This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Flies in the Ointment, Change the Odor Thereof."
PURGATORY FIRES ! NOT NOW, BUT SOON
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Purgatory Fires! Not Now, But Soon!"
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Saved by Faith, Not by Works."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "The Power of Christ's Gospel."
This article was republished in the Overland Monthly, pp. OM395-OM399, entitled, "Bishop-Apostles Costly Mistake."
This article was republished in Reprints R4788 – March 15, 1911, entitled, "The Fig Tree is Withered Away."
This article was excerpted from The Battle of Armageddon, Pages 563-614, entitled, "Our Lord's Great Prophecy."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "God's Message for Comforting the Jewish People."
This article was republished in Convention Report Sermons, pp. 133-142, entitled, "Zionism in Prophecy."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "What Pastor Russell Preaches."
This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 1, No. 10, entitled, "Spiritual Israel, then Natural Israel."
This article is the same material as Old Theology Quarterly, No. 76, entitled "Earthquakes in Prophecy."
This article is excerpted from The Atonement Between God and Man, Chapter 4, pages E97-E106, entitled, "The Undefiled One."
What though perplexing paths appear, God's Word, a lamp, makes all things clear; Onward I pass, nor evil fear, Christ is my way.
This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 2, No. 11, entitled, 'Jesus a Wonderful Man."
This article was republished in The Atonement Between God and Man, pp. E97-106, Chapter 4, entitled, "When God was Alone." [invalid reference? – site Editor]
Its Relationship to Israel's Ten Commandments and Their Sabbath Day This article was republished in Reprints R1723-R1730 – November 1, 1894, entitled, "The Divine Law – Universal and Eternal."
This article was republished in Reprint R1730-R1731 November l and 15, 1894, entitled, "Keep My Commandments."
Objections by Seventh Day Adventists Answered This article was republished in Reprint R1731-R1735 – November 1 and 15, 1894, entitled, "Objections of 7th Day Adventists Answered."
Pastor Barton's Letter to an Adventist Brother This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 5, No. 5, entitled, "A Shadow of Things to Come."
That the great European war is the beginning of God's judgment upon the nations of Christendom is recognized by many serious minded men of the world, as well as by Bible students. All are aware that "Christendom" has much to answer for; but just why this present generation should be called upon to suffer more than any other is a problem which some may not fully understand. The justice of the Time of Trouble upon the nations of our day should be appreciated when we recognize the fact that we stand today in a period which is the culmination of ages of experience which should be, and is, in some respects, greatly to the world's profit; especially to that part of the world which has been favored, directly and indirectly, with the light of Divine Truth – Christendom, Babylon – whose responsibility for this stewardship of advantage is consequently very great. God holds men accountable, not only for what they know, but for what they might know if they would apply their hearts unto instruction – for the lessons which experience (their own and others') is designed to teach; and if men fail to heed the lessons of experience, or willfully neglect or spurn Its precepts, they must suffer the consequences.
Before so-called Christendom lies the open history of all past time, as well as the Divinely inspired revelation. And what lessons they contain! lessons of experience, of wisdom, of knowledge, of grace, and of warning. By giving heed to the experiences of preceding generations along the various lines of human industry, political economy, etc., the world has made very commendable progress in material things. Many of the comforts and conveniences of our present civilization have come to us largely from applying the lessons observed in the experiences of past generations. The art of printing has brought these lessons within the range of every man. The present generation in this one point alone has much advantage every way; all the accumulated wisdom and experience of the past are added to its own. But the great moral lessons which men ought also to have been studying and learning have been very generally disregarded, even when they have been emphatically forced upon public attention. History is full of such lessons to thoughtful minds inclined to righteousness; men of the present day have more such lessons than those of previous generations, and this generation must suffer for its neglect.
This article can be found in its entirety in Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "A Great Priesthood Divinely Appointed."
"Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 2 Tim. 2:3
The name soldier, applied in the Bible to the followers of Jesus Christ, is an appropriate one; for it implies a special enlistment, or contract for service – a contract in which the life is freely offered, a contract in which the individual is under rigid discipline, and in which his will is entirely ignored and the will of the Divine Government, as expressed through the "Captain of our salvation," is absolute Law, to be obeyed at any cost Doubtless many Christian soldiers have taken note of the courage and devotion manifested by the soldiers of the various armies of the world, now in conflict.
We notice their obedience in going down into the trenches, enduring exposure and all kinds of privation, and, in many cases, receiving wounds or death or seeds of disease. We are amazed at their courage, loyalty, devotion. Doubtless many of the soldiers of the Cross have said, as they compared experiences, "If these men, fighting for they know not what, receiving a small wage, very plain food, and often very [HG742] uncomfortable conditions every way, are so loyal, 'what manner of persons ought we to be' who have enlisted under the banner of the Lord, pledging ourselves to faithfulness, 'even unto death'? What manner of persons ought we to be, after receiving such large rewards of Divine care, blessing, comfort and peace in the present life, and having through Christ such a glorious anticipation in respect to the future, if we are faithful ? What manner of persons ought we to be – how zealous, how devoted, how loyal, how self sacrificing! If others can renounce their wills and obey orders, the purport of which they do not understand, how ready should we be to accept the Message of our Captain unquestioningly, regardless of our knowledge of eventualities!"
And what a glorious Cause is ours! If we lay down our lives in following our Captain's lead, it is for the good of others. With our Master we die that others may live, we endure that others may have joy and rejoicing through the knowledge of our God and His glorious coming Kingdom. How rich is our pay – in the present life the peace of God, passing all understanding, and the assurance that all things shall work together for our good and that every sorrow, every tear, will result in "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" in the life to come – joint heirship with our Master in His Kingdom of a thousand years and in the eternal glory of Ages to come – 2 Cor. 4:13-18
In contrast, note the description of a soldier of the present time, by the trenchant pen of Jack London, the novelist. Under the caption, "A GOOD SOLDIER," he writes: "Young man, the lowest aim of your life is to be a good soldier. The good soldier never tries to distinguish right from wrong. He never thinks; never reasons; he only obeys. If he is ordered to fire on his fellow-citizens, on his friends, on his neighbors, on his relatives, he obeys without hesitation. If he is ordered to fire down a crowded street when the poor are clamoring for bread, he obeys, and sees the gray hairs of age stained with red and the life-tide gushing from the breasts of women, feeling neither remorse nor sympathy. If he is ordered off as one of a firing squad to execute a hero or benefactor, he fires without hesitation, though he knows the bullet will pierce the noblest heart that ever beat in human breast.
"A good soldier is a blind, heartless, soulless, murderous machine. He is not a man. He is not even a brute, for brutes only kill in self-defense. All that is human in him, all that is divine in him, all that constitutes the man, has been sworn away when he took the enlistment oath. His mind, conscience, aye, his very soul, are in the keeping of his officer.
No man can fall lower than a soldier – it is a depth beneath which we cannot go."
This article was republished in the Overland Monthly, pages OM405-OM409, entitled, "The Perfect Poise of God's Justice and Love.
This article was republished in Reprints R5426-R5428 – March 15, 1914, entitled, "Heavenly Interest in Sinners."
Love me, my Father: let me know Thy care for me.
This article was republished in Reprint R4658, August 1, 1910, entitled, "The Camel and the Needle's Eye."
This article was republished in Reprints R1880-R1882 – October 15, 1895, entitled, "What is the Soul?
This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 2, No. 3, entitled, "Questions With Inspired Answers."
This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 2, No. 3, entitled, "Electing Kings."
This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 2, No. 3, entitled, "Do You Know?"
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "The Most Precious Text."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "The Prophetic Song of the Angels. "
We'll recognize His wise intent, Some day, some day.
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Earth to be Filled with Cod's Glory."
This article was republished in Reprints R4636-R4637 – June 15, 1910, entitled, "Pictures of the Kingdom."
This article was republished in Reprints R4644 – July 1, 1910, entitled "Without a Parable He Spake Not."
DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD?
This article was republished in Reprints R4791-R4794, April 1, 1911, entitled, "Do You Believe in the Resurrection of the Dead?"
"This article was republished in Reprint R4743-R4744, January 15, 1911, entitled, "New Danger in Christian Science."
"Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28
Our text assures us that the called ones of this Gospel Age are many in comparison with the few who will eventually be chosen as the "very elect" – who are elected or chosen to be the joint-heirs with Christ in the Messianic Kingdom, which is to bless the world of mankind in general – the non-elect. We now consider the call or invitation which has been made during this Gospel Age – the class to whom it has been extended. It should be carefully noted that the Scriptures do not say that all are called. On the contrary they tell us that many are blind and deaf to God's message now being circulated – the Gospel. Such cannot be said to be called in any proper sense of the word. A call is an invitation which is heard. As we look out over the world in general we see the vast majority in heathen darkness, as the Apostle expresses it, "having no hope and without God in the world." (Eph. 2:12) They have never heard of "the only Name given under heaven and amongst men whereby men must be saved."
At the present time we have 1,200,000,000 that in no sense of the word are called by the Lord, and therefore have had no opportunity of responding to that call.
With the thought that has prevailed for centuries, that these uncalled millions are doomed to [HG745] eternal torture, the hearts of God's people have been very sorely troubled, and infidelity has been very greatly assisted into a denial of everything pertaining to Christian faith. All agree that it would be very unreasonable for the Creator of those 1,200,000,000 to expose them to the danger of eternal torment, and not give them the slightest opportunity for hearing of the only terms of salvation from it.
But when we get the correct, the Scriptural view of the matter, we see that the penalty upon those 1,200,000,000 is, "Dying thou shalt die," and that in this particular they are not different from their fathers, who were under the same curse, or sentence of death – the Adamic condemnation. We see from the Scriptures, too, that our Lord Jesus "by the grace of God tasted death for every man" – "to be testified in due time." (Heb. 2:9; 1 Tim. 2:6) Jesus, therefore, tasted death for all these 1,200,000,000 and for all their forefathers. He has given the ransom price for their sins as well as for ours, the Church's, and a resultant blessing must come to them as well as to us. The coming blessing is a rescue from the sin-and-death conditions in which they were born; an opportunity for rising out of those conditions of degradation, up, up, up, to full perfection of nature, and all that was lost through Adam's disobedience. This work of Divine Grace we see is to be accomplished for the world during the Messianic Age, when Christ and the Elect Church will constitute God's Kingdom, with power and great glory for the blessing of the world.
We who have heard the Lord's voice calling us, inviting us during this Age to joint-heirship in the Kingdom, have an advantage over the heathen, as knowledge is always an advantage. No injustice is done the heathen in leaving them without this knowledge, but a favor is conferred upon those who have the hearing ear. Our salvation, like the world's, waits for the New Age. In the morning of that glorious thousand-year-day the Church is to be rescued first, as it is written, "God will help her early in the morning." (Psa. 46:5) These He will use here as His instrumentalities in blessing the heathen and all the families of the earth, as says the Apostle John, "The Spirit and the Bride shall say come, and whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17) The Bride must be developed before she can join with the Spirit in inviting the world to the blessing which God has in reservation, and this Gospel Age is for the very purpose of calling and testing, proving and selecting the Bride class; and at the close of this Age the marriage of the Lamb will come, and the faithful Church will thenceforth be the Bride in glory, and in association with the Bridegroom in His Kingdom work. Thus our second blessing is the privilege of accepting God's gracious arrangement and becoming his "very elect."
Having disposed of the 1,200,000,000 of heathendom, and finding that they have no call, but are under gross darkness, blindness, we now turn our attention to the estimated 400,000,000 called Christendom, and ask to what extent have these seen, heard and understood respecting the grace of God in Christ. Many of them have heard church bells ring, many of them have been inside edifices consecrated to the worship of God, but a comparatively small number have ever really heard, in the sense of truly understanding or knowing the meaning of the Gospel message. These few who have some understanding of the message are generally confused by it, and by reason of this confusion and misunderstanding of the call they are split into an hundred parties and sects. Some lay most stress upon election, others upon free grace, others upon immersion, others upon various forms of church government, etc. Out of the whole number only a comparatively small proportion have any clear conception of the Truth – of how we became sinners, of what the penalty against the race is, of how Christ paid the penalty, of how His death was the satisfaction for our sins, of how God could be just and justify those who believe in Jesus, or how the call began at Pentecost and continued down during the Age, of the purpose and object of the call, what the called are called to and what are the terms and conditions of the call, and what will be the result to the majority after, from amongst the called ones, a few shall have been chosen to be the Bride of Christ, the "very elect."
This is certainly a fair statement of the world's ignorance, and it is corroborated by the Apostle, who tells us in so many words that "The God of this world hath blinded the minds of those who believe not," and he again intimates that even believers see only in part. (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Cor. 13:12) Again he assures us that we who are believers should desire increasing light, and be assured that God intended the light for the Church only – "Light is sown for the righteous, truth for the upright in heart"; and again, "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, a lantern to my footsteps"; and again, "The path of the just is as a shining light, which shineth more and more until the perfect day." (Psa. 97:11; 119:105; Prov. 4:18) The Apostle prays for the Church along the same lines, intimating a measure of blindness continuing with us for some time after we we have [HG746] accepted Christ and have become His followers. His words are, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and breadth and height and depth; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." Eph. 3:14, 17-19
Do we not see, then, that the called ones mentioned by our Lord as "many called" are merely many in proportion to the few who will constitute the elect? and that the number of called is not many as respects the whole number of our race, but, on the contrary, few? So then, our Lord's words, interpreted by other Scriptures, signify that a few of the world are called during this Gospel Age, whereas none of the world were called prior to this Gospel Age, during the 4,000 years from Adam to Jesus. (Eph. 2:12) Only the Jewish nation was then dealt with by the Lord at all, and they were not called under the terms of this Gospel Age. As we see the selection which the Lord is making, we should appreciate the more the value of our knowledge of Him, and whatever we have heard of His Call, that by using the same we may greatly profit ourselves and secure the "pearl of great price," joint-heirship with our Lord in His Kingdom. We should make our calling and election sure by diligent faithfulness to the terms and conditions regulating this selection.
Why did not our Lord say, "Come ye righteous, come ye educated, come ye wise, come ye rich?" Why did He on the contrary say, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden"? Why did he so frequently intimate that His chosen ones would be composed chiefly of the poor of this world, rich in faith? Why did he say through His Apostles, "Not many rich, not many great, not many learned, not many noble, not many wise hath God chosen, but chiefly the poor of this world"? (1 Cor. 1:26, 27; Jas. 2:5) The answer is not far to seek: The rich, the noble, the learned, the self-satisfied righteous are not in the condition of heart to hunger and thirst after the things which God has to give now. And God is so presenting His Truth now that it will appeal only to those of a certain character, a certain kind of disposition. As for the righteous He informs us that there are none such, that all have sinned and come short, all have violated the Divine Law, and all are under the sentence of that Law, even though some have sinned much more egregiously than others. Rom. 3:10 As for education and wisdom, these do not enter into the Lord's call, because, as the Apostle declares, much of it is foolishness in God's sight, because much of it is error; and when God gets ready to give knowledge and wisdom to His "very elect" he can give them the pure article. (1 Cor. 13:10)
But why should he seek the poor? Has he need of poverty? We answer, No! and He is not seeking all of the poor; but the poor in purse, poor in influence, poor in education and poor in character, with all their disadvantages, have the great advantage that their condition is favorable to humility – it is easier for them to accept the Lord's terms and conditions and to give their all than it is for others who have more to give up and who feel less their complete dependence. So, then, without despising greatness, nobility, riches, honors, but while rightly appreciating and valuing these, let us learn to appreciate the advantages we have if we are humble, poor and lowly. And those who are rich in any of these particulars must learn the same lesson, that in order to be of the Lord's followers they must become poor – that faithfulness to Him will cost them their influence in the world; faithfulness to Him will lead them to lay at His feet all of their wealth, financial, intellectual and moral – all to be used in joyful service of the King.
But the real pith of our Lord's words lies in the terms, "Ye that labor and are heavy laden." This may have a measure of application to farm labor, counting house labor, factory labor, etc., but its special significance is to a labor of heart, heavy laden with its appreciation of sin and degradation. Some of us, in our ignorance of the true standards of righteousness, may at one time have had very self-satisfied sentiments before coming to the Lord and entering into a covenant with Him and accepting His favor and the covering of His Robe. We perhaps have been thoughtless respecting what should be the true standard before the human heart, what should be the true standard of responsibility to God and to our fellow men; but as the eyes of our understanding become opened to the facts, as we struggle with ourselves for mastery over inherited weaknesses and frailties, as we obtain high ideals and seek to measure up to them, we find ourselves weary and heavy laden in the attempt. Happy is the man who has reached this condition of realizing his own meanness by nature, and of getting a glimpse of the grandeur of Divine perfection, the standard, the ideal. [HG747]
Those who have come to Jesus in response to His invitation find in Him, in His Fellowship, in His Word, in His peace, which comes from believing His promises, a blessing far beyond anything they could at first understand. (1 Cor. 2:9, 10)
They find that they have assistances in the assurance of their Master that the present rest of faith will by and by be succeeded by the actual rest of the Kingdom; that what they have by faith now in anticipation, they are to more than realize by and by when in the resurrection they shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and be like their Redeemer – see Him as He is and share His glory. To the extent that they can exercise this faith in the Lord and in His promises present and future, in that same proportion they have cause for rejoicing, and experience the rest, the peace, the blessing, which the Master assures us will be theirs when He said, "I will give you rest."
But some one will say, We cannot exercise this faith; we must hold on to the things of this present life; we cannot sacrifice social position, or wealth, or honor of men, or time, or influence – we cannot sacrifice these on a bare hope of a better resurrection and an everlasting glory in the Kingdom. We must walk by sight not by faith. Why should God make a test of faith? Ah, we answer, that is the very point: The Lord is making, an election according to faith, as we read, "According to your faith be it unto you." Not every person is able to exercise this faith, and those who cannot do so are not be eternally tortured because of their inability.
Nevertheless their failure to exercise faith demonstrates that they cannot belong to the class which the Lord is now electing or selecting. Their blessing will come in the Messianic Age, where knowledge and sight will give place to faith and trust.
Blessed therefore are the poor in spirit; it is easier for them to exercise faith – easier, therefore, for them to come into alignment with the Divine conditions. Let all of us who have been laboring and heavy laden with an appreciation of our own weaknesses and imperfections, and who have heard the Master's voice assuring us that He has paid the penalty and that He appropriates to us of His merit to give us a standing before the Father, count all things but loss and dross that we may win Christ – a place in the anointed, glorified Church; that we may be heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord in the incorruptible inheritance which, under the great Abrahamic Covenant, the Oath-Bound Covenant, is to bless the world.
This article was republished in Reprint R2404-R2407, December 15, 1898, entitled, "Gathering the Lord's Jewels."
This article was republished in the Overland Monthly, pages 248-251, entitled, "Thrust in Thy Sickle."
This article can be found in its entirety en the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "What is Man?"
WHILE place we seek, or place we shun, The soul finds happiness in none, But with our God to lead the way, 'Tis equal joy to go or stay.'
This article was republished in Reprints R4766-R4767, February 15, 1911, entitled, "The Love to be Desired."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Decline of Faith and Godliness."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "The Spirit Willing, the Flesh Weak."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Am I My Brother's Keeper?"
This article was republished in the Overland Monthly, OM348-OM351, entitled, "The New Day Dawns."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Out of the Belly of Hell, cried I."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Ascended Where He was Before."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Fear – the Bane of Humanity."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "To Know God is to Love Him."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Immortal Worms and Unquenchable Fire."
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "Which is the True Gospel?"
This article was republished an Pastor Russell's Sermons, pp. SM467-474, entitled, "The Seas in the Hollow of God's Hand."
This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 2, No. 11, entitled, "Jesus a Wonderful Man."
This article is the same material as Bible Students Monthly, Volume 2, No. 11, entitled, "When God was Alone."
My happy soul, since it has learned to die, Has found new life in Thine infinity.
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entitled, "The Day of Vengeance."
This article was republished in Pastor Russell's Sermons, page SM730-SM738, entitled, "The Lord's House Over All."
"In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man, therefore, purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work." 2 Tim. 2:20, 21
This text shows that the Apostle was solicitous for the Church because of a sectarian spirit of contention which prevailed where the spirit of fellowship should have manifested itself. This does not signify that the Apostle ignored the importance of fidelity to the Truth, for concerning this he had already written that the Church should "contend earnestly for the faithonce delivered to the saints." He here objects to the disposition of many to contend about matters of no moment, which he terms "words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers," and again "profane and vain babblings, which would increase unto more ungodliness and eat as cloth a canker."
In a word, man-made differences should be ignored and only those doctrines which the Scriptures clearly and distinctly set forth are to be insisted upon and contended for. In all other things the Lord's people are to have fervent charity and liberty among themselves. After exhorting Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth," he declares that notwithstanding these various bate" brings and twistings of the Scriptures, the "foundation of God standeth sure." God's great plan will stand and will finally triumph no matter who may babble against it and no matter how much the Adversary may seek to draw attention away from the fundamental facts to the theories and fancies of the egotistical and hypocritical. The Apostle's thought seems to be that some of the Lord's people, by following the course he has outlined, and becoming thoroughly furnished in the word of truth and able to rightly divide it to others, will be vessels of honor in the service of the Lord in the present time. On the contrary, some – truly God's people, truly consecrated to him, yet neglecting these important principles – will be vessels of less honor and used of the Lord to accomplish less glorious results.
How manifestly true is this inspired declaration only the more advanced of the Lord's people may know. The world judges by outward appearance, and perceives the prosperity of many who have the form of godliness without the power thereof; it perceives the prosperity of many sects and parties, divided chiefly by mere quibbles, and it perceives the lesser prosperity of those who ignore sectarian lines and stand only for the word of truth, and contend only "for the faith once delivered to the saints." Only the spiritually minded can see the situation from the Lord's standpoint – only these can realize which, from the Lord's standpoint, are the gold and silver vessels and which are those of wood and of earth. Only this class can discern which vessels the Lord uses to the greater honor – through which he sends the greater riches of his grace and truth, and which he uses in an inferior sense.
The "great house" of the Apostle's parable is the household of faith – the house of God – the Church of [HG751] the living God. This Church is now in an embryo condition; unfinished, imperfect; it bears a similar relationship to the Church in glory that Israel's tabernacle in the wilderness bore to the temple at Jerusalem. We are not to understand that only the most proficient of the Lord's people are recognized by him and others entirely ignored, but, as the Apostle says, our sure foundation lies in the fact that "the Lord knoweth them that are his," and also in the fact that those who name the name of Christ should depart from iniquity. Every servant of God, every vessel in his house, must come under these conditions to be vessels at all:
(1) The Lord must know them as his; they must be of the class mentioned by the prophet who have made a covenant with the Lord by sacrifice-self sacrifice, consecration to death;
(2) they must also be of the class that depart from iniquity – that recognize righteousness, truth, holiness, and strive toward perfect attainment.
But not all of those who make a full consecration and who strive for righteousness shall occupy the same station in the Divine service, either now or hereafter. The degree of honor in the Lord's service will depend upon their degree of honesty and zeal. While, therefore, we may well rejoice to be vessels in the Lord's house, to be used of him either in more honorable or less honorable capacity in his service, nevertheless he is pleased to have us aspire to such faithfulness in thought, in word, in deed, as would have his approval and win for us the higher stations in his esteem and service here and hereafter.
The Apostle tells us how as Christians we may attain to the highest positions in Divine favor. He says, "If a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor." He does not mean, however, if any man do so, for here and elsewhere he shows, in harmony with the other Scriptures, that the world has nothing whatever to do with this matter – that the first step of approach to God must be through the door, through Christ, and that only those who come unto the Father through him have any standing whatever at the present time. Hence the Apostle's thought is that if any man in the Church will purge himself, will purify himself, will seek to put away these elements of dross and unrighteousness, will seek to avoid profane and vain babblings, will cease to strive about words to no profit, and will seek more and more by the Lord's assistance to "rightly divide the word of truth" – such a man in Christ, whether his talents and opportunities be great or small, will be blessed of the Lord and reckoned of him as one of the more honorable vessels for his service here and hereafter.
Continuing further he declares that the man who thus purges himself and seeks to bring himself closely into alignment with the will of God, will not only be reckoned a vessel unto honor, but will be sanctified and set apart by the Lord for his service. He will give him opportunities, special opportunities, to do and to be assisted, which he would not have provided for him otherwise. Christian people too often seem to overlook this matter – to forget how much God has to do with his Church, with those who have made consecration of themselves to him.
More and more should we all remember, as is urged by the Apostle, that "God hath set in the Body the various members as it hath pleased him." It is for us not to be ambitious for a high station, but to humbly desire to be and to do those things acceptable to the Lord, leaving it for him to give us whatever experiences in life will be best for us – either larger opportunities for service or lesser opportunities, for the testing and proving of our loyalty. Selfish ambition in any of the Lord's people would be the surest road to Divine disapproval. It might succeed in securing place and power in nominal systems of human origin, but such a course – so far from bringing these into greater prominence with the Lord or into greater opportunities of service in connection with his truth – would work in an opposite direction; as it is written, "The Lord disdaineth the proud, but showeth favor to the humble." The Apostle, therefore, urges, 'mumble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" – in the present life or in the future life or both. It is for the Lord to choose our place and our work for we; it is for w to seek to be instruments willing and ready, "for the Master's we made meet."
Looking beyond our present opportunities and privilege of usefulness in the Lord's service, and the degree of opportunities secured by w now through faithfulness, we perceive that the great work for which we are called, chosen, being schooled, is that of the future, of which the Apostle says, "That in the ages to come God will show forth the riches of his grace, in his loving kindness toward w in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:7) Our Lord referred to that glorious future condition when he declared to his Apostles, "In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you." The many mansions, the many stations, the many planes of celestial being and blessing are here pictured, and the suggestion is further given that one special place in the Divine family would be made for the special followers of the Lord – those known throughout the Scriptures as "the Bride, the Lamb's [HG752] Wife," and again as "the Royal Priesthood" under Christ, their great Chief Priest.
The chief mansion will be for these who, called to the highest honor, are represented by the golden vessel.
And again they are called the "Lord's jewels," and he says of them, "They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I come to make up my jewels." (Mal. 3:17) As jewels are scarce, so these are described to be only a little flock to whom it is the Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom. (Luke 12:32) To be of this company styled in the Scriptures as "more than conquerors through him that loved them and bought them with his precious blood," the Apostle Paul declared that he was glad to suffer any loss – to count all things but as loss and dross that he might win Christ and be found in him – as a member of his Body, a member of the royal priesthood, a member of the little flock, a partaker of the divine nature.
In the tabernacle and in the temple gold was used as a symbol of this divine nature, the highest of all natures, superior to the angelic. Our Lord described this immortal condition as signifying the possession of life in himself – life not derived from other sources. "As the Father hath life in himself (immortality), so hath he given unto the Son to have life in himself" (immortality). John 5:26) And he has been given the privilege of giving this to whomsoever he will – to the worthy ones constituting his elect Bride, otherwise styled "members of the Body of Christ," vitally connected with him, their living Head. It is to this glorious quality of the divine nature, symbolized by the gold, and again in our text styled the vessels of gold, that Peter refers, saying "God hath given unto w exceeding great and precious promises, that by these we might become partakers of the divine nature." 2 Pet. 1:4
All recognize silver as less precious than gold, but much more abundant. As one of the precious metals it is used in the Scriptures to represent a spiritual class, but a different class from that represented in the vessels of gold – a more numerous class. While all of the Lord's people of this Gospel Age were called, as the Apostle says, "In one hope of their calling," with at least the prospect or opportunity of becoming golden vessels, nevertheless the Lord foreknew that not all of his true followers would prove in the end to be "more than conquerors;" not all of those who love righteousness and hate iniquity would be so zealous for the service as to be esteemed worthy to be of that little flock, the Bride, because all would not run in the race with zeal, following in the Master's footsteps; hence we find in the Scriptures another class, another division of the Church, clearly pointed out.
In the types of the Old Testament they were represented by the Levites, who had an important work to do in conjunction with the priests and as their assistants. In the New Testament this class is referred to in our text as "vessels of silver," or less honorable than the vessels of gold, and they are particularly brought to our attention in our Lord's last message to his Church, in which he pictures them as a "great company" in contrast with the "little flock."
This great company he designates as in the end honored and honorable victors, with palm branches – the crowns being reserved for the little flock, the vessels of gold. In the same picture he shows us that while the little flock of more than conquerors are to sit upon the throne with him, these others, worthy but less worthy, are to be before the throne. He points out that while the "little flock" will share his glory and honor as his Bride, this greater company, represented by the more numerous vessels of silver, will serve him in his temple. (Rev. 7:9-15) He points out further in the same message that while the little flock will be the Bride class, the "great company" will be honored with an invitation to be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb in glory. (Rev. 19:9) And through the Prophet David he pictured the distinction between these classes, the little flock, the vessels of gold unto greatest honor, and the greater multitude, the vessels of silver unto less honor, picturing them as the Bride and her companions – bridesmaids. The picture shows the Bride all glorious in rainment of fine needle work, of embroidery and gold, brought in before the King, and then it shows w the "virgins, her companions, who follow her." Psalm 45
To be in any part of God's great house'to be in his service in any capacity, either now or hereafter, is an honor, is no dishonor. Hence we prefer that translation of our text – vessels unto more honor and vessels unto less honor. The vessels of earth and of wood are specified as indicating those unto less honor, and to our understanding represent in the future those who will be servants of God on the earthly or human plane. Whoever through the portals of the Divine Word catches a glimpse of the coming glory of the earth during the Millennial Age – a glimpse of the "times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets" – can rejoice with any who will be found worthy to be a vessel of less honor in the Master's cause in the future on the earthly plane. To our understanding the majority of Christian people have never appreciated the glorious grandeur that is to come to earth during and as a [HG753] result of the reign of Messiah – his Bride included. will be times of restitution which God hasdeclared Surely, as Saint Peter declares (Acts 3:19-21), these through all his holy prophets.
This article can be found in its entirety in the Newspaper Sermons, entailed, "Workmen Needeth Not to be Ashamed."
THROUGH pastures fair, And sea-girt paths all wild with rock and foam O'er velvet sward, and desert stern and bare The flock comes home.
A weary way, Now smooth, then rugged with a thousand snares; Now dim with rain, then sweet with blossoms gay, And summer airs.
Yet, safe at last, Within the fold they gather, and are still; Sheltered from driving shower and stormy blast, They fear no ill.
Through life's dark ways, Through flowery paths where evil angels roam Through restless nights, and long, heart-wasting days, Christ's flock comes home.
Safe to the fold, The blessed fold, where fears are never known, Love-guarded, fenced about with walls of gold, He leads His own.
O Shepherd King, With loving hands, whose lightest touch is blest!
Thine is the Kingdom, Thine the power, to bring Thy flock to rest!
The following criticism of a minister's address from the Scranton (Pa.) Times is worthy of circulation: Editor of The Times, Scranton, Pa.: Dear Sir: Public attention having been called to the doctrines of Christian Science, by the lecture of Rev. Irving C. Tomlinson, reported in the public press, it has occurred to me that both the friends and opponents of this theory would welcome public expressions on the subject; hence my letter: One of the first points that Rev. Tomlinson made is that Mrs. Eddy's views have been accepted by many "learned scholars, wise judges," etc. But now, hear the Word of the Lord regarding those who accept the doctrines which Christ Himself taught: "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." (Matt. 11:25)
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." 1 Cor. 1:26
The second point Rev. Tomlinson makes is its growth. Hear the Word of the Lord: "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matt. 24:24) 'There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them." "And many shall follow their pernicious ways." 2 Pet. 2:1, 2 The third point Rev. Tomlinson makes is its financial prosperity. Hear the Word of the Lord: "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation." (Luke 6:24)
"Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" (Jas. 2:5)
"I will spue thee out of my mouth because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked." Rev. 3:16, 17
The fourth point Rev. Tomlinson makes is that Christian Science does not deny the true personality of God. Hear Mrs. Eddy on this point: "Jehovah is not a person. God is principle." Principle is "life, truth, love, substance and intelligence." "In divine Science, God and men are inseparable, as Principle and its idea." "Woman is the highest term for man." There you have it. Mrs. Eddy is Godl She has proved ill Nothing could be more simple. Now hear the Word of the Lord: "Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb; I am Jehovah that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone [without Mrs. Eddy's help]; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; that frustrateth the tokens of the liars and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish." Isa. 44:24, 25
Rev. Tomlinson's fifth point is that it does not deny [HG755] the Atonement. Hear Mrs. Eddy on this point. "Not the death of the cross, but the cross-bearing deathless life, that Jesus left for the example of mankind, ransoms from sin all who follow it." Now hear the Word of the Lord: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Pet. 1:18, 19) "Thou west slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." (Rev. 5:9) "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. "1 Cor. 15:3
Rev. Tomlinson's sixth point is that Christian Science is one of the many bodies of worshipers which lay great stress on the subject of healing. He says: "It has been mistakenly supposed by some that, though the disciples healed the sick while Jesus was with them, their power ceased when He was gone." At this point of his discourse Rev. Tomlinson came very near to making a correct statement.
His principal error is in the use of the word "mistakenly." Christian people who know their Bible understand very well that the gifts of healing possessed by the early Church were bestowed upon it as a means for its introduction to the attention of mankind, some one or more gifts being conferred, at the hands of the Apostles, upon all who confessed Christ by immersion. The power of conferring those gifts was vested by our Lord in His twelve Apostles, of whom, by Divine arrangement, Paul was one. None others in their day or since have been able to confer those gifts which Paul describes; hence they did "vanish away" when the Apostles died. By that time the Church had been brought prominently before the attention of the world, and those miraculous gifts were not necessary; and by that time, too, they began to have the Old Testament and parts of the New Testament in the possession of each congregation, so that coming together they could edify and instruct and build one another up with the truth from those inspired sources, and not longer require, as at first, the miraculous gifts as a means for their edification and instruction. It was this apostolic privilege, of bestowing these gifts upon others, which Simon Magus wanted to purchase with money, for which he was so sharply reproved. Get your Bible and read about the experiences of Simon Magus, the first great would-be Christian Science teacher, in Acts 8:13-20.
Rev. Tomlinson goes on to say: "In His farewell address to the members of His church, the Master said as reported in the last chapter of Mark: 'These signs shall follow them that believe; in my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. ' " Right here is where Rev. Tomlinson stuck his foot into it, in bad shape, for all careful Bible students know that the last twelve verses of the Book of Mark are wanting in the Sinaitic and Vatican MSS., the oldest and most authentic copies of the New Testament in existence. It is evident that Mark's gospel was completed for him about five centuries after he wrote it, for the Alexandrine MS., written in the fifth century, is the oldest Greek MS. which contains these verses. Read these spurious verses carefully, note the marginal reading in the Revised Version, note their untruthfulness in the light of facts, and mark them in your Bible. I feel constrained to say to Rev. Tomlinson that this is very bad "Science." It would have to go under the classification referred to by the Apostle when he warned Timothy against the erroneous teachings of "Science falsely so called." 1 Tim. 6:20
Rev. Tomlinson's final point is that "Christian Science was discovered and founded by a woman," and "in the churches of this denomination man and woman unite in the conduct of the Sunday services." Right here he shows again that Mrs.
Eddy's book, and not the Bible, is the true text-book of the movement in which he is interested. No one held woman in higher esteem than our Lord, yet when choosing His twelve Apostles, and later the seventy, He included none of them.
Nor were any female members of the tribe of Levi eligible to the priestly office.
The first woman was Satan's first ambassador – a successful one, too, in misleading the first man and plunging the entire race into sin and death. The Divine Program runs counter to the natural tendency of all men to specially esteem woman in religious matters. This tendency is notable in the records of the past as well as the present, as evidenced by the Egyptian goddess Isis, the Assyrian goddess Ashtaroth, the Greek goddess Diana, the Roman goddesses Juno and Venus, the worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the use of women as mediums in Spiritualistic seances, and finally the exaltation of Mrs. Eddy.
Hear the Word of the Lord: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." This is in accord with the wishes of the best women of all ages. The true woman desires to [HG756] retreat from the limelight of publicity, and to put the responsibility for Christian instruction where it properly belongs, upon the half of the human family that is best fitted to impart such instruction without the damage to character and disposition which so soon mars the womanhood of the gentler sex, when they take up duties for which they were not by nature designed, and from which they are prohibited by the Word of God.
In conclusion, let me urge that the true Christian does not need Mrs. Eddy's textbook. He has an infinitely better one namely, "The Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." (1 Pet. 1:23) It is not Mrs. Eddy's book, but it is "The Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." (2 Tim. 3:15) It is through them alone "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
It was the Word of God, made clear to me some years ago, through reading the SCRIPTURE STUDIES series of Bible helps, that led me to see how un-Scriptural is this Christian Science theory, and how unscholarly and unscientific.
Christian Science teaches that the meaning of certain words is as follows:
| Adam | A damn, or error |
| Eve | Evil |
| God | Good or Principle |
| Israel | Is Real |
| Mary | Sweet |
Now that all may see just how childish is this method of twisting words, I give the exact meaning of each of the foregoing words in the Hebrew, from which they were taken:
| Adam | Of the Ground |
| Eve | Life-Giving or Life Sustainer |
| God | Mighty One |
| Israel | Ruling with God |
| Mary | Bitter |
In the case of the meaning of the word Mary, it comes from the Hebrew "Marah," and its only meaning is "Bitter." Turn to Exo. 15:2, and read for yourself: "And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore, the name of it was called Marah."
Yours in behalf of the Old Book, CLAYTON J. WOODWORTH
Pacificists, in their search for some definite starting point about which the immense predisposition for peace may crystallize, have suggested the Pope and various religious organizations as a possible basis for the organization of peace.
But there would be no appeal from such a beginning to the non-Christian majority of mankind, and the suggestion itself indicates a profound ignorance of the nature of the Christian churches. With the exception of the Quakers and a few Russian sects, no Christian sect or church has ever repudiated war; most have gone out of the way to sanction it and bless it, and it is altogether too rashly assumed by people whose sentimentality outruns their knowledge that Christianity is essentially an attempt to carry out the personal teachings of Christ. It is nothing of the sort, and no church authority will support that idea. Christianity – more particularly after the ascendancy of the Trinitarian doctrine was established – was and is a theological religion; it is the religion that triumphed over Arianism, Manichaeism, Gnosticism, and the like; it is based not on Christ but on its creeds; Christ indeed is not even its symbol; on the contrary, the chosen symbol of Christianity is the cross to which Christ was nailed and on which He died. It was very largely a religion of the legions. It was the warrior Theodosius who, more than any other single man, imposed it upon Europe. There is no reason, therefore, either in precedent or profession, for expecting any plain lead from the churches in this tremendous task of organizing and making effective the widespread desire of the world for peace. And even were this the case, it is doubtful if we should find in the divines and dignitaries of the Vatican, of the Russian and British official churches, or of any other of the multitudinous Christian sects, the power and energy, the knowledge and ability, or even the good will needed to negotiate so vast a thing as the creation of a world authority. Saturday Evening Post
Immobility in nature is only a delusion. We speak of sleep and rest, but nothing sleeps or rests. Our globe on which we live is like a continually onrushing automobile with the speed of 213,600 miles an hour through space. In this auto we go 'round the sun, a distance of 1,872,000,000 miles in a year. That will make 5,126,000 miles a day, or 213,600 miles an hour, or 3,560 miles a minute; that is nearly 60 miles a second.
This machinery of the earth is so wonderfully, nicely constructed and works so well that we as passengers do not observe the least of this awful speed. But the speed is necessary in order to keep the earth at its fixed distance from the sun. If it were reduced, the sun with its attraction would draw the earth to himself. And if it were increased, the earth would be shot further and further away from the sun and would be attracted by other heavenly bodies. Who has now from the beginning ordered this commensurate speed? And who controls it lest it increase or decrease?
The earth is an immense ball, rushing forward through space. Its weight is 5,957 quintillions of tons, and it is 25,500 miles in circumference. A collision between our earth and another celestial body of the same or still greater weight must have a disastrous effect. Who sees to it that this does not happen?
But this movement is not the only one of our earth. It also turns 'round its axis – rotates – once in twenty four hours. Besides, it has twelve other motions, which it would take too much time to explain here. Only this much may be mentioned here – that the earth's orbit 'round the sun is not a circle, but an ellipse, oblong.
Further, the earth does not move in a closed circle, but in a cork-screw-like orbit 'round the sun, so it has never twice followed exactly the same orbit in infinite space. This depends upon the fact that the sun which it follows also moves, and that with a speed of about fourteen miles a second. But where, in the infinite space, the whole goes no one but God knows. Think how dependent we are upon Him! We must trust God, and only in this trust can we have rest. Why not trust Him in everything?
But the sun is only a star among many others in space. That he seems greater, lighter and warmer than the others depends upon his greater nearness to us than theirs. If they were the same distance from us as he, they would seem like him.
These other stars or suns also are moving with their planets and satellites – followers. Some of them move with a speed of 267 miles a second. The whole Universe is a mass of forward-rushing suns and solar systems. It is as the cloud of dust where the King with His suite has passed. This moving cloud of worlds and solar-systems is a solemn proclamation of God's, the great Emperor of the Universe, existence.
The laws controlling the movements there in the Infinitely Great, govern all motion also in the least. They govern the movements in ourselves where there is not either any cessation, nor stagnation. Continually and without ceasing our lungs breathe and our heart beats as a drawn watch. The heart beats about 100,000 times a day, or 56 millions times a year, and in 50 years 1,825 million times. Thus the blood circulates through the arteries and veins night and day with the same movements as the water in brooks or rivers. All movement on the earth is a rolling, circuitous and corkscrew-like motion as the earth. Look at the smoke, when it is tranquil, how it rolls and screws forward, so also the clouds and the water.
Everything, however, is most accurately balanced. The least change exposes the whole to risk. An increase or decrease in the motion of the heart or the circulation causes dangerous changes in the organism. It is like an increase or decrease in the motion of the earth. A displacement or change of some part, big or small, does not either take place without danger for the existence of the whole. Study and take knowledge of such things as well in your own body as in nature elsewhere, in the small as well as in the great, and consider that the God who created and arranged all is a great God, high and adorable!
O Lord, when I behold Thy heaven, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast prepared, what then is man, that Thou thinkest of him or the son of man that Thou considerest him? Psa. 8:3, 4
Everything is regularly prepared according to a certain fixed system. But there are no two objects absolutely alike. Since the world began there have certainly not been two blades of grass on the ground or two leaves of the trees perfectly alike.
And the snowflakes, which are only watery vapors frozen in the clouds, are all prepared according to the same laws. But there may not yet have fallen two to the ground which are absolutely alike, seen through the microscope.
O, great is our Lord and rich in power! To His understanding there is no limit.
Indeed, God's invisible things, even His eternal Power and Deity, since the creation of the world are [HG758] clearly seen, being perceived by the things which are made. (Rom. 1:20) When getting such a view of God's eternal power and deity, what sort of beings should we be not to want to adore and praise Him? And finding ourselves thus surrounded and met everywhere by His infinite Power and Wisdom, how is it possible to doubt that His Justice, Mercy and Love are in fullest harmony with His Power and Wisdom? According to His promises and prophecy He is still to exhibit in those ages which are approaching the surpassing wealth of His favor by kindness towards us in Christ. Eph. 2:7 Hallejujah!
We do not cite these as of authority on the question; for the words of our Lord and the Apostles are the only authorities we recognize. Yet it is worthy of note that as the eyes of the early reformers, Luther, Calvin and others, opened to the truths of this Gospel Dispensation due in their day, they saw at once that the Law Covenant was not given to the Gospel Church. They saw what every casual reader should observe – that the Apostle Paul contrasts the righteousness, or justification, which comes by faith in the real Sacrifice, Christ, with that which was reckoned to Israel by reason of the blood of bulls and goats (Heb. 10:1-10), and which needed to be renewed yearly. The leaders in the reformation all recognized the difference between Moses the Prophet and Moses the Lawgiver, maintaining that as lawgiver his authority extended only to Israel. They therefore denied that the Ten Commandments were laws for Christians, though they recognized these as valuable indications or interpretations of principles, to all time and people.
Said Luther: "The Ten Commandments do not apply to us, Gentiles and Christians, but only to the Jews. If a preacher wishes to force you back to Moses, ask him if you were brought by Moses out of Egypt."
Calvin was no less explicit. He declared that "the Sabbath is abrogated," and denied "that the moral part of it, that is, the observance of one day in seven, still remains"; while he adds, "It is still customary among us to assemble on stated days for hearing the Word, breaking the mystic bread and for public prayers; and also to allow servants and laborers a remission from their labor."
Justification by faith instead of by the observance of Mosaic Laws or Roman Catholic penances, was the plea upon which the Reformation was started. See Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. VI, Study 3.
"The ordinary orthodox minister makes out that God is less just, less loving and less merciful than the people who worship Him. If you pick up a man in the street he deserves more respect and admiration than the brute-like God worshipped by the orthodox church, which believes in eternal damnation." Hearty applause greeted this expression made from the pulpit by the Rev. Dr. John H. Dietrich, pastor of the St. Mark's Memorial Reformed Church, North Highland avenue. Dr. Dietrich's congregation gave vent to its feelings by applauding his attack on the idea of eternal punishment. Continuing along the same line of thought and dwelling on the way in which the orthodox church speaks of God as being blasphemous, Dr. Dietrich said: "Its members give to Him who is supposed to be all wise, all-powerful and all-loving, attributes which impeach His character and make Him a Being not only unworthy of worship but unworthy of respect. I hope you will pardon me for speaking thus vehemently; my only reason is that I want to save the name of our Father, whom I love, admire and worship, from the blasphemy of those who would make Him such a brute as to eternally damn His children." – Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph
With what wonder should we gaze upon a fortress that had withstood the assaults of succeeding generations for thousands of years! Thus has it been [HG759] with the Word of God during all its history. Men have made it their enemy by their bad lives, and then have become its enemies and hated it, and sought to destroy it.
Jehoiakim, as we read, cut to pieces the Divine Roll, and threw it into the fire.
About 170 years before Christ, Antiochus caused all the copies of the Jewish Scriptures to be burned. Three hundred and three years after, Diocletian, by an edict, ordered all the Scriptures to be committed to the flames; and Eusebius, the historian, tells us he saw large heaps of them burning in the market place. Nor has this spirit ever failed to show itself.
The Bible has, all along its course, had to struggle against opposition, visible and latent, artful and violent. It has had to contend with the prevalence of error, the tyranny of passion, and the cruelty of persecution. Numerous foes have risen up against it – some, who have aimed to destroy it, others who have striven to monopolize it, and ungodly men, who have hated it for its purity and its penalties.
But from all these assaults it has been preserved. It has survived the shocks of all its enemies, and withstood the ravages of time. The very monuments of man's power have been converted into the mockery of his weakness. His eternal cities moulder in their ruins, and the serpent hisses in the cabinet where he planned his empire.
Yet, notwithstanding all this desolation, the stream which first bubbled up at the foot of the Eternal Throne has continued to roll on with silent majesty and might, bearing down each opposing barrier, and declaring to perishing multitudes on its brink, that, while "all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass, the Word of the Lord endureth forever. " No weapon that has ever been formed against the Bible has prospered. It has survived the power of secret treachery and open violence. The time has been when to read it was death. Infidelity has fought against it with relentless malignity, but it has successfully resisted all its potency. The identical press, indeed which was employed by Voltaire and the French institute to disseminate their attacks upon the Bible, has since been used to print the very volume they so vainly sought to destroy.
Thus has the Word of the Lord lived and triumphed. Portions of it were written thousands of years ago. Whole libraries of works have perished, of much more modern date. Never was a book more bitterly hated. Most malevolent efforts have been put forth for, its annihilation. Kings and emperors and generals, philosophers, statesmen, and legislators, have all aimed at its extirpation. Yet has it flourished, while its adversaries have been blasted one after another. – Alfred Nevin
The great Adversary's latest attack is through creedal misrepresentations on the one hand and "Higher Criticism" and Evolution theory on the other hand. Only the few really understand it; because "The secret of the Lord is with them that reverence Him, and He will show them His Covenant."
Amongst the most staunch adherents to the Bible are the Baptists. It, therefore, caused all the more astonishment that at their Convention in Canada they endorsed Higher Criticism – Infidelity. In their Toronto Educational Institution the Bible and its so called Higher Critics had a contest. When the decision went against the Bible, an appeal was made to the Convention. The Convention upheld Higher Criticism in its endorsement of the continued teaching of Higher Criticism in Baptist Theological Schools.
For about twenty years Higher Criticism has been taking a more and more pronounced stand in all the Baptist Theological Seminaries, as well as in all other Protestant Seminaries. The surprising thing about the proceedings of the Conventions is that this brand of infidelity has gained such strength and such courage that it is willing to announce itself publicly to the whole world as Anti-Biblical. Here we see reflected what we have for some years been pointing out, namely, that all the young ministers of all denominations are being graduated as Higher Critics, Infidels, with exactly the same view of the Bible as Robt. Ingersoll and Thos. Paine held and advocated.
The only difference is that these young ministers pose as Christians and believers in a personal God and in His revelation of His character and Plan in the Bible, whereas they are totally unbelievers. Christianity is losing its hold when its very foundation is laughed at by its most prominent representatives. He who disbelieves the Bible record of Adam and Eve and the fall must also disbelieve any necessity for a redemption of the fallen race.
Those who believe that Adam fell upward, instead of downward, cannot have sympathy or appreciation for the words of the Master, that He came to seek and to recover that which was lost. They do not believe that we were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. They totally deny the Master's own words that He came into the world to give Himself a ransom [HG760] price, a corresponding offset, for human sin and condemnation. What Gospel have such ministers to preach and how few ministers there are in any denomination that are not Higher Critics – infidels? The remainder are classed as old fogies and are not in demand.
Thus we see fulfilling before our eyes the Master's words, "When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith in the earth?" The faith once delivered to the saints is certainly not very generally held today, even amongst those who profess to be the special advocates, mouthpieces and champions of true religion.
Dr. Max Herz, of Vienna, well known in scientific circles, is the inventor of a contrivance enabling the Blind, by means of a combination of a talking machine and the telegraph, to "read" with greater ease than was heretofore possible by the aid of complicated and expensive Braille books.
The underlying feature of this new system is a mechanism, by means of which the "Morse" and other telegraphic characters are conveyed to the Blind by way of the ear. The machine is supplied with a combination of small plates, every one of which contains a story completely written out. To operate these sound plates, another piece of machinery consisting of two Morse-keys and electrical sound receivers, is necessary. The latter are connected by means of a needle, which makes imprints on a prepared wax tablet. The sound plates contain both short and long tunes and can be sold at extremely low prices. It is intended to publish a daily paper for the blind.
Dr. Chas. Steinmetz, of Schenectady, N. Y., one of the country's most noted experts on electricity, stated last week in the course of a speech delivered in Cleveland: "Within 100, if not within 50 years, electricity will be the general motive power and all the work which now has to be performedby man in the sweat of his brow, will then be done as quick as lightning." Electrical power, he added, would become as cheap as the air, giving to the world of mankind ample time to apply itself to higher tasks than to breaking stones for one's bread, as most of us are forced to do.
Mr. Steinmetz is not only an ingenious and ceaselessly working inventor, but also a philanthropist, and as such he is doing big things in his capacity as president of the city council and of the school board of Schenectady, N. Y. – Exchange
Dr. H. Barringer Cox announces that he has invented a new wireless underground telephone. At the same time he claims to have gotten, in connection therewith, the clue to a new electric phenomenon, the principal feature of the same being the possibility of sending an electric current over a single conduit. For five months Dr. Cox has been at work in Los Olives, Calif., constructing a wireless telephone system for the forestry service. He has now succeeded in conducting the human voice through the soil. The new wireless telephone consists of a regulation telephone apparatus and a newly invented contrivance, which may be connected as a conduit with the soil. Dr. Cox expects to go to Washington shortly, in order to lay his new invention before the Government. – Exchange
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. 3:12.
"This is the promise, the assurance of Scripture. We should not court persecution, but should desire this evidence of our faithfulness, and should wish to be one of the 'blessed' ones, of whom the Master speaks in Matt. 5:11 – 'Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you.'" R5544, c.1, p.7.