Earlier text: THE SINNER'S FATEThe Order of Events in the Judgment.
By John Nevins Andrews
We have learned that there is a space of time at the beginning of the voice of the seventh angel, which is employed in closing up the work of human probation. During this period the living righteous conclude their probation, and are accounted worthy to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21:36. This is the time of the dead that they should be judged, i. e., the time when the righteous dead are accounted worthy of a part in the first resurrection. Luke 20:35, 36; Rev. 11:18. It is when the Ancient of Days sits in judgment that Christ is crowned king; and this same event takes place under the sounding of the seventh angel. Dan. 7:9-14; Rev. 11:15-17. This shows that the judgment scene of Dan. 7, is in the days of the seventh angel, and that the judgment of the dead here brought to view is at the Father's tribunal. Two things next claim our attention. 1. The mighty proclamation which heralds the investigative judgment at the beginning of the voice of the seventh angel. 2. The opening of the most holy place of the heavenly temple for the session of that judgment. The second and third woes come in consequence of the voices of the sixth and seventh angels. Rev. 8:13. There is a short space of time between the second and third woes, and hence such space must exist between the close of the sixth angel's voice and the commencement of the seventh. Rev. 11:14. The termination of the hour, day, month, and year of the sixth angel, marks the conclusion of the second woe, Aug. 11, 1840, Rev. 9:15. At the close of the sixth angel's voice a mighty angel descends from heaven to herald the sounding of the seventh trumpet. He has a little book open in his hand; and he places his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cries with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth. Then the seven thunders utter their voices, but John is forbidden to write what they utter. The angel having made proclamation to the inhabitants of the earth, lifts his hand to heaven and swears that time shall be no longer; but that in the days of the beginning of the seventh angel's voice the mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. Rev. 10:1-7. His act of placing one foot upon the sea, and one upon the land, implies that his proclamation pertains to all the dwellers upon the globe. He cries with a mighty voice like the roar of a lion; but it is a voice that gives instruction and warning to mankind. For he has a little book open in his hand; a fact which indicates that its contents form the subject of his proclamation. When he has finished his announcement, he confirms it with a solemn oath. The words of this oath give a definite idea of the nature of his proclamation. 1. That it relates to the definite time of some grand event. 2. That this event is the sounding of the seventh angel. 3. That this proclamation is based upon the prophets. The book of Daniel contains the prophetic periods which mark the very events of the seventh angel's voice. Among the earliest of those events are the opening of the second apartment of the heavenly temple (Rev. 11:19); the judgment of the righteous dead (Rev. 11:18); the finishing of the mystery of God (Rev. 10:7); and the coronation of Christ for the destruction of his enemies. Rev. 11:15-19; Ps. 2:6-9. The prophecy of Daniel reveals this very session of the investigative judgment, at which Christ is crowned king upon his own throne (Dan. 7:9-14); and the final work in the sanctuary of God for the closing up of human probation (Dan. 8:14); and marks the very time for the beginning of this grand work. The book of Daniel must therefore be that book out of which the angel makes his proclamation of definite time; for this book alone contains the prophetic periods, unless, indeed, we add the book of Revelation, which is but a second edition of the prophecy of Daniel. Now it is a remarkable fact that the book of Daniel was by divine direction closed up and sealed till the time of the end, when the wise were to understand. Dan. 12:4-10. The same power which placed the seal upon it must be employed to take it off. It was by the agency of the angel of God that this book was closed; and it is by the same means that the seal is removed. And hence when the angel descends to herald the work under the seventh trumpet, that prophecy which reveals the very events of that trumpet, and mark the time of their commencement, is open in his hand. Having made his announcement therefrom, he swears that time shall be no longer, i. e., that the events predicted shall transpire where he then stands at the end of the periods contained in the little book. The time to the finishing of the mystery of God must be the burden of the proclamation of this mighty angel; for the oath which he utters to confirm his proclamation plainly indicates its nature. He swears that time should be no longer; but that the mystery of God should be finished in the days at the beginning of the seventh angel's voice. But if there were a space of time between the oath and the voice of the seventh angel, the words of the oath could not be true. The time to which he swears must be the time contained in the little book, which reaches to the events of the seventh angel's voice. That this oath uttered by the angel with the open book relates to prophetic time, is farther evident from the record of the oath which was uttered at the time when that book was sealed up; for the man clothed in linen, standing at a time when the prophetic periods all lay in the future, solemnly attests with an oath the time contained in the sealed book. Dan. 12:6, 7. But the angel of Rev. 10, having the book open in his hand, first proclaims their termination and then swears to the truth of his announcement. His oath marks the end of the time in question. It certainly does not mark the end of time considered as duration measured by days, or years; for the closing words of the oath speak of days yet future under the seventh angel. Nor does it mark the end of human probation; for the words of the oath place this also yet future under the sounding of the seventh angel. Verse 7.133 Moreover after the eating of the book by John, who in this personates the church at the time of the fulfillment of this prophecy, he was bidden to prophesy again before many peoples and nations, is clear proof that there is a message of mercy and of warning to men after the oath of the angel that time should be no longer. Verses 7-11. We must therefore conclude that this oath has reference to the time which the angel had announced from the book open in his hand. This oath is the complement of that in Dan. 12. In that, the man clothed in linen swears to prophetic time yet to be; in this, the angel, having made solemn proclamation from the open book, lifts his hand to heaven and swears to the accomplishment of the time. There is indeed a criticism on the original which gives it a very different meaning. Instead of 'there shall be time no longer' some render it 'the time shall not yet be.' (See Barnes' Notes on Revelation, p. 290). Those who give this translation involve the action of the angel in great absurdity. They understand that the descent of this mighty angel symbolizes the reformation of the sixteenth century. And as the most prominent reformers taught that the end was not far distant (See Barnes' Notes on Revelation, pp. 292, 293), these expositors assert that the angel swears to the error of their teaching. But this cannot be, for it makes this symbolic angel utter a solemn oath in contradiction of his own testimony. What has been said is quite sufficient to show that the work of the mighty angel of Rev. 10 is of the same nature with that of the angel of Rev. 14:6, 7. His message is uttered while the living are yet in probation. It is termed the everlasting gospel because it is that which contains the good news of the coming kingdom of God. Like the mighty proclamation of the angel of Rev. 10 which pertains to all the dwellers upon the globe, this also is addressed to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. As the angel of Rev. 10 proclaims definite time connected with the seventh angel's voice, so this angel says with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.' There must be definite time to mark the proclamation of this angel; and as men are addressed while yet in probation, that time must be the prophetic periods of the Bible. And herein have we a parallel to the case of the angel of Rev. 10 with the open book in his hand, swearing to the fulfillment of time. That relates to the sounding of the seventh angel and the finishing of the mystery of God; this relates to the session of the investigative judgment, which, as we have seen, is the same work. As a further work of prophesying remains after the angel of Rev. 10 swears that time shall be no longer, so in Rev. 14 after the angel has announced that the hour of God's judgment is come, the like work remains to be performed. The period designated as the hour of God's judgment, or the days when the mystery of God is to be finished, is not therefore ushered in by the advent of Christ, for its work is preparatory to that event. But it is announced to the inhabitants of the earth by solemn proclamation, based on definite time and confirmed by an immutable oath. The time must therefore be given rightly. Whenever, in fulfillment of Rev. 14:6, 7, the announcement is made, 'The hour of his judgment is come,' the time must be truthfully given. And certainly when the angel of Rev. 10 swears to the fulfillment of time, that time must there expire. Yet in each case there is a further work of prophesying or proclaiming truth to the children of men. These scriptures can never have their fulfillment by a succession of time messages, each disproving the truth of its predecessor, and each being in turn disproved by the one which succeeds it. When God gives these announcements they will be rightly given, though they are to be followed by the proclamation of other truths before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those time-movements which follow the genuine, and which repeat themselves again and again in the persistent effort to fix the time of Christ's advent, may possibly have some connection with the thunders which John was forbidden to write, but they never can be in fulfillment of the solemn announcement, 'The hour of his judgment is come,' or of the solemn oath that time should be no longer. For these later time-movements are but a succession of efforts made to fix the definite time of Christ's advent, though that is not revealed in the Bible, and though each movement is based upon the failure of all which have preceded it. But the genuine is given for the purpose of announcing the investigative judgment, and its truthfulness being attested by the oath of the angel, it will never be retracted to make way for successive announcements of the time of Christ's revelation. The opening of the heavenly temple and the final work therein will be next considered. Denmark.
By John G. Matteson
ALSTRUP, MARCH 25.—I have spent the past week with the friends in Tylstrup, and our meetings have, through the mercy of God, been blessed to the good of souls. We have also held a few meetings at a brother's house in Nörrehede, in the parish of O. Brönderslev. Tuesday afternoon we met in a barn, as there was not room to seat the audience (about one hundred) in the house. The parish priest, who was said to be a highly educated and very friendly man, met with us. He said he had come as spokesman for his flock, to inquire of me what the difference was between his teachings and ours, and wanted opportunity to reply. He thought he had a right to demand this, as I was holding meetings in his parish, and teaching doctrines different from those of the State church. He said he had heard both good and bad reports about me, and he wished to know what was true. I answered that it was a great pleasure for me to accede to his request, and that it would rejoice me much if the priest in every place where I labored would come to me with the same demand. At first I brought out different points in Christianity on which I knew we were agreed, and called his attention to the fact that we were perfectly agreed on these points. But as regards the Sabbath of the Lord his people and mine were not agreed; for we keep the seventh day according to the commandment of God, but they observe a day which the Lord has never instituted as a day of rest. Then followed some lively testimonies on this subject from both sides. He excused himself by saying that he did not wish to combat with the word of God as a weapon, because he did not know as his memory was good enough for that; and finally he virtually admitted that what I had said on this subject was truth; namely:— - That Sunday is not set forth in the word of God as the Sabbath or a holy day.
- That the observance of Sunday is simply a custom which is not binding on the conscience according to the word of God.
- That the decalogue was given in order that man might see and repent of his sins, and therefore it is not abolished.
- That the early Christian churches in Jerusalem observed the seventh day as the Sabbath.
- That our Saviour kept the seventh day and none other; that this was his custom, and that we should follow his example.
- That there is nothing ceremonial or Mosaic connected with the Sabbath of the Lord; for it was instituted at creation, before the fall.
All his eloquent words about Christian liberty and beautiful customs evaporate like dew before the morning sun, when he makes such admissions as these. And this every one will admit who believes that the word of God is of greater importance than the word of man, and that Christ is not the minister of sin, and that he has not by his redemption given us liberty to sin or to transgress the holy commandment of God; but that he, on the contrary, writes the law of God in our hearts, so that this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5. “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2. The priest said that if any became convinced that the seventh day was the Sabbath, then they also ought to observe it, and that diligently. After that he wished me to present our doctrine and faith in regard to baptism and the Lord’s supper. We were entirely in harmony about the signification of these ordinances, and he admitted that the method we use is in accordance with the word of God. He thought that it was a matter of indifference whether the customs used in the church, and which are not mentioned in the Bible, were followed or not. Every one might do as he pleased. He preferred, of course, to have the children baptized in their infancy, but this was left to every one’s own convictions. Then he said that he did not know as I cared to hear his meaning, but he would, nevertheless, state to me and the audience, that it had been a pleasure for him to converse with me. He could not discover but that I taught a good Christian doctrine, and he was pleased to see that I showed a Christian demeanor. Finally I gave a short exhortation, and endeavored to impress upon the audience that the principal part of religion does not consist in doctrines and knowledge, but in turning from darkness to light; from the service of the wicked one to God; that we every day stand in danger of the impending judgment; and that the great day of God is near, when the hidden things of the heart shall be revealed. Then shall he that doeth the will of God abide forever. 1 John 2. The Spirit of the Lord affected many hearts, and the priest thanked me at the close of the meeting, and said that he had been edified. This has strengthened the believers here very much, and has become a matter of thought for many others. May the Lord save more and more from the unhappy chains of unbelief and sin, and may sinners be converted to the glory of his name. Our Bible-class, Sabbath-school, and prayer-meeting have been greatly blessed this week. About sixty persons attended the meeting Sabbath afternoon. The prayer-meetings in Alstrup are not as well attended when I am away; yet there are some who come together every Sabbath and try to draw near to the Lord and encourage one another. Yesterday there were about two hundred persons present in the meeting-house. I preached on the subject of the law in Galatians. We wish to express our thanks to Brother Canright for the light he has given us on this subject. TYLSTRUP, APRIL 1. The Lord has helped us in our labors. The truth of God has made some advancement. There are now thirty persons here who observe the Sabbath of the Lord. We continue to labor on in hope. Why Look for Honesty.
By John Harvey Waggoner
THERE is a cry going up all over the land against the prevailing dishonesty of the age. Man is suspicious of his fellow man; perhaps there never was a time when distrust so generally prevailed. Those who have been looked upon as being patterns of uprightness, and every way fitted to be guardians of public funds, prove defaulters to large amounts, such as they can never hope to pay; and they seem to feel no concern about the payment. It is getting to be a matter of serious inquiry, where shall men be found to discharge faithfully the duties of government offices, or to handle the funds of widows and orphans? A minister of Long Island after eulogizing a man on attending his funeral, said it was becoming a dangerous thing to speak a word in praise of any one deceased, until his accounts were examined. Wars rise up with the Indians, costing millions of money and hundreds of lives, because those who are entrusted with the means to carry out our treaty stipulations appropriate the money to their own uses. Our postal department is burdened on account of the dishonesty of contractors, who swear to service, and receive heavy pay for it, which was never performed. Officers of banks and insurance companies will, one week, swear to the good standing of their institutions, and the next week fail, and carry trouble and destitution to hundreds of households. Stealing is becoming an obsolete word; it would be impolite to charge with theft the man who lives in such a fine house and gives such splendid dinners—no, he is only a defaulter, reveling in the wealth which he has taken from the needy who trusted to his honor. Public buildings, which are estimated to cost only thousands, sometimes cost millions because those who handle public funds put all the money into their own pockets which they can possibly retain. Sympathy, instead of going out toward the victims of crime, rises up to shield the criminal from the punishment justly due his crimes. The churches are sadly feeling the influence of this state of things. It is not forgotten that when a very prosperous revival meeting was progressing in New York, the men who were assisting in the work made way with the contributions. Money does not seem to be safe anywhere. The Christian Statesman, the organ of the party which is seeking to amend our National Constitution in favor of religion, founds its strong argument for this change in the need to secure a higher standard of honesty, especially in the administration of public affairs. Having looked this matter over with much interest, our observation extending over a score of years on this very point, we are firmly fixed in conviction that the public feeling does not demand honesty. The standard is now as high as desired. This may seem to be a strange statement, but we are thoroughly convinced it is truth. The great majority of the religious world does not favor tenderness of conscience, and the Christian Statesman presents, in its course, the most glaring inconsistency in trying to build up the very state of things which it professes to be trying to put down. The highest of all obligations is that which we owe to God. Irreverence for God is never accompanied by true reverence for any power. An open disregard of the claims of God is not consistent with a high regard for the rights of man. And where the rights of man are truly regarded there must of necessity be a regard for the just claims of all his creatures. A mother was once asked how it was that she succeeded in training up her children to such a nice sense of honor and virtue with the teachings and example of their father against all her efforts. Her answer was, that she constantly kept before them the authority of God, and inculcated reverence for Him; she never made any direct reference to the ungodly example of her husband, but she tried to fill their minds and hearts with a sense of obligations to God, and thus shut out those influences from which they were in danger of being ruined. Let us now justify the opinion expressed above by reference to facts, such as are constantly transpiring all over the land. Not long since I held meetings in a small village where I received a good hearing. I presented the claims of the law of God, from which there was no open dissent, as there was no church of antinomians in the place. I presented the claims of the fourth commandment—the obligations to which was very generally confessed—and I proved, even to the satisfaction of almost every hearer, that it cannot be made to enforce any day but the seventh day. It was well known that scores were fully convinced that the argument was all right, and that the Bible teaches that "the seventh day is the Sabbath," to the exclusion of every other day. A brother a well esteemed member of the Methodist church, determined to obey the commandment. The next Sabbath he laid aside his working clothes, and, attired as was fitting for the day of rest, he walked through the street. He said he was much surprised to see that the people so generally regarded him with the greatest wonder. Those who were convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath were free to express their surprise at his course. While no one expressed any surprise that professed Christians who had confessed the duty did not obey the commandment. I am often reminded of the remark of a prominent member of a Baptist church in a western city, who, when asked why his people did not keep the seventh day when they become convinced it was duty answered: "That is not the kind of religion we have in this city. You must not expect people in this day to leave a popular error for unpopular truth." And so it is all over the land, the people of all grades, church members and even ministers, will confess the truth and their duty, and there they stop. Nobody looks upon it as at all strange that they utterly disregard their known duty to God. But if one more conscientious than his neighbors, dares to step out and act according to his convictions, he immediately becomes an object of ridicule and reproach. Professed Christians laugh at what they call his folly, and scoff at his following the dictates of his conscience, though enlightened and sustained in his course by the plainest declarations of God's word. Are not these things so? And while open disregard of the acknowledged claims of God's law is commanded, and obedience to the divine precepts is scoffed at even in the churches, is it any wonder that crimes against the rights of man cease to be considered criminals, that stealing softens down into defaulting, and lying is only prevarication or merely managing? We can easily make good our assertions that the Christian Statesman presents in its course the most glaring inconsistency. Professing the highest regard for the claims of God's law and the strongest desire to correct the existing want of conscientious regard for right, and acknowledging the ten commandments as the foundations of all right, it is yet seeking to obtain a national law which shall compel men to violate their consciences, and to disregard the express words of Jehovah as given in that law. We have no words in which to express our astonishment at the blind folly of those who will thus profess and thus act. We are thankful that, while the majority love a superficial religion, or the gloss and tinsel of the appearance of conscientiousness without the vitality and power, it is not so with all. There are truly honest-hearted ones, here and there, all over the land, who deplore this state of things, and who love the ways of God. They joyfully receive the message which points to a reform, and soon as they hear. As long as they find humble ones, with tearful eyes and words of gratitude, receive the assurance that God has not forgotten his waiting ones, but is leading his people out of this darkness into light, we are encouraged to labor on. If the sheaves are few which we reap compared with the abundance of the tares, we know that they will prove to be exceedingly precious in the day of our Saviour's coming. In hope of the joy of that day we will toil on, knowing that our beloved Redeemer will be "glorified in them that believe—in that day." 2 Thess. 2. J. H. WAGGONER. Clyde, O., April 7, 1878. Reports from the Field.
By Editor
(Condensed from Review and Herald.) IPSWICH.—Meetings have been in progress here over two weeks. Brethren Stone and Haines report, April 19, that eight persons had resolved to keep the next Sabbath. BARFORD.—A good work is still going forward in this place under the labors of Elder A. C. Bourdeau. About forty are said to be keeping the Sabbath. Quite a good start has been made in the tract and missionary work. SAND PRAIRIE.—Brother Atkinson has been laboring in this place. Nineteen have been baptized and twenty-five have united with the church. ADAMS CENTER.—Through the labors of Brother Olsen in this place four have made a start for the first time to be true followers of Jesus; and the brethren and sisters resolved anew to serve the Lord more faithfully. ENGLISH GROVE AND GROVE LAKE.—Brethren Grant and Ells report: “March 13, we commenced meetings at English Grove, so near Lake Ellen that the members of that church could attend our meetings. The Lord blessed our labors here. Fourteen commenced to keep the Sabbath, seven were baptized, and eleven were added to the Lake Ellen church. Since April 1, we have held eleven meetings at Grove Lake. Three commenced to keep the Sabbath. As the result of the past five weeks labor nineteen have accepted the truth.” WOLF LAKE.—Elder S. H. Lane writes: “When I first preached here two years ago, I encountered the bitterest opposition I have ever met at any point in this State. The few who embraced the truth, and did not move away, have tried to live it out and have distributed reading matter. We have occasionally visited them, and, as the result, through the blessing of the Lord, quite a number have embraced the truth, and prejudice has nearly died out. During my last visit we organized a church of sixteen members. When I first labored here, I introduced the SIGNS, two families subscribed. They are now rejoicing in the truth. One of these families came from England a few years ago; they have sent the SIGNS to England and thus raised some interest there.” TERRELL.—Brethren Kilgore and Caldwell are holding tent-meetings in this new field. April 16 they write: “We are able to report progress. Each evening the tent is well filled with attentive hearers, and the interest is of a settled character.” NASHVILLE.—Brother Soule writes: “Since my last report I have preached near Eaton's Creek P. O. most of the time. There are two meeting-houses here free for all denominations, and though it has been the busiest time of the year, there has been a good attendance. Eight have commenced the observance of the Sabbath.” AFTER a long day's journey, I arrived at the house of some relatives in Wales, who had invited me to spend Christmas with them. After the first greetings had been exchanged, I said: "But I don't see my dear Ruthie." "No, aunt," one of the children answered, "Ruth is obliged to be out this evening; and she wants to have you all to herself at first, because she has some news that nobody else is to tell you." Ruth, the eldest daughter, had been for some time betrothed to a gentleman holding a civil post in India, whither soon after their engagement, he had been compelled to return. At the time of which I am speaking, there was every probability of his being able to revisit England in a few months, and claim his betrothed; but when last I heard from Ruth, the time for his coming was still unsettled. I at once guessed that her good news had reference to this matter; nor was I mistaken. Soon after I had retired for the night, there came a gentle tap at my bedroom door, and Ruth entered; there was a light in her eyes, a joyous elasticity in her step. "Auntie," she cried, as she embraced me, "they haven't told you?" "No, darling; only that you have some thing to tell." So, making me sit down by the fire, she told me, with a happy blushing face, while she drew a letter from her pocket, that Herbert had written to say he would be home from India the following February. "He must almost have started before I got this," she said. "Oh, auntie, I can hardly believe it for joy!" After congratulating her most cordially, I said:— "But, dear Ruth, if he has started by this time, he will be home before February." "No, aunty, I was going to tell you; there is one little drawback; he says he hasn't been quite well, and though he is really all right now, he is so strongly advised to come by the long sea voyage, that he has made up his mind to do so." I thought this was not the time to remind my niece of the uncertainty of earthly things. We cannot prepare our loved ones for the darkness through which God may purpose to lead them, by casting over the sunshine he sends, the shadow of our misgivings. I therefore only expressed my ardent wishes for the loved one's safe arrival. When Ruth had left me, I sat thinking how much gladness there should be in the lives, by the very faces, of those who are looking for the coming of the heavenly Bridegroom. Could there be, I asked myself, a surer test of our affections toward the Lord Jesus, than our feelings about his personal return? Every day's intercourse with my niece taught me, in some new and practical way, how the thought of our Lord's appearing should regulate our present aims and occupations—should influence our views concerning the possessions, privations, joys, and sorrows of this transitory life. I noticed she was less with the family circle than formerly; and one day I went to seek her in her room. There I found her sitting at a table which was covered with books; she was reading a large volume, and busily making notes from it. "This is a new sort of occupation for you, my dear," I remarked. "Yes, aunt, but you see Herbert is so clever, I don't want him to find me very ignorant, so I am studying history two hours a day. And as he said something in his last letter, about going on the continent after our wedding, I want to get up my French and German." Again, one afternoon there was to be a shopping expedition to the neighboring town, and Ruth's mother and sister were busily engaged making a list of what they wanted. "Now, Ruth," her mother asked, "what can I do for you?" "Nothing, thank you, mamma. It is not worth while now. I must think about my outfit next month, as Herbert will soon be here." Shortly before Christmas, an invitation was received for as many of the family as could go to an entertainment given by a gentleman and lady who had lately settled in the neighborhood. It was accepted; but the carriage room was limited, and Ruth, hearing herself mentioned among those who must certainly be of the party, said it would be a great pity she should keep any one else from going. "You see, papa," she said, "it is of more consequence the others should make acquaintance with these people, as I am so soon going away." On another occasion I heard some young friends ask her if she had heard anything about the house of Peshawur where she was to live. "Hardly anything," she answered. "I know Herbert has been preparing it for a long time; but he has scarcely told me anything about it but that it seems lonely to him; and I," she added, in a lower tone, "have scarcely thought anything about it, except that he will be there." But, alas! Herbert never came home for his betrothed. The indisposition of which he had made light, deceiving himself for her dear sake, rapidly increased; and at length, all hope of recovery being at an end, he started for England in the hope of at least dying amidst his loved ones. But even this wish was not fulfilled; he breathed his last on board ship, before the voyage was over. Many years have passed since then. After a time it pleased God to heal my young niece's sorrow; and although that tie was painfully sundered, she is now a happy, middle aged wife and mother. But the impression left upon my mind by her earnest looking for her expected bridegroom has never been effaced; and, to this hour, when the things of this passing life threaten to assume an undue importance, I recall Ruth's oft-repeated words, "It is not worth while, when he will so soon be here;" and I strive to bring the glory of the coming again, in his glorious majesty, of "that great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ," to bear on all the interest of time; to keep me sober in its joys, and content in its sorrows; and to be careful for nothing because "the Lord is at hand." And many a time, when I have felt a longing for more definite information regarding the promised land, the better country whence the Lord Jesus will return to receive us unto himself, I have remembered Ruth's simple words with respect to her unknown dwelling-place in India, and rested my heart on the blessed thought, "He who loves me with an everlasting love is preparing a mansion for me there; his happiness is not complete without the presence of his redeemed ones; and neither can there, in this case, be any disappointed hopes; for the heavenly Bridegroom ever lives; and his precious promise to all who look for and long for and 'love his appearing' is, 'I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.' And 'surely I come quickly.'" Oh, that each reader would heartily respond to this blessed assurance, "Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus."—English Tract.