"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."
THE scribes and Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. They looked with contempt upon the Samaritans, and Jesus related this parable to show them that it is the spirit of the man that makes him of value with God, and not his nation or profession. The priest and Levite had passed by the man who was in need of their help, and had left him to die by the wayside; but the Samaritan had had compassion upon him, and had acted the part of a Christian neighbor to him. It would not have been best to present this lesson to the haughty priests except in a parable, yet in this parable Jesus made it evident that they had only a religion of ceremonies. They rested in outward observances of the law, but did not keep it in heart. The Scriptures declare that "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." In the gospel the great standard of righteousness is not presented in a dimmer light than in the Old Testament. Christ declared that not one jot or tittle of the law should pass until heaven and earth should pass. The divine Teacher held up the perfect standard of righteousness as the only thing by which to test human character. The law reveals to men the deformity of the heart, and the gospel enforces the law by presenting Christ in contrast to man.
In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus gave a picture of himself and his mission. Man had been deceived, bruised, robbed, and ruined by Satan, and left to perish; but Christ had compassion on our helpless condition. He left his glory to come to our rescue. He found us ready to die, and he undertook our case. He healed our wounds, he opened to us a refuge of safety, made complete provision for our needs at his own charges. He died to redeem us. We are to look to Christ's life, we are to see his Spirit and work, that we may view our life and work in the light reflected from the life of Christ. We may see how far short we come of keeping the commandments of God, how far short we come of loving our neighbors as ourselves.
When the rich young ruler came to Christ, inquiring the way of salvation, Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The ruler answered that he had kept them from his youth up, but he who could penetrate into the secrets of the heart, showed him that he had failed. Jesus said to him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions."
Conviction of sin is the first step in conversion, and by the law is the knowledge of sin. When the sinner has a realization of his sin, he is in a condition to be drawn to Christ by the amazing love that has been shown for him on the cross of Calvary. When he is humble and penitent, he does not look for pardon to the law which he has broken, but he looks to God, who has provided forgiveness and sanctification through his well-beloved Son. As he beholds the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, he grows to love him, and by beholding he becomes changed into his image. The apostle wrote, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." The meek and holy Sufferer bore our sins, that the plan of salvation might be opened before men, that whosoever should believe on him might not perish, but have everlasting life.
All who see their own ignorance and sin, will have some appreciation of the great work of redemption, through which man is chosen as the object of God's patience and loving-kindness. As man sees the sinfulness of his nature in the light of the law, he will realize his great need of a Saviour. We all need to search the Scriptures, that we may become acquainted with the conditions of salvation, by which reconciliation may be brought about between man and God. Man must find the path that leads back to the Father's house, and every step away from transgression is a step toward Paradise. Every step in repentance, contrition, obedience, and faith, is a step toward the Father. True faith in Christ will lead to obedience to the requirements of God.
(To be continued.)
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVE?
An old farmer once attended a missionary meeting, and though he was little accustomed to giving, after considerable mental disputation, and specially with an eye to the promised returns, he ventured to cast a shilling into the box. On his journey home he saw, lying in the road, a shilling, which he was nowise loath to pocket. Having reached his dwelling, he began to report what he had heard at the meeting, laying stress on the fact that the speakers had said that if anything was lent to the Lord, the Lord would give it back. "And," said he, "that is true, for I gave a shilling to the collection, and found one on my way home."
One of the servant-men at last said: "Now, master, I'll tell you how I think it is. You see, you gave the shilling because you expected it back, and the Lord loveth a cheerful giver, and would not have your money on that principle, so he threw it at you on the road."—London S. S. Chronicle.
ALL SCRIPTURE.
We read in 2 Tim. 3: 16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable," etc. (Authorized Version). The revisers say, "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable," etc. And they put in the margin, "Every scripture is inspired of God and profitable." But in the Homiletic Review for January, a doctor of divinity says, "It is an exploded error that every part of the Bible is of equal inspiration and importance." Is there not in this statement the germ, at least, of a very dangerous doctrine, viz., that human reason is to sit in judgment on the word of God? If the Bible is inspired at all, it is all inspired. And if it is all inspired, it is all important. To assume that there are degrees of inspiration and degrees of importance will lead naturally to the assumption that we may reject as uninspired whatever seems to us unimportant. The book is given to us as a whole. It is declared emphatically that the holy men who wrote it were moved by the Holy Ghost. What right have we to modify this declaration and say that the Holy Ghost moved some of them more than others, or more at one time than at another?
The attempt to cut and carve the Bible according to our ideas of good, better, and best, seems to us very much like taking a living man and trying to show by dissection that some parts of his body are more important than others. Every part of the body is essential to its completeness and perfection. Every part of it was divinely planned. The whole is "fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth." Eph. 4: 16.
Here is a tree. It is rooted in the soil. It spreads its branches out on every side, and they are covered with leaves and fruit. That tree is a living unit. You cannot say that any part of it, from the tiniest rootlet to the406leaf that flutters on the topmost bough, is relatively unimportant. God made it to consist of root, trunk, bark, foliage, and fruit. But though the fruit is what we prize most, we know that its growth and perfection depend on processes that require all the other parts, whether under or above the ground. And is it not so with the Bible? Even those parts of it which seem most obscure and least profitable may have a vital connection with parts that we prize and enjoy.
Paul tells Timothy not only that all Scripture is inspired, but that all of it is profitable "for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Now, he evidently does not mean to say that all Scripture is profitable for every one of the objects specified, but for some one of them. And he does not intimate that there is any difference in the relative importance of these objects. Surely instruction in righteousness, though named last, is not less valuable to a Christian than doctrine or reproof. The apostle's idea is that all are needed in order that the man of God may be perfect, i. e., complete.
As citizens of this world we need air, light, food, clothing, shelter. All these are essential to our health and our comfort. None of us would say that we can be thoroughly furnished for the enjoyment of life if any of these essentials are wanting. Then how foolish it would be for us to sit down and try to determine which of these is the most important? Equally foolish is the attempt of that doctor of divinity, or of anybody else, to classify God's revelations, and tell us which have more and which less of his mind and heart and will in them. Christ joined two disciples as they walked to Emmaus, "and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." He claimed that he was in every part of the Old Testament. Touch those venerable records where you will, with the finger of faith, and you are thrilled by the presence of Christ. He is the Word. He is incarnated in the Bible as truly as he was in the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Every part of the Bible is necessary to the complete revelation of the divine Redeemer, as every member and organ of that human body was to the Word made flesh. The sandaled feet with which Christ walked, were they less important than the hands with which he touched blind eyes, or the voice with which he called Lazarus from the grave?
Let us imagine a division of an army awaiting orders from the commander-in-chief. An aid-de-camp comes. He presents the expected paper. The division-general gathers his staff around him, and begins to read. He stops from time to time, and says: "Now this is evidently from headquarters. It is just what I expected from our commander, but this is evidently suggested by some of his subordinates, and is therefore less important. We will of course give special and prompt attention to what we regard as fully expressing the wishes of our military chief, but the rest of the paper we will treat with respect, yet not be so particular in obeying it." No leader of a division in a campaign would presume to cut and carve his orders in that way. What he regarded as of secondary importance, might be vital to the success of the campaign. He has no business to think of anything but how he can best carry out the wishes of his chief in all respects. The Bible comes to us just as it is, from the Captain of our salvation. The first chapter of 1 Chronicles is no less inspired than the twenty-third Psalm. We may not be able to see just why it is in the Bible, or how to use it for edification, but that may be because of our ignorance. God is infinitely wise, and he doeth all things well. We gratefully accept his word as just what we need in order that we may be thoroughly furnished. We believe in the Bible, and the whole Bible, and deny the right of any man to expurgate it—to winnow what he calls chaff from the wheat.—Interior.
LINGER NOT.
By Bonar
The time is short!
If thou wouldst work for God, it must be now;
If thou wouldst win the garland for thy brow,
Redeem the time.
Shake off earth's sloth!
Go forth with staff in hand while yet 'tis day;
Set out with girded loins upon the way;
Up, linger not!
Fold not thy hands!
What has the pilgrim of the cross and crown
To do with luxury or couch of down?
On, pilgrim, on!
With his reward
He comes; he tarries not, his day is near;
When men least look for him will he be here;
Prepare for him!
*
Let not the flood
Sweep thy firm feet from the eternal rock;
Face calmly, solemnly, the billows' shock;
Fear not the storm.
Withstand the foe;
Die daily, that forever thou mayst live;
Be faithful unto death; thy Lord will give
The crown of life.
—Bonar.
WHAT SHALL WE SEE?
THE expectation of soon seeing the sky lit up with the glory of Heaven is enough to strengthen every weak hand and feeble knee. Who can think of seeing holy angels, in all their loveliness and purity, without thrills of fear and joy? And more than that, "the Chiefest among ten thousand and One altogether lovely" is reported soon to come. Who should not be alert with expectation? Who should not be running to do His will? Then let us hold up the torch-light of truth to lighten a slumbering and darkened world. Let us think of the glad day soon to dawn. Awake, thou that sleepest! is not Christ at the door? Oh, who will help us shake off slumber for a little while, until He come! I thank our Lord Jesus Christ who giveth us the victory. Tell all that our Elder Brother is indeed coming. Spread the news. Tell all. Fear not the frown of mighty men or chief captains. Tell them the news, for some of them may believe. "All things are possible to him that believeth." "All power is given me in heaven and in earth." "The works that I do shall ye do also, and greater works than these shall ye do."
WHY SHOULD SHE BE DISCOURAGED?
By E. Herbruck
A MOTHER, wearied with the care of six children, said: "Why should I worry with them as I do? I am wearing out my life; my labor is all in vain, for it seems that I cannot get them to do right." We have no doubt about the worry and care, the many heart-aches, the sleepless nights on account of the little ones, but this is no reason why she should not persevere in her work, however discouraging it may be. There is one thing mothers ought never to forget, and that is that the nursery is the training-school for the children, that they are the instructors of their own offspring, and that according to the care they have given them in infancy, will they be of worth as men.
When we contemplate the results, all this worry sinks into insignificance. The mother fails, is broken down in her arduous work, but the child grows. The storm has blown down the tree, but the young shoot thrives until it has acquired all the strength and glory of the parent tree. There are many mothers who forget this, and ask again and again why they should worry and toil for their children when they see no results. It is true that they cannot see the end. It is not given them to turn over the pages of the book of life and read the account of the success or failure of one that was loved, and cared for, and wept over. What a revelation it would be to mothers if they could see the influence of their own teaching and care, and the great power of their own example!
There are many reasons why the mother should persevere, and no reason why she should be discouraged. It is true that we like to see results. But there is a great distance between infancy and the more mature years of manhood. We may usually judge as to what the results will be by the means used to bring them about. The influence of the mother is very great; greater far than we imagine. Trials there are, disappointments innumerable, repulses many, in the work of child-training, but above all and over all there is the silent impress of a mother's influence and love, that perishes not. That influence is like the name cut into the bark of certain trees. It grows and enlarges as the tree grows. So the mother's mark will be left upon the child. It will grow and deepen as the child grows, and though it may seem very small at first, yet in almost every instance the influence of the mother, whether for good or bad, will cling to her offspring.
Because the power exercised by woman is gentle, it is none the less effective. How silently and effectively the dew falls, and yet what a force it is. Men in their dealing with the world often make great and telling blows in a moment. The world knows their actions; they are heralded abroad. The mother's influence upon the character of her child to a great extent remains unknown and unseen. She strikes no great blows, but her gentle touch is more far-reaching in its influence than the grand maneuver which gains for men the applause of the world. She gives no great command, but her tender word sends its influence down the ages. She has sown the seed; at the proper time it will germinate. It needs only the condition, and the seed long dormant will spring into life, and blossom into a garden of eternal sunshine and gladness.
If the mother knew—and every mother should know—what she is doing, what kind of a character she is forming for the future, we would never be under the necessity of asking or answering the question why she should persevere. Have you a proper idea of what you are doing, mother? You are training a child for good or woe. Your care and trouble will help to form the character of a loved and honest man, or the character of a hated monster of evil.
Look upon your boy to-night as he sleeps the sleep of innocence. Do you see in those blue eyes the marks of the sensualist? Do those features betray the man of vice and wickedness? or do you see in the boyish face only the lines of manhood, honesty, virtue, whose countenance will shine as an angel's, and whose heart will be filled with praise? Look upon that young face. Your troubles are forgotten now; the heart-aches have been transformed into deep, burning mother love. The unkind words you have spoken burn on your tongue like coals of fire, and scorching tears run down your cheek. Are you dreaming?—No, not dreaming. The boy is there. There are great possibilities wrapped up in that form. Under your hands he may be moulded into a man loved, respected, a man who will honor God and lead souls to Christ; or he may be a villain, a cowardly wretch whose deeds are evil only. That child will one day stand with the shining hosts of heaven, or with those who have no hope. The future of the nation, yea, of the world, depends upon your conduct in the home.
There are difficulties. We would not exaggerate them, nor would we make them less than they are. But when we see what mothers have already accomplished, when we see the good, brave, noble men she has sent into the world, and when we contemplate her silent yet mighty power to fashion the race into something like what God intended it to be, we see no reason why any mother should be discouraged.—Rev. E. Herbruck, in Interior.
"ALL YOUR NEED."
SWEETLY down the ages sounding,
In a long, exulting chord,
Promise still of grace abounding,
Comes that message from the Lord.
All your need, in days of trouble,
All your need, in hours of care,
Oft for toil returning double;
Fear not, pilgrim, anywhere.
Earthly love may know the shading
Of forgetfulness and loss;
Love divine, serene, unfading,
Crowns the life that bears the cross.
All your need! How wide the measure!
Soul, in tender peace abide;
If thou trust with God thy treasure,
Thou shalt then be satisfied.
Poor in worldly goods? what matter?
Rich thy Father is above!
Never wind of time shall scatter
What he gives thee in his love.
All your need if God supplieth,
Can you doubt his matchless grace?
As the dove to shelter flieth,
Rest thee in this happy place!
—Selected.
The Mastery of Words
While a word is yet unspoken, you are yet master of it; when once it is spoken, it is master of you.
TOBACCO POISONING.
NICOTINE is one of the most powerful of the "nerve poisons" known. Its virulence is compared to that of prussic acid. If birds be made to inhale its vapor in amounts too small to be measured, they are almost instantly killed. It seems to destroy life, not by attacking a few, but of all, the functions essential to it, beginning at the center, the heart. A significant indication of this is that there is no substance known which can counteract its effects; the system either succumbs or survives. Its depressing action on the heart is by far the most noticeable and noteworthy symptom of nicotine poisoning. The frequent existence of what is known as "smoker's heart" in men whose health is in no other respect disturbed is due to this fact.
Those who can use tobacco without immediate injury will have all the pleasant effects reversed, and will suffer from the symptoms of poisoning if they exceed the limits of tolerance. These symptoms are: (1) The heart's action becomes more rapid when tobacco is used; (2) palpitation, pain, or unusual sensations in the heart; (3) there is no appetite in the morning, the tongue is coated, delicate flavors are not appreciated, and acid dyspepsia occurs after eating; (4) soreness of the mouth and throat or nasal catarrh appears, and becomes very troublesome; (5) the eyesight becomes poor, but improves when the habit is abandoned; (6) a desire, often a craving, for liquor or some other stimulant, is experienced.
In an experimental observation of thirty-eight boys of all classes of society and of average health, who had been using tobacco for periods ranging from two months to two years, twenty-seven showed severe injury to the constitution, and insufficient growth; thirty-two showed the existence of irregularity of the heart's action, disordered stomachs, cough, and a craving for alcohol; thirteen had intermittency of the pulse; and one had consumption. After they had abandoned the use of tobacco, within six months one-half were free from all their former symptoms, and the remainder had recovered by the end of the year.
A great majority of men go far beyond what may be called the temperate use of tobacco, and evidences of injury are easily found. It is only necessary to have some record of what the general health was previous to the taking up of the habit, and to have observation cover a long enough time. The history of tobacco in the island of New Zealand furnishes quite a suggestive illustration for our purpose, and one on a large scale. When Europeans first visited New Zealand they found in the native Maoris the most finely-developed and powerful men of any of the tribes inhabiting the islands of the Pacific. Since the introduction of tobacco, for which the Maoris developed a passionate liking, they have from this cause alone, it is said, become decimated in numbers, and at the same time reduced in stature and in physical well-being, so as to be an altogether inferior type of men.—New York Medical Journal.
MANUAL
OF -
Biblical Geography.
A TEXT BOOK ON BIBLICAL HISTORY.
Especially prepared for the use of Students and Teachers of the Bible, and for Sabbath-School Instruction.
CONTAINING
Maps, Plans, Review Charts, Colored Diagrams,
And Illustrated with Accurate Views of the Principal Cities and Localities known to Bible History.
The following is a condensed Table of Contents:
Chart of Bible History. The Old Testament World. Ancient World, and Descendants of Noah. Physical Palestine. The Journeys of the Patriarchs. Palestine before the Conquest. Lands of the Sojourn and Wandering. The Conquest of Canaan. Palestine among the Twelve Tribes. Palestine under the Judges. The Kingdom of Saul. The Empire of David and Solomon. Ancient Jerusalem. Modern Jerusalem. The Environs of Jerusalem. The Division of Solomon's Empire. The Great Oriental Empires. The Roman Empire. New Testament Palestine. The Life of Christ. Early Apostolic History. Journeys of the Apostle Paul. The Isles of Greece and the Seven Churches. The Tabernacle. The Temple. Lessons in the Geography of Palestine. The Measures of the Bible.
This is no doubt the best Geography for the price ever published, and should be in the hands of every Bible student. 158 pages, size about 10 x 12 inches. Bound in stiff board covers. Price, post-paid, $2.00. Address all orders to
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING CO.,
Or 43 Bond St., New York. OAKLAND, CAL.
POWERFUL LENSES OF ICE.
LAST winter quite a little excitement was caused among a party of skaters on the Serpentine River, England, by one of the party making a lens of ice and lighting the pipes of the others. This brings to mind the fact that this curious experiment was first brought before the public by Dr. Scoresby, who, when in the polar regions, to the great astonishment of his companions, who did not understand why the ice did not freeze the polar rays, performed the same remarkable feat. It may also be worthy of remark that Professor Tyndall, when a tutor in the Royal Institution, on several occasions set fire to little heaps of gunpowder with rays from an electric arc concentrated upon the powder by a lens of ice. His explanation was that, although ice absorbs rays of certain waves of light and is gradually melted thereby, other waves do not absorb, and these latter produce the heating effect at the focus of the lens. It is wholly a question of the relative motions of the molecules of frozen water and the motion of the waves of light.—Selected.
Obituary.
Burgess.—Creston Derar, son of B. F. and Edwina Burgess, died in Oakland, Cal., of meningitis, June 22, 1890, aged 1 year, 1 month, and 28 days. While deeply sorrowing, the parents rejoice in the knowledge that to the little ones the promise is doubly sure, and that it will be but a little while till the Lifegiver will come, and will bring again their darling from the land of the enemy.
THE NATURE AND OBLIGATION
By J. H. Waggoner
— OF THE —
SABBATH OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
By J. H. WAGGONER.
Following are some of the questions discussed:
The Sabbath,
What is Law,
The Fourth Commandment,
Origin of the Sabbath,
The Sabbath Was Not Jewish,
"The Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."
The Sabbath Not a Type,
Our Saviour Did Not Change the Sabbath,
The Apostles Kept the Sabbath,
Origin of Sunday,
Law and Gospel Agree,
What the Prophets Teach,
A Short Argument for the Sabbath.
A pamphlet of 96 pages, issued as No. 54 of the Bible Student's Library. Price, 10 cents.
Address your State Tract Society, or
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING CO.,
Oakland, Cal.,
Or, 43 Bond Street, New York.
THE ATONEMENT.
By Eld. J. H. Waggoner
AN EXAMINATION OF
A REMEDIAL SYSTEM, IN THE LIGHT OF NATURE AND OF REVELATION.
BY ELD. J. H. WAGGONER.
THIRD EDITION, REVISED AND GREATLY ENLARGED.
THIS work is a critical and exhaustive treatise on the plan of salvation as revealed in the Scriptures, showing its harmony with the principles of justice and mercy, its consistency with reason, and its final results as affecting the destiny of the human race. 368 pp.; cloth, $1.00.
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.
FATHERS
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
OF THE
Catholic Church.
BY E. J. WAGGONER.
HISTORY repeats itself, because human nature is the same in all ages of the world. Hence, he who would know how to avoid error in the future, must know how errors have developed in the past. The "Fathers of the Catholic Church" shows the condition of the heathen world at the time of Christ, briefly states the principles of ancient heathen philosophy, and how the adoption of these principles by prominent men in the church, and the incautious lowering of the standard of pure Christianity, developed the Papacy, which was simply a new phase of paganism. It shows that by the time of Constantine every phase of the Papacy was fully developed, and was only waiting for supreme power. The chapter on
SUN-WORSHIP AND SUNDAY
is alone worth the price of the book. Fine English cloth, substantially bound, contains about 400 pages, and will be sent post-paid at the nominal price of $1.00.
Address the PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING Co., Oakland, Cal. REVIEW AND HERALD, Battle Creek, Mich., or PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING Co., 43 Bond St., New York City.
CHRIST IN THE GOSPELS,
—OR—
The Life of our Lord in the Words of the Evangelists,
BY JAMES P. CADMAN, A. M.
Is, as its Name Indicates, a Compilation in which the four Narratives of
THE LIFE OF CHRIST
ARE WOVEN INTO ONE CONNECTED STORY, MAKING A COMPLETE HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS IN THE EXACT LANGUAGE OF THE SCRIPTURES.
THE text is that of the Revised Version, and while every word in the four Gospels appears, the work is so arranged that the reader can tell at a glance the words used in each Gospel. Those who have tried to gather all the facts concerning some miracle, or other event, and at the same time properly locate and credit the various parts of the narrative, will appreciate this book, which is the very best of its kind and gives evidence of an immense amount of careful and painstaking labor.
The book is fully indexed so that any text or subject can be readily found; and the maps, notes, and diagrams which it contains are alone well worth the price of the volume. The following partial (less than half) TABLE OF CONTENTS will give an idea of the scope of the work:—
Index to chapter and verses; Life of Our Lord (333 pages); Index of persons, places, and subjects, with dictionary of proper names; Explanation of maps and diagrams; Map of the pathway of Jesus; Diagrams illustrating the principal events of crucifixion week.
This work is invaluable, and all who love the Bible should have a copy. It contains 394 pages, is well printed on good paper, and is neatly and substantially bound in cloth.
THERE will be hereafter no special Sabbath-school department in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. When that department was opened, we had no Sabbath-school papers, and it was designed to furnish instruction to Sabbath-school officers and teachers, as well as notes on the lessons. But now we have the Sabbath-school Worker, published monthly, which is conducted by specialists in that line, and covers the whole field, so that there is no reason for such a department in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. The notes on the International lessons will, however, be continued, both for the benefit of those who are studying those lessons, and also because in every portion of Scripture embraced in those lessons there is valuable instruction for the general reader. We hope that none will skip those notes, because they do not study the lessons. They will be as valuable as any other portion of editorial matter.
The regular denominational Sabbath-school lessons will not appear hereafter in the SIGNS, since nearly all who study them are supplied with lesson pamphlets. We shall, however, very frequently make editorial comment, more or less extended, on some point in the lesson, so that the readers of the SIGNS will find it as valuable Sabbath-school help as ever.
Judgment on the Louisiana Lottery
By Editor
FROM some things connected with the Louisiana Lottery fight, it seems that judgment against an evil work is not always delayed. A special to the New York World, June 22, tells the following: The lottery had sixty-five men in the Legislature; they needed sixty-six. A man named Roder, who had all along been against the lottery, was by some means induced to change. He went to the House in the morning, and announced that he had changed, and was going to vote for the lottery. He had scarcely uttered the words, when he fell by a stroke of paralysis. The physicians say that he cannot return to the House this session. This, of course, left the lottery where it was before, but it succeeded in getting another man, and the vote was to be taken the morning of the 21st. But a few minutes before the opening, another recent convert to the lottery fell from his seat with a stroke of paralysis. We have seen no contradiction of this; and although it may be regarded by many as only a coincidence, it is such a coincidence as should have caused men to hesitate before they voted for the iniquitous scheme. Judgment on all concerned in legalizing robbery will be none the less because delayed.
The Signs of the Times.
By Editor
OAKLAND, CAL., MONDAY, JULY 7, 1890.
We send no papers from this office without pay in advance unless by special arrangement. When persons receive copies without ordering them, they are sent by other parties, and we can give no information in regard to them. Persons thus receiving copies of the SIGNS are not indebted to the office, and will not be called upon for pay. Please read the papers and hand them to your friends to read.
CAMP-MEETINGS FOR 1890.
By Editor
THE following list of camp-meetings has been announced thus far by the proper authorities. Those marked with the star (*) will be preceded by a workers' meeting, beginning one week before the dates named:—
Nebraska (Southwestern), Oxford, July 30 to Aug. 4
*Missouri, Kingsville, Aug. 5-12
*Michigan (Southwestern), Homer, “ 5-12
*Arkansas, “ 12-19
*Texas, Dallas, “ 19-26
California (Northern), Aug. 21 to Sept. 1
*Colorado, Sept. 2-9
*Vermont, “ 2-9
*Tennessee River Conference, “ 2-9
*Maine, “ 9-16
Cumberland Mission Field, “ 9-16
*Kansas (Northern), “ 12-22
*California (General), “ 17-30
*Kansas (Southern), Oct. 2-13
California (San Luis Obispo County), “ 14-21
California (Southern), “ 15-28
Brooklyn Sunday-School Festival
At the June festival of the Sunday-school Union of Brooklyn, N. Y., 65,000 children, from 190 schools, joined in the parade.
International Sunday-School Convention
THE Annual International Sunday-school Convention met in Pittsburg, Penn., June 24, with 1,200 delegates present, representing nearly every denomination, and all the States, Territories, and Canada.
Subscription Books Sent to Australasia
OVER five tons of subscription books were shipped to New Zealand and Australia last week by the steamer Alameda. Such a shipment as this is one of the best reports possible as to the progress of work in the colonies.
Growth of Catholic Papers and Churches
THE Independent notes that there has been a very remarkable increase in the number of Catholic papers in this country in the last ten years; and the Catholic Mirror says that the dedication of newly-erected Catholic churches is an event of weekly occurrence in the archdiocese of Baltimore, and that the same activity is observable in other dioceses.
Stamping Papers for Ireland
By Editor
SOMEONE sends to the office at 43 Bond Street, New York, copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES addressed to persons in Ireland, but not stamped. It may interest the sender to know that his papers do not go farther than New York. If he wishes them to reach his friends in Ireland, he should put the necessary stamps on them, as the workers in New York have no fund from which to draw to supply postage-stamps to the people at large.
Sunday Laws and Religious Legislation
By Editor
THE advocates of rigid Sunday laws for both State and nation are not meeting with overwhelming success in their efforts to persuade people that such legislation is purely civil, having no bearing on religion. The editor of the Daily News (Denver) writes thus:
"Dr. Crafts has studied his subject closely, and has become an adept in presenting it in plausible garb. Conscious of the incongruity of attempting religious legislation in this stage of United States history, he has earned diplomatic honors for the cleverness with which he maintains the proposition that his idea of Sunday rest, enforced by law, would not be religious legislation."
We do not expect to head off such legislation; but we want those who may vote for it to know for what they are working.
Sabbath Opponents and Scriptural Exegesis
BELIEVERS in the seventh-day Sabbath are frequently charged with being opinionated, and setting themselves up as standards in biblical doctrine. But the acme of self-satisfied dogmatism has been reserved for an opposer of the Sabbath, who, after quoting and very briefly commenting upon four texts of Scripture, and referring to several of the so-called Fathers, closes with these words:—
"If, now, the Sabbatarians, in spite of these proofs, persist in their opposition to the venerable tradition of Sunday observance, which has come down to us from apostolic times, this can only be explained by the superficiality of their scriptural exegesis, and their entire lack of comprehension of the progress in the divine revelation from the Old Testament to the New."
That is an easy way of disposing of the matter, and of clearing himself from all responsibility for the perverseness of those who refuse to forsake the commandment of God for the traditions of men.
The Missionary Spirit
By Editor
The Signs of the Times professes to be and is a missionary journal. It is itself a missionary, going out into all the world to carry the gospel to every creature. This being the case, we do not wish to convey a wrong idea by having simply a "missionary department," thus implying that the missionary feature is confined to a limited space. The Home Missionary, published monthly at Battle Creek, Mich., is ably conducted, covers every phase of missionary work, and is indispensable to everyone who would do any such work, or be informed on the subject. We could not compete with it in a missionary department, if we were disposed to try. So we shall endeavor to have the Signs of the Times breathe the true missionary spirit—the Spirit of Christ—on every page, making it a missionary indeed. While the Home Missionary gives the people the best instruction as to how to work, our province will be to furnish ready to hand the best material with which to do the work.
