p. 744 | Review and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 46. (11/12/1901)

Earlier text: TESTIMONIES FROM THE CHURCHES

The Call to Prayer.

By W. W. Prescott

ANNUAL SEASON FOR 1901, DECEMBER 21-28.

No mere formal appointment or formal observance of a stated time for religious meeting will meet the demands of the present hour. There is a more weighty reason than custom for calling all the people to a special time of prayer and consecration. We face a situation and a work which demand a new experience. If we accept God’s call to give “the Advent message to the world in this generation,” we must accept the power through which alone this great commission can be fulfilled. That power is the same as was bestowed upon the early Church for the accomplishment of a similar work in one generation. “Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Men filled with this Pentecostal gift went forth in the power of the Spirit to preach repentance and remission of sins in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Multitudes of those who heard the simple story of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth were, according to the promise, convicted of sin, and cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The number of believers grew rapidly, and the work spread to new fields. Those who were scattered abroad through persecution “went everywhere preaching the word.” Saul, the bitter opponent of the truth of the gospel, was converted into Paul, the zealous preacher of “the faith which he once destroyed.” As the apostle to the Gentiles he was mightily used of God to carry the good tidings to “the regions beyond,” until he was able to write to the church at Colosse of “the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in all the world;” and to speak of “the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.” Thus in one generation a message was given to all the world. But this was accomplished solely through the direct agency of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of the Father speaking in men. To-day we are called to do a similar work with the assurance of the renewal of the same wondrous gift. Over a territory much more widely extended, and to a people much greater in number, we are now being aroused to give the message of the power and glory of the coming of the Lord in a single generation. Every facility for reaching the people in all parts of the world is at our command for this final ministry of the truth, but nothing will take the place of the anointing of the Holy Ghost. The machinery is here; more power is needed. The wheels are here; we need the spirit of life in the wheels. “Ask, and it shall be given you. . . . If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? . . . If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” We must prove the promise.

In calling attention to the appointed time for prayer and religious awakening, which has been set this year for December 21-28, we wish to direct the minds of all to a definite purpose. It is a time of opportunity. A great blessing is offered as a preparation for a great work. Asking for the blessing should mean consecration for the work. Let there be a united concert of prayer, and all directed to one end—the power of the Spirit for service. A faith that believes for great things, inditing a petition which asks for great things, will bring great things. Who will set his heart to seek the Lord? Who will unite for a time of blessed revival? Who will make a new consecration for service? Who will begin to pray now that this annual occasion may bring a new experience of living power into all hearts through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and thus be a mighty stimulus for the rapid spread of the message in all the earth? Think, believe, act. W. W. PRESCOTT.

Editorial Quotations from Testimonies for the Church

THE quoted items in italic on the editorial pages are from the new volume of “Testimonies for the Church.”

Foreign Mission Board's Missionary Call to Readers

Don’t fail to read the missionary call made in this issue (page 730) by the Foreign Mission Board. More than ever, Seventh-day Adventists are now to be a missionary people. Those who have not the missionary spirit will soon drop out by the way.

Board Discontinues the Berean Library Due to Postage Change

The Board voted last week to discontinue the Berean Library. This will cut off the pound rate of postage. All who order numbers of that library will please therefore add enough to the price to cover postage at the ordinary rates. The reason of the change in the law is that so many conspired together to defraud the government in the matter of postage on the old plan. They would send out vast amounts of advertising circulars for their own pecuniary advantage, at pound rates of postage.

Sabbath Service.

THE venerable pastor of the church, Elder I. D. Van Horn, occupied the Tabernacle pulpit, Sabbath, Nov. 9, 1901, taking for the foundation of his remarks 1 Cor. 15: 1-3. After singing by the choir, reading of Scripture by Elder H. M. Mitchell, and prayer by Elder A. C. Bourdeau, Brother Van Horn gave a good gospel sermon from the Scripture named. These old gems of truth shone with new light under his polishing. He traced the work of Christ in all its departments, showing that the gospel pertains to all dispensations, and that it is all wrong to single out the dispensation since Christ and apply to it exclusively the term “gospel dispensation,” as the dispensations from the garden of Eden till the present time have all equally had the gospel. He traced events down to the present time, showing that we have passed down this side the beginning of the message of Rev. 14: 6; showed what death it was (the death in Adam) which Christ abolished when 2 Tim. 1: 10 was fulfilled; contrasted the “hour of His judgment” of Rev. 14: 6, with the “day of judgment” of Acts 17: 31; 2 Peter 3: 7. He then traced the work of judgment down through the thousand years, which time is occupied with examining the records of the wicked, when such passages as 1 Cor. 6: 2 are fulfilled; then at the end of the thousand years, sentence is executed upon the wicked in the second death, from which a clean universe comes forth. There is no flaw nor failure in any part of the work of the Lord. Shall we be prepared to have a part in the final outcome?

Circulate the Books.

By Editor

The Circulation department of the Review and Herald is making a strenuous effort to clear our shelves of a large assortment of books, some of which have lain in stock for a long while. To do this, a great reduction in price has been made on several. Read the notices on the fifteenth page of this paper. We notice that the excellent work by M. E. Kellogg, entitled “The Supremacy of Peter, or, Did Christ Establish a Supremacy in the Christian Church?” which has heretofore been offered for $1.00 a copy, is now offered for 50 cts. a copy. We have been surprised that this work, which has been before our people for four years, has met with so slow a sale. We can assure all our readers that if they had been so often called upon to explain John 20: 21-23 as we have been in our forty-nine years’ connection with this Office, they would hail such a book as this with open arms. This work not only explains these texts of Scripture, which Catholics make such a handle of, and which are generally regarded such difficult texts for Protestants, but many other cunning constructions of the Sacred Writings which Catholics endeavor to twist to their own advantage. Read the book.

Will You Aid?

By S. H. Lane

THIS question is addressed to every one of our people everywhere. Among the many imperative demands of the cause, there stands prominent the one to sell “Christ’s Object Lessons.” This book was donated especially to free our denominational institutions from debt. The book was issued a year ago, and many of our people took hold of the work with a will, and several thousand dollars was brought in toward the liquidation of the debts of our various schools.

Now we wish that every one in our ranks would take hold this year as never before. There is your merchant, your tailor, your blacksmith, in fact, all with whom you do business, to whom you may sell a book if possible. Canvass your neighborhood, and let us all take hold and see how many can be sold between now and the holidays. It is an excellent book for a Christmas present. Between now and December 15, people will purchase many books for the purpose of making presents to friends, and shall we not supply them with “Christ’s Object Lessons”?

Last year the idea was suggested that each one sell six books. Many did this, and the work proved successful. The number was sold. We trust all such will take hold again this year, and sell many more than this number. Let us not forget this matter, but take hold and work with all our might. Order sample copy from your tract society if you have not one on hand. Who will aid now?

S. H. LANE.