Earlier text: LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF CORNELIUS.—ILIFE—ITS DIVINITY.
By William Covert
THE Bible says, “God created man in His own image.” The term “image” signifies a picture, a resemblance, a representation, or a likeness. Man was to be the living likeness of his Maker upon our earth. God’s image in man gave him the greatest possible glory. The attributes of the Creator were most beautifully drawn in the intellect and character of the newly-created pair. Even his physical form was radiant with light before sin clouded the picture. Parker, in writing upon the subject of man’s life, compares it to a noble ship that started well on its first voyage. The wind was fair, as she moved on a calm, sunny sea. A cloud came over the sun; soon flashed the lurid glare of the lightning bolt. The waters were then troubled; the breakers bounded high. Onward came the furious north wind in a mighty, raging tempest. Everything became confusion. All on board expected to go down in mid-sea. What could be done in danger so great? The sails were torn into shreds, the masts were all broken, the timbers unjointed, while the storm continued to lash the ocean into foam. Nothing could be done but to cry to God to stay the storm, and to land the broken vessel in some harbor, where she could again be fitted for service. The career of man is here aptly portrayed. He was launched upon the beautiful sea of life, in mind and character clearly reflecting the image of his Maker. A cloud came and dimmed the picture, blackening into the darkness of Egypt, till in the sinner’s mind there is but little left of the heavenly likeness. But the picture is being restored, newly touched by the hand of the divine Artist, and will eventually appear with greater beauty than at first. At the dawn of creation our parents stood before their Maker in the sum of perfection, to receive their first paternal blessing. “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Gen. 1:28. The blessing made them happy in the possession of life. They were endowed with power and responsibility of transmitting to their posterity that life which had been breathed into them, and reproducing through it, the divine image. In the legitimate exercise of this function they were most intimately associated with God in the manifestation of life, and in the work of creation; but in the corrupting of this holy relation they became most wretched. Had men never perverted God’s purpose, then each individual added to the human family would have been in His likeness, as was the created pair, and would have been an increase of the accumulating joy, eventually filling the whole earth with gladness. In God all live, and move, and have their being; for mankind is truly the offspring of God. Acts 17:25-29. In the making of the first pair the Creator bound up the life of every human being. The mystery of creation is seen in the life of every person that comes into the world. Life is to every person the first and all-important consideration. There can be nothing either weighed or estimated apart from it. Life is greater in value than all else. Without life, gold and silver, and diamonds and lands, would never be counted. Even one life, conformed to God’s eternal purpose, is of more real value, when laid by the side of that purpose, than are all the moneyed interests of earth. “Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Man was placed in the world free, and in full possession of all things necessary for his happiness. There was with him no taint of sin, nor shade of sorrow; no seed of death, nor dread of coming trouble. Life was unstained, and not even a cloud was to be seen on its horizon. TAKING GOD'S BEST OR HIS SECOND BEST.
[From Sunday School Times.] The time had come for transplanting the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan. Moses had been in unconscious training for leadership in this great emigration. Finally he is convinced that the hour of action has come. But when he fairly faces the task he shrinks. The dramatic narrative in Exodus represents the severe spiritual struggle between inclination and duty under the aspect of protracted conversations between Jehovah and Moses. Jehovah—"Come now, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people Israel out of Egypt." Moses—"Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Jehovah—"Certainly I will be with thee." Moses—"O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant; for I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue." Jehovah—"Who hath made man's mouth? Is it not I, Jehovah? I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak." Moses—"O Lord, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send" (by any one but me). Jehovah—"Is not there Aaron thy brother? I know that he can speak well. He shall be to thee a mouth." God's purpose for Moses was to make him sole leader of a great emancipation, sole founder of the nation that was to have an unparalleled influence on the destinies of mankind. For this work God had given him the best possible training. Beyond any contemporary of whom we have any knowledge Moses was6 equipped to be a statesman. Jehovah no more took him than He takes any man at any time and thrusts him into a place too large and difficult for him. If we are where God designs us to be, we may certainly be fitted for our duties. Pride or ambition may put us into too large a place, timidity or indolence into too small a place, ignorance or prejudice into a place for which we have no qualifications; but if we have reverently sought the indications of divine providence, sincerely tried to follow divine guidance, been docile and obedient, we may feel assured that we are where God wants us, and that He wants us just here because He has Himself seen to it that we are prepared to be just here. Now to Jehovah's offer of a work so great and glorious that any human being may well have coveted it,—of the sole guidance of this work, of an exclusive partnership with Himself,—Moses says: "No; I can not accept such a trust. Send by any one but me." But he is not thus, or in any way, to escape his task. God wants him, and will have him. Yet, because of Moses' fear and distrust, it will be under conditions less favorable than God at first intended. "You say you can not speak, even tho I have promised to speak through your lips. Very well. Here is thy brother Aaron. He is an eloquent man. Take him as thy helper." Thus it is finally arranged. God has urged upon Moses His best,—Himself. Moses has refused, and insisted on having God's second best,—Aaron. What an unwise choice! How scant the help that Aaron brought! He was to speak for Moses; that even he did very seldom. For the most part Aaron stood by, silent, while Moses dealt with Pharaoh. And there is no record that Aaron had any share in persuading the Hebrews. But, more still, he became a thorn in the side of the greater brother. He became jealous, and influenced their sister Miriam to become jealous also. He turned the people to idolatry. Moses' task was hard enough at best, but vastly harder because he had chosen Aaron to speak for him instead of God to speak through him, a human helper instead of a divine, Jehovah's second best instead of His best. He wishes us to be saved, in all the full meaning of that great word; forgiven, cleansed, matured, made like unto our Lord. If we are unsaved, it is not God's fault. It is only because we are refusing His best, our personal salvation, and choosing His second best, the general, diffused, social benefits of Christianity. There are two principal reasons why Moses missed God's best, and why we miss it. Moses did not exercise good common sense in refusing to trust Jehovah. No doubt he thought himself particularly shrewd. "I am not to be caught napping. I shall take no chances. I understand myself. I know that I'm no speaker." That sounds like fine modesty and unusual self-knowledge, but in view of Jehovah's offers of aid it is plain unbelief. Similarly we deceive ourselves. A neighbor and friend of the writer said recently: "I take care of one world at a time. I am doing my best daily in this world. If I ever reach another, I will try to do my best also in that." Very plausible, but this man acted thus only in religion. In youth he prepared for maturity, each day for each to-morrow. He was a man of faith, only he shut faith out of the one great realm where it is most needed. This is wrong, but it is also foolish; it prevents God from giving His best. We may have His best, or His second best. The choice is ours. But we can have the latter only by refusing the former. How They Became Convinced
By H. E. Sawyer-Hopkins
[Believing it would be of interest to our readers, the editor of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has asked Sabbath-keeping ministers and evangelical workers to tell in a few words the scripture or scriptures, the truths and principles, which constrained them to accept the unpopular truth of the seventh-day Sabbath. These testimonies must not exceed 500 words. Let us hear from all.] I was brought up a Baptist, and united with that body at the age of thirteen. My brother, who observed the seventh day, was then living at home, therefore I had some knowledge of it. Father being opposed to it, of course I concluded that he, being older, knew better. Shortly after his death, we moved from New York to Battle Creek, Mich. On account of prejudice, I would have nothing to do with Seventh-day Adventists or their teachings. My brother, James Sawyer, invited me to go home with him to Coopersville, Mich., which I hesitated to do, for fear of being influenced by Seventh-day Adventists. Finally I entered my closet and asked God to keep me from such influence, should I decide to accompany my brother home. I went, and while there a brother and sister of the faith invited me home with them for a few days. They asked me to give proof for Sunday-keeping. I was not posted on either side, but made some reply. To the answers given, I could say nothing. They kept up these questions for several days, when I referred to Hebrews 4, and this was made plain also. I was invited to study some books that were handed me. I utterly refused to do so, and the result was I passed sleepless nights. It seemed as tho my pillow was composed of thorns. I would toss about all night long, and for a week or more I dreaded to have night come. Brother wished me to accompany his wife across the lake to her father's. The lake was rough, and I spent a miserable night because of an unsettled state of mind. I finally said to myself, "If we ever arrive safe on land, I will study and see if these things are true." Once on land, a feeling of indifference crept over me, as usual. Arriving in Illinois I came in contact with people who believed some things as we do; and for a week they kept forcing reading matter upon me, and conversing on the life and death question, until I declared I would stay there no longer. In spite of every entreaty to remain, I left for home. Passing through Chicago, we visited at Brother Place's, and here I took up a book entitled "Signs of the Times," which resulted in my yielding. On taking up the Sabbath question, it was not long ere I could plainly see that the seventh day was the Sabbath, and I was one of the first converts at what was then called "The Health Institute." It seems that my state of health was such that I had first to be converted to the principles of health reform ere I could walk out into the light of "present truth." How grateful I am God gave me a willing heart to accept of these beautiful principles, which have been such a blessing to me during the past thirty-eight years. I love them because they are heavenborn. I HAVE no cares, O blessed Will!
For all my cares are Thine;
I live in triumph, Lord; for Thou
Hast made Thy triumphs mine.
And when it seems no chance or change
From grief can set me free,
Hope finds its strength in helplessness,
And gladly waits on Thee.
Man's weakness, waiting upon God,
Its ends can never miss,
For men on earth no work can do
More angel-like than this.
Ride on, ride on triumphantly,
Thou glorious Will, ride on!
Faith's pilgrim sons behind Thee take
The road that Thou hast gone. PAGANINI, with a one-stringed instrument, secured one of his greatest triumphs. The violin was broken, but Paganini was left. So there are many poor, broken, marred lives, in which string after string of purity and uprightness have been snapped away. There seems to be little left; but God is left, and He, from these poor, broken instruments, is able to bring forth the sweetest music. CXLII.
By Phebe Z. Nichols
A DEAR old sister sent me the SIGNS and other papers, knowing I would read them, for I always liked to read anything good. I read them quite a while before I saw anything to especially attract my attention. But one day I noticed a little article on the back of the SIGNS that spoke of keeping the Sabbath from creation, that it was like commencing at the beginning, and that we could not keep a day IN that triumphant ninety-ninth psalm the Spirit sings, "Exalt ye Jehovah our God, and worship at His footstool: holy is He." Verse 5. And again, "Exalt ye Jehovah our God, and worship at His holy hill; for Jehovah our God is holy." The exaltation of God is a great and glorious duty, always incumbent on His people; a great and glorious privilege, which loving affection may ever prompt; yet one which has at times been regarded by His church as neither a duty nor a privilege. Man has come in between the church and her Lord. Human standards occupy the place of the law of God. Human philosophy perverts and befogs and sets aside and nullifies the Gospel of God in human hearts. And most emphatically is that true to-day, not simply in the world where it always has been, but in the church of Jesus Christ, which He purchased with His own blood. For "the everlasting Gospel" is "the Gospel of God. . . . Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Rom. 1:1-4. Again, in this same chapter, the apostle declares that the Gospel "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; . . . for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." But the mighty power of God is creative power, that which distinguishes Him from all other pretended saviours and false gods. For "Jehovah is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King. . . . The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens. He [Jehovah] hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion." Jer. 10:10-12. And the great Jehovah hath wrought all these by the eternal Son, as it is written: "Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins; who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the pre-eminence." Col. 1:12-18. But all this mighty array of truth has been well-nigh nullified by unbelief, by vain, speculative philosophy, by science falsely so-called, by the denial of a personal God, by making every man his own saviour. Geology and evolution, based on scientific hypotheses and guesses, have set aside in the minds of thousands the record of God's creation in Genesis and the Biblical origin of man. The power of God in creation and miracle has been utterly repudiated. Christ, the divine-human Saviour in the true sense, in the Bible sense, has been set aside, crucified again not only between thieves, but among thieves and by thieves, who have stolen the terminology of the Gospel to clothe and make respectable the ancient falsehoods of paganism. And in the face of this fog of delusion and confusion the church and the world stand hopeless and despairing or deluded and lost, following the siren voices of "Christian Science," "New Thought," "Theosophy" or reverting to the traditions of Roman Catholicism. Because of this,—and much more might be said,—God in His providence is sending out from His sanctuary on high His last warning message of "the everlasting Good Tidings" to every people, nation, tongue, and kingdom, saying, "Fear God, and give Him glory; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters." Rev. 14:6, 7. "Fear God." The "living God" still lives, while His universe stretches out around Him. He has wrought creation and redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ. He gives that power as He gave it of old in the Gospel, to all who believe, and only the believer can possess it unto salvation. Jehovah is God, and "there is none else." He who turns from Him, turns from all. He who turns from the Creator turns from the Redeemer. He who turns from God's plan of righteousness by faith turns from all righteousness, all life, all persistence, and continuance of being, and sets his feet in the way of death. Turn to God; fear Him, give Him glory. "Exalt ye Jehovah our God, and worship at His holy hill; for Jehovah our God is holy." "FORBIDDING TO MARRY AND COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS."
We do not know how many requests have come in during the last two years for an explanation of the above-named scripture. In response to these requests we offer the following:— Here is the text, quoted from the American Standard Revised Version:— (1) "But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. (2) Through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; (3) forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. (4) For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving; (5) for it is sanctified through the Word of God and prayer." 1. The text has no special reference to the last days or the "latter times." It relates to later times than apostolic, to the great apostasy which had in Paul's day already begun. Acts 20: 29, 30; 2 Thess. 2: 7. 2. It does not necessarily refer to one special class which does all these things, but to "some," among whom all these things should be done. It predicts apostasy in general, with particular characteristics or evidences of its manifestations. 3. All the things herein condemned are primarily the result of departing "from the faith." The only true faith there is, is living, personal faith, that which makes life connection with God, that which dwelt in our blessed Lord, "the faith of Jesus." "The faith" does not relate to "body of doctrine." That idea is a fruit of the apostasy, a justification of lifeless formality. 4. The doctrines, or teachings, of demons are teachings that are contrary to the Word of God. Primary among these is that old word of the serpent, "Ye shall not surely die; . . . ye shall be as God." Gen. 3: 4, 5. Out of that has grown the doctrine of natural inherent immortality, eternal torment, universal salvation, ultra Calvinism, purgatory, intercession of saints, prayers for the dead, works of supererogation. The system of human merit has been built up on just such a foundation; that Christ's offering and work and power and life are not sufficient, but that these must be supplemented by man. 5. And all these are the fruits of hypocrisy. One of the fearful denunciations which fell again and again from the lips of Him "who knew what was in man" was that of "hypocrites" applied to the leaders of the Jewish nation. Yet they boasted of their good works, and laid upon others, in ceremonial exactions and numerous fastings and ablutions, heavy burdens and grievous to be borne. The same hypocrisy was even more evident in the apostasy. Departing from God's plan and substituting the human, covering inward sins and selfishness with a cloak of hypocrisy, became ever more manifest as7 the centuries of apostasy rolled by. Under such influences conscience soon becomes hard and speechless. 6. "Forbidding to marry" would not involve the prohibition of all marriage. Neither would it include advice against hasty and unwise marriages. We can see the fulfilment of the Spirit's prediction in the enforced celibacy of the priesthood in the Roman Church and in those organizations which, under the pretense of holiness, forbid all marriage of its members as fornication. 7. The word translated "meats" is broma, meaning food of any kind. See John 4: 34; Matt. 14: 15. In the latter text it is rendered victuals, its literal meaning. "Commanding to abstain from foods" does not mean instruction or advice as to what foods are good, proper, or injurious. It does not say commanding to abstain from flesh meats or cereals or fruit; but from food in general. It would not apply to a physician who should forbid grains and enjoin flesh, nor to a vegetarian who should denounce flesh meats as injurious, and advise with all the ardor of his soul a diet of fruit and grains. The prophecy relates to enjoined and stated fasts as meritorious in themselves, even as the forbidding to marry. These can be seen in plenty in the enjoined fasts in the Roman Church. Fasts are often beneficial if voluntary and reasonable; they are good for the spiritual, mental, physical man; but they should be voluntary. "If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as tho living in the world," says Paul to Christians, "do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, handle not, nor taste, nor touch, . . . after the precepts and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity of the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh." Col. 2: 20–23. Fast if need be, but be sure it is not will-worship, self-righteousness, or from mere commandments of men. 8. God has created all that man needs for food, of every variety. Let the Christian select from that abundance, as he is able, what will glorify God. 9. "Every creature," meaning a created thing, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable, would in common sense include only the things that God gave for food. Because "every creature" is used, we would not gather that it meant that men were bound to eat everything that God had created. Nothing that God has created for man's good and His glory is to be rejected at the command of men. Let every child of God know the truth of this, and so eat with thanksgiving. 10. "Sanctified through the Word of God and prayer" would certainly seem to limit the food to be used to that which God had Himself given and set apart for man's use, and upon which man could with assurance pray for God's blessing. This much for 1 Tim. 4: 1–5. The food set apart for His children by the all-wise Father is another matter which each one must find out for himself. There will be articles in this paper, there are articles continually in health magazines, which tell us what the best foods are. But the final decision must rest with the individual soul. Let him choose for God. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10: 31. Let His Spirit guide. Bring all appetites into subjection to Him, and be guided, not by man-made rules and ordinances, but by the Word of God and sanctified common sense. REPEALING LAW TO SHIELD TRANSGRESSORS.
ORIGINALLY the Federal Anti-trust Law contained a clause providing for imprisonment of parties convicted of violating its provisions. But in order to evade this part of the penalty, men who were openly disregarding the law secured the enactment by Congress of another law repealing the imprisonment clause of the penalty. Many people have condemned this repeal as a connivance of the law-making power to help out guilty parties and save them from punishment. Probably a great majority of the people of the United States would condemn such action. But many religious teachers maintain that the supreme Lawgiver has acted in the same manner. It is declared that in order to save sinners from the death penalty, He abrogated the law that condemned them. If this were true, He could justly be charged with encouraging the things which the law forbade. It would be an acknowledgment on His part that the law was unjust. But the plan of redemption reveals a very different story. Instead of repealing the law whose transgression makes one a sinner (1 John 3:4), in order to give the condemned one release, the Lawgiver Himself suffered the penalty, thus honoring the perfect, immutable law. That the moral law was not in any way affected by the Gospel, only to be emphatically vindicated, is shown by the fact that none but penitent sinners are liberated from the penalty of its transgression, and these only through faith in Christ. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36. There could be no such penalty if the law were repealed; for death is the result of sin (Rom. 6:23), and "sin is not imputed when there is no law" (Ch. 5:13). The principle of repealing law that men may be liberated from its provisions can apply only to the affairs of men; and, owing to human imperfection, and the consequent imperfection of human law, such repeals are often in the line of justice. But it is not so with the acts of God. His ways are always just, and therefore perfect. Jesus came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it (Matt. 5:17, 18), and that it might be fulfilled in those "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4). The Gospel was not designed to palliate sin or to shield the sinner, but to show up more vividly the heinousness of sin and to reform the sinner—to reconcile him to God through faith in Jesus Christ. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." Ch. 3:31. When men were casting about for a "Lord's day," other than the day which He Himself had set apart by precept and example, why should they have settled upon Sunday, and why not on the day on which Christ died? What claim has one of these days above the other? The great sacrifice of His life for fallen man was made when He died. The penalty of sin was paid when He died. Why, then, would not that be as much the "Lord's day" as the day on which He rose from the dead? But, more pertinent still is the query, Why should man assume to make a "Lord's day" at all? Every time man undertakes to do something outside of, or foreign to, the Lord's directions, he is sure to do something contrary to His expressed will. He is sure to set his judgment above God's judgment. The Lord set apart the seventh day as His day, His "holy day," and gave the reason for it—a reason based on a fact that never can be altered. See Gen. 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:8-11. But puny man interposes his judgment, and declares that another day and another reason are more appropriate. Then he assumes that when the prophet refers to the Lord's day (Rev. 1:10), he must mean the day that man has designated, rather than the day that God Himself has chosen. Whom shall we obey? Whose is the better judgment? The demonstration of the Spirit is not necessarily of the character that creates mere curiosity, or that attracts the mere seeker after strange things. Christ did many wonderful works, but He did only such works as were in line with His purpose. He refused to do any miracle just to gratify the curiosity of Herod and his associates, altho it might have saved Him the cruel insults that followed His refusal. After showing His power to resist the mob that came to arrest Him in Gethsemane, He disappointed His disciples by allowing Himself to be taken. All of God's work among men is done through the power of His Spirit, but its strongest manifestation is not in those demonstrations that are recognized by the world as wonderful works. There is no miracle of grace so great or so wonderful as the conversion of a sinner. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," and all the miracles that are wrought by the Spirit of Christ are such as, in His judgment, will have an influence to that end. Elijah was a man of God, a man of great faith, a man of such character as justified the Lord in translating him without his seeing death. He was a man whom God could use as an instrument in the performance of some notable miracles. But there were many widows in his day suffering from the effects of the great famine, but unto only one of them was he sent with miraculous help. Luke 4:25, 26. John the Baptist came "in the spirit and power of Elijah." He was "filled with the Spirit" of God; yet, altho he was endued with the same power that was manifested in Elijah, "John did no miracle." This was not because he was in any way inferior to Elijah; for Christ testified of him that no greater prophet ever had arisen. There was such a power manifested in the Word as spoken by John that all classes flocked to hear him and to be baptized by him. He was not obliged to "work up an interest" by any kind of human advertising. He could preach in the wilderness, and people came from city and from country to hear him. The Spirit convicted them of sin through John's preaching, without any physical miracle at all. All this shows that the Spirit is not given to men for them to use, but that it may use them. The power is not given to men to use at will, but as the Spirit may direct. Miracles wrought by the Spirit of God are limited to such as are wrought by the will of God, and not according to the judgment of man. We are not to rejoice because of the wonderful things we are enabled to do in His name, but because our names are written in His book of life. Luke 10:17–20. The passage does not refer to Christ's second coming, but to the destruction of Jerusalem, when the Jews should be scattered and Jerusalem destroyed. The disciples asked three questions: (1) "When shall these things [the destruction of the temple] be?" (2) "What shall be the sign of Thy coming?" What shall be the sign of "the end of the world" or age? See verse 3. Jesus answers the last question first, closing with verse 14. He then answers the first, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, in verses 15 to 20. From that He goes forward through the great tribulation to the special times of His coming. If we will keep the questions in mind, the answers will be clear. Women burdened as indicated in the text would have a pitiful time in famine and flight; and this will also be true in the increasing troubles of the last days. 1488.—Forbidding to Marry, and Commanding to Abstain from Meats. Explanation of this scripture is given in another column. Let it be preserved for others, and for future reference. Who is it that "no man hath seen nor can see"? 1 Tim. 6:16.
A. K. H. God the Father, invisible to mortal men because of His overpowering glory and splendor. But sometime, when they are immortal, He will dwell personally with His people (Rev. 21:3), "and they shall see His face" (ch. 22:4). The False Liberty of Lawlessness
Some people think it is a "glorious liberty" to get away from the law of God. They hail it as a wonderful manifestation of divine love to take away all restraint, to remove the standard of righteousness, and say to all, Your own judgment is the standard. If you are a parent, how do you think that plan would work with your children? Such people are especially elated with the idea that the Gospel frees them from all obligation to keep the Sabbath of the Lord. Yet they will bind themselves to observe a day set apart by man, and assume to demand civil law to enforce its observance upon all men. Where, then, does the "glorious liberty" come in? Even men who preach the observance of "all days alike," will encourage the enforcing of a particular day upon the masses of the people. To encourage the observance of a day that stands only in the authority of man, is logically to encourage the compulsory observance of that day by the law of man, when other means fail of the desired object. To the correctness of this proposition all history attests. THIS is the verdict of a man, a politician, than whom, perhaps, no one in the United States is better qualified to express a reliable opinion. It is becoming more and more evident that the reason the people lose control of their own affairs, why they lose control of the government, is because of their willingness to sell or give away themselves. The corrupt schemes concocted in financial and political circles never could be carried out, were it not for the fact that so many of the people think they see temporary personal advantage in supporting such schemes. Not one of the great corrupting projects, of which the people so bitterly complain, could be carried out, were it not that the people here and there lend or sell themselves to the aid of such projects. They are deceived by "gold-brick" financial ventures, because of their innate avariciousness, because of their natural disposition to nibble at the bait of promises to get something for nothing. They read or hear of men making fortunes out of speculation, and they would like to do the same; hence they are caught by apparent opportunities. They are deceived by political platforms and political "reformers," because they do not learn anything by experience, and many of them side with that which they think will win,—imagining that somehow there is to be an advantage in the glory of winning the day, and being in favor with those who succeed. But that which shows the venality of current, popular corruption is the disposition to sell votes—whether it be for large or small sums of money, or for other consideration. The authority to which we have alluded said in a recent public address, as reported in the Commoner: There is corruption everywhere. I was down in Delaware, and I found that in Delaware, in some precincts, a majority of the people had received pay for their votes, and in some precincts even three-fourths of the people had received pay for their votes. The Baltimore Sun declared, after the election of 1900, that in one county in Maryland 25 per cent of the voters could be bought. The governor of Rhode Island has given statistics to show the extent of corruption there. I received a letter from a man in New York who asked, "How can we hope to win when a man with a quarter section of land demands $1.50 for his vote?" In West Virginia a man told me that, when he was on the committee, a voter came fourteen miles the day before the election to announce that he would not vote the next day unless he got a dollar. The public conscience has become so demoralized that I heard of one case where a town wanted to secure the county seat, and not being able to get the county seat away from another town, the idea of building a new county around the town was conceived. The leaders of the movement prepared a bill, and took it down to the Legislature, and they raised a fund of $50,000 among the honest and respectable business men with which to corrupt the Legislature; and, to be sure that the money was conscientiously expended, it was put in the hands of two prominent church-members to divide among the bribed legislators. That was in another state, but if I dared to touch on domestic matters in this state [Florida], I might possibly find cases that would parallel anything I have mentioned. Corruption is so common that people who know what is going on are seemingly indifferent to the effect that it is going to have on our country. We can not discount the facts that show the extent and the wickedness of the corruption that exists in political, social, financial, and even religious, circles; but we can not ignore the other fact that all this is made possible by the corruption that is everywhere. And the most deplorable feature of the condition is that the people are being deceived by the assurance that they are "growing better." The "watchmen" whose calling is to give warning of the corruption of the last days are too ready to fall in with the popular wave by overlooking the root of the prevalent evils. They overlook, or desire to hide, the reality that the men who are prominently on the surface in all departments of life have come up from the masses by popular patronage or by popular preference. And the supply is fed from the great common resource. There is no permanent remedy in human resource, so long as ninety-nine men out of every hundred are restrained from being monopolists or dictators only from lack of opportunity. The only remedy is in the eventual relief that comes through the "precious faith." To such as have this faith in the only true reform, the greatest of all Reformers, by His Spirit, gives these words of encouragement: "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:2-4. This is the only way of escape. Every other way leads through the bogs and quicksands of human ambition.