p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 20. (5/14/1902)

Earlier text: LESSON 9.—MAY 31.—THE LAW OF GOD IN THE ARK AND IN THE HEART

Heralds of His Coming

Is the end near? May we know the time? are important questions deserving of the most serious consideration. These, together with many others bearing on Christ’s second advent, are fully answered in this tract.

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PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

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Pacific Press Stockholders’ Meeting

The stockholders’ meeting of the Pacific Press was held April 28, 29. It was an excellent meeting, more than the usual number being in attendance. It was expected that Mr. C. H. Jones, the manager, who has stood at the head of the institution so long, would, on account of needed rest and other considerations, refuse to serve longer; and the stockholders and friends of the institution were anxious for its future.

The report of the president and manager was encouraging in many respects, financially and otherwise. Altho there was a loss in launching anew the publication of the Sentinel of Christian Liberty in its new form, of about $1700, there was an encouraging gain in the publication of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES over previous years. The net gain on the entire institution was over $11,000, of which over $3,000 was donated for missionary enterprises.

The newly elected board is composed of the following men: W. T. Knox, C. H. Jones, A. T. Jones, E. A. Chapman, C. E. Frisbie, W. E. Whalin, J. J. Ireland. Upon the strongest and clearest indications of duty, Mr. Jones again consented to serve on the board, with the promise of a period of rest in the near future.

THE organization of the board is as follows: President, W. T. Knox; vice-president and manager, C. H. Jones; secretary, A. G. Miller; treasurer, E. A. Chapman; auditor, J. J. Ireland. Other parts of the general organization effected are as follows: Manager of the New York branch, S. N. Curtiss; manager of the Kansas City branch, B. R. Nordyke; manager of the Counter Check Book department, J. B. Greenwood; manager of the Book and Periodical department, H. H. Hall; assistant manager of the last department, W. V. Sample; editor of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, M. C. Wilcox; assistant editors, C. M. Snow and W. N. Glenn; committee on Bible Students’ and Apples of Gold libraries, and Our Little Friend, W. N. Glenn, H. H. Hall, M. C. Wilcox; editor Our Little Friend, W. N. Glenn; editor Sentinel of Christian Liberty, John D. Bradley; publishing committee: C. H. Jones, M. C. Wilcox, M. H. Brown, H. H. Hall, A. O. Tait, W. N. Glenn, C. M. Snow.

Other actions were taken of which we may report later, as they develop in our work. All in all, the meeting was the best for years. How it will be manifested in better work for God and more power in His message, will depend upon the individual consecration of the workers.

A Significant Paradox

A Significant Paradox.—The Church Herald says: “The two best recognized ‘Christian’ nations that figure upon the map of the world to-day—England and the United States of America—are also in real fact the two most bristling war powers of the world.” This does not prove that Christianity is a war power after the manner of the world; “for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.” 2 Cor. 10:4. But it does show that the Christian pretense of warring nations is a fraud. The case of Japan is pertinent in that the Christian religion is being encouraged by the government because the so-called Christian nations are so far superior in military prowess, and so far advanced in military methods and munitions of war.

Correction to Article Order

The article on “The Earth,” page 4, should have preceded the one entitled, “Earth’s Future Glory” in our issue of April 30.

A Clean Heart

A Clean Heart.—In that wonderful prayer of the psalmist, found in the 51st psalm, which is also the prayer of the truly penitent sinner of all ages, is set forth the foundation work of all genuine reform among men. “A clean heart” is the necessary beginning. Without that, all reform will prove evanescent and hopeless.

The Fountain of Motive and Action.—The heart is used as expressing the seat of the affections, the mainspring of motive, the fountain of thought. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21, 22), and every other sin in the category, and all these defile the man, even in the cherished thought: “for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart;” and again, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.”

Cleanse the Fountain.—It follows from the above scriptures that the only way to reform the man is to cleanse the heart; the only way to purify the stream of life and action is to cleanse the fountain. “A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” The fountain must be cleansed, the tree made good.

But Whose Heart?—Not the other man’s, not the church’s, not the nation’s, but the individual’s. “In me a clean heart.” No man can truly pray for a clean heart in others unless he himself possesses it. He may ask their salvation from sorrow or trouble, but not from sin in its fullest, broadest, deepest sense. The watchword and order of true reform is not, “The World for Christ, The Nation for Christ, The Family for Christ, Myself for Christ;” it is the exact reverse of this. First of all it is “myself for Christ.” John Knox himself was first reached by the Spirit of Christ before he could pray, “Give me Scotland or I die.” The lips of Isaiah must first be touched with the cleansing coal from God’s altar ere he could say, “Here am I; send me.” “Moses must first look upon God before he could plead even for his own self-effacement that Israel might be saved. And so also with Paul the apostle. His own soul must know the salvation, the unselfish Spirit of Jesus Christ, before he could say, “I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” The work of reform must begin where God by His Spirit begins it, with my heart: “then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.” See Ps. 51:10–13.

How Changed?—Not by human power, or human wisdom, or human education; not by science or scientific evolution; not by law applied by man; not by legislative enactment; not by pledges or resolutions or penance. It is by none of these things that the heart is made clean. Some of these may seem to effect changes, but the change is not lasting. Oftentimes the change is only from one sin to another, as from degradation to pride, from gratification of lust to self-righteousness. But the soul is not thus satisfied; it has no rest; it is not clean. Temptations stir it like the troubled sea; and when God is near, it is afraid. It is not clean. How shall it be changed? The Spirit which inspired the prayer tells: “Create in me a clean heart.” It must be by creation. Any power less than this will prove futile. From the chaos of doubt, and sin, and self-righteousness, and darkness, and unrest, creative power must call forth the cosmos of a clean heart.

How the Fight Against Vivisection Began

Mr. Geo. T. Angell, that veteran worker for not only kindness but justice to animals, has this to say in his valuable little paper, Our Dumb Animals, for February, on the beginning of the strife with the vivisectionists:—

As our readers know, we started this paper (first of its kind in the world) June, 1868, with an edition of two hundred thousand copies, and a few months later published in it what perhaps had never been published before in Massachusetts—an attack on vivisection. At the next meeting of directors (none are living now except ourself) we were astonished to find that several of them had decided, on account of that article (and the cost, as they said, of publishing the paper), to discontinue its further publication. This astonished, we listened patiently without a word of objection, and when they were all through, quietly said that we would relieve the society by publishing the paper thereafter as our own, at our own expense. In the over thirty-three years that have passed since that time, there has never been, to our knowledge, another suggestion that Our Dumb Animals should be discontinued. That question was settled once and for all.

At that time so little was known on the subject that one of our most intelligent judges stopped us on the street to inquire, “What is vivisection?” We found he had not the slightest knowledge of the meaning of the word. They did not teach it in colleges and universities then, as they are beginning to now.

Our Dumb Animals has done and is doing a glorious work. May its light never grow less.

Gone to His Reward

“Gone to His Reward.”—This is one of the standing phrases used in connection with the death of good men. It is being reiterated around the world with reference to the demise of the late Dr. Talmage. From a Bible standpoint, it is not very complimentary to say that a man goes to his reward when he dies. Death is the wages (reward) of sin. Rom. 6: 23. “Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1: 15. Paul’s idea of the Christian’s reward is very clearly expressed. Conscious of his approaching end, he said: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” 2 Tim. 4: 7, 8. So the reward of the righteous is a “crown of righteousness [life, James 1: 12],” not death; and the time of receiving it is not at death, but at the coming of the Lord. Matt. 25: 31-34; Rev. 22: 12. Jesus makes the contrast very plain: “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 [death] abideth on him.” John 3: 36. The resurrection day, and not the day of death, is the time of triumph. 1 Cor. 15: 41-57; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18.

How the Slum Came In.

—Jacob A. Riis, in the Sunday School Times of May 3, well says: “Neighborhoods died when the new industry came in the past century, and drove men apart. Up to that time the poor man and his well-to-do neighbor had often enough lived under one roof, and they knew one another naturally. Now they moved into different parts of the town and became strangers. When the cobbler was sick, his landlord, who lived in the fine rooms upstairs, no longer asked after him; he did not know, and to the uneasy conscience there came, by and by, the wish not to know. Then the estrangement became complete. In the gap the slum grew.” It did, and those who have bridged it are not the “upper ten” in the avenue, but the poor of the tenements. The article ought to be read by all.

Righteousness Must Be Lived

Principles of righteousness are greater than men, because they make men; and yet they are of no worth separate from men. If they are held separate from the life, they are cold, empty, and dead, and will only condemn the one who thus holds them.