Every word of my mouth, every thought of my heart, every act of my life, is either right or wrong.
Every contract, engagement, obligation, or relation of life, whether individual, domestic, social, business, or governmental, is right, or it is wrong.
Every business transaction, every judicial decision, every legislative act, every demonstration of executive authority and power, must be right, or else it is wrong.
Every union, league, society, corporation, or constitution, is founded upon, and maintains its existence by virtue of, principles of right or wrong.
There is no middle, neutral ground of arbitration where right may meet wrong and compromise for the sake of domestic, social, business, or governmental peace, advantage, or preferment.
Righteousness is a straight line (Isa. 28:17) and can in nowise deviate from her unswerving, uncompromising course without being untrue to her nature and source, as the needle is true to the magnetic pole (Deut. 5:32; 4:2; Matt. 7:13, 14).
Error is a crooked line, and it is ever the merciful endeavor of the Gospel to straighten the crooked paths of error (Isa. 40:4; 42:16), as it is the settled and malignant purpose of error to make crooked the straight path of the just, by guile, or fraud, or force, from the precedent of Eve’s temptation down to the present reign of terrors.
Truth and error are antipodes.
These two great principles—forces—hosts, from their very nature, are and must be antagonistic.
As wide as east is from west, light from darkness, love from hate, life from death, heaven from hell, are these two mighty hosts separated in nature, purpose, and destiny.
The Prince and Champion of the host on the one hand is Michael, Son of God, Archangel, Jesus, Prince of peace, of truth, of light, and love, and life. His right to be Prince of peace He exemplified not only by precept and command, but by a life of unexampled patience and long-suffering in the face of the most virulent persecutions and mockings that His old enemy and his legions of demons could invent, even to His shameful humiliation and death at their hands, by which He purchased peace for us. As the Prince of truth, He set forth truth not only by parable and precept, and confirmed with mighty signs and miracles, but demonstrated the same beyond all cavil and above all reproach, by a stainless life of righteousness and holiness.
He was the Prince of light, because His “deeds were made manifest that they were wrought in God.” “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all;” and through His Son, God shined—a heavenly light in a world of darkness and sin, and “in His light shall we see light.” In His mission He shall “bring to light all the hidden things of darkness, searching the thought and intents of the hearts5of men, and “rendering to every man according to his works.” “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Heb. 4:13.
As the Prince of love, He proved His right to rule beyond all gainsaying by His marvelous condescension, humiliation (Phil. 2:5–10), and death, which He suffered, a voluntary and willing sacrifice, to redeem His creatures from the bondage of the enemy and his power of sin and death (John 3:16; 1 John 3:5; Rom. 8:21; 6:23).
As the Prince of life, He was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14, 15), and to redeem unto Himself “a chosen people,” of all that will call upon His name in truth—to deliver them from “the bondage of corruption”—to purify and cleanse them by the regeneration of His Spirit, by His Word (John 3:1–19; 17:17); and to present them at last before the presence of His Father’s glory, a blameless, holy band (Jude 24), heirs of eternal life, triumphant “overcomers” (Rev. 21:7) over all the temptations and power of the enemy to overthrow them (Rom. 8:37). Such is the mission of the Prince of life, that by His death He might bring many sons to glory, and destroy the works of the wicked one,—all sin, all death; for it hath pleased God that life should be by His Son, as it is written, “In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:4. Again: “This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:11, 12. And again it is written, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand.” John 3:35. See also Phil. 2:9–11. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” He has proved His power over death in that He rose from the dead and triumphed over the grave, and is ascended up on high, where He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Heb. 7:25.
On the other hand, the prince and champion of the opposing host is “the great dragon, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world,”—the prince of the power of darkness, error, hate, wrath, strife,—the author of sin and death,—the original and arch-traitor and seducer,—the “father of lies” and all deception. He, the arch-traitor, despising the high honors of his rank among heavenly intelligences, and trusting in his own brightness, beauty, and power, with which God had endowed him (see Eze. 28:1–17), sowed the original seed of anarchy and discord, which ripened and spread as a pestilence, till the third part of heaven’s host was arrayed, under his leadership, in open revolt against the hand that gave them being. Then was he overthrown, and all his rebel host cast with him out of heaven. Since that overthrow it has been the policy of that wicked one to impeach the justice, mercy, and goodness of God, and to accuse all His children of all unworthiness; hence he is called the “accuser of the brethren.”
Because he had set his heart “as the heart of God,” above all “principalities and powers” and “authority and rule;” because he refused to acknowledge the shame of his monstrous presumption; had spurned all conditions of peace, all overtures of mercy at the hand of his rival and conqueror, the Son of God; because his proud heart could not brook the humiliation of confession, for the joy of forgiveness and reconciliation, he sinned yet more, and there entered into his darkened soul a deep and settled hatred, an incurable spite and thirst for vengeance—the heart of a murderer. John 8:44. The fire of hell burned in his soul—a deep-burning, implacable desire for the humiliation and death of his rival and all that were faithful to Him. All ruin, devastation, and destruction—all treachery, rapine, and murder—were in that hate.
All the beautiful and gentle traits of the character of Michael, the Prince, all the lovely attributes of His mild yet fervent spirit, were as wormwood and gall to the fallen angel. He became His enemy continually, and resolved on war, which, until the Son of God burst the bonds of death, and rose triumphant and victorious over the power of the grave, was with hope of success.
Then he knew his inevitable end—that he is a vanquished foe, and that it is only a matter of time till his final overthrow will seal the victory.
Since that time has been the era of “great wrath” against the Lord Jesus and His church, which waxes hotter and more terrible as his (Satan’s) impending doom approaches, “for he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
H. R.
(Concluded next week.)
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS.
By G. B. Thompson
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43. These words of Jesus to the dying thief are clung to by believers in inherent immortality as furnishing proof of the consciousness of the dead, and their entering upon their reward immediately at death. And to a careful and superficial reader, they might seem to contain some evidence in this direction. But by carefully examining the text and comparing it with other scripture, it is found to contain no support for the pagan notion of man's natural immortality. This is clear for several reasons.
In the first place, the thief did not ask to be remembered until Jesus came “into” His kingdom, and this is at the second coming of Christ. 2 Tim. 4:1; Matt. 25:31. Then is when He sits upon His throne in His kingdom. Then is when the righteous are rewarded, and will shine as the sun in the kingdom. Matt. 16:27; 13:40-43. It was at this time the thief asked that he might be remembered, and this the Saviour promised.
Again, the death of Jesus was something more than His humanity. The sacrifice was divine as well. He gave all there was of Him; He made no reserve. He made “His soul an offering for sin.” Isa. 53:10. But His soul was not left in hades. He arose a conqueror. But it was not until the third day that the celestial visitant descended and broke the cerements of the sepulcher, and called Him forth. It was, therefore, impossible for Him to be with the thief on the day of His death in Paradise, or around the throne of His Father. (See 2 Cor. 12:2; Rev. 2:7; 22:1, 2.) And that He was not in Paradise with His Father till after His resurrection, is rendered absolutely certain by the Saviour Himself. When Mary, on the morning of His resurrection, recognized Him, and in joy was about to embrace Him, He said, “Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father.” John 20:17. Here we are plainly told that Jesus was not there.
And the thief was not there. Death by crucifixion was a slow, lingering death; and those who suffered the infliction of this punishment frequently lived for a number of days. Jesus, crushed by the weight of sin, died the same day, which was such a remarkable event that when Pilate heard of it he marveled that He was “already dead.” Mark 15:44. And he could not believe such a thing to be true until the report was confirmed by the centurion who saw Him die. Verse 45.
Jesus was removed from the cross near the close of the day, and the thieves were both living then, for which reason they brake their legs, so that when removed from the cross, in harmony with Jewish tradition, they could not escape. John 19:31, 32. It is, therefore, quite unlikely that the thief died on the day he was crucified, hence could not have met the Saviour in Paradise that day.
That which has given rise to the controversy concerning the meaning of the text, is the unfortunate manner in which it is punctuated. The very words of the Bible in the original languages in which it was written, are, in the mind of the writer, inspired. But at that time there were no punctuation marks, hence the marks of punctuation are not inspired. The Greek is written without these. The comma came into use near the close of the fifteenth century, and when the Bible was translated, they placed the comma in the texts as their judgment dictated. Later, it has been more fully punctuated. In this case, as well as some others, the judgment of those who have done this work was faulty. They interpreted what God said according to their belief, and punctuated accordingly. Had they placed the comma after the word “to-day” instead of before, it would have then read in harmony with the teaching of the Bible throughout. It would then read, “Verily I say unto thee to-day, shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” That is, Jesus told the thief that day, while He Himself was dying, that he, the thief, would be with Him in Paradise. This is what the text says.
Rotherham, in his most excellent translation of the New Testament, translates and punctuates the text thus: “And Jesus said to him, Verily, to thee I say, this day, with Me shalt thou be in the Paradise.” Then he adds the following foot-note:—
It is left for the reader to determine whether the words “this day” should be joined (a) with the former part of the sentence, or (b) with the latter. In favor of (a) may be urged (1) the fact that semeron, “this day,” does not always stand first in the clause to which it belongs (see Luke 2:11; 5:26; 22:34; Acts 20:26; 22:3; 24:21; 26:29); (2) that being essentially a demonstrative word, it will bear any reasonable stress which may be laid upon it, whether it be placed before or after the words which it qualifies; (3) that it is far from meaningless if regarded as belonging to the opening words of assertion.
(Thou dost ask to be remembered then; verily thou art assured now. As on this the day of My weakness and shame, thou hast faith to ask, I this day have authority to answer); (4) that the latter part of the verse is thus left free to refer to the very matter of the supplicant’s request (“Thou dost ask to be remembered when I come in My kingdom; thou shalt be remembered then: and with distinguished favor: thou shalt be in My kingdom; shalt be with Me in the very Paradise of My kingdom, in the garden of the Lord . . . in that most central and blessed part of the coming kingdom, of which thou dost believe Me to be the destined King.”)
This makes the text clear, and in harmony with the Scriptures throughout. And what faith it revealed as being in the heart of the thief! While the priests, rulers, and all the angry mob were taunting the dying Saviour; while hope had expired in the hearts of His chosen disciples; while shame and ignominy were being heaped upon the head of Jesus, and He Himself dying—the faith of the thief looked through and beyond all this, believed Him a king, believed that He would live and reign as sovereign in a coming kingdom, and requested that in that hour of complete triumph over every foe, he might have a place with Him among the victors. And it was granted. Reader, will you and I be there with the penitent, pardoned thief? G. B. THOMPSON.
Newburg, W. Va.
“HE DELIGHTETH IN MERCY.”
So speaks the prophet of the great Jehovah, our God and Father. “Who is a God like unto Thee,” he exclaims, as he contemplates God’s character, “that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy.” Micah 7:18.
O soul in bondage, will you not believe in God? He delighteth in mercy. Satan would have you believe that God is cruel, vindictive, revengeful, or, at the best, so just that He can not be merciful; that you have committed so many sins that there is no hope for you; and why then should you seek God’s mercy?
But do you not like to do that which you delight in? The thing in which you delight is the thing above all others which you delight to do. Well, God “delighteth in mercy.” He delights to exercise mercy. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.” Ps. 103:8. Merciful is full of mercy; and God has a plenteous supply with which to fulfil all His pleasure.
“But I am such a sinner!” you say. Then you surely need His mercy all the more. Listen to what His Word says: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.” Ps. 147:11. Why then will you not hope? He speaks again: “If any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in Him.” Heb. 10:38. Then why will you draw back from His mercy? Will He not work “all things after the counsel of His own will,” “according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed”? Eph. 1:11, 9. When it is God’s pleasure to have mercy, when He is pleased with those that hope in His mercy, why will you not be a recipient of the fulness of His mercy?
“But does He not say, ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy’? He may not will to have mercy upon me.” Well, doubting one, let the Lord answer the question. You are certainly among one of two classes, the obedient or the disobedient. If among the former, listen: “I the Lord thy God am a jealous God; . . . showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.” Ex. 20:5, 6. Which keepeth “covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments.” Dan. 9:4.
Are you among the disobedient, the wicked, the sinful? Listen again: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isa. 55:7.
It is God’s will, it is God’s good-pleasure, to have mercy upon you; He is pleased to have you hope in His mercy; for He is a merciful God. Will you not accept of His mercy? If you do not in the light of all these gracious assurances, is it not because you love sin more than you long for the righteousness which His mercy brings? O, think of these things, and slight not His mercy! “For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.” Ps. 86:5.
WHAT WE MAY SEE.
By T.
The disciples asked the Saviour, “When shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?” Luke 21:7. Matthew’s statement of the same questions is, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24:3. To these direct questions the Saviour replies that “there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:25-28.
We are here plainly told that there shall be “signs” in the sun, moon, stars, etc., and “then shall they see the Son of man coming.” And “when these things begin to come to pass,” the disciple of Christ is to “look up, and lift up his head; for his redemption draweth nigh.”
Then the Lord points to signs of His coming. And they are not only signs to the believer, but are for the direct purpose of leading the unbeliever to a positive knowledge of the soon coming of Christ. Now, in the very nature of things, the Lord would not point to commonplace occurrences as “signs” of His coming. But marvelous things, in such proportions as the world has never seen the like of them before, stand out as the signs of the coming day.
And just as surely as these “signs” appear, there will come with them an irresistible conviction of what they portend. To say that men, as they behold the marvels which betoken that we are in the last days, will not be deeply impressed with their meaning, is to limit the power and wisdom of God. For when the Lord points you or me to evidence of the greatest of all events, that evidence must be clear and conclusively convincing. Hence, just as surely as our God is infinite in His power and resources, and just so surely as He has pointed to signs of the coming of the Son of man, those signs as they rise in colossal magnitude all about us will deeply impress the mind that the end of all things earthly is at hand.
Then how carefully should we heed the voice of conscience when we know in our very souls that God is speaking to us in these “signs” so long ago foretold in His Word! To say that every one will not have the clearest evidence that the second coming of the Lord is near at hand, is to deny the truthfulness of His Word. And to say that the evidence he presents will not carry conviction to every heart, is to limit the power of the Infinite, and cause Him to appear as a tyrant. Our God, who is all powerful, could not be either just or kind, in presenting “signs” of the coming of His Son, if those signs were not abundantly sufficient to convince.
In His Word the Master tells us of the “signs” by which we may “know” when His coming is near. Have you looked into that Word to see what those signs are? If not, you should hasten to do it. For have not many of the things that are confronting the world to-day filled you with perplexity as to what they portend? As you see the increasing of crime and violence in the land, are you not impressed by the thought that a just God can not endure the scene much longer, and hence must bring the world to an end? This is none other than the voice of God calling to you through the signs given in His Word. He loves you and seeks to save you from the destruction that is even now hanging over this world.
Will you not yield to the entreaties of the Master? For in yielding to Him we are granted the infinite liberties of the eternal day. If your soul is perplexed, if your heart is failing you “for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth,” remember that it is not Jesus who is thus loading you with dread. It is the hand of the Satanic adversary that is oppressing you. But all the while the tender Shepherd is standing near you, offering you the cleansing from sin and the crown of immortal life and joy. The faintest beckoning will bring Him to your side, your Saviour, your Keeper, and your everlasting strength.
And you should not overlook the fact that as the signs of His second coming appear before you, striking conviction into your heart, if you stifle the voice of God, and refuse the messenger of peace to your soul, only hardness of heart awaits you, and you will sustain an infinite loss. And the facts and signs that now strike conviction to your heart, if resisted, will soon fail to affect you, and so you finally place yourself beyond the reach of your dearest Friend, who is seeking to save you.
Heed the voice of God that is speaking to you to-day. Eternal are the consequences of your choice. T.
“THOU SHALT NOT BE AFRAID.”
By T.
“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”
The ninety-first Psalm, from which the foregoing words are taken, is simply one great promise. It is a promise, too, for these very times in which we live. In these closing days of earth’s history, Satan is working his terrors on every hand. Pestilence and destruction will be spreading their ruin everywhere. And right in the very midst of it the Christian is called to stand as an ambassador for his Lord.
But will not the follower of Christ be afraid under those circumstances? Will not the destruction that spreads ruin all around him fill his very soul with terrors indescribable?—Oh, no! Listen to the promise of our Master, “Thou shalt not be afraid.” Please do not read this most precious promise as though it said, “Thou oughtest not to be afraid,” or, “Now don’t get scared,” or, “Try to keep up your courage.” No indeed! Our Father’s promises do not come to us in any such language. We are told plainly, positively, tenderly, and assuredly7“Thou shalt not be afraid.” O, blessed assurance!
Our heavenly Father takes us into His confidence by disclosing to us the things of the future. He tells us that “in the last days perilous times shall come.” 2 Tim. 3:1. That “as it was in the days of Noah,” when “the earth was filled with violence,” “so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” Compare Luke 17:26 and Gen. 6:5, 11–13. The Lord further informs us that there shall be “upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25, 26.
But while telling the world of these terrible things that Satan will stir up at the close of time to fill the soul with terrors, and while we are informed that men’s hearts will be failing them for fear because of the things which are coming on the earth, our Lord also in language of commanding confidence gives His own assurance that “thou shalt not be afraid.” How tender is our divine Master! He knew that when the time is reached in those last days of peril, when the elements will be raging, when abandoned men will fill the earth with violence, the tendency will be for us to sink beneath the terrors of the time. And so He tells us that “He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all Thy ways” (Ps. 91:11), and assuredly we “shall not be afraid.”
How good, how strong, yes, how divinely sublime, are these assuring promises! The Father foresees the danger, and so “His angels, that excel in strength” (Ps. 103:20), are given charge over thee. Is it any marvel, then, that this promise should develop into the grandeur of a prophecy, by foretelling to us that even amid these last-day perils the child of God “shall not be afraid”?
In this time of the world’s greatest danger, God needs men and women whose sensibilities are not paralyzed by fear. As the dangers of our times thicken around us, the heart that is made strong by a daily communion with the infinite Father will be needed as a towering beacon to safely point the lost to the Rock of refuge. The follower of Jesus reads the promise that “He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” And, knowing that this promise from a tender Father is a divinely certain reality, all fear is driven from his mind, and his entire nature is absorbed in the great work that is pressing upon his Redeemer’s heart, that is, to rescue the perishing.
Viewed in the light of the days in which we live, what great opportunities are opened before those who will receive the world’s Redeemer as their own! Not only may we thus be saved ourselves, but immediately do we become the strong-hearted channels through which the Master entreats others to come into the shelter from the rising storm. For in that secure haven it is said of every dweller, “Thou shalt not be afraid.”
And the beauties and strength of this divinely provided haven seem so much more wonderful and desirable when we take into account that it is not hidden in a quiet nook of some sheltered bay or placid inlet that such security is provided, but out in the very midst of the ocean of destructive elements that will furiously rage all about us in these last days, there the ambassador for God rides secure. “A thousand” are falling at his side, and “ten thousand” at his right hand, but the never-failing decree has already been given that “it shall not come nigh” him. Ps. 91:7.
The perils of the last days are already drawing in sight. Social distress and evils of such magnitude and complexity as were never known before, are increasing all about us; storm and pestilence, earthquake and tidal wave, are convincing the inhabitants of earth that this is no longer a secure abode. Then accept the refuge provided by the hand of infinite love, and know from the experience given by the indwelling Saviour that “thou shalt not be afraid.”
T.
Question Corner
“Enquire and make search and ask diligently.”
721. What Day Is the Seventh?
Can it be proved that Saturday is the Sabbath, the true seventh day in succession? G. S. M.
Yes; without a shadow of doubt. However it may have been with men, God has not lost the time. He made the Sabbath in the beginning. Gen. 2:2, 3. More than 2,500 years later He spoke it again in the very heart of His holy law (Ex. 20:8–11), and showed what day the seventh day was, and that it could be no other day, by a threefold weekly miracle for forty years (chapter 16). When Christ was upon the earth, He kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), and the women who followed Him kept it at the time of His death “according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). The next day was “the first day of the week.” Luke 24:1; Mark 16:1, 2. Since that time the regular sequence of the days may be shown in four ways: (1) Astronomy shows that no time has been lost. (2) The Jews scattered among all nations have observed the seventh day, which was the day before the first day of the week. (3) From the days succeeding the apostles Sunday has been regarded with a superstitious reverence, and there has been no question as to what day of the week it was. (4) There is general agreement among all nations concerning the days of the week. The matter has never been questioned, so far as we know, save as an excuse to avoid what ought to be a pleasure,—obeying the commandment of God.
Is the soul and body the same? If so, please explain Matt. 10:28. H. A. R.
Sometimes the soul includes the whole person. See Gen. 2:7; 1 Peter 3:20. Sometimes, as in Matt. 10:28, it means life. Man may destroy the body, but the ultimate power of life and existence are beyond him. Luke 12:4. But God can destroy not only existence here, but the future as well.
723. Who Are Referred to?
Of whom is the Lord speaking in Jer. 16:16? Is it the same people as are mentioned in the two preceding verses? M. L.
He is speaking of Israel, His own people, who will be gathered out of every land, and clime, and nation, born Israel, not by natural birth, but by the power of God, of which Israel of old was a type. The question of Israel involves more than can be considered here. Its origin is found in Gen. 32:24–28. Build on that.
IGNORANCE OF SCRIPTURE.
NO OTHER one book has been multiplied in the world as has the Bible. It has been circulated in whole or in part in nearly all of the languages and dialects of the earth, and scattered by the millions of copies. It is professedly taught in Sunday-school and church everywhere. It would, therefore, seem that men would be familiar with its history and teaching. But the simple fact is they are not. With the multiplication of printing presses a perfect deluge of literature is now flooding the world, good, bad, and indifferent, but mostly bad; that is, it does not result in the formation or building up of robust, pure characters. It is of the earth, earthy. It tends to gross materialism and unbelief in God; at the same time it perverts man's religious faculties in lines as truly superstitious as beliefs of the Kongo natives. It is such literature as this that shuts out from thought and study and heart the all-important Word of God.
In the Sunday Examiner, of San Francisco, January 16, Emerson Miller states that three-fourths of the public-school pupils of California do not go to Sunday-school. The Sunday-schools, Mr. Miller tells us, “are the Protestant child's only resort for knowledge of Bible history and Bible literature, but the average Protestant parent evidently fails to realize it.”
This is a sad and shameful condition, but is probably true. And yet in every Protestant home, or perhaps we should say in every truly Christian home, there ought to be at least six times more Bible taught than is taught in a Sunday-school or Sabbath-school. It should be a continual teaching in precept, in conversation, in example. The life of Christians must come from the Word of God, not as literature or history merely, but eaten, digested, assimilated, and used in work for Christ. “The words which I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63. This is what ails Protestantism to-day, she has forsaken her life for the myths and creeds of Babylon.
“Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me the Fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Jer. 2:12, 13.
ENSAMPLES
By T.
AFTER recounting some of the sins of ancient Israel, Paul says, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor. 10:11. This scripture most clearly states that “all,” not a part merely, but “all these things happened unto them for ensamples.” With this thought before the mind, the study of all the history of ancient Israel becomes at once most important as well as interesting. For it is “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
Thus the statement so often made that “history repeats itself,” is literally true in this case. For we have the assurance of the Scripture that Israel’s history is an “admonition” for us “upon whom the ends of the world are come.” So right in the “last days,” when it is most emphatically true that the “ends of the world are come,” the follies of ancient Israel should be seen and avoided, and the good that God sought to do for them and is now offering to us should be gratefully received.
Satan has tried hard to cover up the importance of the history of Israel during the time before the Christian era. In a word, he has tried to belittle the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures. The great enemy very well knows the important lessons that God designs to teach as He warns us in His Word of the sinfulness of the many, and inspires us by the faithfulness of the few, in Israel of old. Then do not listen to the babbling voices that would mislead you, but cling closely to that Word, which is a sure foundation. T.
