THE NEW YORK Witness, in discussing the new Sunday Law, says:—
“One menacing element is starting up in this Sunday question. The Jews claim a right to use Sunday for traffic, seeing they keep Saturday as the day of rest.”
From the experience we have had with the Sunday Law, we would say that the law is the “menacing element” in the case, menacing those who have observed one day, and obliging them, for their own good of course, to keep two-sevenths of the time.
But the probability is that this obstruction to the law will soon be removed. The leading Jews are counseling an abandonment of the ancient Sabbath. Dr. Kohler, of New York, in a recent sermon on the Sabbath plead for this, not because the Bible record is insufficient to prove man’s obligation to keep the ancient Sabbath, but as a concession to the large number of Jews who use the day for business. He said:—
“As to the Jewish historical day, alas! its pristine glory is gone, and, unless we willingly deceive ourselves, we cannot even cherish the hope of ever seeing it carry the palm of victory. All credit and honor to those faithful few who spare no efforts in upholding and defending it; but we are not blind to the fact that God and Mammon cannot be worshiped at one and the same time. Whether, acknowledging the fact or not, the Jews as a class must, by necessity of competition, keep their day of rest in common with their fellow-citizens, and only the wealthy can afford to make an exception to the rule. I am far from favoring a sudden transfer of the Sabbath, which could only injure the roots of the sacred institution; but I cannot help finding, with the ever-increasing number of enlightened Jews, the only safety for Judaism to consist in Sunday services.”
The San Francisco Jewish Times, comments on this sermon thus:—
As prayer is acceptable to God at all times, only the best results could flow from frequent gatherings in the synagogue, whether the same be on Sunday or any other day. Sunday being by custom and usage a general day of rest, our places of worship would attract more worshipers on that day, and why deny the privilege to those whose longings are to praise God in his temple—in his sanctuary?”
Truly “the glory is departed from Israel.” Their “longings” to praise God in his sanctuary are not strong enough to draw them away from their business on the day which he has appointed. “God and Mammon cannot be worshiped at one and the same time,” therefore God must give place to Mammon. What a humiliating confession. Yet it is one which we often hear professed Christians make. The indications are that a few Sabbath-keeping Christians will soon be all that will uphold the law of God as of more consequence than the law of man. Although we do not expect that the Lord’s Sabbath will ever be kept except by a few, we do cherish the hope that it will yet “carry the palm of victory.” And our hope is well grounded, for God and his truth will prevail, though all the hosts of earth and hell combine against them; and we have the promise that in the new earth “all flesh” shall “come to worship” before the Lord “from one Sabbath to another.” For this time we work and pray.
Mail-Car Burned Near Saratoga
A MAIL-CAR bound for the West was burned quite recently near Saratoga, New York. If any in the East have sent orders to this office, which are not promptly filled, it would be well for them to order again, as the first may have been destroyed.
“The American Sunday.”
WHETHER we are to have in America a Sunday that shall be a rest day, and a day for worship, is a question that will have to be answered in the affirmative within a decade, perhaps within half that time, or not so answered within a century. A struggle is now going on, and which ever side wins the day, wins it for a long time.—Western Christian Advocate.
Methodism and Mammon.
THE “watchmen” are not all entirely blind as to the state of affairs in the professed church of Christ. The New York Christian Advocate bewails the condition of the Methodist denomination as follows:—
“Many things show that the Christian churches of this country are beginning to reap what they have sown. Sermons against covetousness and against the dangers of making haste to be rich have given place to discourses on the ‘Moral Uses of Wealth and Luxury,’ and things of that sort. Little public and less private admonition has been given to the disciples of Christ against the thirst for material gratifications and possessions, the great temptation of our times. Many congregations have become temples of fashion and pride, and their ministers priests of Mammon, though using the forms of Christianity. Methodism has not withstood this generation as it should have done, and Methodism must wear its proportion of sackcloth and ashes.”
Correct This Time.
TRUTH and error are found side by side in this world, and nowhere are they more freely intermingled than in the popular religious journals. We have frequent occasion to notice the false doctrine taught by the Christian Union, and we are therefore the more glad to give place to the following forcible statements of fact, which we find in that paper:—
"It is at the end of this world, when the Son of man comes in his glory, that he gathers the wheat into the granary and burns the tares; that the angels sever the wicked from among the just; that two women are grinding at the mill, and one taken and the other left; that the door of entrance to the wedding-feast is closed, and the belated foolish virgins bewail their folly; that the unprofitable servant is cast into outer darkness; that all nations are gathered before the Judge, the sheep on the right hand but the goats on the left. It is when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, that those who know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Throughout the New Testament, in the words of Christ, in the teachings of Paul, in the pictures of Revelation, the thought is always the same. The final Judgment is connected with the end of all things; never with the end of the individual life."
Forsaking the Fountain of Living Waters
"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." "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee; know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts." Jer. 2:12, 13, 19.
God Does Not Settle All Accounts
WE would not fail to keep before the minds of our readers that God's people are not yet delivered. God made a promise to Abraham, that he should be the "heir of the world," yet he died "not having received the promise." Thousands of faithful ones have died in like manner, looking to the future for the fulfillment of their hopes. We must not expect our reward in this life. If we would be the children of Abraham, we must be content, like him, to be "strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Abraham was called the "friend of God," but it was only because he was willing to sacrifice all that he had and be a wanderer, for the sake of the truth of God. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." The professed follower of God should never plead as an excuse for neglecting to keep his commandments, that they will interfere with his business; our only business should be to serve God. If we do this, God may prosper us beyond all expectation, but if he does not, we should remember that "the Lord is not slack concerning his promise." God does not settle all his accounts in this life.
The Lord, by the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, brings to view the future condition of those who will have their good things in this life, at the expense of God's law, as contrasted with those who serve him now. He says: "Because when I called, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not; therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed; behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit."
Missionary Work for the Winter.
Under this heading in the Review, Elder Haskell speaks as follows concerning the SIGNS OF THE TIMES:—
“Besides the ten thousand copies taken in clubs, we should have
FIVE THOUSAND NEW SUBSCRIBERS.
“We see no reason why we should not have this number, and many more, if all our friends will put forth a little effort, aided by our most liberal premium offer, viz., to furnish a copy of ‘Conybeare and Howson’s Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul’ with the SIGNS, to new subscribers; for two dollars and a quarter. This book is needed by all our brethren who are in any way interested in our Sabbath-school lessons. These lessons, which have just completed the study of the life of our Lord, will soon take up the acts and teachings of the apostles, among whom Paul took so prominent a part. The International Sunday-school Lessons for 1883 are to be upon the same subject, thus making this book very acceptable and profitable to all using the International Lessons. We know of no better book, aside from the inspired volumes, to help the student of this portion of New-Testament history.
Our State tract societies are taking hold of this work, and are ordering quantities of the premium book shipped to their State depositories. Over twelve hundred copies have already been ordered; and we look for a general rally to this work on the part of our brethren from Maine to California. This work is especially suited to new fields, and we appeal to our ministers, tract society officers, and to our brethren and sisters generally, to make one grand strike to largely increase the circulation of our pioneer sheet throughout all the country. The long evenings have already begun. They will soon pass. How many are there who will begin the new year by enrolling their names as workers, determined, at least, to secure a sufficient number of subscribers to entitle them to a copy of the ‘Life of St. Paul’?”
BIBLE SANCTIFICATION:
A CONTRAST OF
TRUE AND FALSE THEORIES.
By MRS. E. G. WHITE.
THIS is a pamphlet of only 84 pages, but its value is not to be judged by its size. It is just what its title indicates: a faithful presentation of Bible truth on this important subject, and an exposure of the false theories prevailing in regard to it. Every believer in Bible truth should read it. Buy it, read it, and lend it to your neighbor. Price 10 cts.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
MAGNIFICENT PREMIUM OFFER
By Editor
WITH THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
FOR 1883.
The Publishers desire to add several thousand new subscribers to their lists during the next six months, and to that end, make the following
LIBERAL OFFER.
To each New Subscriber we will furnish THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES one year with a copy of Conybeare and Howson's
LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL, FOR $2.25.
This magnificent book offered as a premium is widely known as a work of profound learning and extensive research. It is clearly written and intensely interesting.
Ours is a new and popular edition printed from new plates upon tinted paper. It is substantially and elegantly bound, and sells for One Dollar.
We have been largely influenced in our decision to use the Life of St. Paul as a premium for 1883, by the fact that the Sabbath-school lessons for the comming year will be principally upon the subjects treated so ably in this work. Thus making it a most useful book for every Sabbath-school scholar and teacher.
On account of the value and expense of this book, this is the best premium offer we have ever made.
TO OUR OLD SUBSCRIBERS.
To each one of our old patrons who will renew his subscription before March 1, 1883, and send us four new subscribers, we will also send free, by mail, a copy of the premium book.
CHOICE OF PREMIUMS.
If any one prefers a copy of "Geikie's Life of Christ" or "The revised New Testament" (Harper's Brevier Edition), instead of the Life and Epistles of St. Paul, we will furnish them at the same rates whenever it is requested.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES,
By Editor
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT OAKLAND, CAL., FOR THE
Missionary Society of Seventh-day Adventists.
A twelve-page Religious Family Paper, devoted to a discussion of the Prophecies, Signs of the Times, Second Coming of Christ, Harmony of the Law and Gospel, with Departments devoted to Temperance, The Home Circle, the Missionary Work, and the Sabbath-school.
Price Per Year, . . . . . . . . $2.00
In Clubs of five or more copies to one address, to be used in Missionary Work, . . . . . . . . 1.50
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
—OR—
REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Michigan.
MRS. ELIZA PALMER, Sec. N. E. Tract Society, South Lancaster, Mass.
ELD. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, Ravenswood, Shirley Road, Southampton, England.
MRS. C. L. BOYD, Salem, Oregon.