The Watchtower, September 1, 1888

VOL. X. ALLEGHENY, PA., SEPTEMBER, 1888. NO. 1.

Zion's Watch Tower

AND

HERALD OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE.

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FREE TO NEW READERS.

For the sake of new readers, we mention below special topics treated in recent issues of the TOWER of which we still have a supply. Order any one of these as a sample, free. Additional copies 5 cents each, except to those too poor to pay, who are welcome to any or all free.

THE LAND QUESTION.--June '87.

THE SABBATH QUESTION.--Sept. '87.

OUT OF BABYLON,--the claims of the Episcopal Church examined.--Oct. '87.

"ONE GOD,"--the Bible teaching vs., human tradition of Trinity.--Nov. '87.

"SPIRITS IN PRISON."--Dec. '87.

"HELL," "EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT," "WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH," "THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS," etc., are subjects treated in January, February, March and June 1888, TOWERS.

BAPTISM,--the Bible doctrine.--May '88.

SIN AND SICKNESS, "FAITH CURES," "PRAYER CURES," "MIND CURES," etc. --July '88.

THE TABERNACLE AND ITS SACRIFICES, --their lessons to the saints.--July '85.

DAWN IN GERMAN, PAPER-BOUND.

A cheap, popular edition for loaning, etc., greatly desired by some of the friends, has finally been decided upon. The first thousand will be ready about October 1st, and orders will be filled in rotation as received. The price will be 25 cents each, the same as the English edition, that being the popular limit. The same "expense allowance" as on the English edition will be granted. See June '88 TOWER, page 1. Order at once.

AN EPISCOPALIAN MINISTER'S VIEW.

At the Baltimore Conference of the P.E. church, recently held, the annual sermon was preached by one of their number, A.R. Stuart, D.D. "His theme was The Perils of the Church at the present time;" and the following extracts from his discourse, clipped from the Baltimore press, indicate that at least one in the P.E. church sees as clearly as the M.E. bishop, quoted in our last issue, that the blind leading the blind in the nominal church are stumbling into the ditch of unbelief as truly and as surely as the Jewish Church at the first advent. We quote as follows:--

"Never was there an age in which there has been more fervid zeal in connection with the church than in this--more energy, more self-denial, greater munificence, greater exertions or greater sacrifices. The working bands, the parish organizations, and religious agencies of every kind, the multiplied services and communions of this nineteenth century have never been equaled or surpassed in days gone by. Is it possible that vital godliness can be on the decline in the midst of so much ardent and pious enterprise? What better evidence than the foregoing can be produced to show that the church is as firm as a rock, and that there is no reaction against the reformation, and no movement toward atheism or papalism?

"I concede the strength of this position and the force of argument sustaining it, but I am not afraid nevertheless in defense of my assertion and belief that there is a falling away; notwithstanding all this wonderful zeal, to point out the fact that godless ambition, baptized worldliness, strife and vain glory, party spirit, sordid motive, selfish interest, simple bigotry, or all combined, may lie at the root of much which seems so laudable.

"With the men of this generation for the most part the practical work they are engaged in with zeal and energy does not and can in no measure supply what is all the while really lacking in their faith. This they are discovering, and it is sending many of them away sorrowful--some to seek refuge under the baneful shelter of a semi-pagan system, and others to dismally flounder about in the rayless, bottomless pit of blank negation.

"The church is growing in power and wealth, and yet there is much to cause dread in the minds of thinking men. The perilous times of which the Apostles spoke having come and there can be no doubt but that great danger is at hand from Italianism and infidelity. It is true there never was a time when the church was more active in good works. The practical and pressing question now is Are we going back to Judaism? are we holding on to a too slavish respect for the ordinances of men? It looks like we are, and it is this that is driving many into Romanism and others into the arms of infidelity. There is a loss of simplicity of faith; men are laying too much stress upon what they call religious duty and

what they are doing for God, instead of contemplating what He has done for them and placing their trust in Him. Instead of relying upon the pure gospel their minds run to forms and they soon descend to semi-paganism, or blank nothing.

"In the light and strength which we find in the Gospel, and nowhere else, may we hope to lead a life of true devotedness to God and goodness in the fellowship of the life of our Lord. In that light and strength will we certainly come to know that the essence of a true church does not consist in the length or the brevity of its title; in its being called Protestant, or called Catholic, or called neither."

SOME PRESBYTERIANS AWAKING.

The Presbytery of Nassau, (L.I.,) recently unanimously passed the following Resolution, addressed to the General Assembly:--

"The Presbytery of Nassau hereby respectfully overtures the General Assembly that a committee be appointed to revise Chapter III., of the Confession of Faith (with special reference to Sections 3,4, 6 and 7), on the ground that in its present form it goes beyond the word of God, and is opposed to the convictions and repugnant to the feelings of very many of our most worthy and thoughtful members; and that said revision be sent down to the Presbyteries, and, if accepted by them, be substituted for Chapter III. in the Confession of Faith."

One who signs himself a "Long Time Presbyterian Minister" writes as follows on this subject, to the Christian Union. "It is a matter of the highest importance, that a Presbytery has at last moved in the direction of the Revision of the Confession of Faith. The Presbytery of Nassau ask the coming General Assembly to revise chap. III. of "God's eternal decree," especially the sections which refer to reprobation. This is an awful chapter, in which it is said (sec. 3): "By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto eternal life, and others foreordained to everlasting death." Also, in sec. 4: "These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be increased or diminished." As Calvin said, "This is a horrible decree." It is the sheerest rationalism. It puts the inference and conclusions of fallible human logic on a par with the word of God. It is a libel on the character of God, which the enlightened Christian conscience of our time will not for a moment receive as an article of faith.

"We long and pray for the reunion of Christendom, but we should not try to hasten it by professing to believe the obsolete tenets of past ages, which are repugnant to the moral and historical sense of the present generation."

We are glad to note that light is breaking in upon, and revealing some of the hideous features of, the old creed-idols; to which alas! so many still bow down. But while we must ever pity the blind, and pray and labor that they may see, what must be our righteous indignation (and God's) against such hypocrisy as this "Long-time Presbyterian Minister" accuses himself of. Hiding behind this unrecognizable title, he confesses that he does not believe the very Confession of Faith which for years, and still, he publicly professes to believe. What moral cowardice! For fear of the loss of an easy and sure living, and for fear of the loss of dignity and honor among those whom he admits are perpetrating "a libel on the character of God," he prefers to stultify himself and stand with them; not only sharing in this "libel," but more,--an admitted hypocrite, false to the solemn vows which he took when he accepted his "ministerial license" to libel God's character.

"Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee," says the Master to such; and we greatly fear that the number willing to thus libel God's character for the sake of peace, harmony, honor of men, and a good easy living, is not a few. Better far in the esteem of God and all his honest children is the condition of the Infidel, who honestly speaks his mind, than such deceivers who sell the truth and God's character for pieces of silver.

"The latter end of that man is worse than the first." "It had been better for them, not to have known the way of righteousness [truth], than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment, delivered unto them. But it happens to them according to the true proverb: The dog returned to his own vomit."--`2 Pet. 2:21,22`.

Awakening is good, and we are striving to awaken all--ministers and people--to see the truth regarding God's plan and character; and to see the incongruities and unreasonableness of creeds formulated in the Dark Ages; and to get them to reject these befouled streams of human tradition, impregnated with Papal errors and corruption. But each one who is awakened and sees, is a thousand fold more guilty than the poor blinded deluded ones whom his influence and example helps to keep in bondage and ignorance of the truth. He that knew his Master's will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

We speak forcibly, because such hypocrites, both in pulpits and pews, are increasing, and often do not realize their hypocrisy because it is common and popular. We speak not in anger but in love. Following God's example we would wound to heal.

WHY WAGES SEEM LOW.

The widening of the sphere of one's surroundings, and a larger acquaintance with other men and their pursuits, have long been recognized as not productive of content. Writing to his nephew a hundred years ago, Thomas Jefferson thus concisely expressed the results of his observation: "Traveling," he says, "makes men wiser, but less happy. When men of sober age travel they gather knowledge, but they are, after all, subject to recollections mixed with regret; their affections are weakened by being extended over more objects, and they learn new habits which cannot be gratified when they return home." Again, as the former few and simple requirements of the masses have become more varied and costly, the individual effort necessary for the satisfaction of the latter is not relatively less, even under the new conditions of production, than before,--and in many instances, is possibly greater. Hence, notwithstanding the large advance in recent years in the average rate of wages, and their increased purchasing power, there is no less complaint than formerly of the cost of living; when the foundation for the complaint is for the most part to be found in the circumstance that a totally different style of living has been adopted; and that society makes conformity with such different style a standard of family respectability.--Hon. A. D. Wells.

LETTERS TO OUR CHILDREN.--BY W. I. M.

THE TRINITY--CONTINUED.

DEAR M.:--In our last we found that, according to the Scriptures, there is one God only. Naturally you ask, "Then who or what is Jesus?" So much mystery has been thrown around his nature that it is no wonder that he is indeed "a mystery" to many. But does not the Bible speak of him in a very peculiar manner; and are not his own sayings about himself very dark, and difficult to understand? Yes, to some they are probably very dark.

Have you ever stood near a group of foreigners talking (all together, as we sometimes do) in a language you did not understand a single word of? You have noticed their manner,--now grave, then gay; now seemingly angry in their earnestness, then suddenly all seized with convulsive laughter. How strange it all seemed to you; though to one of their own people standing by, there might be nothing strange about it.

Many have never learned God's language. It has been too much trouble; or they had not time to learn it, they were too anxious to make money or to enjoy this life; so "it is all Greek" to them. Our citizenship is of the Heavenly Kingdom (See `Phil. 3:20`; `Heb. 11:13-16`; `Eph. 2:19`--Revised Version.), therefore we should be diligent to learn its language.

If we study God's Word faithfully, earnestly asking that his spirit may enlighten the eyes of our understanding, we shall learn his language, and his Word will no longer be "a sealed book" to us. --`Isa. 29:9-14`.

WHAT THINK YOU OF THE CHRIST, WHOSE SON IS HE?

This is the way our Lord Jesus asked the Pharisees their official opinion concerning the promised Messiah. They answered correctly, in the language of the Scripture: "The Son of David." Then he showed them that David called him "Lord," and asked them again. "If David then called him Lord, how is he his Son?"

They had not got over as far as to understand that, and could not answer him.

Let us find the answer.

Whose son is he? He had been announced as the son of David, and heir to David's throne, `Luke 1:32`: As the seed of Abraham and heir of the world, `Gal. 3:16`; `Rom. 4:13`: As the seed of the woman [Eve], who was to crush the head of their deceiver,--bringing deliverance to the race.--`Gen. 3:15`.

The Jews might have partly understood this, knowing that Eve was the mother of all the human race, that David was a descendant of Abraham, that the promised Messiah [or Christ] would be a descendant of David, and that he would take the kingdom of Israel [David's throne], and subdue and rule the world with it.

But it was also written that the Christ was the Root of David's family (`Isa. 11:10`), as well as the Branch. (`Jer. 23:5-6`.) After David's Genealogical Tree had apparently been cut down and dried up and dead, new life was to enter one of the roots (`Isa. 11:1`), and it was to bud and blossom and fill the world with fruit. --`Isa. 27:6`.

Stranger things than these were written of this Wonderful One. Moses foresaw him as a prophet; and, like himself, as a leader; in a greater deliverance than the coming out of Egypt. (`Deut. 18:15-19`; `Jer. 16:14-15`.) Again, he was seen as a priest; and--like Melchisedec (`Heb. 7:1`) --as a royal priest; a priest upon a throne. (`Zech. 6:12-13`.) He was to be a king (`Isa. 32:1`), yet he would be born in a manger (`Luke 2:12`) and would come as one of the humblest of earth.--`Zech. 9:9`.

Lord of all, yet servant of all. (`Matt. 20:25-28`.) Without a place to lay his own head, yet able to say "Come unto me...and I will give you rest."-- `Matt. 11:25-30`.

Hungry and thirsty, yet dispensing living bread (`John 6`), and living water (`John 4`) and feeding thousands.--`Matt. 14:13-21`; `15:32-38`.

Tired, weary and asleep, yet rising to subdue the winds and the waves of the raging storm.--`Luke 8:24`.

Rich, yet for our sakes becoming poor; that we through his poverty might be made rich.--`2 Cor. 8:9`.

Innocent, yet wounded for our transgressions, that through his stripes we might be healed.--`Isa. 53:5`.

Sinless (`Heb. 4:15`), yet bearing away the sin of the world.--`Isa. 53:11-12`.

The Lamb of God (`John 1:29`), yet the Lion of the tribe of Judah.--`Rev. 5:5`.

Rejected by his own (`Isa. 53:3`), but yet to be revealed as the "Desire of all Nations."--`Hag. 2:7`.

To blind bigots he was without form or comeliness [good looks], (`Isa. 53:2`) but to those whose eyes are opened he becomes "the chiefest among ten thousand" and "altogether lovely."-- `Solomon's Song 5:10,16`.

He is the Light of the World (`John 1:4,9`); The Morning Star (`Rev. 22:16`); The Sun of Righteousness.--`Mal. 4:2`.

Surely we are ready to cry out, "What manner of man is this?" Was he a man? He was certainly no common man like the rest of mankind. Try to compare him with the greatest men the world has seen, and you find you cannot. They were not enough like him to compare with him. He is beyond comparison. The most famous of earth's heroes have been its warriors: Such men as Alexander, Julius Caesar and Bonaparte. They were called great men because very successful, but their success was through the slaughter of millions of their fellow men who had as much right to life as they had. But here is a hero who refused the honors of men (`John 6:15`) and who instead of taking life, actually yielded up his own; that he might enjoy the pleasure of bringing back to life and joy and peace the untold millions whom the tyrants of earth have ground down to degradation and death. "Greater love hath no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." Jesus died for his enemies.

If Jesus was not God, nor a common man, what was he? He nearly always spoke of himself as, the Son of man. In a few instances he acknowledged the title the Son of God. Was he both, a Son of man and a Son of God? Yes. Was he therefore both God and man? No.

I think you are puzzled now. Well, God's Word contains wonderful mysteries and strange secrets. But Jesus said to his disciples "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [unbelievers] it is not given." --`Matt. 13:11`. Read also, `Psa. 25:14`; `Amos 3:7`.

God's Word explains many mysteries, and his faithful servants who study his Word are not in darkness (`1 Thes. 5:4-8`), as the worldly are.--`1 John 2:11`.

David said:--

"Oh how I love thy law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Thy commandments make me wiser

than mine enemies:

I have more understanding than all my

teachers,

For thy testimonies are my meditations.

I understand more than the aged,

Because I have kept thy precepts."

--`Psa. 119:97-100`.

Let his prayer also be yours:--

"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold

Wondrous things out of thy law."

--`Verse 18`.

Read carefully what Paul said to Timothy. `2 Tim. 3:14-17`.

Now let us turn to God's Word with confidence that he will reveal even this mystery to us. In `John, chap. 17`, Jesus speaks clearly of God as his Father; of having been sent by his Father to the world; and of having been in glory with his Father before the world existed. This carries us a long way back into the past, but John goes further. He tells us that not only "the world was made by him," but "without him was not anything made that has been made."--`John 1:3`.

Paul makes it still clearer in `Col. 1:15-18`, saying;--"In him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible [to us];...and he is before all things.

You are ready to say: "If before all things, and if all things were made by him, would it not prove that he was eternal, and not created? In other words, that as he made all things, therefore he was not made; and if not made, then he must be an uncreated or self existant God?" Well, if there were no other scriptures on the subject it would look as if John and Paul meant that; and this is the argument of Trinitarians, and a very plausible one. But we have no right to select texts to support one side of a seeming argument, and ignore or set aside other scriptures which overthrow our pet theories. We have seen that our Lord Jesus is not the Lord Jehovah, and Jehovah has said clearly and repeatedly that there is only one God, and that he is that one. We will not discuss the assertion that the three Gods ("God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Ghost; as the church of Rome invented it), are one God, as it admits of no discussion, being a simple impossibility, and too absurd for reasonable people to believe.

Paul in the place last quoted from (`Col. 1:15`) explains what he means. He tells us that our Lord Jesus was "THE FIRSTBORN of all creation." Let us examine this very carefully, for if we understand Paul here it will make the whole subject plain. The old version reads: "The Firstborn of every creature." This is not so clear, as we might get the thought of each creature, whereas it means every created thing. Not only the human race, or all living creatures [beasts, birds, etc.] on this earth, but all angels, and all worlds are included;--the countless spheres in the starry heavens, which are probably under process of preparation for future habitation under the reign of him who is to fill and perfect all things. --`Eph. 1:23`.

When God began the work of creation he first made our Lord Jesus. He was not called Jesus then, neither was he a man. He was made in the highest order of created beings that we have any knowledge of. He is called "The Archangel." We do not know that there was any other "Archangel," though there were other "Princes" among the angels. The word means the first or chief angel. He was both the first created and the first or highest in rank. Just as Adam was pre-eminent among men by being the first, and therefore the life-giver to all the others, so this Archangel was pre-eminent over all and the life-giver to "all creation." He was, as he himself says, "THE BEGINNING of the creation of God." (`Rev. 3:14`.) But he was more. God, having created him, evidently used him as his instrument in the further work of creation. That is, God did not continue to create things himself, but he told this "Firstborn" what to do and he did it.

Now, as God created all things through Jesus Christ, God was the Creator, and his Firstborn was also the Creator; but you see that the Son was not Creator in the same way that his Father was. God gave him the necessary wisdom and power to do all these things, "For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." (`Col. 1:19`) Fullness here means unlimited or complete power, etc.--`John 3:34-35`.

This Firstborn then became the fountain from whence flowed out the life and power which both created and continues to sustain all things. Behind the Fountain was the great inexhaustible Reservoir, God.

Many of the texts applying to our Lord Jesus as Creator, Son, Firstborn, Prince, Fullness, etc., refer to him as the Head of the New Creation, of which he and the true Gospel Church--"The Church of the Firstborn"--are the "Beginning." We will study that feature in our next letter.

The old creation was in many things a picture or type of the new creation. Thus the first Adam was an image or small representation of the second Adam. --`1 Cor. 15:44-50`.

Abraham offering up his son (`Gen. 22`), and other circumstances in their history prefigured Our Father's dealing with Jesus, and with the Church. (`Gal. 4:24-31`.) David as a king represented Christ. So the work of the Firstborn of the old creation corresponds in some things to the work of the Firstborn of the new creation; but if we study faithfully with our Lord's help, we need not get confused, and the subject will become more and more clear and plain to us.

In our next we will follow the history of our Lord Jesus down from the glory he had with the Father before the world was, through his trial and victory to his glorious reward, his exaltation.--PAPA.

ALL THINGS NEW.

"The world is old with centuries

But not for these she bows her head;

Close to her heart the sorrow lies,

She holds so many dead!

Sad discords mingle in her song,

Tears fall upon her with the dew,

The whole creation groans--How long

Ere all shall be made new?

"Yet brightly on her smiles the sun,

A bounteous heaven delights to bless;

Oh, what shall be that fairer one

Wherein dwells righteousness?

Oh, happy world! Oh, holy time!

When wrong shall die and strife will cease,

And all the bells of heaven chime

With melodies of peace.

"No place shall be in that new earth

For all that blights this universe;

No evil taint the second birth,

'There shall be no more curse.'

Ye broken hearted, cease your moan;

The day of promise dawns for you;

For He who sits upon the throne

Says, 'I make all things new.'

"We mourn the dead but they shall wake!

The lost, but they shall be restored!

Oh, well our human hearts might break

Without that sacred word!

Dim eyes look up, sad hearts rejoice,

Seeing God's bow of promise through,

At sound of that prophetic voice--

'I will make all things new.'" --Sel.

THE VALUE OF SUPERSTITION.

As Josephus was disposed to apologize for his countrymen the Jews, and to attempt to show that their restlessness under the government of Caesar was not the result of their religious laws, etc., (as shown in our August issue), so many Christians are disposed to apologize for the spread of a Revolutionary spirit, a spirit of insubordination, wherever the gospel goes; and they, like Josephus, disclaim the responsibility of themselves and of the Christian religion. But this is because both they and Josephus are tinctured with the philosophy of their times.

The liberty and equality which the gospel inculcates is much akin to the more shadowy typical teachings of the same, given to the Jews; and the natural results of this knowledge upon the unconsecrated are much the same now as then, leading to socialism, anarchism and various impracticable ideas on the part of some who are neither controlled by a well-balanced intellect, nor by the spirit of Christ, nor directed by a knowledge of God's time and method of righting matters now seriously at fault.

Josephus, writing for Grecians and Romans in Rome, manifests his object to have been, to show that the Jewish philosophies, no less than the Grecian, tended to peace, and submission to rulers; hence after reporting the Jewish views as nearly as possible to correspond to the Grecian, he adds, "on account of which doctrines they are able to greatly persuade the body of the people."

The intelligent portion of the world has always esteemed peace and good government as of vital importance, hence worldly-wise philosophers and statesmen have often approved and even advocated theories which they themselves at heart rejected as absurdities, simply because they realized the need of some "doctrines by which the body of the people might be greatly persuaded" to relinquish their freedom and submit to the ruling of the more able and crafty. Since fear is one of the greatest incentives, fear has generally been used; and since prejudice and superstition are the ablest supports to fear, these have been cultivated by all philosophies. And by whatsoever name known, or accompanied by whatsoever appearances of learning--as colleges, learned men, books, etc.,--such philosophies (built upon superstition and prejudice) are really but vain imaginings of imperfect men, and reveal their ignorance of the truth.

Nevertheless, in some respects at least, the world has profited by these systems and their various errors, which have had the effect aimed at by them all--namely "to greatly persuade the body of the people" --through fear. And it is for the same reason (philosophical conservatism), that wise statesmen and thinkers of later times,--such as Webster, Clay, Lincoln, Grant, Bismarck, and others, while not able or willing to accept any of the modern creeds of Christendom, nevertheless have favored all, realizing the need of "doctrines which would greatly persuade the body of the people."

Mankind in general, in the present fallen state, is mentally unbalanced and incapable of reasoning logically on any question. Only the few, the exceptions, are capable of drawing logical conclusions on financial, scientific and social, i.e. political, problems. Hence the world had its season of greatest contentment (which in some respects should be sought by all) when the masses were in utter ignorance, and trusted and obeyed blindly the dictates of the abler, more logical, and balanced minds, which rose to the surface and gained the power. But avarice, greed for power and honor and wealth, continually corrupted this abler class; and the philosophies of oppression and superstition overleaped their bounds; and the sleeping world began to awaken; and the great Reformation of the sixteenth century followed.

By fits and starts the awakening of the Reformation time has since progressed. And it has brought with it revolutions-- political, ecclesiastical and scientific. This results from the dissemination of Bible truths among the people. The Bible is the greatest of all levellers; the greatest of all liberators; the greatest of all revolutionizers. It sows its seeds deep and broad, by showing that all men are of one blood; that all alike were condemned to death; and that all alike, king and pope and peasant and slave, were redeemed by the one sacrifice given "once for all;" and that there is only one way for all to come to God, and that as they come they must all stand upon one level of acceptance, because God is no respecter of persons.

Wherever these principles of the true gospel are appreciated they are recognized as a grant of liberty from God, which inspires the people to a realization of their common rights and privileges, and causes them to feel restive under earthly potentates both kingly and priestly.

Though the world possesses the blessing of greater knowledge, and that more widely distributed among the masses than ever before; and though with it they possess many more comforts and conveniences than ever before--yes, even luxuries formerly possessed scarcely by the few, are now classed among the necessities by the many; and though there never has been a period of such general freedom, --liberty of person, of thought, and of conduct; yet for all this, it is doubtful if there ever was a period of more general discontent.

Let none misunderstand our meaning when we assert, that the Bible is indirectly the source of this discontent, as well as of present enlightenment and progress. Had the Bible been kept in the background, hidden from the people under cover of dead languages, as Papacy designed; had the decretals and bulls of

the church of Rome continued to be the standard and law of men's consciences; the dark ages would still continue, and ignorance, superstition and contentment would prevail now, as it did in the twelfth century.

Knowledge and liberty can only be profitably used, and without danger of bad results, either by perfect beings able and willing to reason out fully the results, and to voluntarily submit to such restraints and regulations as would be for the general good; or by imperfect beings, who are conscious of the imperfections of their minds and bodies, but whose hearts recognize the divine law and voluntarily submit every thought and act thereto; or by fallen beings under a just, infallible, rigorous government which could and would enforce righteousness.

To-day we see the knowledge of human rights spreading among the masses, and the chains of ignorance and superstition breaking, yet the people are unprepared for such liberty; they are unbalanced in judgment so as to be incapable of correctly estimating causes and effects; they are not consecrated to God, so as to be willing to be under the control of his will, expressed in the Scriptures; and we have no just, infallible government, able to enforce righteousness.

The result must be, that as superstitious dread of everlasting torment and other falsities depart, and the unwise, unbalanced masses gain a knowledge of their power, laws and governments, good, bad and indifferent, will all be swept away, and confusion and anarchy will obtain,--to the injury of all. That this very condition of things is rapidly approaching, all can see, who see at all. It cannot be repressed; it already has a great momentum and makes greater progress daily. It is both an evil and a blessing. Its first results will be evil, but it will prove to all mankind the absolute necessity of a just, strong government, which can enforce the right while men progress in knowledge--without requiring the aids of ignorance and superstition to maintain its control.

And while the people will be getting ready to welcome such a government, God is preparing just such a government for them,--Christ's Millennial Kingdom. Under its beneficent reign, knowledge shall be greatly increased, and man restored to God's image, which has been almost effaced by the past six thousand years of sin, so that he will be mentally balanced again and able to reason correctly on good and evil, right and wrong, advantage and disadvantage.

So then, ignorance and superstition are more favorable to contentment than a little knowledge; and the worldly-wise of the past saw this, and to the benefit of all kept the masses under subjection to law by these means. And God permitted it so to be, until his due time should come, in which, under control of the King of kings knowledge shall be made so perfect as to turn aside its present danger and to make it the basis of a much greater and more enjoyable contentment than ignorance ever produced.

We are now in the transition period, from the rule of superstition to the rule of truth. Many seeing the trouble will be inclined to shrink back, and to desire ignorance and superstition to chain and restrain the masses; and attempts to perpetuate these restraints will doubtless be made; but since God's due time has come for knowledge to be increased none can stay its progress. The consecrated church occupies, as ever, a peculiar position, seeing and appreciating without fear the result which others will dread. We have no fear, because we see the glorious results to be wrought out thus. It is in order that we should not be in darkness, as the world, that our Father's plans are thus unfolded to those of his children who, led of his spirit, have an ear to hear.

CHRISTIAN FREEDOM.

It is said that, after the emancipation of American slaves, when millions who had for years been subject to the master's law and whip, were suddenly given the right to control their own affairs, it was almost impossible to get the majority of them to do anything. In their degraded condition liberty meant license; and had it not been for their fear of everlasting torment, there is no telling what extremes might have been reached. Since then, experience has been a valuable educator to many of these freed-men. Many of them have learned that they must master themselves, control their desires and weaknesses, and overcome their sloth; and that they must really be both master and slave. Experience is slowly teaching them that sloth brings hunger and nakedness and disrespect, and that diligence and sobriety bring honor and comforts and respect and a higher order of pleasure; and that now they must not only be their own masters, but also their own slaves.

So, too, it requires a large degree of experience, which is one sort of education, to enable our weak fallen natures, so long the slaves of that severe master, Sin, to use the liberty wherewith Christ makes us free.

If we were perfect beings as Adam was, in God's likeness, we should probably with present experience, find no such difficulty, but only pleasure and real advantage from fullest liberty. But alas! such is not our case; we are painfully conscious of our imperfections and downward tendencies; we find that as a knowledge of God's plan comes to us, the very freedom it brings becomes a snare to many. As they get the truth, and through it freedom from the superstitions and fears of error, wherewith Sin had bound us as slaves, the first tendency with many is apt to be toward spiritual lethargy and idleness, or into slavery to politics or business.

When the task-master, the law, is gone and can disturb us no longer, because we are "not under law but under grace" (favor), we are in serious danger, even while joyfully singing,--

"Free from the law, oh, happy condition,

Jesus hath died and there is remission."

But, a greater responsibility rests unto us, in some respects, by reason of this liberty. To be "under grace" leaves room for our wills to act; to use this "liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." Our liberty is a liberty to act; to co-operate with our Lord and Redeemer in overcoming our former master, Sin.

The fuller and clearer our apprehension of God's love, and of the length and breadth of his full salvation, the fuller will be our joy and our appreciation of "this liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." The more we learn of the particulars of our emancipation, the greater and grander we find our liberty to be, and the more our joy, the greater is our responsibility. "Brethren, ye have been invited to liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to [serve] the flesh, but by love serve one another."--`Gal. 5:13`.

The American freedmen found many of their former masters willing to take advantage of their weaknesses and ignorance, to get them into their debt in advance; so that they would be compelled to serve them virtually as before. So, those whom Christ makes free, find their old

master, Sin, even while admitting their freedom, ready to take advantage of their weaknesses and to make them serve him virtually as before; even while they are conscious of their emancipation. Those who are thus overcome are really slaves again, except in name.

What safe course, then, can such weak and inexperienced freedmen pursue? becomes a most important question to us all.

There is but one safe course. Because imperfect, we are unfit for self-control and incapable of using liberty to our own real advantage; hence we must really become slaves again. It becomes a question only as to whose slave. Left to itself, the question would soon solve itself; we would gradually become re-enslaved to Sin, with merely the name of being free, but without any of its advantages. There is only one other Master besides Sin, and that is Christ; and unlike Sin, he never enslaves any; all of his household are voluntary servants, and he treats them as "brethren." Though all such must be as obedient to his will as though they were the veriest slaves, yet he binds none; he compels none to stay, or to serve him. In a word, all his servants are voluntary slaves. His household is really a school where he is sole Master, using his authority for the benefit, education and development of his faithful ones.

The only safe course for those made free--justified by Christ--is this:--

Go to Christ at once, tell him of our joy and thankfulness for freedom; and of our realization of our own imperfections which incapitate us for self control; and of our fear lest our former master by cunning devices might bring us into bondage; and pledging unqualified submission to him as his servants, ask that he take us under his control;--to teach us, to chastise us, and to make use of our time and talents, in whatever way he pleases.

But we query--

(1) Would not this complete surrender deprive us of liberty?

(2) Would it not put us completely under the control of a master, whose every wish such an agreement would bind us to consult and obey?

(3) Is not all slavery detestible?

(4) Is such a slavery reasonable?

We answer (1), Yes, it would deprive us of liberty in one sense; in that we could not abide in his service, draw his pay, and have the blessings which his household enjoy, without full submission to his will regardless of our own. But this would not interfere with our freedom in that it would be our own voluntary act, and in that we should not be bound by Christ to continue in his service. We retain the liberty to leave, even after we accept the privilege to enter this service. It is a privilege, not a compulsion; a voluntary enslavement.

(2) Yes, full submission is required of the entire household; all are required to obey whether they see fully the wisdom of the rules or not; as they obey, they are made more and more to see the justice and wisdom of their Master's rulings. But surely we need not fear to fully submit to such a master. He takes advantage of our confidence, not to injure and enslave, but to bless us and protect us from our former master and enemy Sin. We can surely trust him who died to secure for us freedom from the service of Sin, and from his wages, death;--who purchased for us life and liberty. Ah, yes, this one is interested in us, and is benevolent, wise and powerful--our tried friend.

"One there is above all others

Well deserves the name of friend.

His is love beyond a brother's,

Costly, free, and knows no end.

"Which of all our friends to save us

Could or would have shed his blood?

But this Savior died to have us

Freed from Sin--restored to God."

(3) Slavery to sin, is detestible and galling indeed; enforced slavery of any sort is always dishonorable, both to master and slave. But the voluntary slavery of love, subjecting itself to righteousness and wisdom and submitting every talent and moment to the direction of this Master, is grandly noble, and, moreover, the very essence of wisdom.

A mother's love and service and slavery to her family, is but an imperfect illustration of this love-slavery; and yet it is justly regarded with respect and veneration.

(4) Our weakness and inability to rule ourselves, and to protect ourselves against being again entrapped, by our old master, Sin, shows us that the only reasonable course for us to follow, is to submit ourselves to the one interested in our welfare, who will raise us up and strengthen us. It would be the part of wisdom to thus submit to Christ if our reason were none other than a selfish one,--that thus we might escape the other, the cruel master, Sin, whose wages are suffering and death.

But there is another and a weighty reason why we should volunteer to enter the service of Christ,--namely gratitude. When we realize that all we have and are is of and through him, that all our liberty is his gift purchased with his own self-denying sacrifice, gratitude of the commonest sort demands that we not only thank him, but also that we show our appreciation by using our redeemed lives to his glory, in his grand and honorable service.

Seeing human weakness, and the crafty deceptions of Satan, Paul urged some of our fellow-freedmen, in his day, saying: As ye have yielded your members--servants to uncleanness and to iniquity, even so, now yielded your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." (`Rom. 6:19`.) And again he says, "Being made free from Sin, and become [bond] servants [slaves] to God, ye have your fruits unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (`Verse 22`.) And again he says: "I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies [in his service] living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, your reasonable service." --`Rom. 12:1`.

So, then, the only safe course for any of the justified, lies in consecration; i.e., in a voluntary and full surrender to Christ. All others really become re-enslaved to Sin, even though they may despise the service. Others, knowing not how to use their liberty and not having full divine direction, are in some respect worse off than if still in ignorance and bound by superstition; for otherwise, their release becomes a fresh source of temptation, the more difficult, yea impossible, for such to restrain. Hence self-control is dangerous to a fallen imperfect being, though good and proper for the perfect. Hence the necessity that all who realize freedom through Christ's pardon, should submit themselves to their Redeemer's control.

Indeed we may herein see the wisdom of God's course in permitting mighty systems to bind the fallen race, with chains of ignorance and superstition, until the present time; when, the selection of the church, the Body of Christ, being about complete, full knowledge as well as full power to control, will be established in the earth; after the now rising and designed tempest (`Dan. 12:1`) shall have swept away present systems and broken their chains.

KNOWLEDGE SOMETIMES A SNARE.

We have noticed some of the bad effects of knowledge (freedom from superstition, etc.) on the depraved world,--in the futile efforts of fallen men to govern themselves by the simple power of love of right; for the twofold reason of their lack of wisdom, and their lack of strength of character.

Let us next notice, the bad effect of knowledge (freedom from errors and superstitions) upon believers in Christ who do not submit themselves fully to his control. They are exposed, by their freedom to greater besetments from their own imperfect organisms. Thus for illustration: Some who had dreaded to speak an untrue word; who had been scrupulously honest; who had been generous toward the poor, and in support of religion; who had been prompt and regular in worship, both in the public gatherings of believers and in private and family worship; who in a word were exemplary persons,--more than they perhaps imagined have been held and bound to such a life, by a fear that eternal torment would be their lot if any other course were pursued, than by real love of righteousness. It is easily seen that a knowledge of God's love and gracious plan, setting free such a one from his bonds of superstition, must have one of two effects upon him:--

The effect may be to make him less careful of his word,--of his business and social engagements; less generous toward the poor and toward religious work; less regular in God's worship, public and private; more disposed to gratify self, and less disposed to sacrifice anything for God or for fellow creatures than before; because the impulse of fear is removed, and must is replaced by may; and may is fought against, by every selfish interest which before selfishly urged the other course.

Or, the effect may be the very reverse: The fear being removed, and the love of God being seen the more clearly, the effect may, and certainly should be, to overwhelm the heart and lead it, bound in loving gratitude and appreciation, to the feet of the Redeemer; consecrated fully and forever to his service, and anxious, if but permitted, to share even the humblest part in carrying forward the great work which God has foreordained. Such a one will be blessed and enlarged in every way by his freedom. Seeing God's goodness and love, and having consecrated to God's service and will and plan, he will seek to copy and imitate his character and methods. Seeing the firmness and justice of God, he will seek to be more and more just. Seeing God's love and benevolence more clearly, he, while just and firm, will be more generous toward the weak and erring. Partaking of the spirit (the mind, the plan, the sentiment) of God, gradually, he will lose that selfishness which is always seeking its own advantage, and will begin to take so deep an interest in God's plans as to gladly sacrifice selfish desires, plans and conveniences, etc., etc., in the effort to fulfill the divine plan. His love for all for whom Christ died, will make him more than ever kind to the poor and sympathetic toward the unfortunate. More than ever will he desire to use money, and time, and influence, in God's service; because now, love has made self-sacrifice a pleasure. More than ever will he desire to acknowledge the Lord in all his affairs, and to worship him in private and with his family. More than ever will he be desirous of meeting both publicly and privately for worship, and for the study of the Master's will, with those "of like precious faith" and consecration. And less than ever will he crave other fellowship or company, except he can at least have a hope of telling them of the full salvation and of the gracious Master he has found.

Some of his unconsecrated friends, may think and say of him, that he is a fool-- a very slave to Christ, doing and enduring in his Master's service (willingly, gladly), what they would not endure under any consideration; not even in the interest of self, the master they chiefly consult and seek to please.

But oh, how differently the truly consecrated feel:--

"Oh what comfort it brings,

That soul sweetly sings;

I am safe from all danger

While under his wings."

A slave?--Yes, a willing slave; and yet free to leave the service and go away, if he wills. A menial servant?--Yes, and one whose chief anxiety is to do the work to the approval of the gracious Master. One whose only fear is to displease, or to be rejected from the work. These are the only ones on earth to whom knowledge and liberty have brought the proper fruit so much desired by all, namely contentment. And truly as it is written, "Godlikeness with contentment is great gain."

Then--

"Farewell ye dreams of night,

Jesus is mine!

Mine is a dawning light

Jesus is mine!

All else my soul has tried

Left but an aching void;

Jesus has satisfied!

Jesus is mine!"

BE NOT ENTANGLED AGAIN.

"Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."--`Gal. 5:1`.

Few get truly free from errors and superstitions, because few seek earnestly enough the voluntary enslavement to Christ, referred to above. Stepping out of one error and bondage of superstition, they step into another because of their own weaknesses. As we have already shown, none are strong enough to stand alone, and there is but the one we can lean on, and not be taken advantage of and deceived, enslaved and bound again, all our present surroundings being imperfect or evil.

All such enslaving, binding entanglements are deceptive; they all appear harmless or even beneficial, else few would be thus entangled. One of the very deceptive entanglements of our day, which hinders more than all others together, perhaps, that fullness and closeness of heart-fellowship with Christ, the only Master, is the prevalent idea that in joining the one church, whose names are written in heaven, we should also join some one of the numerous earthly organizations which each claim to represent that one true church, and whose creeds each claim to represent the "one faith"--"the faith once delivered unto the saints."

The impression is freely given, and is generally received, that to fail to become bound to some earthly sect, is to fail of membership in the one true church. The innocent soul, freed from Satan's service through Christ, is told truly that it cannot stand free alone, but instead of being pointed to Christ as the only Master and to the Word of God as the only rule for faith and service, they are pointed to the various sects as representing Christ, as appointed by him to receive their services, and they are pointed to the doctrines of these sects as taking the place and showing the real meaning of God's Word.

To become a probationary member of

the one true church, "whose names are written in heaven," the conditions are first, a realization of our own imperfection and condemnation as sinners; secondly, of Christ's full atonement for our sins; thirdly, implicit faith in his love and goodness and in all his exceeding great and precious promises, however beyond the range of human skill or thought; and fourthly, a full consecration to him as our Lord and Master. These are the only conditions of our acceptance in the true church and they imply fullness of consecration, to do and be whatever our Master may desire, as we shall continually seek to grow in his grace and in the knowledge of his will. But to become a member of one of the earthly organizations, (churches), means to bind one's self beforehand, to believe and do neither more nor less than is stated in their creed and "covenant."

This leaves no room for the spirit of the truth to guide into all truth, and to show us things to come (`John 16:13`); no room for growth in grace and knowledge; and as a consequence, the new member, if he shall remain faithful to his covenant with the sect he has joined, can get no nearer to a full understanding of the truth, and no nearer to a full consecration, than the other faithful members of the same sect. He is bound by a creed seldom understood, and by a supposed interpretation of the Bible, framed by fallible men in a time of great ignorance and superstitious fog, which originated in Papacy in the dark ages.

When thus bound they are led to believe that every service rendered to such organizations, composed for most part of "tares," is service to the true church, the "little flock" of overcoming and fully consecrated believers. They suppose that money spent in cultivating sectarian pride, is sacrificed to the Lord; that fairs, suppers, and many worldly and questionable schemes to get money, are work for the Lord, and for the truth; they suppose that time and energy spent in getting repentant souls, and many others not repentant but merely alarmed, into these sects, where they will be blinded to a higher consecration, and bound and held back from growth in grace, knowledge and love,--this they are deluded into supposing is "working for Jesus!" Alas! how sadly some are thus, in the name of the Master and in the name of the true church, entangled, misled, yoked up to error, and hindered from hearing his Word, and from following in his footsteps. A fellowship with the world, and the spirit of the world, and worldly follies, extravagancies, manners, customs and views, is thus substituted for fellowship of saints under the deceiving titles of Church and Christian.

Whoever has gotten free from such entanglements and has found the Master and submitted all to him, should take heed indeed that nothing--neither Protestant nor Catholic, church or priest, shall come between his heart and the true Lord and Teacher, Christ Jesus. And it should be the chief and most enjoyable service to the free, to lead others out of bondage of Sin and into the service of Christ. But, touch them gently as you seek to set them free! Remember that they have learned to love the galling yoke and chain; and some at least wear it lovingly and patiently, supposing that the Master placed it on them. Apply the oil and wine, to strengthen and molify, and touch their weak sore-spots as gently as possible. The true ones are deceived, enveigled sheep belonging to our own one fold, and the Master seeketh to lead them into it, and you are his messenger. Be wise for his sake and theirs.

Then, too, there are other bonds of error, outside the pale of the great organizations which claim to be the living church but are dead. There are forms of error purporting to be the light of advanced truth, which only the elect will probably escape, in this evil day. Their full consecration, and faithfulness to the Master, will keep them so near to him that no such plague shall come nigh their dwelling. Being filled with the truth and with the spirit of the truth they will quickly discern error, so that it will have no power to entrap and enslave them.

To all, therefore, who have separated themselves from former entanglements and who desire to continue to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, we would say, Let us live very near the fountain-head of truth; imbibe its spirit freely; take a firm and positive stand for truth and be faithful at any cost. The Master we would thus obey, our sure and safe Guide, will be with us to the end. He will never leave us nor forsake us, nor suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear, but with each temptation provide also a way of escape.

"A thousand may fall at my side,

Ten thousand at my right hand;

Above me his wings are spread wide,

Beneath them in safety I stand.

"His truth is my buckler and shield,

His love he hath set upon me;

His name in my heart he hath sealed

E'en now his salvation I see."

[In our October issue we hope to examine the question of THE TRUE CHURCH, and the liberties and restraints of its members.]

THE CURSE LIFTED.

A curse signifies an opposition, a punishment. Ever since the representative of our race was tried in Eden, and transgressed God's commandment, the curse of that broken law has rested upon him and upon all whom he in trial represented --all the Adamic race. That this is so, we need not stop to prove at length; we merely refer the reader to the many scriptures which declare it, and the many which declare that it will be removed.

But if the Scriptures were silent on the subject, our experience proves that a curse rests on mankind. The anguish, sorrow, distress and death, which attend us from the cradle to the tomb, all tell us that a curse rests upon us. Surely we would be justified in reasoning that, if man were in full harmony with his Creator, something much better than he has, would be his portion. And looking into God's Word this thought is corroborated. We find that when man was sinless and in harmony with God, there was no curse, no sorrow, no wearying labor, no pain, nor dying; but joy, peace, life and communion with God. All our distresses are included in the term death, because they all surely lead to it, and are caused by it. And this curse--DEATH--passed upon all men in that all had sinned in the person of their representative Adam.--`1 Cor. 15:22`; `Rom. 5:12`.

It was God's law that cursed us. And since the law is the expression of God's mind, or decision, it was God's curse that came upon us. Every law, to be made of force, must contain a penalty or curse for its violation. This curse is elsewhere termed by the Apostle an "ENMITY," which word has much the same meaning as curse. (`Eph. 2:14,15`.) Enmity signifies an opposition to--a resentment.

Not only has God, represented by his law, a just and righteous opposition or enmity toward sinners, but the sinners have since come to have an opposition or enmity toward God, without a cause. Cast off, from communion and fellowship with his Maker, man went headlong into evil; and the more he lost God's image and the more degraded he became, the more opposition and enmity he had toward that which is good and holy and right. "The darkness hateth the light," and the darker the hearts of men became the more enmity they felt toward God.

Now, if God and man ever again come into harmony, and are made at-one, he who makes the at-one-ment must entirely remove this enmity. Then "There shall be no more curse."--`Rev. 22:3`.

Some would make it appear that the only enmity, is that which man feels in opposition to God and righteousness; but such see only one side of the subject. What about God's opposition to the sinner, which drove him from Eden into sorrow and death? Any theory which fails to recognize this, fails entirely; for there have been some of the race in all ages who felt no enmity toward God, but desired the blessings of his favor--Eden life and joy in his fellowship: yet such never were brought back to the original condition. And any with whom God deigned at all to commune, were made to feel that his enmity, his opposition, his curse, as a barrier still separated between them as sinners, and himself as holy. This was shown in various ways, but in none more emphatically than in the SACRIFICE FOR SIN, which they were obliged to offer, before they could have communion with God.

In these sacrifices there was remembrance or acknowledgement of sins; and since they were repeated, it proved that they never really took away sin (`Heb. 10:3,4`), or removed the curse. But these were typical of a better sacrifice, which God himself provided in due time, which did, once for all and forever, remove the sin, the curse, and the enmity on God's part.--`Heb. 10:5-10`.

The idea that the enmity is all on man's part, carried to its legitimate end, leads to the very absurd conclusion, that man got angry with God and went out of Eden full of enmity; and that he would not commune with God. Then God is represented as remonstrating and pleading with him to return and have his communion and fellowship. Man refuses, and turns his back on his Maker. God sends prophets and teachers, but man spurns them. Finally God concludes to make a great sacrifice to men to appease THEIR wrath and to win their love. This theory would represent God as saying, I have been too severe; if I had it to do again I would not be so strict; I would pardon sin quickly before you had time to get angry with me for my justice, and cast me off from your favor and love. I would bless instead of cursing you; my love for you has conquered my justice and love of right, entirely. Come, now, see what an evidence of my repentance I am willing to give. My son shall die merely to show and assure you that your sins are pardoned, and that I am anxious to have your good will. What a God that would be? Both men and angels would have in contempt such laws and such a lawgiver.

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