The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 75

March 1, 1898

“Evangelistic Temperance. How to Speak” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 9, p. 137.

THE right way of breathing has everything to do with the right way of speaking. We are to use the abdominal muscles in speaking as well as in breathing; and if we do not use them in breathing, we cannot use them in breathing, we cannot use them in speaking. Therefore it we do not breathe rightly, we cannot speak rightly. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.1

“Speaking from the throat, all the time fretting and irritating the vocal organs, letting the words come out from the upper extremity of the vocal organs, is not the best way to improve health or to increase the efficiency of those organs.”—Gospel Workers 150; Testimonies for the Church 2:616. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.2

There have been even Seventh-day Adventist workers, who had a great deal of talking to do, who had so nearly ruined the throat that it was somewhat doubtful whether it would ever be well again. The throat was so filled with diseased formations that it had to be cauterized—burnt out. And the sole difficulty was that the throat had been used in talking just as is here stated should not be done. The throat had been used alone, all the time fretting and irritating it, until it was almost destroyed. And all this through lack of knowledge of the simple principles which we are now studying. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.3

“You should take a full inspiration, and let the action come from the abdominal muscles.”—Gospel Workers 150. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.4

Let what come?—The action. From what place?—From the abdominal muscles. The action should not come from the lungs, nor from the throat. “Let the action come from the abdominal muscles.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.5

“Let the lungs be only the channel; but do not depend upon them to do the work. If you let your words come from deep down, exercising the abdominal muscles, you can speak to thousands with just as much ease as you can speak to then.”—Id. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.6

Where shall the words come from?—From “deep down,” not from high up; from the base of the vocal organs, not from the top, the action coming from the abdominal muscles. Then you can speak to thousands with just as much ease, so far as the lungs and throat—the vocal organs—are concerned, as you can speak to ten. But no man can do that who speaks with his lungs and throat; for the more effort there is put upon these, the more destructive it is. But any extra exertion of these muscles can be made just as easily as can the normal by the man who is using his abdominal muscles. Of course, if he has to speak to but ten, he will speak as if he were speaking to but ten; and the muscular exertion will not need to be much, if any, more than if speaking to one. But if he is speaking to ten thousand, this will require more power; yet all he has to do is to bring more pressure on the abdominal muscles, and he can make the people hear; and the throat and lungs will be just as safe as in the other case. There is no more danger of injuring the throat in the extra use of the abdominal muscles than in the regular use of them. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.7

“Some of our preachers are killing themselves by long, tedious praying and loud speaking, when a lower tone would make a better impression.”—Id. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.8

You have heard it,—you have heard ministers, when speaking in a small room to only a few people, strike a high key, that would make the house fairly ring. To cause all in the house to hear, they did not need to talk any louder than they would in simply talking to one or two; yet they actually talked louder than would have been necessary had they been speaking to hundreds. When they stopped talking, they were tired, and you were also tired. Then, too, if they chanced to go out into cold or wet weather, they took cold; and the throat being all irritated and inflamed already, the cold seized upon that at once, and they were “laid up” for days or perhaps weeks, besides having laid the foundation for serious disease. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.9

“A lower tone would make a better impression, and save their own strength. Now, while you go on, regardless of the laws of life and health, and follow the impulse of the moment, do not charge it upon God if you break down.”—Id. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.10

Do not think these are but imaginations, or mere trifles, meaning but little. They are not; they mean your life. And you can carry out these instructions if you will but persevere, and work with diligence. You can do it alone. There will yet be teachers in all our schools, and among the ministers, who will give this training. But you need not wait. Until these teachers come your way, you can study these principles and follow a few simple rules, and so breathe and speak rightly anyhow. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.11

Here is a sentence on that:— ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.12

“Teachers should be employed to educate the youth to speak without wearing the vocal organs.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.13

Thus you see the right way to speak is not to wear the vocal organs. Then do not allow yourselves to wear your vocal organs when you are talking. That is the way a teacher would train you if he were with you; but till you meet him, do it for yourself. And that you may see that it can be done easily, read the following sentence:— ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.14

“All that was essential was to study and conscientiously follow a few simple rules, ... and to exercise a little common sense.”—Testimonies for the Church 4:605. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.15

This was originally given as a Testimony of reproof of that which was done a number of years ago, when a “professor of elocution” was employed to come to Battle Creek and teach elocution. They got up a great stir over the matter, and some even dropped the work of the ministry to take up the teaching of elocution. This Testimony was given to correct this wrong course. I have met some of the brethren who were there, and who took that instruction in “elocution,” and they have been suffering from the effects of it ever since. They did not know what was the matter with them, until they studied up in the Testimonies on this matter. And then they had to undo that which they had been taught by that “professor of elocution.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.16

But the Testimony says that instead of employing a professor of elocution, all that was essential was to study and conscientiously follow a few simple rules, and educate themselves by the exercise of a little common sense. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.17

That was all that was needed then; and it is all that is needed now—at least until a teacher is found who understands the subject himself, and can train people as directed by the Lord. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.18

“You should not let the labor come upon the upper portion of the vocal organs; for this will constantly wear and irritate them, and will lay the foundation for disease. The action should come upon the abdominal muscles. The lungs and throat should be the channel, but should not do all the work.”—Id., Vol. III, page 311. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.19

There it is written both how to breathe and how not to breathe,—not to breathe,—not to use the throat and lungs, but to use the abdominal muscles, while the lungs and throat form only a channel. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.20

Again, in speaking of a certain one, the Testimony says:— ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.21

“He breathes only from the top of his lungs. It is seldom that he exercises the abdominal muscles in the act of breathing.”—Id., Vol. II, page 67. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 137.22

“Editorial” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 9, p. 140.

THE gift of the Holy Ghost, “the sanctification of the Spirit,” is “unto obedience.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.1

Disobedience to God it is that has brought all the trouble and woe upon the whole world; so that the children of men are at the same time “the children of disobedience.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.2

But the Lord Jesus gave himself for us, and “suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,” that he might bring us unto the ways of obedience. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good work, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.3

But “obedience is not a mere outward compliance;” it is “the service of love.” The obedience is obedience to God. The love, then, from which springs the service, is only the love of God. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.4

Therefore it is written, “Ye have purified [sanctified] your souls in obeying the truth, through the Spirit.” Sanctification is “of the Spirit” only. Sanctification is “through the truth” only. The Spirit is only “the Spirit of truth.” The commandments of God are only “the truth.” And true obedience to that truth can be only “through the Spirit.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.5

All trying to keep the commandments, all trying to obey the truth, all trying to do anything, without the Spirit of God, is altogether vain. “God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.6

“Without me ye can do nothing.” “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Then, strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, Christ dwelling in the heart, and filled with all the fulness of God, you and I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth us. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.7

This is sanctification of the Spirit. This is obedience. And it is sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.8

“Immortalizing Goodness” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 9, p. 140.

“GOD works for his faithful servants, who do not shun to declare the whole counsel of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. as messengers of God, we have his endorsement upon our work. The work of the faithful messengers of righteousness is to continue throughout their lifetime. The standard is to be held aloft till the hand is palsied by death, that all may see it. When they sleep in death, the place that knew them once, knows them no more. The churches in which they preached, the places they visited to speak the word of life from the living oracles, still remain. The mountains, the hills, the things seen by mortal vision, are still there. But all the things now seen must pass away. The time is coming when the mountains will be removed as a cottage. But the thoughts, the purposes, the aspirations, of the faithful worker for the Master, although now unseen, will appear again at the great and final retribution. Things which now seem a light matter, will then appear as witnesses either to approve or condemn. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.1

“If this be the case, and we know it is, why does self seek for such prominence, even in the servants of Jesus Christ, who claim to know the Word? Why is there so much sowing to the flesh to reap only corruption? Why is not every hour used only for God, in and through the grace of Christ? Why do we not improve ourselves by cherishing the attributes of Christ, thus immortalizing goodness? Love, courtesy, amiability, are never lost. When men shall be changed from mortal to immortal, all the deeds of sanctified goodness done by them will be made manifest. These deeds will be preserved through the eternal ages. Not one, however small or simple, is ever lost. Through the merits of Christ’s imputed righteousness, they preserve their fragrance.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.2

“Studies in the Book of Daniel” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 9, pp. 140, 141.

TEMPERANCE is one of the prominent characteristics of the youth and the life of Daniel. That this was taught to him in the school which he attended, and was a material part of his education before his captivity, is evident from the fact that it was already a fixed principle in his life at that time. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.1

When the royal captives reached Babylon, “the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank.” The word here translated “meat” signifies “dainties;” and refers to the royal dainties, such as would be expected at the table of such a great king. It included flesh meats, of course; for these were largely used; but the word signifies all the royal dainties. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.2

But Daniel refused it all, and also refused the wine, and chose “pulse to eat, and water to drink.” The word translated “pulse” is a word of wide meaning, just as is the word translated “meat,” referring to the king’s dainties. The word translated “pulse” comprehends the whole realm of vegetarian diet, just as the other word comprehends the whole field of the king’s dainties. What Daniel asked was that he, with his three companions, might have a vegetarian diet for food, and water to drink, instead of the richly prepared and highly seasoned dainties of the king’s table for food, and his wine for drink. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.3

This action of those four boys was but the expression of a fixed principle, derived from knowledge of the effects which the king’s provision would have. For Daniel not only “purposed in his heart” that he would not partake of the king’s victuals and drink, but he did this because “he would not defile himself” with those things. He refused that food and drink because he knew their defiling effect upon those who used them. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.4

For the effect of all such food and drink is certainly to defile. The full discussion of this subject will appear in our “Evangelistic Temperance” department. Here we shall state the principle by an illustration so plain and simple that all can understand it. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.5

If you lamp chimney is all befogged, the light will not shine clearly through it; not half the light will shine through it then that will shine through it when it is well cleaned. Yet the light itself within the chimney may be the same all the time. The oil may be of the purest, the wick perfectly trimmed, there may be no lack whatever in the light itself; yet if the chimney be dusty, smoky, or in any way befogged, the light will not shine clearly. It simply cannot shine clearly, because of the condition of the medium through which it must shine. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.6

You know that when this is so, the thing to do is not to tinker the light nor to find fault with it, but to clean the chimney. And you know that when you do clean the chimney, the light is not only allowed to shine through, but it is actually enabled to shine as it cannot possibly without any chimney. Thus it is literally true that, other things being equal, the strength and clearness of the light depend upon the medium through which it must shine. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.7

Now, believers in Christ are the mediums through which the light of God, by his Holy Spirit, must shine to the world. That light is perfect. It is impossible that there should be any lack whatever in the perfect shining of that light itself. So far as there is any lack in perfect shining, it is altogether because of defect in the medium through which the light would shine. And anything whatever that benumbs the nerves or clogs the blood, befogs the system and bedims the light of God, as certainly as that befogged lamp chimney bedims the light of the lamp. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.8

Every kind of stimulant and narcotic—wine, tobacco, beer, coffee, tea—does benumb the nerves; and all richly cooked, highly seasoned, and flesh-meat food does clog the blood; so that the effect of all or any of these is to befog the system, and bedim the light of God that would shine, by his Holy Spirit, through our lives in the darkness of the world. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.9

Daniel lived in the darkest age of ancient Israel,—the age when it fell by the weight of its own iniquity. He also lived in the darkest age of ancient Babylon,—the age when Babylon also fell by the weight of its own iniquity. Daniel stood in the world as one of the professed people of God, through whom the light of God must shine in the darkness of the world of his day. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.10

We live to-day in an age that corresponds to that of both Jerusalem and Babylon. To-day God calls his people out of Babylon, that they “be not partakers of her sins,” and “receive not of her plagues.” We stand as the professed people of God, through whom the light must shine in the darkness of the world. Yet hundreds, we fear there are thousands, of professed Seventh-day Adventists, do drink tea, coffee, or other such evil stuff, and do eat flesh meats, dainties, and highly seasoned food; and then wonder why their neighbors do not “see the light”! They ask the Lord for his Holy Spirit, and then wonder why they have “so little influence”! ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.11

The truth is, their neighbors cannot see the light: it is so bedimmed by their befogged minds and lives that people simply cannot see it clearly. The Lord give his Holy Spirit, he has now poured out his Holy Spirit; the perfect light is given, and as for the light itself, it cannot shine any clearer; but this holy light is so bedimmed by the benumbed nerves and befogged senses of these users of tea, coffee, flesh meats, and dainties, that those, even, who long to see it, and are looking earnestly for it, cannot see it. It cannot shine to them. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 140.12

Daniel would not so defile himself. He had respect to the claims of his profession of being one of God’s people. He therefore cleansed himself “from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,” that the light of God might shine undimmed and unhindered by the medium through which that light must shine in the darkness where he was. And all this happened for an example, and it is written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Please, now, do not any more dare to sing “Dare to be a Daniel,” unless you do really dare to be a Daniel. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 141.1

Nobody had any difficulty in seeing the light where Daniel and his companions were. It shone clearly. The moral integrity which they had acquired through the word and Spirit of God shed its clear, distinct rays in every situation in which they were found. The light of this single principle of temperance and right living shone so clearly and so powerfully, in these boys, in contrast with the others, as to win the approval of the king’s high officer. Daniel 1:12-15. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 141.2

All this is precisely what is wanted to-day in the darkness of the Babylon that surrounds us. Who of those to-day who profess to have the light of God for the world will defile themselves with the Babylonish meats and drinks of those around them? Who to-day, of all these, will not, in deed and in truth, “dare to be a Daniel”? ARSH March 1, 1898, page 141.3

“It Still Lives” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 75, 9, pp. 142, 143.

MANLY pluck is so scarce nowadays, even in the story-books, that when we find an instance of it in real life, we desire to let everybody know it. Also we love to honor the manly man who displays the manly pluck. Therefore we gladly print the following “true story” from the World:— ARSH March 1, 1898, page 142.1

A blue-coated official waded through a few pools of melted snow in the district of the Bronx, and finally mounting the big pile of well-frozen slush, beheld a gang of “white wings” laboriously working away with pick and shovel and brush. Bossing the job was a young man in the gray uniform of a foreman. The blue-coated officer evidently was looking for this same young man; for his eyes rested upon him, and, hat in hand, he politely inquired: “Is this Mr. Hines the commissioner’s secretary?” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 142.2

“No; this is Mr. Hines, the street-sweeper,” answered the young man. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 142.3

“You’re mistaken,” answered the blue-coated one, politely; “you’ve just been appointed. The commissioner wants to see you.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 142.4

Whereupon Joseph Hines left the mud and the slush, and reported at the handsomely furnished rooms of the Street-cleaning Department in the New York Life Insurance Building. He was escorted to a fine roil-top desk, and told that he could sit there as long as he behaved himself. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 142.5

This was on Monday. Mr. Hines was sitting there yesterday when a World reported found him. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 142.6

“I never met Commissioner McCartney in my life,” he said, “until I was called before him, and told that I had been appointed as his private secretary. I had hoped to be made a foreman, but beyond that I did not even dream of anything. I suppose it’s all right,” he said, with a laugh, “and that I won’t wake up, and find myself up in the Bronz. But don’t pinch me too hard, because I may be asleep, after all, and this is a very pleasant dream. Seriously, though, I think I know enough about office-work, and particularly of the work in this department, to fill the position, and I am going to try hard to hold the job.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 142.7

Mr. Hines was born in the first ward. After a few months spent in a big steamship office, he entered a wholesale carpet house. He rose from office boy to clerk, and at twenty-seven years of age was buyer, with a large salary. He married a charming New York girl, and went to live in a fine flat on the East Side. Then came reverses. The firm for which Hines worked began to reduce expenses. He was thrown out of employment, and as vacancies in his line are few and far between, he soon found his little savings gone. There was a wife and child to look after now, and Hines, having tried almost every field, made up his mind that he would have to get down to every-day laboring work. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.1

And so he called upon a political friend to get him, if possible, any position in the Street-cleaning Department. “Larry” Delmour, then the leader in his district, went to commissioner Waring, and asked him to find room for the young man. Colonel Waring said that he could give him a job at cleaning the streets, and Delmour went back to the young man very much discouraged. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.2

“That’s all right,” said Hines: “I’ll take the job right away. I’m not going to sit around and see my family starve, when I can earn $1.64 a day with a broom.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.3

So Hines reported for duty in the district of the Bronx. But he didn’t have to handle a broom. The inspector saw at once that he was a bright, intelligent young man, and made him a clerk in the stables. Soon afterward he was appointed acting foreman of a gang of laborers. But all the time he continued on the pay-rolls as street-sweeper. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.4

Hines’s friends, among, them Maurice Featherston, promised to try to get him a position as foreman; but Commissioner McCartney, after reading the recommendations, decided that he was just the sort of man he wanted as his private secretary. He had never seen Hines, but after hearing of his plucky struggle with poverty, he felt safe in making the appointment, so he sent a message to Hines to report for duty. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.5

The salary of the commissioner’s secretary is $1,500 a year. The young man had been compelled to move to a very modest home, but now he will move back to his old district, and live comfortably. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.6

“You see,” he explained, yesterday, “I had to move up to the annexed district because I didn’t have enough money to pay car-fare or buy lunches, but I guess better times are coming now.” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.7

If this bright young man had got so “stuck up” when he was prosperous and had a big salary, that he had thought it beneath him to take honest employment, however plain and humble, when he was in adversity, you can see plainly enough that he would have always stayed in “adversity;” but he would have had nobody but himself to blame for it. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.8

Never be afraid to “step down.” If you “step down” in the right spirit, you will presently find that you have stepped up, in what was seemingly a great stepping down. “Adversity” is not always adversity. Long, long ago one of the most eminent men of his time was by experience constrained to exclaim to his happy family, on a happy occasion, “We should have been ruined, had we not been ruined!” ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.9

Manly pluck still live, thank the Lord! Be a manly man, with manly pluck. May Mr. Hines live long and propser always, as he has since he first took that broom in his hand at $1.64 a day. And let all the people say Amen. ARSH March 1, 1898, page 143.10