If one of us should receive word that on a certain day in each year the President of the United States would be pleased to receive and entertain us and our friends at the White House, we should feel that we had been very highly honored; and no doubt we should be very prompt in accepting such an invitation and entering into an engagement to be present if circumstances would permit.
The Christian has a special engagement with God, not once a year, nor once a month, but every week. God has seen fit to appoint a time in which all his intelligent creatures would be expected to hold special seasons of communion, through the Holy Spirit, with the Creator of the heavens and the earth,—their Father and their God,—in which they would meditate on the works of his hands and the truths contained in his word, and endeavor to render to him the homage due from the creature to the Creator.
“It must be clear to every reasonable mind that if God has appointed a special time for sacred rest and worship, it is the time when he is ready to receive special worship, and when all heaven is prepared to minister special blessings to those who have prepared their hearts to receive them. We may seek the Lord at any and all times. We may have prayer-meetings and other services, and the Lord may meet with and bless us, as he often does; but such services do not have the solemn, sacred character of those held on God’s holy rest day. The Sabbath services ought to be regarded as most solemn yet joyous occasions. This is the time appointed of God for calling to mind the infinite works of his wisdom; the time to have the heart enlarged by contemplating his boundless mercy and grace to a fallen world; the time for every faculty of our being to be ennobled and purified by having the thoughts drawn away from the perishing things of clay to contemplate the glories of the future immortal kingdom.
He who undertakes to honor God by observing his rest day has a most solemn engagement to keep, and weighty consequences hang upon the manner in which the engagement is kept. “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isa. 58:13, 14.
He who belongs to Christ is a child of Abraham. Gal. 3:29. The text just quoted involves the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham. As Christ is the seed through whom the promise is to be fulfilled (Gal. 3:16), it plainly follows that if we would share the blessings of the future inheritance we must walk as he walked. 1 John 2:6. While on his earthly mission, he kept this weekly engagement with God. Luke 4:16; John 15:10. If we follow his steps in this respect it will greatly aid us to see other ways in which we can walk even as he walked. Then every Sabbath-day the people of God will be cheered by our presence at the house of worship. The Psalmist says: “I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.” And again: “They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.” Ps. 119:63, 74.
There will be joy and gladness in the companionship of those who keep their engagements with God. The voice of praise and thanksgiving will be heard in their assemblies. They will have words of comfort and good cheer to speak one to another, and the Lord will hearken, and write their testimonies in his book of remembrance. Mal. 3:16. And by and by, when the whole family of earth is brought home, there will be joy and gladness unalloyed in the companionship of those who have loved God and kept his commandments, and the Lord will grant them all the Heaven-sent privilege of keeping this weekly engagement with God throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Isa. 66:22, 23. How the minds of redeemed immortals will then expand, and how their hearts will thrill with emotion as they contemplate with undimmed vision the infinite works of God, none but the redeemed host shall ever know. G. D. Ballou.
ASTONISHING!
By A. O.
The Chicago Inter Ocean, together with quite a number of the papers of eastern Illinois, are authority for the statement that “A Presbyterian elder of Kankakee, Ill., who is quite a domino player, closed the benediction to his discourse not with ‘amen’ but ‘domino.’”
About thirty miles distant from the above place there is a small congregation of United Brethren. One of the number, a class leader, becoming cold and careless about religious matters, was visited by the minister, who desired to pray with him. While they were praying, a son, about thirteen years of age, came in from the field to inquire of his father about a piece of work; and seeing the rest of the family all on their knees, and hearing the minister praying quite loudly, the boy, not being accustomed to such scenes, and mistaking the minister’s prayer for cursing, supposed him to be a burglar about to murder all the family, and that they were on their knees with their heads on chairs (a position children often take to cry) crying. Whereupon the boy dashed across the prairie at the top of his speed to the nearest neighbor, half a mile away, and almost breathless with fear and exhaustion related his story. Two men from this house mounted horses and rode as rapidly as possible to what they supposed would be a scene of murder, only to find the family just arisen from a season of prayer.
Are not these facts astounding?—a professor of the gospel so absorbed with gaming even carries it into the pulpit, and in the solemn moment of the benediction says “domino”—should say “amen;” also a class leader having a son thirteen years of age so unacquainted with prayer as to mistake devotion around the family altar for the work of the assassin. Let those who think they are about to be converted, meditate on the above. A. O.
THE POPE'S TOLERATION TO-DAY.
Many flatter themselves that Romanism to-day is not what it has been in ages past, that it has surrendered many of its repulsive features to the spirit of freedom and progress of modern times. Let those who think so read the following which the N. Y. Observer, under the above heading, prints in its issue of April 9, 1885:—
“We recently published the order from the Vatican expelling a Protestant preacher from Rome in 1866. That was nearly twenty years ago and under a former Pope. Now read this from Pope Leo XIII., addressing his Cardinals last Christmas:—
“‘It is with deep regret and profound anguish that we behold the impiety with which Protestants propagate freely, and with impunity, their heretical doctrines, attacking the most august and the most sacred dogmas of our very holy religion, even here, at Rome, the center of the faith and the seat of the universal and infallible teacher of the church; here, where the integrity of the faith should be protected, and the honor of the only true religion should be secured by the most efficient means.
“‘It is with sorrow of heart that I see the temples of heterodoxy multiplying under the protection of the laws, and liberty given in Rome to destroy the most beautiful and the most precious unity of the Italians, their religious unity, by the mad efforts of those who arrogate to themselves the impious mission of establishing a new church in Italy, not based on the stone placed by Jesus Christ as the indestructible foundation of his heavenly edifice.’
“He declares it is with sorrow of heart that he sees Protestantism establishing churches in Italy ‘under the protection of the laws.’ Happily he no longer makes the laws, but if he could he would expel every Protestant minister from Rome, from Italy, from Europe, from the world.”
COLLEGE ITEMS.
The second term of this College year will close on the 21st of April. It has covered two weeks, or more than one half of the College year. This is a long time to devote to close application to books, and our students will welcome the respite from College work, which will be furnished by the solitary week set apart for the vacation. The term is made thus long because into it are crowded the missionary work, the special course for the canvassing and colporteur institute, and nearly all the instruction that is designed to fit young men and women for our special denominational work.
It is with satisfaction that we review the term that is just coming to a close. It is exceptional in its character. Probably there has been no other term in the history of the school which has furnished to pupils as good opportunities for qualifying themselves for the work of the ministry as the one which is now coming to an end. This is particularly true of its closing weeks. A series of popular lectures presenting to the public in an attractive and impressive form the fundamental principles of our faith has been delivered at the Tabernacle by some of our most experienced teachers. This has given to those students who, through the lectures of Eld. U. Smith, had previously been acquainted with the Scripture argument upon which the points of our faith rest, an idea of the best method of presenting the truth before the people in a way calculated to both interest and convince. In addition to this, Elds. Butler and Canright have discussed, before special classes in the College, in an able and satisfactory manner, questions with regard to those practical duties, labors, and responsibilities which necessarily devolve upon a minister who enters the field of active service.
These instructions have covered such points as the organization of churches, the pitching of tents, the selection of fields of labor, the order in which subjects should be presented in a course of lectures, and the method of testing the people, etc., etc. In addition to this, while Bro. W. C. Sisley, with the aid of Eld. [illegible] and others, has conducted each day classes in which instruction has been imparted in the canvassing and colporteur work, Bible readings, etc., with the object of fitting young men and women for useful service in the work of selling our publications, obtaining subscriptions for our periodicals, and presenting the truth before the people generally.
Last but not least of all, a revival movement has been carried on in the College and the church in connection with the other special work, in which scores of persons have given their hearts to God, many of whom have gone forward in the ordinance of baptism.
CURRENT THEOLOGICAL READING.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are immortal. For man, his days are as the days of eternity; like the grass or the flower of the field which withers in an hour and is blown away, so that its place may no more be found,
For what is your life? It is unlike a vapor, appears for a little time, and then vanishes. Death is a veritable birth into a higher and enduring life.
The Necessity of a Thorough Change
By Robert South
—Nothing less than a thorough change will avail; neither tears nor trouble of mind, neither desires nor intentions, nor yet the relinquishing of some sins, nor the performance of some good, will avail any thing, but a new “creature” that comprehends more in it than words can express; and perhaps after all that can be done, never thoroughly to be understood by what he hears from others, but by what he must feel himself.—Robert South.
PREACH THE WORD.
Thus the apostle Paul charged his son Timothy. It is a charge and exhortation which needs much to be repeated in these days to preachers, both young and old. As we have occasion to read and look through many sermons, to say nothing of those we are occasionally privileged to hear, we are struck with the poverty of scriptural thought and quotation. There is a text, indeed, to begin with, and that is from the Bible; and in the text there is a theme, if not evolved, at least suggested; but, for the rest, in many—too many—cases, there is little else than the excogitation of the preacher. We would not venture to say that such sermons are not good sermons of their kind, nor that they do not do good. Certainly they are often very interesting to hear, and give evidence of much careful study, and have in them the suggestion of personal earnestness; but there is little or no preaching of the word in them.
It is a question whether the modern seminary training given to young men is any improvement on the old-fashioned way of training up young men in the studies and in the parishes of the more learned and successful ministers, where the chief text book is the Bible itself, studied in close proximity with the people of the parish. Whether the large place given to the study of science and philosophy and the systems of theology current in our day, is not doing much to train the young preachers away from the constant study and practical use of the Bible, is a question that is fairly open to debate. It probably would not be practicable, in this “fast age,” to preach such sermons as the fathers of the seventeenth century did; but it is certainly refreshing to turn away from modern sermons, even the best of them, and spend an hour or two with one of John Flavel’s masterly productions, saturated and buttressed as they are from beginning to end with the Scriptures; or with one of Richard Sibb’s or Henry Smith’s or David Clarkson’s or John Bunyan’s. The young minister who has not read and studied the sermons of Stephen Charnock or Thomas Adams has lost a treat and help which he can ill afford to lose. After being in company with these old masters of the word, the ordinary sermon, or even the very best of modern sermons, which are found in the printed volumes of the day, seem like the veriest skimmed milk, to say nothing of the lack of the flavor and taste of strong meat.
A return to a more scriptural method of preaching, a wider use of the actual word of God, both in the construction and body of our sermons, is, in our judgment, one of the imperative demands of the present necessity. With a revival of scriptural preaching, by which the conscience and heart of our audiences would be brought face to face with the very word of God, we have no doubt there would be a widespread revival of religion among the churches, and a great ingathering of souls from among those who believe not. It is the word of God that is “quick and powerful,” and not our thoughts about that word, or our conclusions drawn from it. It is well enough, and of course necessary, that the preacher furnish the sword of the Spirit with a handle by means of which he may wield it; but it is the sword and not the handle that is to do the work of conviction and conversion. The Holy Spirit is not pledged to make our words powerful, but he is pledged to energize and fill with life and power the words of God. We fear that most of us have fallen into the habit of going out to battle with the handle only, or, at least, we have made the handle so largely out of proportion with the heavenly blade that it is of little use in the conflict.
It was the method of our Lord to instruct his disciples, confound his enemies, and comfort, cheer, and bring life and hope to the perishing, by means of the Scriptures. The great sermons of Peter, Stephen, and Paul were all drawn from the word of God. It is true that in all probability, we have but the outline of their discourses given us in the New Testament. But admitting that these records be but the skeleton of their discourses, we have in them the suggestion of the true method of preaching.
Not a few persons are often perplexed to know why it is that some unlearned evangelist, who has had no training in the college or seminary, is more successful in winning souls than are some of the most eminent preachers and learned divines. May the question not be answered and the wonder explained by a reference to the fact that their sermons are hardly more than a collocation of Scriptures, arranged and set forth with a view to move the mind and heart of the hearer. “A mere stringing together of Scripture without any evidence of original thought,” said a critical preacher in our hearing once, with something very like a sneer, as he turned away from one of Mr. Moody’s Bible readings. And he was rather disgusted, and we fear a little angry, because, at the close of the reading and short, pointed appeal based upon the word preached, some forty or fifty men and women followed the unlearned preacher to the inquiry room, to be instructed in the way of life more fully. He could not see where the homely evangelist’s power was. Let our readers, both ministerial and lay, ponder this inspired exhortation, “Preach the word;” and, perhaps, if the former class will adopt it and follow it a little more closely, and the latter class insist that more of the word be given in the sermons they go to hear, we will soon see a different state of things in our churches. Professor Park is said once to have given as a reason why he omitted the reading of the word during a hot afternoon service, that his sermon was rather long, and he felt that, in order to bring the whole service within the usual hour, he had to leave out something; and so he omitted the scriptural reading. “Humph!” said the old deacon who had noted the omission of the Scripture lesson: “Suppose you leave out some of your own stuff the next time.” Perhaps we might do well to take the deacon’s advice, too.—Independent.
How a Minister Should Visit.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
That visiting from house to house is an important part of every minister’s work, all admit; but how to do that work is quite another thing. Merely going to see, being there, staying there, visiting there, may do no benefit at all to the family. In fact, it may be positive injury to them. The way it is done tells for good or for ill. On this point Bishop Simpson makes these pertinent remarks:—
There are, however, some ministers to whom pastoral visiting is not of great service. They have been accustomed to mingle with the people; they enjoy society, shake hands with every one they meet, and are at home everywhere. Such men need their books more than they do society. They are loving, earnest, constant preachers, but are seldom profound and solid thinkers. Their congregations love to meet them; they think more of their conversation at the fireside than they do of their work in the pulpit. Such ministers may be met at almost every funeral, and take time to go to the cemetery, even if it be three or four miles distant. They attend every festival in the different churches, mingle in all gatherings, know everybody, and learn everything except how to honor the Master and his cause in their public sermons.
Sometimes young men who aspire to nobler things, behold a radiant glory in gospel truth, and have a longing desire to unfold it, are repelled from visiting by the superficial character of the pulpit exercise of this class of men. Yet they should remember that these men do but little true pastoral work. They call familiarly in various families, and join in fun and laughter, sit down in a circle to smoke cigars, and are ready to join in recreation or amusement, and leave without a word spoken for Jesus, or a prayer offered in behalf of the family. Seldom is a man found in the cabins of the poor, by the side of the sick, or in close, sympathetic conference with the prodigal young man who is breaking the hearts of his father and mother, and is wandering to the depths of sin. Seldom is he found pleading with such a one to reform his life and turn to his God. Seldom is he found in earnest conversation, endeavoring to bring heavenly consolation to the heart of the suffering widow, or to drop a word of instruction and comfort to the orphan child. Seldom is he found visiting the man of business who is in embarrassment and distress, and whose heart is wrung with agony under the pressure of difficulties and responsibilities.
As the result of long observation, I am satisfied that those who are the closest students, and are by nature the most timid, become the best pastors, when they conquer themselves and instruct the people from house to house; for they go not to spend the morning in trivial conversation, but they go under the conviction that Christ has sent them as his servants, in his stead, to bear his benediction to the house. Their words are not words of mere compliment, but of light and joy drawn from the Holy Scriptures. They tell of the wonderful love of Christ, of the exhaustless store of spiritual riches in reserve for those that love him. Their touch is as the helping hands of brothers who lift up the lowly, the discouraged, and the sorrowing.”—Lectures on Preaching, 257–259.
This is the kind of visiting that God will bless, and which we shall not be ashamed to meet in the Judgment.
D. M. CANRIGHT.
SCRIPTURE QUESTIONS.
By W. H. Littlejohn
ANSWERS BY W. H. LITTLEJOHN.
331.—SABBATH WORK WITHIN THY GATES.
M. J. M.: Should a man allow any person to work on the Sabbath-day on land belonging to himself, and in his possession, he would be guilty of violating that portion of the fourth commandment which forbids us to allow the stranger to do work within our gates on the Sabbath-day. The term gate is applied generally to the opening through which people enter upon any given premises. The owner of a piece of ground, if in full possession of the same, has a right to prevent people from entering thereupon; or in other words from entering his gates. That the term gates as used in the commandment covers all the entrances of the inclosure in which a man’s house is placed, needs not to be demonstrated here; since it would make nonsense of the commandment to interpret it simply as prohibiting labor on the Sabbath in the gateway of one’s premises. The only point about which there is room for difference relates to parcels of ground remote from the homestead. That such pieces of land (as stated above) would come under that portion of the Sabbath law under consideration, must be true; since otherwise no good reason could be assigned for prohibiting work by the stranger on one’s homestead on the Sabbath-day. The reason for the latter prohibition obviously is this: God was anxious that every man should throw his example in favor of complete Sabbath rest by enforcing it on all the territory over which he had the right of control. Such right of control over the land owned by him belongs to every person who has a perfect title to the ground, which he holds in possession to the fullest extent of that word. As, therefore, remoteness of locality does not destroy a man’s right to control his own land, the principle of the commandment would require that he should forbid work to be done upon it on the Sabbath-day, so long as his right to the possession of it remains perfect. In no other way could he show by his own course of action that he insisted that all within his gates (or under his control) should observe the Sabbath law.
Elsewhere I have proved that the leasing of premises takes away the right of possession on the part of the owner so far that he could not rightfully attempt to dictate as to what should be done on them during the Sabbath-day. Such premises have passed out of his control to that extent that they could no longer be said to lie within his gates. This fact is recognized in the law of the State; since it never holds the lessor responsible for any violation of the Sunday statute which may be committed by a lessee.
332.—THE LEAVES OF THE TREE.
A. B.: In Rev. 22:2 read “for the service of the nations,” instead of “for the healing of the nations.” This reading is admitted by the original. (See “Thoughts on the Revelation” on this passage.) As there is to be no disease in the New Jerusalem, it is difficult to see how the leaves of the tree could heal the nations. On the other hand, it is easy to perceive how they might be of “service” in preventing disease, etc.
333.—THEY HEARD, AND YET THEY DID NOT HEAR.
M. L. T.: Acts 9:7 and Acts 22:9 can be harmonized in this way: the original word translated “hearing” and “heard” respectively in these passages, is sometimes rendered “to hear,” and sometimes “to understand.” Both of these renderings are admissible, and the connection must determine which is to be employed. If our translators had given to this word one of these meanings in one passage, and the other in the other, the difficulty would be obviated; as it is possible for men to “hear” a voice and not “understand” the words spoken.
334.—GREEK WORDS.
E. M.: None of the Greek words which you submit mean “immortal.”
Indiana Field Reports: Benton and Brookston Churches
Indiana.
BENTON, APRIL 14.—I have been here nearly two weeks. Have given sixteen discourses to interested listeners, and taken three orders for “Sunshine” Signs. We trust some good has been done as a result of our efforts in the fear of God to save souls. Bitter prejudice from men of influence has been against us. On account of the rent of our house and other expenses connected with it, it seemed advisable to abandon it for the present. I have received an invitation to speak in a neighboring school when the weather becomes warmer. A. E. STUTZMAN.
AMONG THE CHURCHES.—I have been laboring at the churches ever since the General Conference. Have been quite successful, by the blessing of the Lord, in bringing new ones to the light of the truth and in strengthening our older brethren. March 26 to April 2, I was with the new company at Brookston. The meetings were excellent. We closed with a prayer and social meeting, at which twenty-six took part in prayer. Will meet with them again the first Sabbath and Sunday in May, at which time about thirty will be baptized, and a church organized. The future for this company is bright; they will keep near the Lord. They have a house of worship in process of erection, but money is so scarce in this part of the State that the work moves slowly; yet we hope that they will be able to finish it this autumn. My courage is good in the Lord. J. M. R.
NORTH LIBERTY.—The district quarterly meeting was held at this place, according to appointment, April 11, 12. Eld. Lane had expected to attend the meeting, but as he anticipates starting for Europe sooner than he had intended, he thought it impossible for him to be present. By request of Eld. Lane I filled the appointment. I was surprised at so large an attendance of those not of our faith. I attribute it largely to the earnest efforts of our brethren and sisters in scattering reading matter. I had a very pleasant visit with the M. E. minister. He had never met any of our people until he came to this place, but said that he found them very devoted and earnest in trying to get others to see what we believe, and I thought it showed a good spirit. He and his wife attended our meetings. The ordinances were celebrated Sabbath afternoon, and as we partook of the emblems of the broken body and shed blood of our dear Saviour, God came very near by his Holy Spirit.
The tract meeting was held Sunday afternoon. The churches in the district except one reported; members were added to the society. Seven meetings in all were held, closing Sunday night with a full house. I believe that if a series of meetings could be held here, much good could be done. I left the brethren greatly encouraged. May God help the brethren to be faithful in doing their duty, which is to do all they can to spread the truth. M. G. HUFFMAN. April 14.
WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
By John Norton Loughborough
DAYTON AND PATAHA PRAIRIE.—Since my last report, Bro. Decker and myself have visited and held meetings with these two churches. At Dayton Bro. Decker spoke three times and I twice. In a business meeting of the church, one member was disfellowshipped who had ceased to observe the Sabbath, and one person was received into membership by vote. There seems to be a growing interest at Dayton, and if the members of this church will be faithful in living the truth, there is no reason why they may not soon have others to unite with them.
From March 13 to 15 we were with the church at Pataha Prairie. This church has been organized about six years. Quite a number of its members were formerly German Baptists (Dunkards); and it has taken considerable time for some of them to yield their views in favor of trine immersion, and submit to receive single immersion. We had a very interesting time with this church. Bro. Decker spoke four times and I three times. On first day afternoon he baptized eleven persons. Three of these united with the church. The others were those who had formerly accepted trine immersion, but now esteemed it a privilege to be baptized. This, as some of them expressed it, was “starting anew.”
There is very little outside interest at Pataha. Only two or three persons outside the ranks of our own people attended our meetings, except the last one first day evening. On that evening, after the course, a business meeting was held, in which Moses Hunt was elected and ordained elder of Pataha church. On the morning of the 16th, Decker and I separated, after three weeks of pleasant association together, he to go to Milton, some new field down the Columbia, while I continued my tour among the churches and scattered Sabbath keepers of eastern Washington Territory.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
S. FULTON
By S. Fulton
Tennessee.
LEACH.—Held meetings at this place and adjoining neighborhood from Feb. 28 to March 31. A deep interest was manifested all through the meetings. The Spirit of the Lord moved upon hearts, and we believe much good was accomplished. During this time thirty meetings were held and sixty visits made. Twelve copies of “Great Controversy,” Vol. I, were sold. Six subscriptions for the REVIEW were taken, and one for the Signs. Eight members added to the church, which now numbers forty. The majority of the church pledged to pay their tithes into the treasury of the Lord. We have reason to hope that hereafter each member will perform his duty in this respect. Eld. Butler’s pamphlet, “The253system” is highly appreciated, and we are satisfied it will accomplish great good to the cause in this vicinity. We hope the brethren will study it diligently and prayerfully. We are now engaged in a series of meetings in the village of Springville, about two miles from the S. D. Adventist church. Some are interested, and we trust good is being done. The presence of the brethren adds greatly to the interest of the meetings.
S. FULTON
March 26
By A. C. Bourdeau
Italy.
The Waldensian Valleys.—Many of our friends in America have doubtless read, with interest, works that have been published concerning the Waldenses of the valleys of Piedmont, and the persecutions and sufferings they endured in the Dark Ages, and even more recently, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, on account of their faith. Would that the inhabitants who occupy these valleys now,—being mostly the descendants of those heroes who suffered so much in the past,—might have the firmness, the integrity, and the disposition to fully live out the truth, and to suffer for Christ’s sake, that their forefathers had.
During the present century, an effort has been made by the Protestants to gain a foothold here. They now have an educational institution in Torre Pellice, and nearly twenty houses of worship, with perhaps more than that number of preachers, in these valleys and the surrounding mountains. The means for the support of their institution, preachers, etc., come almost entirely from abroad. For some time it has been thought that their officials were too much at ease in Zion, and did not manifest the zeal and activity in the work which they should; hence real piety is at a very low ebb among them, and immorality, drunkenness, imbecility, deformity, degradation, and stern poverty, seem to be nearly as apparent among the professed Protestants as among the Roman Catholics. Still there are honest people in this part of old Italy, as well as in other surrounding countries, who seem to have their eyes opened to these things, and to manifest an interest in the work of the Lord; but they need to have their minds enlightened by the great and glorious truths that belong to our times.
I am happy to be able to confirm the good news which has been published concerning the work that is in progress in Torre Pellice. After I reached these valleys, Feb. 24, my brother and I labored together one week, until his return to Switzerland. He was worn on account of excessive labor, and it seemed necessary that he and Bro. Vuilleumier should return home for a while. Notwithstanding the determined opposition which is made in many ways against us and against the views we advocate, the work here seems to be progressing slowly but surely. We now have a meeting hall which will hold two hundred persons. Thus far I have given nine discourses per week—forty in all—besides visiting families with Bro. Geymet. The new converts feel more established in the truth; and others who had been discouraged on account of difficulties they had encountered, have decided to move onward with God’s people. New friends are expressing their desires to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, that they may be prepared for Christ’s coming.
Last Sabbath, March 21, we organized a Sabbath-school, according to the plan adopted by our churches, for children and adults. The lessons employed are the same as those printed for our Sabbath-schools elsewhere. At its commencement our school here had twenty-two members.
Good news comes to us from Roumania, Corsica, and other places, which shows that our new friends are holding on to the truth. May God speed on his work. Laborers in the Master’s vineyard, let us buckle on the armor anew, and take courage in the Lord. A. C. Bourdeau.
March 26
SWEDEN
By John G. Matteson
ÖREBRO.—The last three weeks I have been in Örebro, a city in central Sweden, of about 14,000 inhabitants, helping Bro. Johnson. He had held six meetings in our hired house before I came. I then spoke three times in the same place. We had two rooms where about one hundred and thirty persons could be seated. We then moved the meetings to a larger hall, in a more central place, with room for three hundred persons. The interest has been excellent. Although the leading paper in the place had a reporter at our first meeting, and (as is customary in this country) ridiculed the strange preacher with his elephants and lions and horses, and stated that his prayers were meaningless and disconnected; and the preachers in the other churches warned their followers against us, even threatening to exclude those who continued to hear us; yet the interest increased, and the main part of our congregation consisted of those very church members. There were at least five hundred hearers at both of the meetings last Sunday, at the same hours that the other churches had meetings. A room adjoining the hall was opened, and the people crowded in and filled up all standing places, leaving only a small space about the pulpit. Then they kept coming upon the stairs, but would leave because there was no more room. It was with difficulty that I got through the crowd to the stand. And this interest to hear succeeded sermons on the law and on the Sabbath, so plain and pointed as I knew how to speak. On the preceding Sabbath thirty-five persons were with us. Several have commenced to keep the seventh day. Our expenses for the hall and advertisements were met by donations. One of the friends offered to pay for the hall another month if Bro. Johnson would continue the meetings. To this he agreed. I could stay no longer, as I had arranged to be in Copenhagen by the first of April, to commence a series of meetings there.
There are several points of interest in connection with Örebro. Here is where Bro. Palmblad, of Indiana, was so cruelly tormented and punished for preaching the first angel’s message when a mere youth. Here also Bro. Rosqvist was punished as a malefactor for preaching the third angel’s message. The priest is very bitter against all dissenters, and would stop our meetings quickly if the other members of the church board would permit; but the citizens of this place are now known for their liberal principles.
Two years ago Bro. Norlin came to this place and sold tracts. At one house where he urged the man to buy, he was very prompt in refusing; yet because Bro. N. continued to urge him, he at last bought “Saints’ Inheritance.” This man told me recently that he read some in it, but with very little interest, until he found a man who had been acquainted with our people in Chicago, and had attended their meetings. He asked him what kind of a people those Seventh-day Adventists were; and was told that they were a very earnest Christian people, and that although he did not agree with them, yet he thought they were honest in their belief. He then became interested in the book, and is now a believer in the message. He is one of the oldest Baptists in the place, and is much respected. He is deacon in the church and a merchant. His wife has commenced to keep the Sabbath, and he will commence to do so as soon as he can get his affairs arranged for this purpose. Another merchant has come to the same conclusion. He is now calculating to build a hall for meetings, that will seat about five hundred persons, to be used by those who love the message. There is a good prospect for the upbuilding of a strong church in Örebro. May God bless the mission in Northern Europe, and in all parts of the great harvest field. JOHN G. MATTESON.
March 25.
OREGON
By Chas. L. Boyd.
CORVALLIS AND EAST PORTLAND.—I have recently held meetings at Corvallis. A small church, missionary society, and a Sabbath-school were organized. This little band will have an excellent opportunity for labor in the Master's vineyard. May God bless their efforts.
I was with the church at East Portland during the recent quarterly meeting. Two were baptized, nine united with the church, four by letter from eastern churches, and the rest on confession of faith. Others are keeping the Sabbath, and still others interested. I now go to Yam Hill county to visit Bro. Ward. CHAS. L. BOYD.
SOON
By L. D. Santee
BY L. D. SANTEE.
Soon will the strife of battle cease,
And the weary toilers have time for rest,
And the olive branch of an endless peace
Wave o’er the holy and the blest;
And the toils and tears of earth-dark years
Will be all in the past, to be feared no more;
While the saved, to the music of the spheres,
Shall pass in gladness to heaven’s bright shore.
’T is a long, long race that the saints have run,
Six thousand sad and weary years;
But the strife of ages will soon be done,
And rapture will take the place of tears;
And glory bright, ’neath heaven’s dome,
Shall bathe the brows that are worn with care;
While the river of life from ’neath the throne
Shall bless with its waters, “over there.”
Oh! the vales of Eden are pure and sweet,
And the harps of the blessed make music grand;
And rest is long for the pilgrim feet
That stand at last in the dear home land;
And loved ones so widely sundered here
Shall stand united in endless day;
While every heartache and every fear
Shall vanish forever, and pass away.