Also giving an exposition of the origin, history, and destiny of Satan. 144 pp. Price, 20 cents.
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.
Keeping the Sabbath Despite Hardship
ONE of the most common objections against keeping the Sabbath of the Lord is this: “If I should keep the seventh day of the week I couldn't make a living.” Well, what of it? Is this short life of so much more importance than obedience to the commandments of God? When a man deliberately decides that it is, from that moment his life is not worth the living, since the glorifying of God is all that makes this life of any value. But suppose keeping the commandment of God should involve the loss of life; thousands of men and women have found that they couldn't “make a living” if they obeyed God, yet they chose death at the stake rather than disobedience to God. People honor the martyrs, and think that they too would have stood up boldly for the faith, and then refuse to do a simple duty for fear they may suffer some inconvenience. The same people will often suffer ten times the inconvenience from having their own way, with the prospect before them of losing the only life that is worthy of the name—eternal life. “For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing.” 1 Peter 3:17.
Woodland, October 16
By W.
From the Woodland Camp-Meeting.
We have been in camp ten days, but the time has not seemed half that long. Indeed, it seems as though the meetings began no longer ago than yesterday. We have had beautiful weather until to-day, when we have had quite heavy showers; but as the meetings to-day have been most excellent, and there has been no complaining because of the rain, we may say that we have had the very best kind of weather for our camp-meeting. As the plain testimony has been given, and confession of sin has been made, God has shown his willingness to bless in an especial manner. From the first, the meetings have increased in interest, and there have been continued and increased evidences of the presence of the Spirit of God. We have not space on this last page to give anything like a full report of the meetings, even thus far; and as we do not want to spoil the full report that will appear next week, we can only say that the camp-meeting thus far has been good, better, best; and we expect that there is better yet to come. California has never before had so good a camp-meeting. To show that we speak within bounds, we will say that Elder Haskell, who has attended hundreds of camp-meetings, says that this one is the best that he has ever attended. To the Lord be all the praise. W.
Woodland, October 16
A later report still further vouches for the earnest spirit of the meeting by the announcement that one hundred thousand dollars had been pledged to various branches of the cause espoused by Seventh-day Adventists.
A READER of the SIGNS asks: “Who was the author or creator of sin? Was it Satan or God? If it was God, the Creator of all things, how does he vindicate his goodness? what motive had he for doing so?”
Christ said of Satan: “When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44. Everything that is right is true, and everything that is wrong is a lie. Therefore when Christ says that Satan is the father of lies, it is the same as saying that he is the father of all evil. God had nothing to do with originating sin. It is entirely out of harmony with his nature, for he is the embodiment of goodness and truth. He cannot lie. It would be an utter impossibility for him to do an evil thing. Whatever he does is right and just (Ps. 111:7, 8), because his ways are the standard of perfection and holiness. He does not have to vindicate his acts to mortals nor give a reason for them. Neither is any mortal required to vindicate the acts of God; they vindicate themselves.
As we have said, sin originated with Satan. It cannot be traced beyond him; but how it originated, or how it first sprung up in his heart, no one can tell, for sin itself is a mystery. See 2 Thess. 2:7. A reason can be given for whatever can be explained, for to explain a thing is to give a reason for it. Now since sin would cease to be sin if an adequate reason for its existence could be given, it is evident that the origin of sin cannot be explained further than to say that it originated in the breast of Satan.
“I OFTEN crave to believe, and cannot,” is what a man says of himself in an exchange. We don’t believe a word of it. If a man wants to believe a thing he can. A man can make himself believe even the baldest lie that was ever invented. Certainly then, he ought to be able to believe truth which is supported by the most unimpeachable testimony. Such truth is that of the Bible concerning Christ and the gospel. If a man is not a believer, it is because he doesn’t want to believe. Or if he does have a feeble sort of desire to believe, he has a greater desire for something with which the truth is incompatible. Some people want to believe and they want Heaven, but they want this earth at the same time; and they can’t have both. If a man really wants to serve the Lord, he will do it. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
The Signs of the Times.
By Editor
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, OCTOBER 21, 1886.
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.
Apostolic Example and Sunday Keeping
SAYS the Christian Union in answer to a correspondent:—
“If you wish to know the ‘mode of baptism’ in the New Testament times, there is little doubt that it was ordinarily, and perhaps always, performed by immersion. Whether this is conclusive as to the mode in which it should be performed in our time, is another question.”
Ah, yes. There is no doubt but that in New Testament times immersion was the only baptism, but then—that doesn't necessarily indicate that we should so consider it. But when it comes to Sunday, which the Christian Union admits was not in New Testament times considered as the Sabbath, why then—we ought to keep it anyway, out of respect for Christ and the apostles. Very strenuous that “apostolic example” should be followed when the apostles set no example, but when it is known that they certainly did do a certain thing, then do exactly contrary. Oh, for consistency!
Despising the Heavenly Inheritance
ESAU deliberately sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. The Bible says that he "despised his birthright." All the brilliant possibilities that were in store for a wealthy prince of the East were counted as nothing compared with a paltry meal of victuals! We say, How could he be so foolish? He was not so near dead but that he could have stood it a little longer without food. While he was bargaining with Jacob, he might have been preparing food for himself. The whole Bible-reading world has doubtless been united in condemning Esau for his foolishness. Yet there are thousands and tens of thousands of Esaus in the world to-day. When a man says: "I know I ought to keep the Sabbath, but my business would be ruined if I should; I can't do it," he is trading Heaven and all its joys for a portion of this world, which he has no assurance of holding for a minute. He virtually says that an eternity of heavenly bliss is not worth so much in his estimation as a few years of earthly trouble. He despises the heavenly inheritance. How can such a one speak lightly of Esau?
Suffering with Christ
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Heb. 11:24–26. What is that? He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. How few there are who view things as Moses did? They want to enter into the joy of the Lord, and they profess to believe that the treasures of Heaven are worth more than those of earth; but they can’t see anything pleasing in the prospect of suffering for Christ. But it is safe to say that those who do not see anything to be desired in suffering with Christ, have no just respect unto the recompense of the final reward. Here is a problem which may be of use in estimating the future happiness of the saints. If reproaches and sufferings for Christ bring more happiness than all things that this world contains, what must be the happiness when “God himself shall be with them, and be their God; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”? If we do not suffer with Christ, we are not joint-heirs with him, and cannot be glorified with him. Rom. 8:17.
The Simplicity of Christ’s Teaching
THE charm of Christ’s teaching lies in its simplicity. But many theological writers seem to forget that there are people who cannot be edified by huge words and high-flown sentences, or else they think that such people are beneath their notice. As a sample of such writing, we give the following extract from a book entitled “The Transfiguration of Christ”:—
“On the resurrection of Christ our cosmology must stand; as on Christ himself, the Logos, must stand all anthropology and theology. The resurrection of the Christ of God is that all-inclusive manifestation of the Logos, which in the beginning moved in chaos toward a cosmos, and which at last through that manifestation abolishes the primeval discord of life and death, thus giving man his (Cosmos-Logos) cosmology.”
We trust that there are very few people on earth who could be edified by such reading. How different from the words of Paul, that master logician: “But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise. Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above;) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Rom. 10:6–10.
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT OAKLAND, CAL., FOR THE
International Tract and Missionary Society.
A sixteen-page Religious Family Paper, devoted to a discussion of the Prophecies, Signs of the Times, Second Coming of Christ, Harmony of the Law and Gospel; with Departments devoted to Health and Temperance, the Home Circle, the Missionary Work, and the Sabbath-school.
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