The Watchtower, April 1, 1918

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Vol. XXX IX

BROOKLYN, X. Y., APRIL 1, 1918

No. 7

OUR SAFE REFUGE

"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment

until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his plaee to punish the inhabitants

of the earth for their iniquity ; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and

shall no more cover her slain." — .Isaiah 26:20, 21.

While standing upon the watch tower and beholding the

terrible storm that is raging, the sea and the waves roaring,

lashing with fury the more stable places of society; while

hearing the rumbling thunder of the near approaching earthquake

and beholding in the distance occasional flashes of

destructive fire, what a wonderful privilege to be numbered

among the people of God and to know that we are absolutely

secure from all harm ! Who can enjoy such a privilege as

this? Jehovah, through his Word, answers, "My people."

What does it mean to be of the people of God? What

are the requirements? Ah, it means much more than many

think it means — much more, both on man's part and on

God's part. On the part of man it means not merely the

naming of the name of Christ and being a member of some

organization which claims to be Christian. It means on

man's part that he must recognize himself to be born a sinner

and in need of a savior; he must recognize that Jesus Christ,

by the grace of God, died and rose again for the purpose of

redeeming mankind. Believing this, it means that man must

take the further step of a full surrender of his own will

to do the will of God — a full and complete consecration to

the Lord. It means, further, full heart obedience to the will

of God by dail/ taking up his cross and following in the

footsteps of Jesus, and thus continuing faithful, even unto

death. As the Psalmist expresses it, the thought of "my

people 3 ' includes only those who have made a covenant with

God by sacrifice. (Psalm 50:5) It includes all such consecrated

and faithful children of God, however young or old,

weak or strong, they may be, who possess a pure heart, firmly

and resolutely fixed, and loyally obedient unto the heavenly

Father.

WHO CONSTITUTE GOD'S PEOPLE

On the part of God it means that he has accepted uh at

consecration through the merit of his beloved Son, Jesus, and

that he has begotten us anew to a hope of life, reserved in

heaven for those who are kept by his power, through faith,

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April 1, 1918

THE IVA TCH TOWER

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even unto the end; that he has given to such his exceeding

great and precious promises, which promises guarantee the

faithful one that she shall be a partaker of the first, or chief

resurrection. It signifies that in this present life we have

the fatherly love, care, counsel, discipline and protection of

God. It means that such may claim the precious promises

in his Word, which are given for their comfort in the hour

of distress or tribulation. All such have the glorious hope

set before them of being forever with the Lord.

DIVINE' WBATH UPON FALSE SYSTEMS

Thousands have been wrongly induced by the blind clergy

to believe that they are God's people if they merely join

themselves to some earthly organization and support the

clergy, no matter what else they may do. These blindly

follow the clergy, concerning whom Jesus said: "If the blind

lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch-" in the great time

of trouble that is now impending. (Matthew 15:14) Through

all the age, God has permitted his people to be among these

organizations, some being fed by good shepherds, while others

were ministered unto by false shepherds. Until the harvest

time the wheat class has been scattered among the tares,

the true sheep among the wolves. In due time the harvest

of the age came ; the gathering and separating has been taking

place, and now is about accomplished.

Throughout the age, "his people" have been in the midst

of these great man-made organizations, the nominal Christian

church, which God designates as Babylon (meaning confusion),

but which men call Christendom (meaning Christ's kingdom

) . These systems have contained some true, loyal Christians

and many who have been merely Christians in name.

Toward these great systems which have appropriated the

name of Christ and claimed to represent his teachings and

his spirit, although possessing the spirit of the world, God

is now manifesting his displeasure and soon will pour upon

them his indignation. For some time he has been warning

his people in these systems, saying, "Come out of her, my

people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye

receive not of her plagues." — Revelation 18:4.

In the text, Jehovah addresses himself to "his people."

More than twenty centuries ago, God's prophet, Daniel, took

his standpoint at the hour in which the church now finds

herself, standing on this side the vail. God foreknew the

condition now on the earth. He foresaw the great time of

trouble that would come upon mankind because of the unfaithfulness

of that class of men to which he had committed

the privilege and obligation of proclaiming his coming kingdom

. Through other prophets also he spoke of this time of

trouble, He indicated that wars would first come, to be followed

by revolution and anarchy. The great Master himself

referred to such a time, saying, "Upon the earth distress of

nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those

things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of

heaven shall be shaken," culminating, as he stated, in "great

tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world

to this time, no, nor ever shall be." — Luke 21:25, 26; Matthew

24:21.

God foresaw *that sin would reach its fulness; that selfishness

would ripen and go to seed; that a time of ill-will

and hatred would prevail — a time of religious intolerant

and persecution upon the faithful ones following in the Master

's footsteps. In our text, the Prophet seems to express the

thought that the Lord bides his time; and when his due

time arrives, he says: "For, behold, the Lord cometh out of

his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their

iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall

no more cover her slain."

GOD'S LOVING COUNSEL TO HIS PEOPLE

The Lord likens his people unto sheep. Sheep are defenseless

creatures. Again he likens them unto children.

Children are guileless. But his description of the trouble

is so terrible that even the strong and full-grown might

well be expected to quake for fear. Amid all the storm

and strife and turmoil, God -would have his children to rest

in peace and quietness in his love. And so he causes his

Prophet to say: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose

mind is stayed on thee ; because he trusteth in thee. Trust

ye in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting

strength." (Isaiah 26:3, 4) When one becomes a

child of God and follows in the footsteps of the blessed Master

and Lord, those of the world cannot understand him. They

look upon him as they did upon the Master — as despised

ones. God foreknew that the time of great stress would come

and that some of his people would be in the midst of it;

and so he caused his Prophet to write the words of the text,

which seem to apply so appropriately at the present hour.

There is an affectionate tenderness and sweetness in his words.

Like a loving, gentle father, he says: "Come, my people, enter

thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide

thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation

be overpast." How loving of our Father thus to provide a

refuge, and sweetly to invite his people to enter in*

Knowing the inability of his people to defend and protect

themselves; knowing their desire for help and strength, he

lovingly made provision by giving them numerous precious

promises. Through another of his holy prophets, he put into

our mouths the beautiful words of trust and confidence:

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in

trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth [the

present order of society] be removed, and though the mountains

[governments] be carried into the midst of the sea

[overthrown by the turbulent sea of world-wide anarchy] ;

though the waters [peoples] thereof roar and be troubled,

though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. . . .

The Lord of hosts is with bs; the God of Jacob is our

refuge." (Psalm 46:1-7) With fatherly love he beholds his

children, and PhrnWl^ ^fi-22 2

things and I have rest about t]ie matter when 1 realize after

careful thought and prayer that by subscribing to the Vow

T am doing his holy will. I have always appreciated the

Morning Resolve. If the V. D. M. questions were being answered

by me now I believe I would give more care to the

work, yet I think on the whole the answers were very close

to the truth. I shall sign and date separate slip for attachment

to Vow form, or you can return me the slip itself and I

will sign it.

I have deeply appreciated the article, "The Price of Exaltation

" in Nov. 15th Watch Tower. It is clear evidence to me

the Lord is still at the helm.

Your brother in hope of eternal life,

J. R. Douglas. — Aus.

APPRECIATES FREE PRESS AND SPEECH

Dear Sirs: —

My attention has been called through a news item to a

book published by you called "The Finished Mystery/* which

the Canadian press censor proscribed as pro-German.

If there is no law in this country against your supplying

the book, please let me Jcnowits price. Catalogue of other

publications of yours would be appreciated.

As I understand it, a free press is one of the fundamentals

upon which this government is based. I like to see for myself

why certain lx>oks and publications are so greatly feaTed

by the ruling class. Thus far I have usually found that there

is some unpleasant truth which they hope by these tyrannical

and undemocratic methods to suppress. All autocrats hate

to let the people do their thinking. I believe that nothing

that could be done would do more to create dissatisfaction

and unrest in a country supposedly free than to attempt

autocratically to say what the people shall be allowed to read

or not read.

I am far from being a pro-German, but I pride myself on

being a free and independent American, and nothing stirs

me more than to see efforts made to suppress fTee-speeeh, freepress

and free-assembly.

Sincerely, F. H. S.— N. Y.