Earlier text: BUSINESS PROCEEDINGS OF B. C. CONFERENCETHE JUSTICE OF GOD.
By J. Clarke
WE know what it is, for the decalogue and its penalties proclaim it with trumpet tongue in every enlightened conscience. God has not left man in doubt here. We know his standard of right, and we know that his mercy, and forbearance, and love, have waited long. It would be presumption in man to say, "As far as God is just I can honor him, and no farther;" none but a wicked man would say this. But having before us his perfect rule of right, and his own vindication of right, and his hatred of evil inscribed upon the world's history for 6000 years, we may have pretty clear views of his justice, and substantial evidence too, that that justice has forborne nearly to its utmost. Those who deny the most sacred of Jehovah's laws, may with propriety stand aghast, when the great and terrible retributions of his justice are set in order before them, and they may charge those who sympathize with their kind and merciful Creator, with dangerous error; but I ask, Are those who live in daily and weekly transgression of his laws, the ones to draw the line, and define the limit of Jehovah's justice? Do not they deny on the one hand his law, and on the other his proclamation of the same in the third message? If there ever was an age that had peculiar advantages for appreciating the forbearance and justice of God, it is the present; that is, those who receive the truths especially applicable to the present time and age, which do define most definitely God's justice. If we recur to Sinai and behold the awful manifestations of God's unbending justice; when we consider the sudden and awful destruction of Korah and his troop; of Sodom and Gomorrah; the case of Achan; especially the history of the Hebrew people up to the present time; and looking into the future, we may see in the seven last plagues, and the horrors of the second death, the hatred God has for sin; but his mercy is proclaimed in the dispensations of love for so many centuries of forbearance, winning the rebellious race of man by Godlike love in an infinite variety of ways; but most wondrously in the scenes of the trials and death of our Lord and Saviour. But God, although so merciful, is not slack, and his judgments, though long withheld, must come at length, and mercy's voice must cease, when our gracious High Priest finishes his ministration; and now the time hastens on, and the time of trouble such as never was is just upon us, the seven last plagues of Jehovah's wrath poured out without mixture of mercy are at the door,181 and now God by his Spirit is fortifying the minds of his obedient children for the terrible day before them. It is indispensably necessary that those who are to behold such an awful display of the retributive justice of God, as these are to witness who had the warning of the third message contained in Rev. xiv, 9-13, should clearly see the justice of God in carrying out literally the sequel as contained in Rev. xvi. Already do we behold the ire of our rebellious race arising against the proclamation of this message. Especially is this ire excited against the prominent place the decalogue holds in this last message to the world; and it is the justice of God as displayed in present truths by means of his glorious law, which is so abominable in the sight of men, who choose rather to look only on one attribute of God, as displayed on the cross. The song of those who will be redeemed from the earth at the coming of Christ will magnify especially the justice of God, "just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints," and the present truths are peculiarly adapted to magnify the justice of God. No reasonable person will dispute the position that the justice of God should be vindicated by his people, not that he needs it, but his people need to be fully settled on this point, and to be in harmony with his justice, as much as his mercy. Thus will they be fitted to sing the song on the sea of glass, ascribing justice and truth to God. It is instructive to learn the opinions of those men in reference to the perpetuity of the law of God, whose prejudices have not been excited, and whose judgments have not been biased by the controversy which at present exists in regard to the Sabbath; and to those who sincerely desire that the word of God may stand, the results of such investigation are invariably gratifying. In reference to the distinction between moral and ceremonial law, Kurtz, a standard German author, in his Sacred History, page 296, says:— “The moral law was of vital importance, and was given for its own sake, while the ceremonial law and the promises were not given for their own sakes, but for the sake of Him to whom they specially referred. In this distinction between the moral law on the one hand, and the ceremonial law and the promises on the other, the cause is found of the difference in the results when they are respectively fulfilled. When the moral law was fulfilled, its eternal inviolability was established, while the latter [the ceremonial law and the promises] ceased to be obligatory when they were fulfilled.” What Sabbath-keeper could bear better testimony than this? And yet this is the invariable testimony of all christian men, before opposition to the Sabbath has led them to commit themselves to a theory which demands an opposite interpretation of this scripture. What theory could have or could require a higher commendation than this! In these remarks we have taken an unqualified position. If there exists an exception to it, we have yet to learn it. If this be granted, an important, and to the parties implicated, a very serious, conclusion follows, namely this: that the opposition of our opponents arises not from an honest conviction of the truth of their position, not from the plain demands of reason, and revelation, but from the unworthy motive of maintaining a pre-adopted theory at all hazards. We would be as slow to do injustice to them as to any other class of people; and if this charge partakes in anywise of that nature, let them modify it by showing that any eminent christian has ever taken an unbiased view of Matt. v, 17, differing materially from our own, or that any such person has ever been led, from an isolated investigation of the subject, to oppose the distinction which we claim between moral and ceremonial laws. 'LINE upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.' Shall we fear, dear brethren and sisters, that we shall think and talk too much on this exalted theme? How grateful I am to God for the work his Spirit is performing east and west in waking up his children to the subject of holiness. The expressions in letters from the dear saints cheer my heart. I do want to see my Saviour. O I do long to be at home; but I know Jesus will never come till his people are all ready for him. He can take nothing with him that in any way defiles. He will never jeopardize his kingdom by admitting into it one heart that is not perfectly pure. Instead of purifying his people when he comes, he then says, 'He that is filthy, let him be filthy still; he that is holy ('without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,' Eph. 'whiter than snow.' Ps.) let him be holy still,' &c. Jesus seals all these classes precisely as he finds them. My greatest burden, my most earnest pleadings are for the people of God. Let them have clean hearts, and then, as the Psalmist says, sinners shall be converted unto God. Babylon is fallen and is still falling; God's children are rising and will continue to rise, and their light will burn brighter and clearer to the end. Oh what a triumph the truth will yet achieve in the hearts of the honest. As the true church becomes holy she will have more of the presence of her God. The doctrines she teaches will have mighty power through her indwelling God and her own purity, while at the same time her holiness will contrast vividly with the corrupt nominal churches. The honest will see it all, and then what a mighty cry will go forth with the loud cry of the third angel. 'Babylon is fallen; come out of her my people.' What a rushing will there be to the standard of truth and holiness! Glory be to God in the highest for the prospect and the light that shines all along our way to the kingdom! Some of us now are watching and praying. Oh for the time when Jesus' prayer will be answered, and his people will be one, a spotless perfect loving one. Then may we look for the blessed appearing of our precious Saviour. "Wake up brother, wake up sister,
Seek, oh seek this holy state." Do you long for deliverance where Satan can never touch your heart again—never tempt you more? Do you desire to be with Jesus at home? Do you want to be gathered with the entire family of God, from Abel down through patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs with Jesus for our elder brother? There God will wipe the tears from all our faces. There shall be no more death, sorrow, crying nor pain, and there he shall bid us enter into the possession of those things which it hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive of; beauty, glory and bliss surpassing our brightest imaginations. But our hearts must, as it were, be emptied and cleansed before we can drink in this fullness of purity and bliss. See our Father looking at us, and beseechingly crying, 'When shall it once be?' Dear child, you long to be free; you long for perfect union with God. Oh! walk right out into the liberty of his dear children; remember 'we walk by faith.' The idea seems to prevail that severe trials unavoidably attend every one who becomes pure in heart. 'Tis true the great enemy of our souls would contest every inch of our way into the kingdom if he could; and so he will too, if we are not aware of his devices. From this want of knowledge, many have waded through deep waters of temptation before they could launch into freedom. Oh how much I thank him who has laid out the way of salvation, that he has provided for us an armor that can completely repel all Satan's attacks and devices. The enemy has power to influence our thoughts and feelings, and it is natural to look at our feelings to determine our progress in the divine life. If Satan can get us to do so while he comes in with his fears and unbelief, as he has power to, you see there is a struggle for us. How can we determine to what extent we are under his influence while resting our hopes on our feelings? I know of no way. But praise God there is sure footing for us. It is entirely out of self in God and in his word. If you will consent to keep your eye there entirely, the enemy will not have power to stop or dishearten you. With the shield of faith—the word of God says so—we can quench all his fiery darts. (Note, we walk by faith from the first and here the shield of faith can repel all the darts of the wicked from the beginning to the end of our way.) Does Satan ever come in and say, Perhaps you don't know anything about religion, it may be you are deceiving yourself and are not a Christian after all? How shall you determine so as to drive back the tempter? Not by looking at your bright experience (which may all be genuine), but by the word of God which says, 'To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are.' Rom. vi, 16. One plain declaration of the Bible is all-sufficient. Have I been a child of God? Am I now his child? Let this text answer. Come let us walk by faith a little. Do you, distrusting one, resolve that from this moment you will obey God in all his known will? You can obey him, for he has said that his grace shall be sufficient for you; also, 'I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee.' God's promises are immutable. It is not possible then, if you try to obey God, that you shall not have just as much strength as you need to enable you to do so. God will see to that; you can obey him. Do you resolve to do so, and to suffer his will too? (Don't wait to feel you will do it. It is decision, not feeling, that the Lord asks, and you can but know it when you decide to do anything). Then you bring all you have and are to his disposal and it becomes his. Paul says, you are then his, and hence—the greater including the less—every part of you is his, body, soul, and spirit, every faculty, every propensity is his, a 'living sacrifice.' Do you fear to believe it? God says through the apostle that you are his; will you doubt his word who created you and all things else, and has 'magnified his word above all his name,' while you stop and look within to see if you have faith that you are his? Don't dishonor God. If he says so it is enough. Let us begin to walk by faith, looking at nothing but his word. If Satan can turn us from that he will overcome us. From the moment you determine to yield entire obedience to God, and enter upon that obedience, you are his whether you are aware of it or not, and you may leave the keeping of your heart to him to whom it now belongs, and who has said if we do so he will sustain us. David says, 'The Lord is thy keeper.' Ps. cxxi. Your thoughts, affections, all your feelings, are now his (since they form a part of your heart, and your heart became his when he declared you were 'his servant'). Let him then take care of them (since the work belongs to him of caring for and guarding his own). Does the way look dark, does self claim indulgence, does fear distress you—whatever it be, the best way of escape is in committing all into the hands of your Keeper. This I find is for me the best way of preserving holiness in the fear of the Lord. Yes you are now the Lord's with the keeping of your soul committed unto him as unto a faithful Creator. Thus you have cast your care on him who careth for you. Leave it all with him, give him every care, every burden. It is all his. Don't try to take it out of his hands by bearing it yourself. You are now to 'reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin by the determination you have of now forsaking it, but alive unto God,' having yielded yourself to obey him. Thus you separate yourself from the world and God says he will now receive you. He is now your Father and you are his son or daughter. God says it; take it for granted then. You brought the Lord a complete sacrifice, an entire submission to his will when you determined to obey him in all things. A sacrifice always implies an altar. Without Jesus, God would be to us a consuming fire. Had he never died God could not save us, consequently our sacrifice in and of itself could not be received; but Jesus has by his death, by the shedding of his blood for the remission of our sins, opened up a way whereby God can accept the sacrifice we bring him. It is received on the merits of Jesus' blood which thus becomes our altar. An altar sanctifies all that is placed upon it. Anciently the altar was so holy that all who touched the sacrifice that was lying upon it, or on whom the blood was sprinkled were accounted holy. See Lev. vi, 25-27. Now 'if the blood of bulls and goats sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.' Heb. ix, 13, 14. Then our altar has the sanctifying power. Our sacrifice is accepted (for we have seen, Paul says we are the Lord's when we obey him), and it could only be accepted through Jesus, through his blood which thus is antitypically our altar. Now every altar makes all holy or sanctifies all that is upon it. Your sacrifice must be lying upon Jesus' blood, for God could not receive you without, yet he has received you. Now your altar sanctifies by its own power the gift, and makes you holy. Do you doubt it? Do you wait and look within to see if you have a clean heart? Be careful here also, that Satan do not overcome you by leading you to trust in any way or degree to your feelings. Christ says, 'The altar sanctifieth the gift.' Do you believe him? Oh don't doubt Jesus. Think you one who loved you enough to suffer excruciatingly for you could easily deceive you? No, no, we will not thus cruelly dishonor our Redeemer. The work perhaps looks mighty to you; your iniquities are mighty realities. Well the thought often encourages me as it once did Martin Luther. Jesus is a real Saviour, yea, his blood possesses real virtue to take away real unholiness. Looking at his word alone you see your heart must now be pure. Look at nothing else. It must be so, for Jesus says so. You made no self-reservation in your submission to God, but gave a perfect sacrifice to his will. All the Lord saw because his (he sees all), and it is wholly on the altar of Jesus' merits which sanctifies all that is lying on it. Thus you have a perfect cleansing from 'all unrighteousness.' While you keep your submission to God's will perfect by constantly doing that will as you can best understand it and no more, you lie on the altar that keeps you holy; but when you commit sin or neglect a duty, you have taken so much from the altar. Ask God to forgive you and renew your submission to him. The virtues of your altar restore your purity. Obey God's word, live by it instead of living by your feelings or experiences. Keep your eye upon that, and thus the shield of faith will repel the enemy. God's word and his Spirit will make known your duties to you. Leave the disposal, the care and the consequences of them all with him, while you faithfully perform them as his word and his Spirit reveal them to you. Submit to be led by them and they will lead you in the way everlasting. Come drink of the waters of life, bring your all in submission to God's will; thus lay all on the altar and receive in return a heart full of perfect love. Not till then can you know its indescribable tenderness. My soul is full of gratitude, praise and sweet love to him who has thus far guided me. The light is shining more and clearer on my way. My soul is sweetly reposing in the arms of my everlasting friend and Saviour. I cannot describe the tenderness of this perfect182 union with my God. How I do love to sink away into nothing, be hid away in God's love while I glory in praising and exalting him in the highest. It is our most exalted privilege to give ourselves up to glorify him in doing his will here on earth, in devoting ourselves to this high and holy work and thus being united to holy things. Oh how blessed! What if we have dark seasons of temptation to pass through; God is our keeper, and his angel encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them. Then if we don't know where we are ourselves our God knows, and he knows every snare and pitfall around us, and he is our deliverer. Can't we trust him? Yes we can. Oh my heart is full! Praise God, he leads us in a way we know not. I love to adore him. Sweet Jesus! He is mine and I am his. Precious being! He is more lovely to me than everything else beside. Oh I cannot describe the glory, the sweetness of this exalted way. I have had but a glimpse of heavenly things; what must the fullness be! Dear brethren and sisters do come. Oh come! let us travel on together. Jesus is hastening with deliverance for us. Blessed Redeemer! I long to be there. God bless and save my dear brethren and sisters. M. E. S. PRAYERLESS PRAYERS.
By T. L. C.
PRAYER is one of the simplest things in the world, and yet one of the deepest of mysteries. In its motive and in its method it is perfectly simple; the talk of a child to its father could not be more so. In its prevailing power with Jehovah, and its unity with the great doctrine of his fixed decrees, it is to us a profound mystery. Such let it remain. It is not given to us to know all mysteries; but it is permitted us, and it is commended us to "pray without ceasing." What is prayer? Is it the rehearsal on the bended knee of a set form of solemn words, learned by rote from the Bible, from the liturgy, or from the traditions of the elders? Many seem so to regard it. To them it is no higher, no deeper, no holier thing than that. Millions of so-called prayers have risen no loftier in character or meaning; and however devout or elegant in language, they cannot but be regarded as prayerless prayers. For true prayer is an earnest soul's direct converse with its God. Many other definitions might be given. This one answers our purpose now—the direct and earnest converse of a soul with God. By it a poor, guilty soul confesses its sins; by it a needy soul makes known its wants; through it a devout, God-loving soul pours forth its adoration, and by means of it, infinite blessings are brought down from heaven. The characteristics of the best prayer would be reverence, directness, sincerity, faith, and expectation of an answer through Jesus Christ. The lack of any one of these vitiates our petitions, and goes far towards making them prayerless. Let us offer a word or two on the characteristics of faith and directness of meaning. 1. Faith is vital to every true prayer. It is the very child of a believing spirit. We must draw nigh to God fully persuaded that we are asking for the right thing, that we are asking at the right place, that we are asking with the right spirit; and there must we plead the promise again and again, till the windows of heaven open above our heads. Not only must we believe in God, but we must believe in prayer. Not only that it is a good thing, but the only thing for our emergency. And when we have sought a longed-for object from our heavenly Father (using all the while our own best exertions too), then a truce to all worrying anxieties as to the result. Faith never worries. Selfishness does; so does unbelief. But he that trusts God, and uses all human agencies to secure the result he aims at, has no right to borrow trouble as to God's disposal of his petitions. When I have done the utmost that skill and patient love can do for my sick child, and when I have laid the darling in the arms of Christ with beseeching prayer, I have the assurance that he will answer me. If not by restoring the dear sufferer to health, then by restoring my soul to a better spiritual health by taking her away from me. At any rate, my faith must be strong enough to believe that God will so answer me as to please himself, and to profit my own soul, or else I have but offered a poor apology for prayer. True faith takes God at his word. True faith reckons on answers to prayer as a fixed object of expectation, just as surely as the seed-scattering husbandman reckons on the May rains and the June sunshine. Have you done your own utmost, my brother? Have you prayed your utmost? Then bid adieu to anxiety. Sit down and eat your bread in peace. Lay your head at night on your pillow and go to sleep as a tired child falls asleep on the breast that heaves in the undulations of love. You have no business to put one wrinkle in your brow, or one thorn under your pillow. Wait on God. Keep waiting. Don't be uneasy. You will find your answer coming all in good time; and God's time is always the best time. "Faith," as the great Dr. Mason used to say, "is just the delightful recumbency of the soul on the bosom of the Redeemer." 2. Is this the way you pray? or is your uttered liturgy at the throne of grace a faithless mummery of words, not merely with no expectation of an answer, but really without anything to be answered? This is possible. I fear that more than half the smoothly worded "addresses at the mercy-seat" (that is the very word for them, addresses) have no definite object, no aim, no purpose. They embody no felt want. They express no genuine desire. However elegant, however scriptural in phraseology, however orthodox, they are really prayerless prayers. To test ourselves as to this point of directness of meaning, let us habitually ask our hearts when we arise from our knees, "What have we been asking for? Anything? Was there any clearly understood desire in our mind which we took to the throne of grace, and laid it there?" For what is a petition but the asking for some appreciated, desired, and needed thing? In all our intercourse with our fellow men we never practice the preposterous farce that we so often play off upon God. When we enter a neighbor's house to borrow a certain article, we have no difficulty in making our neighbor comprehend just what we are after. The merchant does not enter the bank until he has a definite idea of the amount he wishes to raise upon his note, and he makes the officers understand the precise sum he requires. If our child is dying we know just where to go for a physician—just what to tell him; and we do not leave him until we ascertain whether he is coming. Here is precision, and also pertinacity of purpose. Faith in the physician and his remedies sends us to his house; and our directness of purpose leaves him in no doubt as to our errand. Now in every rightly conceived and rightly presented petition to the heavenly King, there will be the same confidence to lead us to his presence, and the same definite utterance of the heart's desire when we have come there. Spurgeon has pitifully said in a late discourse, "Did we ask an audience at Her majesty's court, we should be expected to reply to the question, 'What do you wish to see her for?' We should not think of entering the presence of royalty, and then conjuring up some petition after we came there. Imagine an archer bending his bow and not knowing where the mark is. Would he be likely to have success? Conceive a ship sent on a voyage of discovery without the captain having any idea of what he is looking for. Would you expect him to come back heavily laden with discoveries of science or treasures of gold? In every earthly thing men have plans. We do not go to work commonly till we know what we design to make. How is it that we can go to God without knowing what we design to have?" If prayer only had a clearly defined, deeply felt object to plead for, it never would be a dull drudgery or a painful penance. We would say to ourselves, how shall we best bring our burden of desire before our heavenly Father? Oh that we knew what argument to plead with him! Oh that we might come near183 enough to touch the hem of Christ's garment; then would we entreat him to make intercession for us at the court of heaven. Then would we pray as sick Hezekiah prayed for health, as blind Bartimeus cried out for recovering of sight, as the heart-wrung Jairus besought Christ's interposition for his dying daughter, as the conscience-smitten publican begged for mercy to him a sinner. And there are two or three things we would not do. We would never be driven to the miserable shift of recalling and repeating the stereotyped phrases of devotion in order to get through the prescribed amount of enforced prayer at the family altar, or in the social meeting. We would not so often be guilty of solemn falsehoods told in pious language to the truth-loving God. We should not so often starve our souls or insult our heavenly Father. We should not so often be guilty of uttering—what we have all uttered quite too often already—the hollow mockery of prayerless prayers.—T. L. C.—Independent. "FEAR NOT, LITTLE FLOCK;"
By E. Macomber
"IT IS YOUR FATHER'S GOOD PLEASURE TO GIVE YOU
What a blessed promise to the little flock scattered throughout earth's wide domain! It matters not where his sheep are, the Shepherd's eye is ever on them. He is sure to care for them. He has promised to lead them into green pastures and by the side of still waters. I sometimes read in the Review letters from some of the scattered flock, of there being one here and another there, and several here and there, some rejoicing in the great Shepherd, and some oppressed and struggling to gain the victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Struggle on, dear ones, a little longer; it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Rejoice on a little longer. The Lord says by the apostle James, "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms." The good Shepherd knows his sheep. He says in John x, 11, "I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep; but he that is an hireling, and not the Shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep." But he has promised to gather the scattered ones of his flock, as we read in Jeremiah xxiii, 3: "And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds, and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them, and they shall fear no more nor be dismayed; neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness." "Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." "Come, good Lord, with courage arm us,
Persecution rages here;
Nothing, Lord, we know, can harm us
While our Shepherd is so near.
Glory, glory be to Jesus!
At his name our hearts do leap;
He both comforts us and frees us,
The good Shepherd feeds his sheep.
Hear the Prince of our salvation
Saying, Fear not, little flock,
I myself am your foundation,
You are built upon this rock.
Shun the paths of vice and folly,
Scale the mount, although its steep;
Look to me and be ye holy,
I delight to feed my sheep."
E. Macomber. THOUGHTS ABOUT EARTH AND HEAVEN.
By C. M. Rathbun.
I would not have my portion here
Upon this sin-cursed earth ;
Its sunniest plains are nought but drear,
And many a heart hides hate or fear,
'Neath mask of sinful mirth. I've heard about a country where
Pure crystal waters flow ;
And many fruits both rich and rare,
From boughs are pending ripe and fair,
And there I mean to go. Here there are many tempting snares
Set to entrap my feet ;
I'm weary of earth's toilsome cares,
Where every seeming pleasure wears
The impress of deceit. I've heard no sorrow there is found,
No sin doth more annoy ;
But everlasting joys abound,—
Where all with gems of gold are crowned,
Unmixed with base alloy. The thorn and thistle flourish here,
And noxious weeds doth grow ;
And poisonous reptiles lurking near
The brightest flowers, and thus with fear
We ever dwell below. There in that land, as I've been told,
Flowers fadeless deck the glade ;
And that its streets are paved with gold,
And those that dwell there ne'er grow old,
And death's rough hand is staid. But most of all, I've heard that there
The Prince of princes dwells ;
And I must have my dwelling there,
And in those heavenly blessings share ;
Farewell, old earth, farewell.
C. M. RATHBUN.
Burns, Mich. THE power of habit is wonderful both in man and beast; this renders it difficult to reform one's manners, and often quite impossible. An unruly ox is cured of his annoying habit of passing through fences by the butcher, who alone can effect a radical cure, and frequently the horse will trespass when tied head and foot. So with mankind; old habits of thought engender the same desires and acts as formerly, and where there is not determined will to become subject to "law and gospel," and a firm trust in God, habits will finally prevail. It is an alarming consideration. It is related of Alexander the great, that although educated by the most refined philosopher of Athens, yet in his manhood he relapsed into the rough, half savage manners of his boyhood. He was son of Philip of Macedon, one of the least enlightened states of Greece. So it is, men fall at once into those nets which are laid in accustomed paths, and those who would overcome should be awake to the fearful danger of relapsing into evil habits. FEELINGS should never have any weight against evidence; nevertheless, in the absence of evidence we sometimes put some confidence in mere experiences; but when evidence and feelings agree, then is a sure witness, an inward light, a firm faith, a joyful assured hope; such is the Christian's experience, who takes God's law of ten commands as a rule and test of sin, and the gospel of Jesus Christ as a means of redemption from the curse of sin; who lives out this system of truth, and lets it take its course in his heart, and life, such an one has law and gospel, evidence and experience; all agree; he does not slide nor falter, but with firm steps takes his stand as a witness to the justice and truth of God. A BROTHER from Michigan on a visit to his friends near Findley, stopped over night at Bowling Green, about two miles south of Lovett's Grove, and four and a half north of this place. Had he taken the Review and looked a little at the geography of our county, he might have saved his money (tavern bill) for the Lord's treasury, and had a good visit with some of us, and we been cheered by his society. Brethren do you take the paper? How can you do without it? Brethren are we awake to the interests of the young among us? Do we properly warn, instruct, fortify, and watch over the youth among us? Do we see the dangers which impend over the careless indifferent youth which God has committed to our keeping? Are they brought with as much power and interest before the throne of grace as we present our own cases? Do you notice the conduct of the child who, while you kneel at the family altar, lies almost sprawling, asleep or dozing, or perhaps is manufacturing sport for the younger portion of the family? Do you call his attention to the morning chapter and get his attention? and in prayer do you see that he is interested? Do you watch the development of his mind with as much interest as you do the growth of the fine Berkshire hog in your clover lot? Are you as deeply interested to keep the mind of your child free from taint as to keep your raisor from rust? Are you as attentive to his mental wants as you are to your own cash account, or to your family stores? Do you let him associate in company of his own choosing? Will you answer distinctly, by way of practice?
J. C. WESLEY MCCORMICK
By Wesley McCormick
Bro. SMITH: We have had a very interesting time for a few weeks past. I got hold of some books published at the Review Office, and among them was a Sabbath tract. We read it over and over, and compared it with the Bible and found that it contained the truth. On the 21st of September, 1860, I was ploughing in the field with a yoke of oxen. My wife sent word to me if I was going to keep the Sabbath, to come to the house and prepare for it. I was struck with astonishment. I thought of Elisha, who left his oxen standing with the plough in the midst of the field and hastened after the man of God. We do not find that he resisted the call with a variety of objections. I took my oxen from the field, went to the house, and found my wife in earnest about keeping the Sabbath. Here was the testing point, as I am and have been a member of the M. E. Church for about 19 years, and superintendent of the Sunday-school. At once these reflections flashed through my mind. But the matter was speedily settled. We resolved to obey God and keep his commandments; and thus far we feel well satisfied. We are the only Sabbath-keepers in this part of the country. I then commenced to examine the question of the state of the dead, and came to the conclusion that the dead know not anything. Eccl. ix, 5. I don't believe in the separate existence of the body and soul, when God declares that the soul that sinneth it shall die. Eze. xviii, 4. David taught the dying nature of the soul when he said, God spared not their [the people's] souls from death. Ps. lxxviii, 50. And again, when he said, None can keep alive his own soul. Ps. xxii, 29. I cannot believe that man's thoughts live on when the body dies and his breath goes forth, when David says that they perish in that very day. Ps. cxlvi, 3, 4. I cannot believe that God made man's body and put a soul into it, when Paul says the first man was made a living soul. Man, I believe to be unconscious until the resurrection; for we read that the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Cor. xv, 16, 17. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. I then got a view of the kingdom, by faith, which hath foundations, whose maker and builder is God; one that looked real, something that the human mind can comprehend. It was not wafted away beyond the bounds of time and space. Please send the Review for six months for investigation. Yours in search of truth, "Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another." Bro. Smith: I have long thought that I would like to tell the brethren and sisters what great things the Lord has done for me. It is about a year and a half since I commenced keeping the Sabbath. The Lord has blessed me in it. There are a few here who are trying to keep the commandments, and are striving for the faith of Jesus. We have meetings every Sabbath, where we can ask God to give us his holy Spirit to help us to overcome all sin, and encourage each other in living by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. I do feel to praise the Lord that he cast my lot where I heard the third angel's message. I believe that it is preparing a people for the reception of our Lord and Master when he shall come without sin unto salvation. Dear brethren and sisters, if I know my heart it is to live in that way that I can hear the welcome applaudit, Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of thy Lord. I want to be of that number that shall be redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb. Pray for us, that we may be bright and shining lights for God's truth.