The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 75

November 22, 1898

“Editorial” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 47, p. 752.

FOR more than a year the Lord has been sending to his people the definite message, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.1

Thus the attention of a whole people, all round the earth, has been directed to this one definite call of God,—to this one great blessing of receiving the Holy Ghost. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.2

Has it occurred to you to inquire as to just what this means? If not, please read this scripture, and think: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:20. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.3

As it is by the Holy Spirit that the people of God must be sealed, and as God is especially calling upon all his people to receive the Holy Spirit, then does not this plainly show that we are not in the time of the sealing of God’s people? ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.4

If this is not plain to you, why so? Since the object of the Holy Spirit is to seal, till the day of redemption, those who receive him; and now, for more than a year, god is calling upon all his people to receive the Holy Spirit, do you expect this call to go on forever without the object of the Holy Spirit being accomplished,—the sealing of those who receive him? Do you expect the call to receive the Holy Ghost to go on forever with those who do receive him, without that Spirit’s accomplishing the very object for which he is given? ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.5

If you do not expect this, then since it is only by the Holy Spirit that the sealing is done, and since God is now, and has been for more than a year, continuously calling to his people to receive the Holy Spirit, is it not perfectly plain that we are now in the time of the sealing of God’s people? And if it should be that this is not yet plain to you, then is it not because you are not looking straight in this direction? or else because you have not yet anointed your eyes with the “eye-salve, that thou mayest see”? ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.6

This will never do. No; god will not work forever, and do nothing. God will not send a message forever without accomplishing that whereunto the message is sent. And as he is now sending his message, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost;” and as the work of that spirit is to seal the receivers thereof unto the day of redemption, it is certain that now is the time in which, by the Holy Spirit, God will seal his people unto the day of redemption, which, by all other signs also, is nigh at hand. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.7

“Get ready, get ready, get ready.” “Ask, and it shall be given you.” “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” “Be filled with” the “holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.8

“Editorial Note” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 47, p. 752.

THE only part of the word of God that will ever do any man any good is what he get inside of him. The way to get it there is to receive it and submit to it: in it is power to keep us forever. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.1

“Saving Health” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 47, p. 752.

“BELOVED, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health.” 3 John 2. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.1

This is a wonderful wish; and there is a wonderful reason for it, though many Christians, even Seventh-day Adventists, seem to think that this wish is one of minor importance. Let us study it a little. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.2

The word “health” is an abstract noun, derived from the word “whole.” The thought is expressed in the words of Jesus, “They that are whole need not a physician.” Matthew 9:12. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.3

The word “whole” was formerly spelled hole, and comes from the original Anglo-Saxon hðl, same as present German heil, which means hale, hearty, sound, whole, saved; and saved because of being hearty, sound, and whole. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.4

This word hāl, through hole, holeth, is our present word “health,” which, from its origin, signifies happiness, safety, salvation. This thought is also expressed in the Scriptural phrase, “thy saving health.” ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.5

To this original was hāl, there was added the expression ig, making the word hālig, present German heilig, signifying salvation; from this, in descent, is our word “holy.” ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.6

To the word hālig there was next added the suffix nes, or ness, expressive of quality, thus forming the word hālig-ness, which, in descent, forms our word “holiness.” This seems to be the surest descent of the word “holiness,” though from the word hole (whole), with the qualitative ness,—holeness,—the descent is easy to holiness. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.7

In any case, however, the root-word of “health” is actually the root-word of “holiness.” This is positive, also, from the fact that the root-word of “health”—hāl—signifies saved, and saved because of hāl-ness, which is hole-ness, which is wholeness, which is hālig-ness, which is HOLINESS. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.8

Therefore when the Lord wishes “above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health,” he wishes that “thou mayest prosper and be in holiness.” And why should he not wish this “above all things”? Can any higher point be attained than holiness according to God’s wish, which is perfect holiness? ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.9

Men themselves know that perfect holiness is the highest possible attainment. This is the one thing “above all” that they wish. But this thing of perfect holiness can not be attained without health. This the Lord perfectly understands, though men do not; and therefore he has recorded this word, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health.” ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.10

Do you question the statement that perfect holiness can not be attained without health? How can you, when the very root idea of health is holiness? But if you are not ready to accept this from the words themselves, then read the same thing in the word of God: “Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.11

This is also expressed in the full text cited at the beginning of this article: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.12

Perfect holiness embraces the flesh as well as the spirit; it includes the body as well as the soul. Therefore, as perfect holiness can not be attained without holiness of body, and as holiness of body is expressed in the word “health,” so perfect holiness can not be attained without health. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.13

And “without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14. Since this is eternally so, and as perfect holiness includes the body, and holiness of body is expressed in the word “health,” do you not see in this the whole philosophy of health reform? Do you not see by all this that in the principles of health for the body, and righteousness for the soul, both inwrought by the Holy Spirit of God, the Lord is preparing a people unto perfect holiness, so that they can meet the Lord in peace, and see him in holiness? ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.14

Can you, then, despise or slight true health reform, and expect to see the Lord in peace, which means only to see him in holiness? ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.15

God would make us acquainted with his great name,—Jehovah-tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness,—and also with his great name,—Jehovah-rophekha, the Lord our Healer. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.16

“God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health [thy perfect holiness] among all nations.” Psalm 67:1, 2. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 752.17

“Editorial Notes” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 47, p. 754.

THE man nowadays who preaches that the Bible means just what it says, and says just what it means, is becoming a back number, so far as modern theology is concerned. The following extract from a sermon given by the Rev. Frederick W. Miller at the Ryder Memorial Church, Chicago, October 27, speaks volumes concerning the tendency of modern preaching:— ARSH November 22, 1898, page 754.1

The spiritual interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures removes the difficulties which have perplexed the minds of devout students of the Bible respecting the days of the creation, as being at war with geology; or in regard to the sun’s being made on the fourth day, as opposed to astronomical laws. Astronomy and geology have enlarged our conception of the Creator’s grandeur. Not in six days only, nor in six thousand years, but during millions of ages was the earth being prepared for the residence of beings created in the image of God. It is a mistaken idea to assume that it is a literal history of the creation, of the garden of Eden, of the serpent talking, of the forbidden fruit and the fall, or respecting the creation of Eve from the rib of Adam after the seventh day, when man had been created male and female on the sixth day. The Bible was not designed by the divine Spirit to teach geology, astronomy, or history. It is a spiritual book, and must be interpreted according to the spiritual sense. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 754.2

Is it any wonder that infidelity, Spiritualism, and a lack of true spiritual power are coming into the church, when the plainest record of fact is “spiritualized” as in this extract? And this is only a fair sample of the views altogether too largely held in the pulpit of to-day. ARSH November 22, 1898, page 754.3