Earlier text: THE TWO COVENANTSLESSON XVII.—ISAAC AND REBEKAH.
2. Where was she buried? Verse 19. 3. To whom did Abraham intrust the management of all his affairs? Gen. 24:2; 15:2. 4. What was the character of this servant? 5. When Isaac was forty years old, on what errand was Eliezer sent? Gen. 24:1–10. 6. To what place did he go? 7. Why did Abraham take such a course? 8. What did Eliezer take with him on his journey? 9. Where did he stop when he came to the city of Nahor? Verse 11. 10. Why did Eliezer ask God to guide him in this matter? 11. What token did he ask the Lord to give him? Verse 14. 12. How was his request granted? Verses 15–19. 13. What did Eliezer give Rebekah? Verse 22. 14. What questions did he ask her? 15. What answers did she give? 16. What did Rebekah then do? 17. How was Eliezer invited in? 18. How did Eliezer manifest his prompt and thorough habits? Verse 33. 19. After he had told his story, what request did he make? Verse 49. 20. What reply did he receive? Verses 50, 51. 21. After this what did they do? Verses 53, 54. 22. What decision was finally made in regard to the time when Rebekah should go? 23. How did Isaac feel about the choice that had been made for him? Verse 67. 24. Why is this history recorded? 25. What lesson is taught by it? 26. Where may we find much valuable instruction on this subject? 27. Would it not be well to study it? When Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old, she died; and Abraham buried her in Hebron, in the cave of Machpelah, in a field that he had bought of Ephron. Abraham had a wise servant, named Eliezer, a man of mature years and sound judgment. To this servant Abraham intrusted the management of all his affairs. When Isaac was forty years old, Abraham sent Eliezer to the country of Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, to get a wife for Isaac; for he feared that Isaac might take a wife from among the wicked Canaanites that dwelt near them. So Eliezer took camels, and servants, and rich presents, and went on his journey. When he came to the city, he stopped outside by a well, where the women of the city were accustomed to come out to draw water. Feeling incompetent to judge in so important a matter, he asked the Lord to guide him in the choice of a wife for Isaac. He said, “And let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, ‘Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink;’ and she shall say, ‘Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also:’ let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac.” Before Eliezer had done speaking, Rebekah, a beautiful young woman, came out to draw water, and did just as Eliezer had asked that the one should do whom the Lord had chosen for Isaac. After talking with her, the servant gave her an earring and bracelets of gold, and asked if he and his company could find entertainment for the night at her home. She ran to the house, and her brother Laban came out and invited Eliezer in. Eliezer refused to eat till he had made known his errand. After he had told his story, Rebekah’s people said that the thing proceeded from the Lord, and that they could not refuse. After this, they ate and drank, and Eliezer brought forth many rich presents for Rebekah. It was finally decided that Rebekah should go at once to become the wife of Isaac; for Eliezer was very anxious to return immediately to his master. As Rebekah was willing to go, they started on their journey the next morning. Isaac was much pleased with the choice that had been made, and he and Rebekah lived very happily together. This history is recorded as a lesson to young people of all times, teaching them that in such matters they should rely upon the judgment of parents, or others who are led by the Spirit of God; or that they should, in some way, be sure that they are following the counsel of God. On this subject the Bible gives much valuable instruction, which it would be well to study. I love my God, but with no love of mine,
For I have none to give;
I love thee, Lord, but all the love is thine,
For by thy life I live.
I am as nothing, and rejoice to be
Emptied, and lost, and swallowed up in thee. Thou, Lord, alone art all thy children need,
And there is none beside;
From thee the streams of blessedness proceed,
In thee the blest abide,
Fountain of life and all-abounding grace,
Our source, our center, and our dwelling-place. STRAINING AT A GNAT.
By J. O. Corliss
Our Saviour spoke of a class of people in his day who strained at gnats and swallowed camels. We understand this language to be a strong figure, illustrating the strange inconsistencies of the popular teachers of that age, who made a great ado about the sentiments he taught, and held up their hands in holy horror because the people listened to his plain teachings; yet who had so little sense of the requirements of God that they thought nothing of pandering to the vitiated tastes of popular feeling. The same spirit is shown to a great extent in this generation. A case of this kind lately came to our notice, confirming us in our belief that the truth has in every generation had the same difficulties to contend with, that the Saviour of mankind found and exposed when he was on the earth. While holding tent-meetings at a certain place, a minister attended once or twice, and a great portion of his flock took the same liberty. The result was that some of them became deeply interested in the truth, and of course they became constant attendants. The minister feeling sorry for the part he had acted in the matter, and wishing to wash his hands from the affair, we understand, made a public confession to his brethren in a prayer-meeting, humbly begging their forgiveness, and asking their prayers in his behalf for attending the tent-meeting. To attend an Adventist meeting, where the Bible is explained, was considered such a grave matter that a confession was deemed necessary to palliate the offense. But to sanction church fairs of every description, where hilarity and glee are the order of the day, or to attend festivals for the benefit of the church, where a fee is exacted at the door from the fun-loving community, is thought to be in exact keeping with the religion of Jesus Christ. Some one may say, that perhaps the reason why the latter class of entertainments are taken with so little straining is because they relish better. That may be true; and yet we fail to see the consistency of straining so at the plain truths of God's word, while entering into all the popular amusements of the day, and at the same time claiming to be guided by the Spirit of the living God, which forbids such things; and we can only account for it by regarding it as a remarkable counterpart of the case referred to by the Saviour in Matt. 23: 24-30. The impression is largely prevalent that under the New Testament dispensation there is none. Neither Christ nor the apostles gave any definite rule in the matter, but said, “Freely ye have received, freely give.” Did they therefore expect the church of the latter day to give less than the church in the wilderness? Yet such is the fact, as we all know. Is it not more likely that they had in mind a standard which they expected us to exceed rather than fall below? There was no need of a new law, for there was one already established. Does it seem likely that God had with so much care and painstaking educated the earlier church in this matter without any purpose farther than the supplying of the needs of the church as it then was? We train our children with such habits and principles as we wish to have regulate them all through life, and expect them to go on developing and improving; and if when they come to manhood they ignore our teaching, we are disappointed and grieved. He who understood far better than we, the deep seated selfishness of the human heart, saw the necessity of a training that would tend constantly to undermine that selfishness. Hence, under the old dispensation, in his infant church, he required not only the tithe which was for the support of the priesthood (or as we might say of the ministry), but the first sheaves of the harvest were to be his; the first year's ingathering of all fruits; the very best of whatever was brought as a burnt sacrifice, which was a free-will offering. Also he required of them very much time, and made stringent laws to protect the poor from the grasping avarice of the rich, and, in addition to all the rest, made repeated appeals for free-will offerings of money. Can we suppose a far-seeing God to do all this without a far-reaching purpose? There are multitudes of real Christians to whom such a standard of giving as is here suggested will come as a real shock. They have never come practically to consider themselves as the Lord's stewards, holding all they have as subject to his order. The feeling is, whatever the intellectual conviction may be, “This is mine. I made it and I have a right to it.” And of course this is true so far as man and man are concerned; and the reason we do not practically recognize God's claim to property is because our education on that point has been deficient. Almost every Christian act is performed in the first place as duty. Many a man has had as severe a conflict with himself in making his first public prayer, as he will have in literally holding all his possessions subject to the demands of God's work on earth. But both must be done, and done from principle, until time and the growth of love in the soul make both a pleasure. Let me commend a careful reading of the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. God's displeasure, as there expressed, is applicable to any condition of the Christian in which he is very zealous for certain phases of Christian duty while he neglects others equally important. And while special reference is had to oppression of the poor, it cannot be supposed that he has less care for the starving souls of his children than for bodily suffering. Oh that American Christians would arouse themselves and shake off this great sin of accumulating and holding property mainly for self; for when we do this we shall realize the promise, “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.”—The Advance. Circular Reasoning on the Immortality of the Soul
ADVOCATES of error reason in a circle. For example: They say the soul is immortal, because that certain terms implying duration are used in connection with it; and they hold that these terms, though always limited or extended according to the nature of the object to which they are applied, must express eternal duration in this case, because they are applied to the existence of the immortal soul. This is equivalent to saying, “It is so, because it is so, because——” LESSONS FOR BIBLE CLASSES.
By G. H. Bell
LESSON XVII.—THE SEVENTY WEEKS.
1. How long, from the beginning of the 2300 days, were the Jews to remain the peculiar people of God? Dan. 9:24 2. What was to be accomplished during the seventy weeks? Same verse. 3. When was this first part of the 2300 days to commence? Verse 25. 4. How long was it to be, from the going forth of the commandment, to Messiah the Prince? Ibid. 5. Why are the sixty-nine weeks divided into two parts? 6. To what time in the Saviour’s life were the sixty-nine weeks to reach? 7. How do we arrive at this conclusion? 8. What scriptures throw light upon this point? 9. What was Christ to do during the seventieth week? Verse 27. 10. What was he to do in the midst of the week? 11. To what does this refer? 12. Why would the crucifixion of Christ cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease? 13. What is meant by the confirming of the covenant? 14. How could our Saviour confirm the covenant for one week since he was crucified in the midst of the week? 15. What event marked the termination of the seventy weeks? 16. By what special acts had the Jewish people filled up their measure of iniquity? 17. What is generally admitted in regard to the days of this prophecy? 18. Then how many years would the seventy weeks denote? 19. How is this conclusion made certain? 20. How many years were actually employed in restoring and building Jerusalem? 21. How many years was it from the completion of this work, to the baptism of our Saviour? 22. How long was the gospel preached exclusively to the Jews? 23. At what time in this week of years was the Saviour crucified? 24. At the end of the seventy weeks, what did the Lord direct the apostles to do? In Dan. 9:24, the angel tells the prophet what is to be accomplished during the first seventy weeks of the 2300 days. In the 25th verse he tells him when this long period of time is to commence,—at the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem. He then tells him that from the going forth of this commandment, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks—sixty-nine weeks in all. The sixty-nine weeks are divided into two parts, because the first part, the seven weeks—literally forty-nine years—was to be employed in restoring and building Jerusalem. The word “Messiah” means anointed, and as the Saviour was anointed at his baptism, we conclude that the sixty-nine weeks were to reach to that time. John 1:41, margin. Read Acts 10:37, 38; Mark 1:10; Luke 4:18. In verse 27 we read that “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” This one week must be the seventieth week; for sixty-nine had passed at his baptism. In the midst of the week, he was to cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. This refers to the crucifixion of our Lord; for, as all the sacrifices and oblations pointed forward to Christ, the great sacrifice, they would necessarily cease when he was offered. The confirming of the covenant means the preaching of the gospel of his kingdom. This he did by his own preaching for three and a half years (the first half of the week); and, after his death, by the preaching of his apostles, for the remaining three and a half years. Read Heb. 2:3. At the end of this time, which was at the termination of the seventy weeks, the Lord turned from the Jewish people, and commissioned Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. The Jews had filled up the measure of their iniquity; for not only had they crucified the Saviour, but the Jewish Sanhedrim had formally rejected him. They had just condemned Stephen and caused him to be put to death, although they could plainly see that the glory of God rested upon him. Thus it was that the first seventy weeks of the 2300 days were determined (cut off upon Daniel’s people). It is generally admitted that in this prophecy, as in others, a day stands for a year; so the 2300 days mean so many years, and the seventy weeks, 490 years. The fulfillment of the prophecy in regard to the events of the seventy weeks has made this conclusion certain. At the beginning of the period the commandment went forth; just 49 years were employed in restoring and building Jerusalem; just 434 years after this, the Saviour was baptized; then, for seven years (one week of years) the gospel of the kingdom was preached to the Jews; in the middle of this week of years the Lord was crucified; and at the end of the 490 years the apostles turned to the Gentiles and preached the gospel to them. The Jews were then no longer the peculiar people of God. G. H. BELL. WHERE ARE WE?
By James White
WHEN mariners meet upon the seas, the inquiry is exchanged, “Where are we?” Answers are given as to their latitude and longitude according to their reckoning; and if, after comparing, there is an agreement, confidence is enjoyed by both parties. So with Christian voyagers to the haven of eternal repose. Lines of prophecy containing waymarks, are illustrated by rivers of water, hence the expression that “they show us where we are on the stream of time.” We have a very remarkable illustration of this fact in the following from the twelfth chapter of the book of Daniel: “Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by Him that liveth forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” Verses 5–7. In briefly commenting upon these verses we notice the leading points as follows:— 1. The words, “Then I Daniel looked,” show that the line of prophecy, commencing with Persia, passing Grecia and Rome of the eleventh chapter, and reaching to the standing up of Michael, or the coming and kingdom of Christ, the time of trouble, and the resurrection of the dead, had ended, and that a new scene had opened before the prophet of God. 2. In this new scene three persons appear, holding different positions, “one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river,” while a third, clothed in linen, is upon (above, margin), the waters of the river. 3. The man clothed in linen above the river is the Son of God, one of the two persons beside the river is the angel Gabriel, while there is no means of knowing who the other is. As proof that two of them are Christ and Gabriel we cite the words of the angel to the prophet in chap. 10:21: “There is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.” Michael is the archangel. Jude, verse 9. The archangel is the Lord himself, who descends from Heaven with the trump of God to awaken the righteous dead. 1 Thess. 4:16. Jesus Christ and the angel Gabriel are the persons who act in giving these lines of prophecy to Daniel. A third person appears, but says and does nothing. That the words of Gabriel, “There is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince,” may be true, silence is necessary on the part of the third party. The two persons called “saints” in chap. 8:13, 14, are the Son of God and the angel Gabriel. And it is the blessed Christ of the New Testament whose voice is heard from between the banks of the river Ulai giving the imperative order for the benefit of Daniel: “Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.” Verse 16. 4. Jesus Christ not only gave the prophetic symbols of the several chains of prophecy in the book of Daniel, and also the prophetic numbers, two of which reach to the period when he enters the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary and stands before the mercy-seat and the ark of God containing the ten commandments, but with both hands raised to Heaven he answers with an oath the question of time, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” 5. A flowing river is a most appropriate figure of the lapse of time. Who ever knew a river to become weary and stop to rest? It takes its unwearied course day and night, onward and still onward to its ocean destiny. So time, made up of seconds, minutes, hours, months, and years, is ever passing to the great ocean of eternity. And the man clothed in linen, above the waters of the river, illustrates the position of the Son of God relative to prophetic time, that he is the author of the periods in the book of Daniel. It is true that Christ did say in answer to the inquiry of his disciples, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24:3, that “of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only.” Verse 36. But he also says in the next verse, “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The time of the flood was given to the patriarch in years. Gen. 6:3. This brought that family of eight to the time of waiting for further orders relative to entering the ark, the breaking up of the fountains of the great deep, and the opening of the windows of heaven for the rain to descend upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In this waiting, watching position, Noah hears the voice of God saying to him, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark;” “for yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth.” Gen. 7:1, 4. The prophetic periods brought us to the especial waiting, watching, praying time, where they terminated. We are not timeists in the sense of looking to some future definite date for the second advent. But if holding that the prophetic periods are a portion of the “Scriptures given by inspiration of God,” which are profitable for doctrine, and that they were given by the Son of God for an important object, and that purpose being gained they have terminated, makes a person a timeist, then we are timeists. The writer preached definite time in 1843–4, because he found it in our blessed Bible; but with the clearer view of 1878, that Christ gave those periods and answered the earnest question of the prophet, “How long?” with a most solemn oath, he sees the time revealed to Daniel and John by the Son of God in a clearer and stronger light than he did thirty-four years since. And that the true church might be looking, waiting, and watching for her divine Lord, he not only gave the prophetic periods of Daniel and John, which reach to the end, and the prophetic numbers connected with them, but he has given signs of his coming in the lights of heaven. The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall. We shall not in this article give the evidences that the prophetic words of our Lord respecting the darkening of the sun were fulfilled in the dark day of May 19, 1780, and that the darkening of the moon occurred on the following night, nor that his words respecting the falling stars were fulfilled on the night of November 13, 1833. The facts important to this part of the subject are, that Christ has given signs of his coming, and enforces his words by this simple and most impressive illustration:— “Now learn a parable of the fig-tree. When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Matt. 24:32, 33. When the warmth of spring presses the buds from the leafless branches, and the fields begin to put down their green velvet carpets, and all nature wakes from her winter slumbers, we know that summer is right upon us. Should the frost of early spring, or a slight fall of snow, mingle the pure white with the delicate green, still all sane persons would know that summer was near. He who would take these as tokens of returning winter, would be regarded as a fit subject for the insane retreat. In this figure there is no room for doubt. And as no figure employed in the Sacred Scriptures is stronger than the fact illustrated, the Son of God evidently designed to remove all doubt from the minds of his people, and inspire them with perfect confidence, that they might express themselves in positive terms respecting his soon coming. Immediately following this impressive figure, as if to make the impress still deeper, are these words, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” We trace down the line of prophecy represented by the metallic image of the second chapter of Daniel, from the golden head, Babylon, the silver breast and arms, Media and Persia, past the sides of brass, Grecia, to the feet and toes, Rome in its divided state, and there we find ourselves waiting the utter destruction of all earthly governments, represented by the stone dashing the image in pieces. What next? Answer: The establishment of the everlasting kingdom of God, which includes the coming of the Son of man to destroy his enemies, raise the righteous dead, restore the earth to its Eden glory, and reign with his people upon it “forever, even forever and ever.” The same field of prophecy is occupied in the seventh chapter of Daniel with the use of another class of symbols, the lion, the bear, the leopard, the beast with ten horns, and the same beast with three horns plucked up by the little horn. The kingdom of Babylon is symbolized by the lion of this chapter, the same as by the golden head of chapter second. Persia by the bear, Grecia by the leopard, and Pagan and Papal Rome by the two forms or conditions of the great and terrible beast. The specifications of this prophetic chain are more minute than those of chapter second. The time of the persecuting rule of Papal Rome is given in a manner so very plain, its twelve hundred and sixty years bounded at each end, commencing A. D. 538, and terminating A. D. 1798, that it can hardly be misunderstood. What next? Answer: The second appearing of Christ, the destruction of the beast, his body given to the burning flames. We have passed all the light-houses on the coast of time, and are entering the eternal haven by the light of the judgment fires of the burning day and the blazing glory of the coming of the Son of man. Again, the last three of these four universal empires are symbolized in the eighth chapter of Daniel by the ram with two horns, Media and Persia; the goat, Grecia; and the little horn, Rome. This horn was to become exceeding great, stand up against the Prince of princes at his first advent, and be broken without hands at his second advent. We await the destruction of the man of sin by the brightness of the coming of the King of kings. And there is a line of historic prophecy in chapter eleven, where the symbols are thrown off, beginning with the kings of Persia, and reaching down past Grecia and Rome, to the time when that power “shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” If the feet and ten toes of the metallic image are Roman, if the beast with ten horns that was given to the burning flames of the great day be the Roman beast, if the little horn which stood up against the Prince of princes be Rome, and if the same field and distance are covered by these four prophetic chains, then the last power of the eleventh chapter, which is to “come to his end and none shall help him,” is Rome. But if this be Turkey, as some teach, then the toes of the image of the second chapter are Turkish, the beast with ten horns of the seventh chapter represents Turkey, and it was Turkey that stood up against the Prince of princes of the eighth chapter of Daniel. True, Turkey is bad enough off; but its waning power and its end is the subject of the prophecy of John and not of Daniel. The fulfillment of these lines of prophecy constitutes signs of the approaching end. Christ said to those who were rejecting him, “Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Matt. 16:3. The prophets of God had foretold the humble advent of the Just One at his first appearing, even the time of that event is given in the seventy weeks of the ninth chapter of Daniel. And the fulfillment of these prophecies constituted signs of Christ’s advent. And if words of condemnation fell from the lips of Christ on the Jews for rejecting him, because in their blindness they could not see the few and comparatively faint signs of his first advent, those who close their eyes to the tokens of his second advent will be worthy of greater condemnation than the Jews in proportion as the signs of the second advent are more numerous and are clearer fulfillments of prophecy than were those of his first advent. While the lines of prophecy in the book of Daniel have to do with the four kingdoms, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, that of John pertains to the fourth only, Rome. The Revelation contains four distinct lines of prophecy, measuring the period of the fourth universal empire, covering the history of the church until her Lord shall come. We briefly notice these prophetic chains in the following order:— 1. The seven seals. Prophecy is history in advance. The Revelation was a sealed book, from the fact that it related to the future. Said the angel to John, “Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” Rev. 4:1. But as the car of time rolls down the track of providence, and the specifications of the prophecy are fulfilled, and the events marked by the prophetic pencil become matters of history, the seals are opened in their order. Under the seven seals is the history of the church of Jesus Christ in seven periods, reaching down to the end. The opening of the sixth seal reveals the special signs of the second advent, and opens before us the naked glare of the scenes of the last Judgment. “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who117 shall be able to stand?” The signs of the second advent have been fulfilled, and we now stand under the sixth seal, waiting the coming of the Son of man accompanied by all the holy angels. In their absence from the heavenly courts to escort their Leader and Commander down to earth to raise the righteous dead and change the living just to immortality, every harp and every angel voice will be hushed, and there will be “silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour.” Rev. 8:1. When the ministry of Christ shall be finished, and his blood shall no more be offered to cleanse the sinner of his sins, and the fearful fiat of Almighty God will be given, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still; and behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me,” Rev. 22:11, 12; then all the seals will be open. Thus John is borne down the stream of time. And standing where we stand to-day, he received this order from the angel, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book [or regard it no longer a sealed book], for the time is at hand.” Verse 10. 2. The seven churches. These also represent seven periods of the church of Christ, reaching down to the time when the overcomers shall be seated on their Lord’s throne in the immortal kingdom, as their Living Head overcame, and is now seated with the Father on his throne. See Rev., chaps. 2 and 3. To the sixth church, Philadelphia, meaning brotherly love, Christ says, “Behold I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” This church was composed of those who left their creeds and party strife under the proclamation of the second coming of Christ at hand in 1844, left the several organizations of which they were members, and united in one happy, loving, brotherhood, looking for Christ’s second appearing. And of these, our adorable Redeemer says, “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.” He has the key of David, and is soon to manifest his power and reign on the throne of David. But he says to the last church, Laodicea, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Chap. 3:20. These words of significant import represent no common blessing. But before the blessing can be received and enjoyed there is a great work to be done by those addressed. They are represented as lukewarm. They are under the terrible deception of thinking that they are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, while ignorant of the fact that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. They are exhorted to be zealous and repent. But they are not left here. Jesus offers to be their counselor, and exhorts them to buy of him gold and white raiment. He stands at the door and knocks, and promises that if any man will open the door he will come in and sup with him, and he with Christ. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me.” Here is a work for those addressed to do. Christ will not force his way into the hearts of his people, but when they have prepared the way he will come in and shed his love abroad in their hearts. J. W. MEETING AT BATTLE CREEK.
By James White
Sabbath, September 28, the mammoth tent having been pitched on sixth-day, there was preaching in the tent at 10:30 A. M. and 2:30 P. M. The congregation was very large at both services. It was variously estimated from 800 to 1,200. Probably there were not less than 1,000 adults present, who gave close attention to the word spoken. The writer spoke in the forenoon, and Elder Andrews, who arrived about forty hours before, spoke in the afternoon. J. E. White, with others recently from Colorado, was present to lead the singing. Several pieces were sung from his new book accompanied by an organ, which added much to the interest of our Sabbath service. We were very happy to again stand before the people of our charge, and speak to them the words of life. We spoke seventy minutes with ease, answering the important question, “Where are we?” We traced down the several lines of prophecy in Daniel two, seven, eight, and eleven, showing that all the specifications of these prophetic chains have been fulfilled excepting the crowning event of prophecy, the coming of the Son of man. And while the prophecy of Daniel has to do with four empires, Babylon, Persia, Grecia, and Rome, the book of the Revelation has to do with the fourth only, Rome. We trace down the four leading chains of symbols in this book and find ourselves standing before the Judgment of the last day, waiting for the second appearing of Christ. And although we had done this a thousand times, yet on this occasion the field seemed new, and the evidences more conclusive than ever before. As we followed down the seven seals to the opening of the seventh, we stood before the naked scenes of the last Judgment. And the churches brought us to the preaching of the coming of Christ in the sixth, while the seventh reveals our real condition. Here the inquiry was again raised, in view of the description given of the church of the Laodiceans, “Where are we?” Or, what is our real condition before God? The danger of self-deception was pointed out, references to cases of great deception in Old-Testament history were made, and the church was exhorted to new consecration and devotion to the work of God. In the afternoon Elder Andrews gave a practical discourse of not great length, as he was weary from his journey across the ocean. Elders Andrews and Bourdeau were both greeted by their brethren and old friends with joy. The Sabbath with its services was a very interesting one to the church at Battle Creek, and a good introduction to our camp-meeting. We were very happy to meet Elder Loughborough, from California, this morning, Monday, the 30th. He appears some worn from his excessive labors at the two camp-meetings in California, but enjoys his usual good health and buoyant spirits. He has many old friends who will greet him with joy at the camp-meeting, after an absence on the Pacific coast of ten years. The mammoth tent is pitched in the center of the spacious grounds, and is being seated. The provision tent and the dining tent, and two other large tents for prayer-meetings, will be up to-night, also a dozen or more family tents, including those to lodge ministers, and a forty-foot tent for committees, to be used for a sort of head-quarters for reporting and general business. And the camp-meeting committee will push the work as fast as possible, that all may be in complete readiness for the opening service, Wednesday morning, the second. This camp will be the largest we have ever had. From fifty to one hundred ministers are expected, and probably there will be on the ground not less than three thousand Sabbath-keepers on the next Sabbath. The weather is fine, and should good weather continue, the meeting will hold over two Sabbaths, giving parts of families at a distance an opportunity to attend the first Sabbath, and after their return to their homes the other portions of families can attend the second Sabbath. And may our adorable Redeemer come up to the feast. J. W. The Greatest Heresy: Mercy Without Repentance
The greatest heresy that can deceive the human mind, is the heresy that makes a man believe he can meet mercy while he lives in sin.