether he was really there bodily, or simply saw it in his mind. Notice further that if Paul’s soul, or spirit, actually left his body and went to Heaven, and then came back again, he must have had a resurrection from the dead; for James says the body without the spirit is dead. Will our opponents affirm thus of Paul? We think not. We leave the passage there.
In Rev. 6: 9, 10, a kindred subject is mentioned. We read: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
It is claimed that this passage shows that souls have life separate from the body; and, furthermore, that some souls are alive and can talk. Therefore, it is a very strong text. But we think a little examination will spoil this pretty theory. Where were the souls seen? Under the altar, that is, according to their interpretation, up in Heaven, stowed away in a very crowded, uncomfortable position. And their position was so uncomfortable, that they cried earnestly to God for deliverance. Can we imagine such a scene to take place in Heaven?
The Lord said to them that they should rest for a little season until their fellow-servants should be killed. Verse 11. Notice what a spirit this view attributes to those holy spirits. They were the souls of those who had been slain on the earth. Now they cry to God, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Certain wicked men had murdered them, and by thus doing had closed their weary pilgrimage on earth, and sent them to enjoy the glories of Heaven. It would seem that these happy souls really ought to have been thankful for such a deliverance by the hands of their slayers. At least it does not look quite right, that they should feel so vindictive as to pray that God would hasten their enemies into hell.
Put this with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus as interpreted by our opponents, and see what you have. Hell is so near to Heaven that the righteous can look down into it, and see those who are there and talk with them, as Abraham talked with the rich man. They can hear their moans and cries, and see the fire burning. These martyrs must know very well that in a few years, according to nature itself, their persecutors will die, and come into that very hell which is before their eyes. But they are so anxious to see those souls roasting in fire that they cannot wait. They pray God to hasten the day. Who can believe that the saints in glory would indulge such a spirit? Upon this text Adam Clarke makes this sensible comment: “A symbolical vision was exhibited, in which he saw an altar. . . . The altar is upon the earth, not in Heaven. They cried, that is, their blood, like that of Abel, cried for vengeance; for we are not to suppose that there was anything like a vindictive spirit in those happy and holy souls.”—Note on Rev. 6: 9, 10.
We agree with Dr. Clarke. These souls are not in Heaven. The scene was not there. They did not cry literally. The whole thing is symbolical, as an examination of the context will show. The chapter contains a whole line of symbols. First a white horse is seen going forth; next a red horse; and following these a black one. Then comes “a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell [hades, the grave] followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
This is a most terrific symbol to represent the persecuting power of the Romish church against the disciples of Jesus,—a pale horse, with death sitting thereon and the grave following after. All agree that this represents the papal persecutions. Immediately following this is our text. John says he saw under the altar the souls of those that had been slain by this persecuting power. The altar is symbolical, just as the other figures in the chapter are symbolical. These persons had been slain for the Lord’s sake, hence they are represented as being offered upon the altar. But this altar was upon the earth. Next they are seen under that altar in the grave, just where John says they went. But the text says they cried; yes, and it says that the blood of Abel cried unto God from the ground, but does that prove that the blood of Abel is conscious? By no means.
The blood of these martyrs cried to God for vengeance the same as James says, “Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” James 5: 4. So the blood of these martyrs appeals to God for vengeance upon them that dwell upon the earth. The Lord tells them to rest yet for a little season, until their brethren who should be killed as they were, should be slain. This shows that these souls were in a state of rest and quietude.
NOT YOUR OWN.
By A. Stone
BY ELD. A. STONE.
The sentiment is clearly taught in the Scriptures that man has no property in himself. He did not make himself or cause himself to be made. He is entirely the property of another. He has no right to use his faculties or possessions for selfish purposes any further than permitted by Him whose property he is. These facts are humiliating to the proud. Yet they are facts of a practical character, and underlie the entire structure of Christian work and duty.
It seems strange that a subject of such magnitude, and so intimately related to the highest interests of mankind, should be so little understood in a practical point of view, especially by professed Christians. The following are the explicit words of Inspiration: “Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.
It is a mistake to suppose that it is the province of man to set up an interest of his own, separate from his Maker. The man who is set right on this point, has fought more than half the battles of life. This is what comes in most naturally as the first lesson to be learned in the school of Christ. This should be the warp and the woof of early Christian experience and practice. Until this point is gained, little is or can be gained, and Satan will turn almost everything concerning us, to his own account. The current of our nature runs in the channel of selfishness, and we like to have a field of our own to cultivate and put the proceeds in our own pockets.
When Satan uses human selfishness as a fulcrum over which to ply his lever of temptation, he has a tremendous purchase, and gains his object every time. Little do we think, in the mean time, that his advantages are preludes, if not pledges, of our ruin. Yet fallen man is often willing that his greatest enemy should control his most important affairs, while he says to his best Friend, Stand back, what have I to do with thee? Thus, poor, blind mortals are deceived into a co-partnership with Satan to work out their eternal ruin.
If evil is resisted, it cannot harm us. If permitted, it will ruin us. Before we venture too far, let us inquire, Where are we? Who created us? Who redeemed us? and what did redemption cost? Who has hated us with a hatred that knows no bound? Who has loved us with a love surpassing knowledge? Let us meditate on these things. Sin has jostled mankind out of position. If they refuse to be drawn into place by the gospel of the Son of God, they will perish.
Man must come into harmony with God's entire plan respecting him, or be cast out of his presence as a cumberer of the ground. The time is at hand when every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, will be hewn down and cast into the fire.
THE GOSPEL COMMITTED TO MEN.
By R. F. Cottrell
BY ELD. R. F. COTTRELL.
The Father, the Son, angels, and men are co-laborers in the work of human salvation. The Father and the Son originated the great plan, but angels and men have each a part assigned to them to act. Even men, who were fallen and lost by sin, may become “laborers together with God” (1 Cor. 3:9), and angels are fellow-servants with men. Rev. 19:10, and 22:9.
But the preaching of the gospel, the presenting of the conditions of salvation through a crucified and risen Saviour, for the obedience of men, was committed to men chosen of God; and this was to continue to the end of the world. Said Jesus, “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. Amen.” Matt. 28:19, 20. According to this, men were to present to men the claims and the terms of the gospel to the end of the gospel age; consequently the commission was not confined to the first apostles, the twelve, but extended to other chosen men throughout the age.
Christ and angels still communicated with men on special occasions; but when they did, instead of presenting the terms of the gospel, telling them what to do to be saved from their past sins, they referred them to the chosen instrumentality,—directed them to men to tell them what to do. The following examples will illustrate this.
Jesus Christ appeared to Saul, as he was on his way139to Damascus to persecute the saints. Some speak of this event as Saul’s conversion. He was indeed here convicted, and being struck blind, he remained three days fasting and praying, before he was released from the burden of his sins. But he here received his call to the ministry. This was the purpose for which Jesus appeared to him. Said he, “I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee.” Acts 26:16, 17.
But when Saul inquired, “What shall I do, Lord?” the Lord said, “Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.” Thus the Lord himself sent Saul to learn his duty of a man, and he not one of the twelve, but a disciple named Ananias, a devout man dwelling in Damascus. And Ananias came to Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.” Acts 9:17, 18.
On the notable day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was promised on condition of obedience to the faith. Said the apostle, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38. Ananias, to whom Saul was sent to be told what to do, omitted no part of these duties. When he had said to him, “Brother Saul, receive thy sight,” and had stated to him that God had chosen him to see that Just One and hear his voice, so that he might be his witness unto all men, said he, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16.
Another illustration is found in Acts 10. An angel appeared to Cornelius, a devout Gentile, as he was lying in his house, and told him that his prayers and his alms were come up for a memorial before God. “And now,” said he, “send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter; he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside; he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.” Acts 10:5, 6.
Why did not the angel preach the good news of Jesus Christ to him, and tell him what to do to be saved? Why send away to Joppa for Peter to do this? Simply because this work had been committed to men. And the Lord designed to convince his servant, who had opened the gospel of a risen Saviour at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, that God is not a respecter of persons, but designed to save the Gentiles who would believe and obey, as well as the Jews.
It was for this purpose that Peter had the vision of the great sheet let down from heaven, while upon the house-top at Joppa. And as another sign to convince him that God would accept of believing Gentiles, the Holy Spirit, which was promised to those who obey the gospel by repentance and baptism, was poured upon the believers before they were baptized. The apostle’s prejudice against the Gentiles had been gradually yielding. The vision at Joppa, and the command to go with the men sent from Cornelius, nothing doubting, had induced him to venture so far as to go to “one of another nation.” And when Cornelius had related to him what God had communicated to him by his angel, Peter was emboldened to open his mouth. He preached to them Jesus,—his works, his death and resurrection, and the proclamation of remission of sins through his name. “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” The evidence was now conclusive. The last remains of prejudice were swept away. The apostle exclaims, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized?” “And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
QUESTIONS ON SCRIPTURE.
55.—COMINGS OF CHRIST.
1. How many times does Christ come? 2. Are the words “everlasting” and “eternal” from the same Greek word? L. L. H.
Ans. 1. Christ has already appeared on the earth in the flesh, which is called his first advent in reference to a second coming, which is the great event before us; for “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Heb. 9 : 28. He will also appear the second time unto them who do not look for him, but in their cases not “unto salvation.” This second coming is after probation ends, and consists of two divisions : (1.) Coming for his saints at the beginning of the one thousand years of Rev. 20 ; (2.) coming to judge the wicked at the end of the thousand years. This latter coming is not to the righteous a third coming ; for they have been with Christ reigning on Judgment thrones, ever since what was to them his second coming, at the beginning of the thousand years ; and it is not to the wicked a third coming, with the exception of the comparatively few living on the earth at the time he comes to redeem his saints, and those who have a special resurrection at that time; Dan. 12 : 2 ; Rev. 1 : 7 ; for they were in their graves, and knew nothing of that coming. Therefore the appearance of Christ at the end of the thousand years is practically, to the wicked, a second coming, as it is the second event of this kind that in any way affects them. May we not, therefore, properly say that Christ is to come the second time to all men,—to the righteous at the beginning of the thousand years, to the wicked at the end of that period? And as these are the only comings that pertain to the carrying out of the plan of redemption, these are all that need be mentioned. For after the eternal state mentioned in Rev. 5 : 13 is introduced, we apprehend there will be goings and comings through all the glorious ages of eternity, not by Christ only, but by all his people, as they have the privilege of passing from world to world to view the manifold exhibitions of the wisdom, goodness, and glory of the great Creator.
2. The question of our correspondent on the Greek for the words “everlasting” and “eternal,” we suppose has reference to Matt. 25 : 46 : “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” In this passage they are from the same word, and denote the same length of duration. But this punishment of the wicked is not conscious existence in misery ; it is simply a “cutting off” from life, or the second death. And because there is to be no release from it by any subsequent resurrection, it is said to be “everlasting.”
56.—WHAT DO WORKS SECURE?
Will you please explain Rom. 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” E. A. G.
Ans. We understand the apostle to be speaking in this passage, and the context, of works as a ground of justification. No one can be justified by works, or acts of obedience; for all have sinned, and there is no power in works to cancel past transgression. The expression “worketh not,” certainly does not mean “working evil,” or indulging in acts of disobedience; for this would be making Christ the minister of sin. But if a person is not at liberty to disobey, or transgress the commandments, then he must keep them; and this is all we claim. There is one test question to be applied to all those passages which speak of works; namely, Do they teach that if we only have faith in Christ we are at liberty to serve idols, lie, steal, kill, etc.? If they do, they make Christ the minister of sin, which Paul meets with his emphatic “God forbid!” Gal. 2 : 17. If they do not, then we are still under obligation to keep those commandments. But any argument which will prove that we may not steal, will prove also that we may not break the Sabbath.
INSPIRATION
By Archbishop Pratt
By the inspiration of Holy Scripture I understand that the Scriptures were written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who communicated to the writers facts before unknown, directed them in the selection of facts already known, and preserved them from errors of every kind in the records they made. * It is the inspiration of the original documents, which have long ago disappeared, that I contend for. That errors have crept into the long succession of copies, no one denies. Had Dr. Colenso, by his arithmetical test, detected any internal contradictions, all it would have amounted to would be to prove that our present copies have become, in those respects, more corrupted by transmission from hand to hand than was before known. But that the documents are unhistorical, or comparatively modern productions not to be depended upon as history, would by no means be proved by such a process.
A friendly reviewer of my fifth edition also thinks, that by claiming freedom from error of every kind for the originals of Holy Scripture, I have made an assumption which is absolutely gratuitous, and which imposes a formidable and needless task upon the defenders of inspiration. But to this I reply, that if all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and if this, as the context proves, applies, not only to parts of Scripture, but to all Scripture, the matter is settled; for it is not to be allowed for one moment that the Holy Spirit would either dictate or suffer error of any kind in what was written under his suggestion or superintendence. If, on the other hand, we suppose that some parts are inspired and other parts not, where is the line to be drawn? We must take our standpoint somewhere. It has always appeared to me most reasonable, and most consonant with our ideas of the Divine Being, to take up the position that Holy Scripture, coming as it does from God, is perfect, till the contrary has been proved; and to consider that the discrepancies among MSS. are to be attributed to the numerous host of transcribers through whose hands our present copies are come down to us, discrepancies which may be counted by thousands, but which by the acknowledgment of those who have hunted for contradictions, are of no importance, and are what can readily be accounted for by the natural fallibility of the most careful copyist.
The argument of the skeptic, against those who admit only a partial inspiration of the Holy Volume, is to me unanswerable, and represents the views I have always held on the subject. He says: “A book cannot be said to be inspired, or to carry with it the authority of being God’s word, if only portions come from him, and there exists no plain and infallible sign to indicate which those portions are. And if the same writer may give us in one verse of the Bible a revelation from the Most High, and in the next verse a blunder of his own, how can we be certain that the very texts upon which we rest our doctrines and our hopes are not the uninspired portion? What can be the meaning or nature of an inspiration to teach truth, which does not guarantee its recipient from teaching error?”
I would make every concession which a fair criticism of the text will allow; but to go further than this I think is dangerous. To place ourselves on the same low level with those who treat portions of Holy Scripture as fable, or, at any rate, as simply human, and to contend with them with their own weapons, as many attempt to do, is forsaking that high vantage ground which a believer in revelation can claim, and is trusting too much to our own prowess. To stand on the defensive, and challenge proof of the works of God in any single instance being at variance with his word, is the safest and the right attitude for us to assume. If we descend, we can do so only by making compromises; we must waive the miraculous and the divine; we must use arguments drawn in every case only from the ordinary course of things. * The learned rationalist Eichhorn has admitted that the different readings of the Hebrew MSS. collected by the indefatigable Kennicott (nearly six hundred in number) offer no sufficient interest to compensate for the labor they cost.
Dr. Moses Stewart observes: “In the Hebrew MSS. that have been examined, some eight hundred thousand various readings actually occur as to the Hebrew consonant. How many as to the vowel-points and accents, no man knows. But at the same time it is equally true that all these taken together do not change or materially affect any important point of doctrine, precept, or even history.”—Archbishop Pratt.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.
By John Norton Loughborough
Since the organization of our National T. and M. Society the members are taking hold of the work in earnest, both in loaning tracts from house to house, and in sending Signs by post. We see so many cases where even a single copy of the paper has raised an interest, that we are encouraged and stimulated to push forward the work of distributing the Signs.
A few days ago I received a letter from a lady in Scotland, who wished books. This led to correspondence. She has already purchased “Thoughts on Daniel,” “Thoughts on Revelation,” “The Sanctuary,” “Spiritualism,” “The Three Messages,” “Matthew 24,” and many tracts. She first heard of us as follows: Some missionary worker (either here or in America) had sent copies of the Signs to a man in Scotland. He perused them himself, but kept them under lock and key, “for fear his family might see them.” He sent them to this lady for her perusal asking her opinion of them. She read and returned them, as requested; but in one of them she saw a notice of our depository at Ravenswood, and she now receives the paper from us, and circulates it among her friends. She is intensely interested in reading our books.
I have been informed, by Sr. Chapman, that Sr. Helen Morse has contributed $10 to be invested in tracts here for distribution. We are thankful for it, and the first 1,500 pages of the lot we have sent to the above-mentioned lady in Scotland, for distribution among her friends. A brother who embraced the truth here, but who is now living in one of the northern counties, is actively engaged in loaning and distributing some $20 worth of tracts and papers. These were purchased and sent to him for the purpose by one of our interested English readers. So the way is steadily opening.
The steward and his wife, mentioned in former reports, have joined our T. and M. society, and now take a supply of tracts and papers with them each trip. With these they do missionary work on the steamer, and at the English and Scotch ports visited by their ship.
A Danish captain, whose vessel loaded at this port with railroad iron for Baltimore, U. S. A., met with us two evenings, became much interested, and bought a full set of all the Danish papers and books we had in our depository, saying that he should peruse them carefully, and compare with his Bible, while crossing the Atlantic.
Before he met us he had decided, by reading his Bible, that the end was near, and that there was to be a specific message before the end; but just what the message was, he did not know. His books and papers will give him the light he desires.
Another captain who was here with the first named, and who has returned to Norway, also obtained a full set of the papers and books, which he took home with him to Norway.
The ship work at this port is especially interesting, so many nationalities are represented. How good it is to have reading matter for them in the various languages.
Last week Bro. Ings went on board a German steamer bound to New York with three hundred passengers, and in a few minutes sold papers and tracts in four different languages, to the amount of sixty cents, besides documents distributed. On the same boat were some Norwegians going to Chicago. They had heard Bro. Jasperson at Skien. They obtained tracts and papers of Bro. Ings; and as he left, the Scandinavians were in earnest conversation. He could hear them frequently mention the man Matteson, although he could not understand much that was said.
To-day a supply of tracts and papers were furnished to boats for the East and West Indies, and the Cape of Good Hope. The stewards report that the papers previously placed on these boats were read with eager interest by the passengers, and gladly received at all the ports on these routes.
The minister Meadows, the American revivalist mentioned in my last, has had his trial, and was sentenced to imprisonment for three months, and to pay a fine of $500 for writing the book against his associate Mr. Earle. Each Sunday evening since, a mob of about one thousand people or more have met Mr. Earle, at the close of his meetings, with groans and hisses and threats. Were it not that he has been strongly guarded by the police, he would probably have met with personal injury ere this.
One of the mob has already been bound over to court for his part in the work.
The whole proceeding of this Earle-Meadows affair has been a stigma on the cause of Christianity, and has caused some of the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. Amid it all we seek God for wisdom and grace to do his will. Pray for us. We must have help from the Lord, or all our labor is in vain. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
Feb. 3.
NEW YORK.
Lewis Co.—We came to this county Jan. 29. Spent a few days with the Otter Creek church; but a severe storm prevented a general attendance. By invitation, we came to Shaw Hill Feb. 5, and have held seven meetings in the Baptist church, with fair attendance and increasing interest. The people seem desirous to hear the truth. The church we are using is a fine one, being tasteful and commodious. May the Lord abundantly bless the kind people of Shaw Hill.
H. H. Wilcox.
E. M. Plumb.
Indian Lake—We came here Feb. 3, to visit a branch of the Chester church. They were in need of help. They had given up their prayer and Sabbath meetings, which we think was a great mistake. The apostle teaches us that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We spent four days with them, speaking nine times and visiting from house to house, and left them much encouraged. One brother paid $10 on the reserve tract fund, and others took a few dollars’ worth of books. The brethren took a club of nine copies of the Signs, and we obtained one new subscriber for the REVIEW. The last evening we were there, the Methodists offered us the free use of their meeting-house for a temperance meeting. The meeting was a success. Sixteen persons signed the teetotal pledge and paid the initiation fee, and five others signed the pledge; seventeen signed the other pledges.
A. H. Hall.
Jacob Wilbur.
WATCH AND PRAY.
By Chorusman
So hath Christ left us, with the sacred charge:
“Watch, watch, and pray!”
In life's great garden we can roam at large,
But still we may
Not lie at ease, but work while it is day.
Yes; we must watch, and while we watch must pray,
Lest we, too, fall;
Temptations hover strangely o’er our way;
God knows them all,
And saves from danger those that on him call.
When next Christ comes, in all his glorious power,
Let him not say,
“What! could ye not watch with me one hour?”
And soon the day
Will witness that return! Then “watch and pray!”
—Chorusman.
NORTHERN EUROPE.
By John Gottlieb Matteson
CHRISTIANA, NORWAY.
THE church in this place met for a business quarterly meeting Jan. 13. It is now about one year since the congregation was formed according to the request of the authorities, and seven months since the church was organized in harmony with the Bible and the usage of S. D. Adventists. In the congregation 130 persons have been received, and five have left; present number, 125. Of these, 90 have been baptized into the death of Christ, and have covenanted to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Four of these are now in Sweden, one in Denmark, and two in other parts of Norway. The report from the Sabbath-school was read, showing that the average membership during the quarter has been 101; average attendance, 87. Donations Kr. 18.77. Last Sabbath 115 members were present. Besides this we now have a Sunday-school with about 90 members. There is a lively interest in both.
The report of the tract society showed the work of the past quarter to be as follows: Tidernes Tegn distributed, 217 copies; pages of tracts distributed, 8,592; letters written, 49; families visited, 85. Sold, 118 pamphlets, 1,927 copies of Tidernes Tegn, and 65,840 pages of tracts; for which had been received Kr. 284.35 ($75.82).
The labor bestowed by our brethren and sisters in the Sabbath-school and tract-society work, has been a blessing to the church, and a great help in spreading a knowledge of the truth. The public sentiment toward us in this city has greatly changed, and many, even among those who do not attend our meetings, are convinced of the truth. Several have requested baptism. On the Sabbath we have an average attendance of 130 persons.
At this meeting a unanimous vote was passed to send an invitation to Bro. White and Haskell to visit our city if consistent with other duties.
On the first Sabbath of this month we celebrated the ordinances of the Lord’s house, and felt that the Lord was near to us. We are now in the midst of a course of lectures on the prophecies, which are delivered before a full house. Two things have been effected in this city by our work, which are noticed and acknowledged even by our opposers; viz., the Scriptures are generally searched far more diligently than before, and religious meetings are better attended. The times are very hard here this winter; but the Lord has helped us hitherto. We are thankful to God for all his goodness to us.
Now and then our brethren are called before the magistrate. One was accused for selling tracts in too public a manner on Sunday. He defended himself in a quiet but firm way, and was finally dismissed without fine, and told that he might sell all the tracts he wished before ten in the forenoon and after four in the afternoon; but that during the remainder of the time it would be better to sell them in the houses privately, and not in public places. Another brother had been reproved by the public-school superintendent because he did not send his children to school on Saturday. He was fined and called before the magistrate. He insisted that himself and his children had been instructed in school of the perpetuity of God’s ten commandments, and that the Lord would severely punish all who transgress his holy law. He asked the magistrate how this should be understood. The magistrate replied that he could not tell, and made some inquiries in regard to the peculiarities of our faith; whereupon the brother was dismissed without even paying the fine. It is a difficulty in these countries that the law requires the children to attend school every Saturday. But those who can afford it send their children to private schools.
SWEDEN AND DENMARK.
Bro. Olsen is holding meetings now in the northern part of Sweden, in Soderhamn. He received an interesting letter from a preacher in Hagfors who had commenced to proclaim the truth. Bro. Bjork writes from Amot that three more have received the truth, and that there are now eight Sabbath-keepers who meet to worship together. The truth is also spreading in the neighboring towns.
Bro. Madsen from Hellum, Denmark, sends reports for last quarter from the tract societies that have commenced to work there. They have obtained 68 subscribers; distributed 367 papers, and 7,056 pages of tracts; sold 25 papers, 62 pamphlets and 3,552 pages of tracts; visited 163 families, written 36 letters, and received Kr. 82.90. He says the brethren are united in faith and love.
Bro. Brorson is now in Slesvig. He finds many open doors in the southern part of Jutland. Five sisters in Jested covenanted together to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Jan. 27. J. G. Matteson.
IOWA
By C. A. Washburn
Louisa Co., Feb. 16.—I am now holding a series of meetings in the Fairview meeting-house, near Bro. J. B. Vaughn’s. Have given eleven discourses, with a fair interest. Have just commenced on the Sabbath question. I am expecting Bro. I. J. Hankins to join me in labor here soon. Brethren, pray that God may give success to the truth in this part of the great harvest field.
C. A. WASHBURN.
Laboring at Liberty, Clarke County
By A. W. H. Millard; W. D. McLaughlin
Liberty, Clarke Co.—We have been laboring here for a short time. We have had a good attendance, and the interest is increasing. We have been speaking on the prophecies, and shall commence on the Sabbath next week. This is the place of our former home, and we have been anxious that our old friends should hear the present truth. Pray that God may direct us aright, and that we may see some fruit of our labors.