PRESENT . "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth"st, SO VOL. 22. LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 2S, 1906. 402 THE PRESENT TRUTH. No. 26

In the Fulness of Time. the Scriptures say, enmity towards Him. The UPON that silent night, Protestant symbols and theologians, therefore, in When he looked forth and viewed the starry host, defining sin, not merely as selfishness, or the love What held Imperial Cmsar's mind the most ? A conquered world at peace, what bold surmise of the creature, or the love of the world, which Stirred his ambition to untried emprise? are only modes of its manifestation, but as the Reeked he of that poor province in the East, Of all Rome's pomp and empery the least ? want of conformity of an act, habit, or state of a man with the divine law, which is the revelation Upon that solemn night, Hoary with age and wise with eldest lore, of the divine nature, have in their support both Flowed her mysterious river, as of yore, reason and conscience. This doctrine of the From secret founts, parched Egpyt's thirst to slake ; Nor did the Sphinx her bond of silence break. nature of sin is fully sustained by the authority of Was there no sound of high angelic strain Scripture. The apostle John says that all want of In Memmon's music on the Theban plain ? conformity to law is sin. . . . It seems that some Upon that starlit night in the apostle's day were disposed to limit the de- Did hallowed radiance, bright with light divine, Crown with new glory fair Athena's shrine? mands of divine law, and regard certain things not Star of the East did not thy golden beam specifically forbidden as lawful. In opposition to Bring joy to Greek and beauty to his dream, Nor shed one ray of promised light to come this, the apostle tells them that everything evil is Where every fabled god had found a home? unlawful ; for the very nature of evil is want of Upon that awful night conformity to law ; he who commits sin commits Expectant earth in listening wonder lay : anomia, for all want of conformity to law is sin. Time had its fulness reached—its perfect day ; Nations and peoples centuries long had sought 1 John iii. 4. With this agree also all the repre Truth of Infinity, through finite thought. sentations of Scripture. The words there used for God looked in pity on a world forlorn, sin in all its forms, express the idea of non-con• And angels sang, "Lo, Christ, the Truth, is born ! " —Ziteila Corks. formity to a standard. And besides this, the Bible everywhere teaches that God is the source and Sin is Want of Conformity to the Law standard of all good. His favour is the life of the of God. soul. Congeniality with Him, conformity to His will and nature, is the ideal and perfection of all PROTESTANTS teach not only that sin is a excellence ; and the opposite state, the want of specific evil, that it has relation to law, that that this congeniality and conformity, is the sum and law is the nature and will of God, and that it takes essence of all evil.—Chris les Hodge, D.D. cognisance of and condemns all forms and degrees of moral evil or want of moral excellence, but also The that the formal nature of sin is the want of con- Right Use of the Scriptures. formity to the divine law or standard of excellence. WE are told that " all Scripture is given by in- This want of conformity is not a mere negation, spiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for such as may be predicated of a stone or of a brute, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous- of whom it may be said they are not conformed to ness," but we are nowhere told that the Word of the image of God. The want of conformity to the God is profitable for argument. The purpose of divine law which constitutes sin is the want of the study of the Scriptures should be to learn the congeniality of one moral nature with another ; way of life, and not to find weapons of warfare. of the dependent and created nature with the The Gospel of the grace of God has been revealed infinitely holy nature, which of necessity is not to us in order that we may be prepared to dwell only the sum but the standard of all excellence. with Him throughout eternity, and not that we Herein is sin, that we ate not like God. As the may be prepared to maintain a theological dispute opposite of reason is unreason, the opposite of with men throughout time. We are to feed upon wisdom is folly, and the opposite of good is evil ; a living Word rather than to dissect or to embalm so the opposite of divine holiness is sin. It matters the dead form of the Word. not of what exercises or states in the nature of a When there is a sincere desire to understand the moral being this opposition may be predicated ; of Scriptures in order that the life may be in harmony deliberate acts, of merely impulsive acts, or of with them, the Spirit of God gives discernment dispositions or habits ; if opposed to the divine and the truth is made clear to the mind. It is the nature, it is sin, hateful in itself and worthy of spirit of rebellion which darkens the mind, and condemnation. There is a positive element, there- prevents even the talented reader from perceiving fore, in all sin. That is, it is not merely the pri- the beauty of holiness. vation of righteousness, but it is positive un- " Human theories and speculations will never righteousness. Because the absence of the one in lead to an understanding of God's Word. Those a moral nature is the other. The want of con- who suppose that they understand philosophy think geniality with God is alienation from God, and, as that their explanations are necessary to unlock the June 28 THE PRESENT TRUTH. 403 treasures of knowledge, and to prevent heresies ing a voice came from out the cloud which over- from coming into the church. But it is these ex- shadowed them, " This is My beloved Son, in whom planations that have brought in false theories and I am well pleased ; hear ye Him "—regard not the heresies. Men have made desperate efforts to ex- mere external glories of the scene, but let your plain what they thought to be intricate scriptures ; thoughts centre upon My Beloved. Chapter xvii. but too often their efforts have only darkened that To correct all misapprehension in the minds of which they tried to make clear. His disciples the Saviour had already said, "The "The Scriptures need not to be read by the dim Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father light of tradition or human speculation. As well with His angels ; and then He shall reward every might we try to give light to the sun with a torch man according to His works. Chapter xvi. 27, as to explain the Scriptures by human tradition or The Lord thus identified the last great day of re- imagination. God's holy Word needs not the ward with the day of salvation and prosperity longed torchlight glimmer of earth to make its glories dis- for by the Jews. But how selfish and mean the tinguishable. It is light in itself—the glory of God hopes then popular appear beside the Saviour's revealed ; and beside it every other light is dim. conception of the day of redemption. The Jews " But there must be earnest study and close in- looked for an age splendid with material success vestigation. Sharp, clear perceptions of truth will and glory. God's plan was to send His Son accom- never be the reward of indolence. No earthly panied by all His own glory, and by the holy angels, blessing can be obtained without earnest, patient, with power to award to every man who was worthy, persevering effort. If men attain success in busi- eternal life. ness, they must have a will to do, and a faith to And to show His disciples how infinitely the look for results. Ahd we cannot expect to gain power and glory of that day would transcend the spiritual knowledge without earnest toil. Those material splendour of their hopes, the transfigura- who desire to find the treasures of truth must dig tion scene was given to them in the mount. for them as the miner digs for the treasure hidden There, instead of a temporal Prince with all the in the earth. No half-hearted, indifferent work nations of the earth at His feet tributary and de- will avail. It is essential for old and young, not pendent, they beheld Christ glorified and attended only to read God's Word, but to study it with by Moses and Elijah, representatives of the trans- whole-hearted earnestness, praying and searching lated and resurrected faithful. for truth as for hidden treasure. Those who do this Bat if the disciples were too materialistic in will be rewarded ; for Christ will quicken the their interpretation of the prophecies pertaining to understanding."—Advent Review. the Messiah, the tendency to day among Christians is to the other extreme —to spiritualise and refine away the lesson which the Lord gave to correct The Resurrection. the wrong beliefs of His disciples. The trans- THE transfiguration of Christ seems to have figuration scene is a good instance of this. Last been given for the purpose of lifting from the week's Public Opinion contained a letter written minds of His disciples their sordid and material by a reader on the subject of the resurrection. conceptions of God's method of saving His people. The writer took the position often held that the When in Matt. xvi. 21 the Saviour announced His scene in the mountain was a spiritual vision given approaching death, Peter was greatly shocked. to the disciples, and not an objective circum- The idea of a dead Messiah struck at the very foun- stance. To prove this the words of the Saviour are dation of his hopes of national emancipation from quoted, " Tell the vision to no man " (verse 9), Roman bondage, and of the introduction of an era taking the word " vision" to mean a supernatural or of great material prosperity. The plan of the dis- spiritual impression made upon the senses of the ciples would have been to improve the first oppor- disciples. But the word " vision " in the Greek tunity of raising the standard of revolt, and to bears no such meaning in its first sense. It means, lead a national arising against the authority of according to Grimm, " That which is seen, a sight, Rome. a spectacle," and to prove this the meaning of the The Lord rebuked Peter, but it was hard for him word before us Grimm refers to Acts vii. 81, where to learn his lesson ; for when in the transfiguration the spectacle of the burning bush before Mot es is scene the Lord was clothed with the beauty and called a " sight," the proper translation of the word power of the kingdom of God, Peter's first excla- rendered vision " in the text under study. The mation was one of pleasure and satisfaction at the Greek verb from which the noun is taken means " to see with the eyes ; " and is used by Luke in his material glory which surrounded him, and of a report of the disciples' obedience to the Saviour's desire to build tabernacles that they might remain adjuration : " They kept it close, and told no man in a place so fully in accord with his ideals of in those days any of those things which they had earthly happiness. Bat before he had done speak- seen." Luke ix. 86. 404 THE PRESENT TRUTH. No. 26

The purpose of spiritnalising interpretation is, of course, in this case to prove man's spiritual existence after death. For popular theology has it that Christ's condition in His heavenly state could not be viewed save by spiritual sight which the Jews as material men and women had not, and thus the disciples were given a vision ; which is accounted a proof that man's condition after death The Elect. will be a spiritual one in which his spiritual com- "Will you kindly explain in PRESENT TRUTH who are the prehension will grasp the reality of that which elect ?" before he could understand only as it was super- naturally revealed. THE word " elect " is frequently used to denote But we know that Christ's will be more than a God's people. The original word is also rendered vague, spiritual existence in the new earth. Be- " chosen," and a little study of one instance in tween His resurrection and ascension He mingled which this word is used will show clearly what it with His disciples a material, corporeal Man ; and means to be " elect." the angels assured the weeping disciples as He In the parable of the wedding feast (Matt. xxii. ascended from their midst that the same Jesus 1-14) the Saviour told of a certain king who made whom they had known and loved would in like a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants manner return to them. Acts i. 11. Not only to call the guests. Those who were bidden made Jesus shall we know in the day of His appearing, light of the invitation. Some of them treated it but we shall know our friends and loved ones as indifferently ; others spitefully ill used the mes we knew them here on earth, material, tangible sengers and even slew them. Then invitations to beings : " Now we see through a glass, darkly ; but the wedding were scattered broadcast, so that the then face to face : now I know in part ; but then wedding was furnished with guests. Yet even shall I know, even as also I am known." 1 Cor. then one man was found among the guests who xiii. 12. had not on a wedding garment, and he was ig- The greatest danger of the spiritualising trend of nominiously expelled from the feast. The Saviour Bible interpretation is the opportunity it affords for closed His parable with these words : " For many the growth of Spiritualism, by which every funda- are called, but few are chosen," or "many are mental truth of Christianity is spiritualised away, called, but few are elect." even the facts of sin and man's need of a Redeemer, Thus we learn what the Saviour meant by the and his existence in the new earth. And so far as elect. All are called, but not all respond to the the Christian spiritualises the occurrences and call. Some treat it with hatred and violence; truths of Christ's ministry he is being used, un- some with indifference and neglect ; some go so far consciously enough, by Satan to advance his as to profess an acceptance of the invitation and favourite deception of the last days, Spiritualism, are even found among the guests, but fail to make and to undermine the faith of men and women in the necessary preparation and so have to be re- the literal meaning of the Word of God. jected. All of these are called, but not chosen, or T. C. 0. elect. The elect are those who hear the call, respond to it and enter with all their hearts into The Deceitful World. all that it involves. They are not only called but also chosen and faithful. Rev. xvii. 14. o WORLD, with all thy smiles and loves, With all thy song and wine, The Saviour called twelve disciples, but not all What mockery of human hearts, of them were found among the elect. One suc- What treachery is thine cumbed to the temptations that beset him. Thou wouldest, but thou canst not heal, Thy words are warbled lies ; The elect are not saints who have been destined Thy hand contains the poisoned cup, to salvation from all eternity, in contradistinction And he who drinks it dies. to others who have been doomed. So far as God O world, there's fever in thy touch, is concerned, there is no predestination to wrath. And frenzy in thine eye; " Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestin- To lose and shun thee is to live, To win thee is to die ate to be conformed to the image of His Son . . . —Bonar. moreover whom He did predestinate them He also called : and whom He called, them He also justi- JOHN WESLEY said, " Let everyone enjoy the fied : and whom He justified, them He also glorified." full and free liberty of thinking for himself. If Rom. viii. 29,30. It is God's will that all should you cannot reason or persuade a man into the be found among the elect, but if we do not respond truth, never attempt to force him into it." to His call, or if, after having apparently accepted June 28 THE PRESENT TRUTH. 405

His invitation, we yet prefer the filthy rags of our for several years after the resurrection of Christ!, own righteousness to the robe of Christ's righteous- two of them, it is believed, being written after the ness, we shall not be numbered among the elect. fall of Jerusalem. If in the course of those years " Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence there had grown up in the minds of the evangelists to make your calling and election sure." 2 Peter any idea that the first day of the week was a sacred i. 10. day, it would have been very natural to intimate the sacredness in one of these six passages. But A Vital Issue. no, while they still give to the seventh day of the week its title of " Sabbath," the writers of the ON the lst July sermons are to be preached in gospels have no title of honour for the first day. a great many places of worship throughout the kingdom on behalf of Sunday observance. This is Sunday Travelling. part of an organised plan for bringing the matter The next reference to the first day of the week prominently before the people during the present is found in Acts xx. 7. The narrator, after giving year. It is well that the subject should be closely a very detailed account of Paul's visit to Troas, studied, for many serious issues are involved in it, but continues : it is hardly likely that these issues will be presented " And upon the first day of the week, when the in the majority of the sermons that will be preached, disciples came together to break bread, Paul and we therefore speak of them at this time that preached unto them, ready to depart on the mor- they may not be altogether overlooked. row." The first and most natural question that suggests This passage is worthy of careful study, for it is itself is, what has God said to His people regarding the text mainly relied upon to show that Sunday the duty of Sunday observance. was a sacred day with the early church. A little The truth is soon told. There is not one word study will show that it proves just the opposite. in the Bible which indicates the slightest desire The Bible day begins at sunset and lasts until on God's part that His children should set apart the following sunset. The early portion of the the first day of the week as a day of rest from first day of the week, then, would be the dark labour, or that they should impute to it any degree portion, or what we call Saturday evening. That of sacredness. The accuracy of this statement it was on the Saturday evening that the disciples can be easily tested, for there are only eight came together to break bread is evident from the references in the New Testament to the first day fact that there were many lights in the chamber of the week. Six of these refer to the day of where they were gathered together, and that Paul's Christ's resurrection. discourse was prolonged until midnight. " In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn On the morrow Paul and his company resumed toward the first day of the week, came Mary Mag- their journey, according to the plans already laid dalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." (verse 13), they going by ship and Paul taking the Matt. xxviii. 1. shorter route on foot. " And very early in the morning the first day of The gathering of the church to break bread on the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the this occasion fell on what we now call Saturday rising of the sun." Mark xvi. 2. evening. The journeying, with all the work it " Now when Jesus was risen early the first day necessitated in connection with the ship, fell on of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene." what we call Sunday. It seems evident that this Verse 9. was planned by the apostle, for the account shows " Now upon the first day of the week, very early that he himself decided the course taken by the in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre." vessel. Verse 16. So those who travel on Sun- Luke xxiv. 1. days can point to the Apostle Paul in justification " The first day of the week cometh Mary Magda- of their course, and those Christians who are lene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre." labouring for the suppression of Sunday travelling John xx. 1. are confronted with the fact, recorded in the Acts " Then the same day at evening, being the first of the Apostles, that the early church practised day of the week, when the doors were shut where Sunday travelling ! Is this not clear evidence that the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, a movement in behalf of Sunday observance is not came Jesus and stood in the midst." Verse 19. on.- apostolic lines ? It is putting the case alto- The more carefully these six passages are studied, gether too mildly to say, then, that Acts xx. 7 the more apparent it will be that they were not gives no suggestion of any degree of sacredness written with any thought that the first day of the pertaining to the first day of the week. week was, or would be, a sacred day. Remember The eighth, and last, text in which the first day that the records of the evangelists were not written of the week is referred to is found in 1 Cor. xvi. 2. 406 THE PRESENT TRUTH. No. 26

"Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay which a Sunday campaign can be made a success by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." is by securing the passage of a law compelling the observance of Sunday. In other words, the result There is no suggestion in these words of a public of a successful campaign on behalf of Sunday ob- gathering on the first day of the week, at which servance will be to set human law against divine collections could be taken up. Each one individ- law, and to place those who obey the law of God in ually is to lay '` by him in store." First, however, the position of violators of the law of their there is to be an investigation of the profits made country. during the previous week, for the giving is to be We do not oppose the movement on behalf of as God hath prospered him." In the case of a Sunday observance simply because it has in it the merchant this might mean considerable investiga- germs of religious persecution, to be directed tion of accounts, hardly a fit employment for against those who obey God rather than men. sacred time. Such laying by in store would be a God is well able to take care of those who obey and good beginning of the week's business or labour, trust Him, and can make even the wrath of men and a fit accompaniment to prayer for prosperity to praise Him. But we wish, as God shall enable during the days to come. No expression in the us, to open the eyes of those who, in all sincerity, words of Paul indicates that to him the first day are labouring and agitating on behalf of Sunday was anything more than the beginning of the observance, that they may not be found un- labouring portion of the week. wittingly fighting against God. We believe that The Bible Sabbath. God is over-ruling this agitation on behalf of Sunday observance and will, through it, cause Now set beside the total lack of Scripture His truth to be made known and the claims authority for Sunday observance the perfect of His own rest•day to be clearly vindicated. We unanimity of the Old and New Testament as to the believe too that, as the controversy develops, it sanctity and permanence of the Sabbath. That will yet be clearly seen that vital issues are in- day was blessed and sanctified by God Himself in volved, that the conflict is not merely over the Eden, proclaimed by Him with His own voice on respective claims of two periods of time, but that Mount Sinai, observed by Jesus Christ in His the Sabbath is typical of pure, saving truth while earthly life, commended by Him to His church the Sunday stands for deceptive, destroying error. (Matt. xxiv. 20), honoured by all the Bible writers We have already noted that the Sabbath repre- who mention it as God's Sabbath, and it will be kept sents the Word of God, the law of the Most High, by the redeemed of the Lord through all eternity. while the Sunday stands for the tradition of man, Isa. lxvi. 22, 28. A comparison of the teaching of the commandment of those who call themselves the Word on behalf of Sabbath observance with its the Church. Both days, it is claimed, are holy silence in respect of the duty of Sunday observance days. The Sabbath derives its holiness from God, brings clearly to light the fact that any movement for He hallowed it. Whence does the Sunday on behalf of Sunday observance must be on an derive its alleged holiness ? If from men, then altogether unsoriptural basis. It can make no can men sanctify ? If they have this power, they appeal to the Word of God in support of its claims : can sanctify themselves, by their own acts, and do it must be enforced, if it is to be enforced at all, not need the righteousness of Christ to make them not by spiritual, but by carnal authority. holy. It may be objected to this last statement that A Logical Result. these are multitudes of people observing Sunday on We find accordingly that the very Church which spiritual grounds. Then the Sunday campaign is claims that it transferred the holiness of the Sab- not for their sakes. But what appeal will it bath to the first day of the week teaches also address to those who do not recognise the spiritual righteousness by works. The two things go claims of Sunday ? It cannot cite them to any naturally together. To stand deliberately and law of God. It must refer them to the alleged intelligently for Sunday observance is to stand for authority of the Church. man's power to confer holiness, either upon a day Herein lies a grave and momentous issue. Sun- or upon himself. It is in entire harmony with such day observance is founded wholly on human claims that a human priest is put in the place of authority and is a flagrant ease of exalting the our great High Priest, that an institution of the word of men above the Word of God. A campaign church is put in the place of the one sacrifice of on behalf of Sunday observance, then, is a campaign Christ, that a man is recognised as the head of the in behalf of tradition as opposed to the Bible. And church in the place of Christ and that human inasmuch as no divine authority can be produced traditions are put in the place of the Bible. Who- on behalf of Sunday, so that it will have to be ever, in the face of its true nature and origin, supported, if at all, by human law, the only way in stands for Sunday observance against the claims June 28 THE PRESENT TRUTH. 407

.of the Bible Sabbath, stands for the foundation May the Lord help those who read these words princir les of Romanism as revealed in its warfare to take their stand under the banner of truth ! against God and His Word. The weight of rank, of influence, of wealth, of The Gospel age is to close with a tremendous numbers, may be on the side of error, but there is conflict between the remnant of the church of more power in one small word of God than in all Christ and a revived papacy, reinforced by a the wisdom and might of men. movement that creates a duplicate of the beast. We do not believe that thole who are labouring The twelth, thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of for the better observance of Sunday have any con- Revelation show that a desperate effort will be ception of what is involved in their course of made by these confederated powers of evil to enforce action. They do not suspect that the movement upon all a certain mark, the badge of the authority is being engineered by the enemy of God, and sup- of the beast, or papacy. Against the reception of pose that they are doing God service. Stich a de- this mark, God sends to every people a solemn ception becomes possible when the Word of God is warning, and He declares of those who overcome not implicitly obeyed. Whoever consents to the the beast that they keep His commandments and exaltation of the doctrines of men above the plain have the faith of Jesus. See Rev. xii. 16; xiv. 12. teaching of the Word of God thereby places himself Now there is a definite conflict over the law of on the enemy's ground. He walks in darkness and God in one point only, and that is in respect of the knows not whither he is being led. Sabbath. Rome claims to obey all the other com- mandments, but she proclaims aloud her change of Perfect Trust. the Sabbath, and declares the Sunday to be a mark BLESSED Jesus, how I love Thee, of her authority. It is for this reason most of all that Thou my Saviour, Brother, Friend— we oppose the campaign on behalf of Sunday ob- Thou wilt lead me, Thou wilt guide me, servance. We desire to save men and women Thou wilt keep me to the end ; And whatever may betide me, from being branded, indifferently or otherwise, Thou wilt all my steps attend. with the mark of the beast, and thus incurring the All my cares I'll cast upon Thee, wrath of God which is to be poured out without All my grief and all my woe. " Come to Me, ye heavy laden ;" mixture on those who worship the beast and receive Thou dost whisper, soft and low : his mark. Rev. xiv. 9. " When the waters dark surround thee They shall not thy bark o'erflow. A Last Day Crisis. " I'll be with thee in the trial, For many years past we have been living in the I'll be with thee in distress, I will strengthen and uphold thee generation which shall not pass away till all things With My hand of righteousness. are fulfilled. Signs on every hand have indicated In My arms, I will enfold thee, the fast•approaching end. A determined warfare I will comfort thee and bless." has been waged against the Bible. Jesus, Thou my only refuge, Rock of ages, cleft for me, Spiritualism has stepped in with its false When the tempest round me gathers, doctrines and has found a readier welcome because I will put my trust in Thee— the Bible had already been largely discredited. I will never fear nor falter, For Thou wilt abide with me. The way has been prepared for the great and final OLGA GAEDE. apostasy. Now there comes along a strong and unprecedentedly united campaign in behalf of the The Duty of Forgiveness. institution that stands for man's exaltation above God, for the impious assumption of superiority to Matt. xviii. 27-35. the law of the Most High. But in preparation for ETER had come to Christ with the these things, God has given light from His Word, and question, "How oft shall my brother has lifted up His down-trodden Sabbath. The sin against me, and I forgive him ? till issue is being joined, and the call is being given: seven times ? " The rabbis limited the Who is on the Lor•d's side ? exercise of forgiveness to three offences. While the Papacy claims that the Sunday insti• Peter, carrying out, as he supposed, the tution is a mark of her authority, God declares teaching of Christ, thought to extend it to seven, that the Sabbath is a mark or sign of His sanctify- the number signifying perfection. Bat Christ ing power: " Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep; for taught that we are never to become weary of for- it is a sign between Me and you throughout your giving. Not, " Until seven times," He said, " but, generations ; that ye may know that I am the Until seventy times seven." Lord that doth sanctify you." Ex. xxxi. 13. It is Then He showed the true ground upon which for every man to decide then whether he will forgiveness is to be granted, and the danger of honour God or man in this matter. 'International Sunday-school Lesson for July S, 1908. 408 THE PRESENT TRUTH. No. 26

cherishing an unforgiving spirit. In a parable He forgiven ten thousand talents, the debtor owed told of a king's dealing with the officers who him a hundred pence. But He who had been so administered the affairs of his government. Some mercifully treated, dealt with his fellow labourer in of these officers were in receipt of vast sums of an altogether different manner. His debtor made money belonging to the state. As the king investi- an appeal similar to that which he himself had gated their administration of this trust, there was made to the king, but without a similar result. brought before him one man whose account showed He who had so recently been forgiven was not a debt to his lord for the immense sum of ten tender hearted and pitiful. The mercy shown him thousand talents. He had nothing to pay, and he did not exercise in dealing with his fellow-sere according to the custom, the king ordered him to vant. He heeded not the request to be patient. ' be sold, with all that he had, that payment might The small sum owed to him was all that the un- be made. But the terrified man fell at his feet grateful servant could keep in mind. He de- and besought him, saying, " Have patience with manded all that he thought his due, and carried me, and I will pay then all. Then the lord of that into effect a sentence similar to that which had servant was moved with compassion, and loosed been so graciously revoked for him. him, and forgave him the debt. How many to-day are manifesting the same " But the same servant went out, and found one spirit. When the debtor pleaded with his lord for of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred mercy, he had no true sense of the greatness of his pence ; and he laid hands on him, and took him by debt. He did not realise his helplessness. He the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And hoped to deliver himself. " Have patienoe with his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and be- me," he said, " and I will pay thee all." So there sought him saying, Have patience with me, and I are many who hope by their own works to merit will pay thee all. And he would not ; but went God's favour. They do not realise their helpless- and oast him into prison, till he should pay the ness. They do not accept the grace of God as a debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was free gift, but are trying to build themselves up in done, they were very sorry, and came and told self righteousness. Their own hearts are not unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, broken and humbled on account of sin, and they after that he had called him, said unto him, 0 thou are exacting and unforgiving toward others. Their wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, own sins against God, compared with their because thou desiredst me : shouldst not thou also brother's sins against them, are as ten thousand have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even talents to one hundred pence—nearly one million as I had pity on thee ? And his lord was wroth, to one ; yet they dare to be unforgiving. and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should In the parable the Lord summoned the unmerci- pay all that was due unto him." ful debtor, and " said unto him, 0 thou wicked The pardon granted by this king represents a servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou divine forgiveness of all sin. Christ is represented desiredst me ; shouldst not thou also have had by the king who, moved with compassion, forgave compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had the debt of his servant. Man was under the con- pity on thee ? And his lord was wroth, and de- demnation of the broken law. He could not save livered him to the tormentors, till he should pay himself, and for this reason Christ came to this all that was due unto him." " So likewise," said world, clothed His divinity with humanity, and Jesus, " shall My Heavenly Father do also unto gave His life, the just for the unjust. He gave you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one Himself for our sins, and to every soul He freely his brother their trespasses." He who refuses to offers the blood-bought pardon. " With the Lord forgive, is thereby casting away his own hope of there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous re- pardon. demption." Ps. cxxx. 7. The great lesson of the parable lies in the con- Here is the ground upon which we should exer- trast between God's compassion and man's hard- cise compassion toward our fellow sinners. " If heartedness ; in the fact that God's forgiving mercy is to be the measure of our own. " Shouldst God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow " Freely ye have received," Christ says, " freely servant, even as I had pity on thee ? " give." 1 John iv. 11; Matt. x. 8. We are not forgiven because we forgive, but as In the parable, when the debtor pleaded for delay, we forgive. The ground of all forgiveness is found with the promise, " Have patience with me, and I in the unmerited love of God ; but by our attitude will pay thee all," the sentence was revoked. The toward others we show whether we have made whole debt was cancelled. And he was soon given that love our own. Wherefore, Christ says, With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged ; and an opportunity to follow the example of the master with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured who had forgiven him. Going out, he met a fellow- to you again." Matt. vii. 2. servant who owed him a small sum. He had been MRS. E. G. WHITE. June 28 THE PRESENT TRUTH. 409

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What Is It? together. When Ninny Gnit awakened she found WHAT do you think I saw herself within R cave of damp fuzz ; moreover, her Out in the fields at play ? Something woolly and soft and white, wings were wet, and she could not fly. Skipping and prancing in sheer delight ; " This is, indeed," she whimpered, " a sorry Two round eyes that opened wide As it gambolled and frisked by its mother's side plight." Yet it had not been in the world a day. At 'that moment her sister, Nanny Gnat, flew in sight. Now Nanny Gnat was very fat, but she was dry, for she had been beneath a leaf when the showers spit-spat by. She stopped to speak to Ninny Gnit. " Nice day," said Nanny Gnat, so fat and dry. " Horrible weather ! " cried Ninny Gnit, so thin and wet. Just then Mr. Sun came smiling out from behind a cloud with such a hot face that fat Nanny Gnat fell flat. She cried, " I am so fat, I can't endure such heat as that ! " Bnt the seventy fuzzes dried very quickly, and Ninny Gnit flew out, again quite happy.

" Fine day, isn't it ?" cried thin Ninny Gnit, As she fluttered and flit about a bit, And picked out a petal on which to sit. " Horrible weather ! " replied fat Nanny Gnat. " This heat will completely lay me flat. Ah ! here's a chip ! I must crawl under that." Now it happened that all these opinions of the weather that Ninny and Nanny remarked to each Well, what do you think has come ' other were overheard by anatlaer—no other than The birds have begun to sing, The willows to bud, and the lambs to play. their little brother, Natty Gnit-Gnat, The grass to grow greener every day, Now Natty was a happy little chap, who never The brook to sparkle and dance and leap, cared a rap for heat or rain. He always looked out And the flowers to wake from their winter's sleep ; What is it that has come? —Selected. for himself, the merry, busy little elf, and no unit• Gnat ever heard him complain. In the sunshine, in the shade, o'er the meadow, Ninny, Nanny and Natty. through the glade—he was always busy, bobbing NINNY GNIT flew quickly to a dandelion puff, here and there. If the sun was too hot he would and seated herself comfortably in the midst of hide, and bide his time. If the rain wet his wings seventy fuzzes. She was tired, and no wonder ! he would dry them with great care. She had danced round and in seventy-nine flowers ; When little Natty Gnit-Gnat heard his sisters she had pranced down and up four hundred and thus complain, he stopped a moment, his composure fifty one blades of grass ; she had bobbed under to regain ; and then he gave them some advice : and over nine hundred and sixty three leaves of "Never mind the kind of weather. trees ; and her delicate gauzy wings were so tired Wind or rain, or both together Are as useful as the sun, they had creases. The dandelion fuzzes felt so Get your bibby-bobbing done, soft she took a nap. Put your mind upon your work, Work your play, and play your work, Three showers came and went ; still she slept. And you'll never notice whether The seventy fuzzes grew wet, and they stuck There are storms or pleasant weather !" 410 THE PRESENT TRUTH. No. 26

This made such a pretty song that Ninny and The Same Boy. Nanny learned to sing it, and then they taught it SOME years ago, in a farming neighbourhood, a to all the Gnit-Gnat Gnitties they knew. middle aged man was looking about in search of This is the reason why, if you meet ten thousand employment. He called at the house of a respect- Gnitty-Gnats on a summer's day, you will hear able farmer, and told his errand. them always humming, " Never mind the weather " What is your name 2 " asked the farmer. —get your bibby-bobbing done."— Joshua F. " John Wilson," was the reply. Crowell, in Youth's Companion. " John Wilson—the same that lived here when a boy ?" " The same, sir." The Emu. " Then I do not want you." OUR picture this week is of the emu, a native of Poor John, surprised at such a reply, passed on Australia which we read about last week. The to the house of the next farmer, and there a similar bird looks much like the cassowary, of which I am reply was given. And he found no one in the sore you have all seen pictures. The emu differs neighbourhood where his earlier years had been in this respect from the cassowary, however, that spent who was willing to employ him. Passing on he soon came in sight of the old school house. " Ah," said he, " I understand it now. I was a schoolboy there years ago; but what kind of a schoolboy ? Lazy, disobedient, often in mischief, and once caught in deliberate lying ; and though since I have been trying to reform, they all think me the same kind of man that I was a boy. Oh, that I had done as I ought when at school ; then people would have con- fidence in me now ! " So it is ; and schoolboys and schoolgirls should remember it, that character follows us and is remem- bered, and that those who have e/T•ir, known us in our early days will be very apt to look upon us in later years as they did in our youth. THE EMU. A lazy, crooked sapling makes a it has not the large growth on the head called a crooked tree. And so a shiftless, careless, mis- " helmet." chievous, untruthful boy is likely to have the The emu also resembles the ostrich, but unlike same character as he grows up to manhood. the ostrich it has no wings with the beautiful The great mass of idlers, thieves, paupers, vaga- plumes that we get from the ostrich. bonds and criminals that fill our prisons, and The diet of the emu is plain and simple, and con- almshouses have come to be what they are from sists of fruits, roots, and grass of different kinds. wrong conduct and wrong habits in youth, as, on The birds seem to like company, for they usually the other hand, those who make the great and keep in small companies. useful men of the community are those who began The emu's nest is also simple, being made by right courses in their early days. As a general digging a small pit in the ground, in which the rule we expect to see the traits of youth continued mother bird lays from nine to thirteen eggs. The into manhood, and confirmed and strengthened, little birds are prettier than the old one in the rather than weakened by years. And even where picture, for their feathers are lighter in colour, the character is really reformed, one often suffers with dark marks across them. T. C. 0 for a life-time for the errors and sins of youth ; as the father told his son, " You may draw out the nails you have driven, but the holes in the post " THERE are three kinds of people, the wills, the remain ! " won'ts, and the can'ts. The first accomplish Let all the young remember it, that character is everything; the second oppose everything; the early formed, and that it follows us wherever we third fail in everything." go.—Selected. June 28 THE PRESENT TRUTH. 411

TEMP,EAANCE HEALTH THE German Government is planning to construct a number of State canals, and with a view to the efficiency of the men employed on them, the Minister of Public Works has decided to forbid the sale of alcohol to the Does Flesh Food Make for Strength P labourers. Only temperance drinks will be on sale in the canteens. PPOFESSOR GAUTIER, the noted French au- A PROTESTANT worker in Brazil sends to the Christian thority on diet, who has written the greatest work a copy of an advertisement lately issued by the Roman on this subject that has recently been published, Church in that country. It runs as follows :— "RAFFLE FOR SouLs.—At the last raffle for souls, the states that the human body can be maintained at following numbers obtained the prize, and the lucky its very highest state of efficiency without the use holders may be assured that their loved ones are for ever of flesh. released from the flames of purgatory. . . . " Note.—Another raffle for souls will b 3 held at this same Some years ago I was landed on an island in the blessed Church of the Redeemer on January 1, at which Mediterranean, and the first thing I noticed in the four bleeding and tortured souls will be released from pur- gatory to heaven, according to the number of the highest market place was a man with an enormous burden tickets, in this most holy lottery. Tickets to be had from on his shoulders. He had a little saddle around the Father in charge. Will you for the poor sum of one milreis [equal to id.] permit that your loved ones burn in his shoulders, and upon it carried a load which purgatory for ages?" looked large enough for a mule. He must have been THE Signs of the Times, published in California. says carrying at least four hundred or five hundred that the loss of life in San Francisco has been certainly pounds. The porters of Smyrna carry even seven understated in the published reports. The official total, 358, is barely a quarter of the actual death-roll. hundred pounds on their shoulders. And these " The individual accounts given by the reporters, and people live on dates, figs, bread, and olives. seemingly well authenticated. will reach over 1,000, and In sailing on the Mediterranean, I observed the Coroner Walsh is reported as declaring that the number of the dead will reach from 1 000 to 2,000. There were many fare of the Greek sailors. They would sit down on remarkable escapes—escapes where the good hand of God the deck and make their meal of nothing but a was clearly manifest ; but many were crushed or im- prisoned when the great temblor wrecked San Francisco, small handful of ripe olives and pieces of black some to be incinerated by the fierce heat which followed, bread. intense enough to melt the inside of " fire-proof '' vaults and safes ; solid granite pillars and curbstones, sometimes In Vienna I saw women carrying great loads of scores of feet away from any actually consuming thing, mortar on their heads and shoulders. They would were cracked and peeled by the fierce heat of the at- mosphere in that furnace of hell. Forty miles south of pick up the heavy buckets, put them on top of San Francisco the temperature became torrid as the fierce their heads, and then march, straight as a statue, heat of the city augmented the balmy, mild temperature up the long incline to the top, where the men were of the sun. No one knows how many bodies were utterly consumed by this fearful furnace." laying the bricks. For dinner these women had THE great waste of infant life has been receiving con- bread and a little cheese, and, I am sorry to add, a siderable attention during the last year or two, and a mug of beer. The mug of beer gave no added National Conference was lately held in Westminster to dietetic valve, but it was the custom. The real study the best way of dealing with the question. Mr. John Burns said " he believed he was well within the mark nutriment was in the swartzbrod—the black bread when he said that there were, roughly, 100.. 000 lives sacri- —and the cheese. ficed in some form or another every year, not to man's inhumanity, but to neglect, carelessness, thoughtlessness, In northern Italy I have seen women working in and ignorance. it was a sad fact, too, that there were as the field, a woman and a cow hitched together, many deaths in the first year of life as in the succeeding 18 ; and he did not believe this was due either to a dispen- pulling a plow, a man driving. These women were sation of nature or an ordinance of man. It was still not carnivorous women ; they were sturdy, hardy more pathetic to know that in some districts from 30 to 60 women. J. H. KELLOGG, M.D. per cent. of the total children born died under five years. "During the last fifty years the general birth-rate had dropped from 34 to 28 per thousand, although at the same time he was glad to say that the general death-rate had Victims of Opium. dropped from 22 to 16 per thousand. Surely the Fame causes that had operated in reducing the general death- A MAGISTRATE says :—" Yesterday I had before rate for the grown child, the youth, the adult, and even the aged, could, if brought to bear on the subject of infan- me thirty• five boy prisoners. Thirty-three of them tile mortality, bring about a similar result in the next ten were confirmed cigarette smokers. To-day, from years." It seemed to be the general opinion that pure milk, and a reliable source, I have made the gruesome dis- temperance on the part of the mothers were the best pre- covery that two of the largest cigarette manu- ventives of infant mortality. facturers soak their product in a weak solution of opium. The fact that out of thirty-five prisoners " No man ever lost any time in the heavenly thirty-three smoked cigarettes might seem to race by stopping to help another." indicate some direct connection between cigarettes 412 THE PRESENT TRUTH. No. 26 and crime. And when it is announced on authority, to their satisfaction that they were right after all, that most cigarettes are doped with opium, this and the physician was wrong, and did not under connection is not hard to understand. Opium is stand their case. like whisky—it creates an increasing appetite that The same principle applies to diet ; often these grows with what it feeds upon. A growing boy chronic mental cases eat the most indigestible and who lets tobacco and opium get a hold upon his unscientific foods at unseasonable times, and affirm senses is never long in coming under the domination they agree with them, while the simplest Node of whisky, too. Tobacco is the boy's easiest and which are easy of digestion, they say disagree. To most direct road to whisky. When opium is prescribe a wholesome diet in such cases is useless. added, the young man's chance of resisting the A patient recently said, " Doctor, may I have a raw combined forces and escaping physical, mental, and potato just before breakfast, I have always found moral harm is slim, indeed." it helpful in my case." Another said, " I can eat only soft, starchy foods, but any baked or dextrin- ised starchy foods disagree with me." Here again Unspoken Words. it was useless to argue. The only thing that THE kindly words that rise within the heart, could be done was to let them have their way. And thrill it with their sympathetic tone, But die ere spoken, fail to play their part, But these oases never recover ; they continue to And claim a merit that is not their own. remain ill just as long as their false and unreliable The kindly word unspoken is a sin— experience is clung to. The only hope for them is A sin that wraps itself in purest guise, to discover in some way that the mind is not a safe And tells the heart that, doubting, looks within, That not in speech, but thought. the virtue lies. guide, and their former experience unreliable, and It is not so. Another heart may thirst then place themselves unreservedly in the hands For that kind word, as Hagar in the wild— of one who understands the subject of diet and can Poor banished Hagar I prayed a well might burst prescribe their food for them intelligently for a From out the sand to save her parching child. time, and determine to bring every thought and Then hide it not, the music of the soul, practice into harmony with the laws of health, Dear sympathy, ( xpressed with kindly voice ; But let it, like a shining river roll even if the experience opposes it, as it surely will. To deserts dry—to hearts that would rejoice. Sometimes, however, these cases fall into the Oh, let the sympathy of kindly words hands of unprincipled men, or so called faith Sound for the poor, the friendless, and the weak I healers. If they can exercise sufficient faith in And He will bless you—He who struck these chords Will strike another when in turn you seek. any supposed but practically worthless remedy ; or —John Boyle O'Reilly. can be made to believe that no such thing as dis- ease exists ; or that there is nothing the matter with them ; that it all exists in the mind (which is Mind Cure—True and False. really the truth) ; a marvellous change takes place No one is so certain of having digestive disturb- for the better. But, as far as they are concerned, ance as one who is in constant fear that the food the trouble is, they are raised up usually not to he eats will hurt him. No matter how wholesome walk in newness of life, but to continue the old life the food, or how well it may be combined, or how of disregard of nature's laws, in eating, drinking, easy of digestion, the one who fears it may prove breathing, dressing, etc. Divine restraint is cast indigestible is sure to suffer. The thought of taking to one side, and they say and imagine that they are a plunge into cold water may create a chill while on the highway to life. But they are deceived in this. They still suffer with a diseased imagination, yet in a warm bed and without a drop of cold This is not true mind cure. True mind cure will water being brought into contact with the skin. bring the mind into harmony with the laws of Should a person who fears cold water take a cold health—the laws of God. It will bring about such bath while in this perverted mental condition, a change of mind that it will be a delight to do the internal congestion and injury would surely be the will of God, because His laws are written in the heart. In the world to day we have the true mind result ; while with a different state of mind such a cure and the counterfeit. bath would in most cases prove a real benefit and How true are the Scriptures, " There is a way blessing. In the presence of these mental cases which scemeth right unto man, but the end thereof the physician feels helpless ; should he prescribe are the ways of death." Disobedience to the laws open windows and fresh air, they say, " Why, of God, which include the laws of health, leads to Doctor, I would be sure to take a severe cold, I death, no matter if the mind says, " I shall have have proved it over and over." This being their peace though I walk in the imagination of my past experience, it is difficult to convince them heart." To have health there must needs be a change of mind and heart, there must be implanted otherwise. Even should they consent to carry out within the mind a love for God's laws, and a delight the physician's advice, nine times out of ten it to do His will. This is the only real mind cure. would merely result in failure, or in demonstrating D. H. KRESS, M.D. June 28 THE PRESENT TRUTH. 413

The Presence of Christ. ability. The mind which accomplishes things HERE, in my workshop where I toil looks out, not in, it is focussed upon its object, not Till head and hands are well-nigh spent ; upon itself.—Success. Out on the road where dust and soil Fall thick on garments worn and rent ; Or in the kitchen where I bake The bread the little children eat, Some Home Rules. He comes, His hand of strength I take, And every homely task grows sweet. SOME would be greatly sweetened and blessed I sit among the books I love, if the following rules were better observed :— Or bend above life's dearest Book, We may be quite sure that our will is likely to Softer than wing of whitest dove, be crossed during the day, so let us prepare for it. Kinder than friend's most winsome look, He broods upon the page I read ; Look upon each member of the family as one for He tells me He is at my side, whom Christ died. Even here He gives what most I need, And stays by me, my blessed Guide. When inclined to give an angry answer, let us lift up the heart in prayer. The tempter dares an evil spell To weave around my wayward mood ; If from sickness, pain, or infirmity we feel irri- His baleful minions fain would dwell table, let ns keep a very strict watch over ourselves. With me in desert solitude. But, ere man's craft can drag me down, Observe when others are suffering, and drop a One strong to save defeats their end, word of kindness. One once who wore hate's thorny crown, One evermore my deathless Friend. Watch for little opportunities of pleasing, and put little annoyances out of the way. O Master, while the moments drift So fast away, till night draws near, Take a cheerful view of everything, and en- Be with me still that I may lift courage hope. Unceasingly my song of cheer. Speak kindly to all who help in the home, and I would not have an hour apart From Thee, sweet Lover, matchless King. praise them when you can.—Inland. Abide with me. Take Thou my heart. Low at Thy feet myself I fling. —Margaret E. Sangster, in the Interior. In What Are You Gaining? EXERCISE develops and improves what is made Forget Yourself. use of. A man who employs his muscle has most FORGET yourself. You will never do anything muscle. A porter of a hotel or of an express com- great until you do. Self•consciousness is a disease pany can lift with ease what would have been far with many. No matter what they do, they can beyond his strength when he began in that occupa- never get away from themselves. They become tion. On the other hand, a man whose muscles warped upon the subject of self-analysis, wondering are neither exercised nor employed has less and how they look, and how they appear, what others less muscular power. think of them, how they can enhance their own It is the same with any power or faculty that interests. In other words, every thought and every man has. A watchmaker has a power of sight in effort seems to focus upon self ; nothing radiates examining the minute things to which he gives his from them. attention which seems surprising to one unpractised No one can grow while his thoughts are self- in that line. But the watchmaker loses, in conse- centred. The sympathies of the man who thinks quence, his power of seeing things at a distance. only of himself are soon dried up. Self conscious- An Arab on the desert can see clearly persons or ness acts as a paralysis to all expansion, strangles objects in the distance toward the horizon not dis- enlargement, kills aspiration, cripples executive cernible by an ordinary observer. But a daguerro- 414 THE PRESENT TRUTH. NO. 26 type or a small '-'picture has no attraction to an Arab. Similarly with a student or thinker. He The Missionary Field. does not wear out his intellectual faculties by their constant using. He works easier and easier Abyssinia Opened Again to Missionary in that line, with increasing powers of perception Work. in the line of his endeavours. Yet he may lose AT last the indefatigable Swedish missionaries other powers through misuse. In what line are have gained entrance into Abyssinia, so long we gaining year by year ? The answer to that closed to Christian effort. A converted Galla, question will indicate the line and the results of having received his education in Sweden, returned our personal aotivities.—Sunday-School Times. home and, by the grace of God, entered Abdis Abedar, the capital of Abyssinia. The Coptic Archbishop introduced him to King Menelek and Look on the Bright Side. explained the purpose of his coming. The king received him well and kindly, and now it looks as WHY should we cloud the sunshine God sends to us to-day if the missionaries will be able to gain a foothold By fearing that to-morrow again in Abyssinia. The Swedish missionaries are May have a sky of grey? busily at work preparing Christian literature for Why should we mar the blessings the Gallas.—Selected. The present has in store By longing after others Or wishing these were more? A Bishop's Deliverance. Look on the bright side always, DR. BURGESS, contrasting the days of Paul and What better plan than this, Since fretting never changes our own in missionary work, said : What we think 's gone amiss ? " The question of money is always to the front. Let's take things as we find them, Now, when a missionary is appointed, the question And make the best of life is not Can we get a man like Saul, or can we get By thinking of its blessings And not its wrong and strife ; an earnest man, but the question is, can we get Enjoy each hour of sunshine ; the money?' On the subject of money the church God gives it all in vain at Antioch differed from the modern church. If foolishly we waste it, Foreboding future rain. Missionary papers are about one-half taken up by Look on the bright side always, pounds and shillings. Go to a meeting of a And watch the blessings grow, woman's auxiliary society to get the soul stirred, As flowers do in the summer— God likes to have it so. and it is finance. Go to a missionary meeting to get the missionary spirit fired, and again it is the Take what a good God sends you With thanks for what is given, same question. There is something wrong with And trust Him for to-morrow such a system. The church of Jesus Christ must Just as you trust for heaven ; Aye make the most, my comrade, be missionary or it must die. We cannot afford to Of time that flies so fast, do it in the half-hearted way we are doing it now. By gathering up its gladness The church at Antioch was not burdened with Before the chance is past I buildings. They met in upper rooms. Nowadays Look on the bright side always, we have our cathedrals and churches with jewelled And sing when skies are grey, And little ills and worries— windows and frescoes ; our parish buildings, and Let's laugh them all away. sometimes theatres and dance halls in connection —Eben E. Rexford. with churches. Nine out of ten times with those churches their financial system is bad. Many IN:the lives of those who are ransomed by the churches put their trust in church houses, archi- blood of Christ self-sacrifice will constantly appear. tecture and gymnasiums instead of in the Gospel Goodness and righteousness will be seen. The of Jesus Christ. All this is detrimental to mis- quiet, inward experience will make the life full of sionary enterprise. The problem is how to get the godliness, faith, meekness, patience. This is to be Gospel preached and taught to the greatest number our daily experience. We are to form characters of persons. Let churches be known as places free from sin—characters made righteous in and where the Gospel is preached. Ritual may be per- by the grace of Christ. Thus we shall reveal pure fect and yet be cold. Men want to hear earnest and undefiled reiigion to a world that has not now missionaries telling of their own struggles and in the midst of it a Saviour in human form, con- victories, that they can go out to fight with braver stantly manifesting His power to heal others' woes. hearts. All we need is a faith in the Gospel of Much depends upon our individual course of action, Jesus Christ to make missions grow; men and We should each live in the world the life of a true women to go out with the heavenly light to tell Christian, that our words and acts may be such as others what Christianity means to them. When to win souls to Christ. Our hearts are to be that day comes we will not have to beg money for cleansed from all impurity in the blood shed to missions, the very streets will be paved with gold." take away sin. E. G. W. Watchword and Truth. June 28 THE PRESENT TRUTH. 415

Converted Through a Stolen Bible. The Publishers' Column• AN Indian newspaper recently contained the following narrative :— Here and Hereafter. About six months ago in one of the stations of WHEN one accepts Christ as his Saviour, two of the Methodist Episcopal mission, a Christian died, the first questions that arise in his mind are, What named Jiwan Das. This man was a highway am I ? and, What shall I be ? i.e., What change robber, a thug, by profession. On one occasion a has conversion wrought in my nature, and what native preacher was on the way to preach in a change will death produce ? Am I mortal ? or am I certain village, when he was attacked by Jiwan immortal? " Here and Hereafter" answers both Das, and his clothes were taken, as well as some of these questions from the Bible and the Bible Bible portions which he had with him. The robber alone. It is written in a clear, lucid style, and took the books to his house, where he had a eon presents the subject of the nature and destiny of who was attending school. The boy asked his man very fairly. There are 444 pages in the book, father to give him the books, which he did. One bound in firm, durable cloth. The price is 4/- day the father, remembering the books he had brought, asked the boy to read to him. The lad A Great Controversy. began to read in the Book of Numbers, and it IN these days of wars and rumours of wars it is chanced that he opened the book at the chapter a good thing to study carefully the prophetic record where it is written, Be sure your sin will find you of the most stupendous of all struggles : the con- out. On heating this the father began to tremble, troversy of Christ and Satan. The war had its and seemed so affected that the boy asked him beginning back in eternity, back " in heaven " when what the matter was, but he gave no reply. Some " Michael and His angels fought against the days after the father took the book and began him- dragon." Rev. xii. 7. The conflict, transferred self to read. The same verse came to him again. to earth and the hearts of men, still rages. For He was at once convinced of the solemn truth, an outline of the controversy read the twelfth and from that time began to read, first the Old chapter of Revelation, and then write to us for a Testament, then the New, in which he learned full description of our book, " The Great Con- that the Saviour from sin is Jesus Christ. Hoping to troversy," which takes up the last stage of the realise in his own heart this great salvation, he struggle between Christ and Satan, and shows went to the station at Badaon, where he was bap- that the war is almost at an end. There are many tized by the late Rev. Dr. Hoskins, and from that present-day problems which " The Great Contro- time lived an exemplary Christian life, and so died. versy " sheds light upon, and on which you cannot —Missionary Review of the World. afford to be ignorant. His Glorious Appearing. Work and Pray. THE most marvellous of all the Saviour's pro- phecies (Matt. xxiv.) deals almost wholly with His DEVOTION is not all. Peter wished to stay on second coming, that time when the tribes of the the mount of transfiguration, to go back no more earth shall mourn, and " see the Son of to the cold, sin-stricken world below: but no; down man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and at the mountain's base, human suffering and sorrow were waiting for the coming of the Healer, great glory." Verse 30. No theme is touched and the Master and His disciples must leave the upon more frequently, or with more delight by the New Testament writers than the return of the Lord rapture of heavenly communion, and hasten down to earth in glory. The subject should be of no less to carry healing and comfort. It is always so. concern to us than to Christ Himself and His While we enjoy the blessedness of fellowship with followers. Anxious, therefore, to stimulate zeal God in the closet, there come in at our closed doors, in the study of His advent, we wish to call special and break upon our ears, the cries of human need attention to " His Glorious Appearing," a verse- and sorrow outside. The truest religious life is by-verse exposition of the Saviour's prophecy of one whose devotion gives food and strength for Matt. xxiv. It contains 114 pages, with twenty service. The way to spiritual health lies in the full-page illustrations, and is bound in cloth cover paths of consecrated activity—J. R. Miller. at 1/6, and in board at 1/- In writing also kindly ask for our free, illustrated catalogue. LOOK thou with pity on a brother's fall, But dwell not with stern anger on his fault ; Inquire of your PRESENT TRUTH agent or write to us The grace of God alone holds thee, holds all ; Were that withdrawn, thou too wouldst swerve direct. INTERNATIONAL TRACT SOCIETY, LTD., 451 Holloway and halt. —J. Edmeatan. Road. London, N. 416 THE PRESENT TRUTH. No. 26

The lesson is needed to-day, for the coming of Che Present Crutbs the Saviour is at hand, and we who are living now PUBLISHED WZEICLY PO. may have a part in the Church of Philadelphia. THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, When we are tempted to fall into discouragement BY because of the difficulties of the way, the prevailing THE INTERNATIONAL TRACT SOCIETY, LIMITED, indifference to the Gospel, or even the lukewarm- 451 Holloway Road, London, N. ness and unfaithfulness of the Church of Christ, Annual Subscription by post, 6s. 6d. Make all orders and obequsa pap let us not yield to discouragement, but remember stilt to The International Tract Society, Ltd., 451 Holloway Road. N. that the Saviour has fore-warned us of the need of His own patience, and so get ready for the testing WE beg to acknowledge an unsigned communica- time when He shall say to us: " Because thou hest tion inclosing 5/6, "the Lord's tithe." kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee." " The Word of My Patience." Patience is to be the special characteristic of the remnant of the Church of Christ.. It is to be said of IN His message to the Church of Philadelphia, them : " Here is the patience of the saints." Rev. the Saviour makes nee of a significant expression. xiv. 12. This fact indicates that their characters " Because thou halt kept the word of My patience, will have been perfected, and that through trial, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, for James writes : " the trying of your faith which shall come upon all the world, to try them worketh patience. But let patience have her per- that dwell upon the earth." Rev. iii. 10. fect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, want- Why should the Saviour describe Hie Word as ing nothing." James i. 3, 4. " the word of My patience ? " So while the last days will bring to the followers It must mean that to truly keep the Word of of Christ special trials, these very trials will God will require great patience in the time covered develop the patience that crowns perfected char- by the experience of the prophetic church of Phila- acter. It should not then be a matter for com- delphia. Its lot will be cast in the time when the plaint that our lives are filled with disappointments Second Advent is near, and although there is given and that oar patience is so often and so sorely to it the promise that its enemies shall prostrate tried : " My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall themselves at its feet, yet it is evident that the into divers temptations ; knowing this, that the Church of Philadelphia will first be sorely tried. trying of your faith worketh patience." James Jesus had to exercise great patience in His i. 2, 3. earthly ministry. He toiled and suffered for others, only to receive the reward of the cross. He " DISOBEDIENCE has closed the door to a vast trained His disciples with loving care, but they all amount of knowledge that might have been gained forsook Him in His need. There seemed to be from the Scriptures. Understanding means obedi- little real response to His self-sacrifice. And even ence to God's commandments. The Scriptures are since His ascension, how much patience He has to not to be adapted to meet the prejudice and exercise, even with those who profess to be His jealousy of men. They can be understood only by own ! Not until we know as we are known shall those who are humbly seeking for a knowledge of we begin to appreciate aright the loving patience the truth that they may obey it." of Christ. To the Church of Philadelphia will be granted a special insight into and participation in the " Peace I leave with you; Mg peace I give unto patience of Christ. To them the Word of Christ you." Not only is it the gift of God, but it is His will be the word of His patience. very presence. Sickness cannot destroy it ; poverty What does this mean ? It means that they will cannot rob it of its incorruptible riches ; bereave- be tried to an intense degree. Disappointment ment only makes it more real, and the approach of and failure will seem to be their portion. Where death more deep. The world, which cannot give they look for appreciation, they will find none. it, cannot take it away; its root is in the immovable When they expect support, friends will desert them. assurance of the divine acceptance and favour, They will have to do their work without any of the through the blood and righteousness of the Saviour, stimulus and approval that are so dear to the it gradually spreads its roots over the entire natural heart. Like their Saviour they must set spiritual being through the sanctifying power of the their faces like a flint Zionward, in spite of shame eternal Spirit ; and while the only thing that can and spitting (Isa. 1. 4-9), and for the joy that is set ruffle it is the silent approach of a wounded before them, they must patiently endure the cross, conscience, the only thing in the whole world to despising the shame. Heb. xii. 1-8. destroy it is sin.—Bishop Thorold.