The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 76

June 20, 1899

“The Sermon. Daniel and Revelation” ¹ The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 25, p. 392.

The Great Subjects to be Preached—The Coming of the Lord—The Sanctuary—The Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus.

A. T. JONES

LET us look again at the books of Daniel and Revelation. You see that in all of Daniel and all of Revelation is the coming of the Lord. That is one great thing that must be taught if we teach the third angel’s message, if we teach the books of Daniel and Revelation; and we are not doing justice to sinners who never heard of it, to whom we are to preach salvation and carry the salvation of Christ, unless we tell them that the Lord is coming. I do not say that we must plunge the coming of the Lord upon them the first thing. The Testimonies have told us to go to them with the salvation of which they may not, or may, have heard; but to go in the power that they never yet heard; but to go in the power that they never yet heard, and with the blessing that they never yet knew; and when they have received them, to lead them on. We owe it to them to tell them that the Lord is coming: the coming of the Lord is an essential part of the message that we have to give to the world. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.1

Another subject is the sanctuary. In Daniel is the sanctuary; in Revelation is the sanctuary—its cleansing and all its work. In both books, then, as certainly as we preach the books, we shall preach of the sanctuary and its cleansing in heaven, and in ourselves on earth. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.2

Again: in Daniel we are brought, in the seventh chapter, to a power—the little horn that rises up—that will “think to change the times and the law.” Revised Version. By the way, it just now occurs to me that in Daniel’s prayer to God, it is said of God that “he changeth the times and the seasons.” Daniel 2:21. Now when here comes up a power blaspheming against God, and thinking to change the times as well as the law of the Most High, where does he put himself?—In the place of God. The Lord may change times and season, but he never changes his law. There is thought to make a change of the law of God by this wicked power in the world, and he wars against the saints, and wears them out. Then, as he has gone against the law of God, and thought to do away with the law of God by changing it, and as he wars against the saints, where do the saints stand on the subject?—“It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law.” Psalm 119:126. That same thing was said two years ago about us,—that the Spirit of the Lord trembled to write such a thing as that, but it must be written: “It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law.” Isn’t it time for Satan to be rooted out, and for loyalty to God, to be the only thing by which we shall be known? ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.3

The eighth chapter of Daniel brings up the wicked policy, all the way through, of the two republics. Then turn to Revelation. The first half of the book is to bring us to the second half. Just as certain parts of the book of Daniel are to bring us up to the place where the vision is established, so the first part of Revelation is to bring us face to face with the work of the beast and his image, enforcing their worship upon all the people; and there the Lord says, “If any man worship the beast and his image,” he shall “drink of the wine of the wrath of God.” And “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.4

Thus another great subject of these two books is the commandments of God as they were written, and not as they were thought to be changed by Satan, and by this power which he uses. We are to preach that. Thus from the books of Daniel and Revelation, we are to preach the coming of the Lord, the sanctuary, and the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And we can not preach the books of Daniel and Revelation unless we do preach these subjects; for these books are set before us for that purpose. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.5

Now we used to preach the commandments of God as we thought. But we were not preaching them, indeed, as they must be. The Lord sent a message, and sent his word by that message, saying that the faith of Jesus, righteousness by faith, must be preached. He says that he sent the message of righteousness by faith because the people had lost sight of Christ, in the righteousness of Christ as he is. I am afraid that there has been a tendency to go over to the other end now, and preach the faith of Jesus without the commandments. We must guard ourselves against such a thing as that. I must set myself upon this pinnacle,—it is a pinnacle,—that I can not preach the commandments of God without preaching the faith of Jesus; and that I can not preach the faith of Jesus without preaching the commandments of God. I am to preach the commandments of God so that it will be the faith of Jesus only; and I am to preach the faith of Jesus so it will be nothing but the commandments of God. He who can not do that can not preach either the commandments of God or the faith of Jesus. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.6

You remember that the scripture says that the law is good if a man use it lawfully. Then only lawful uses of the law are good. And you and I, day by day now, until we get that fixed, must study the lawful uses of the law; for if I, a preacher, preach the law unlawfully and use the law unlawfully, I am a sinner like any other sinner. I am sinning in my preaching, because I am violating the law; I am frustrating its purpose, and destroying the object for which it was given. You and I must study to know the lawful uses of the law, and use the law only that way. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.7

The first of all lawful uses of the law is to bring people to Christ, that they may be justified by faith. That is the object of it,—to give the knowledge of sin, and to bring people to Christ, that they may be justified by faith. He who uses the law of God first for any other purpose than to bring men to Christ that they may be justified by faith, he who uses the law of God to sinners who have not yet received Christ for any other purpose than to bring these men to Christ that they may be justified by faith, makes an unlawful use of the law. And if any one is not able so to use the law as by it to bring men to Christ that they may be justified by faith, he is not qualified to preach the gospel. He is using the law unlawfully. He is sinning in his very preaching; and he must stop and wait unto he is endued with power from on high, so that he shall make only a lawful use of the law. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.8

The other lawful use of the law is that it stands there and witnesses to the righteousness of God fulfilled in him who is justified by faith. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.9

Then when the law has been used to bring people to Christ, that they may be justified by faith; and when they are justified by faith, and the law witnesses to the righteousness of God which is by faith, then that turns all the commandments into promises. All the commandments, then, are promises to those who are thus justified, and the lawful use of the commandments to them is to use them as promises. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Thank the Lord! He has said it, he has promised; that is so, and I am glad of it. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” He has promised it, and it is so good to know that it is so. He said it, and it shall be so. “Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother.” Good. “Remember the Sabbath day,“—and I can. “Thou shalt not steal.” He says I shall not, and I will not; for he says I shall not. He has justified me by faith, and he says I shall not steal any more. Good. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.10

So there are three lawful uses of the law, and none other is lawful: the first use is to bring men to Christ to be justified by faith; the second is as a witness to the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; the third is as promises to him who is justified by faith. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.11

So you see it is a literal fact, that we must preach the commandments of God so that nobody will see anything in them but the faith of Jesus; and we are to preach the faith of Jesus so that nobody will see anything in it but the commandments of God. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 392.12

(Concluded next week.)

“Editorial” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 25, p. 396.

THE one great thing that all people in this world need is power. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.1

And the only power that can ever be sufficient, the only power that can ever satisfy, is the power of God. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.2

The Lord knew this, and therefore sent to mankind the one great thing needed,—power, even his own power. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.3

This power he sent only in the gospel, for “the gospel... is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.4

The gospel he sent only in Christ crucified; for “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.5

“The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but to them which are called... Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.6

“Self-evident Truth” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 25, p. 396.

THAT opinion of the Declaration of Independence expressed by P. S. Henson, D. D., which we quoted in these columns last week, it is proper, under the circumstances, to notice again and more in detail. To this end we here again set it down in print:— ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.1

And so to-day there are those that wave the Declaration of Independence in our faces, and tell us that the thing to do is to deliver over those islands of the archipelago in the East to the people who are their rightful masters; for “all governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.” So wrote Thomas Jefferson. Do you remember that the Lord said to Joshua, “My servant is dead”? And so Thomas Jefferson. I do not believe that a live president in the year of grace 1899 is just as much of an authority as a president that lived and died a hundred years ago. I am no worshiper of a saint just because he is dead. Let the dead bury the dead. As to that hallowed document that declares that all governments drive their just powers from the consent of the governed, if that is to be literally construed, THERE NEVER WAS A GREATER FALSEHOOD PALMED OFF BY THE DEVIL UPON A CREDULOUS WORLD. It is not true of the government of God.—Chicago Times-Herald, May 8, 1899. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.2

The first thing to be remarked in that statement is that it ignores the true issue, and throws dust by creating an issue that is utterly false. This is done by making the whole issue a merely personal matter, involving only individual presidents. One president—Jefferson—is dead; another president—the present one—is alive: therefore it is better to stand by the live one, and let the dead bury the dead. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.3

But this is an utterly false issue, and for several reasons:— ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.4

First, in that, even though it were a merely personal matter as to the two individual presidents, neither Thomas Jefferson nor anybody else was president when the Declaration of Independence was made; so that it was not in any sense an expression of any views of a president of the United States. Neither at that time, nor for thirteen years afterward, was there any such thing as the United States, much less a president of the United States, and still much less Jefferson that president. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.5

Secondly, in that the truth is, as every one will recognize who thinks even a moment, that the Declaration of Independence instead of being the expression of any individual, was the expression of the people of the American colonies by their representatives legally and regularly assembled. This being so, it is perfectly plain that the Declaration of Independence was the official expression of the views of “the people of these colonies.” And when this expression of their views was adopted, and through a long and bloody war, successfully maintained; and when a nation was built upon it, and a government was formed according to it, it is absolutely certain that the principles of that Declaration became what, until now, they have always been considered,—the fundamental principles of the government and nation of the United States. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.6

But now, behold, all this is forgotten or studiously hidden; and those principles are passed off as merely the opinion of an individual, and to be disregarded, discredited, and even denounced as “falsehood palmed off by the devil on a credulous world”! And all this in token of patriotism! How could apostasy possibly be more complete? ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.7

Now, without reference to any question of the essential truth of the principles, even only upon the basis of human love of country, as the inheritance from the fathers, true patriotism would demand of every one who would be patriotic that he shall stand in unswerving loyalty to these fundamental principles of the nation. But when, as is the fact, these principles were enunciated as essential truth itself,—even “self-evident truths,“—derived from the Creator; when, in announcing these principles, appeal was made to Heaven upon the rectitude of intention in those who announced them as the true principles of government; and when the nation, founded upon these principles, is distinctly declared to have been founded “to establish justice;” then true patriotism demands of every one who would be patriotic, that he shall soberly and candidly examine these principles, whether they be indeed the truth, and, being found to be indeed the truth, that he shall stand in unquestioning and unswerving allegiance to these principles forever. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.8

Another word, therefore, as to the essential truth of the principle which Dr. Henson and a mass-meeting repudiate as a falsehood of the devil,—the principle that “governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.” He says that “it is not true of the government of God.” The truth is that it is decidedly true of the government of God. And that is why it is essential truth when so formulated in the Declaration of Independence. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.9

Let us look, then, a little at the government of God. In order that there may be government, there must be people, there must be the governed. In order that there shall be government by the consent of the governed, there must be freedom of choice. Government without the consent of the governed is government without freedom of choice in the governed. Now did God create intelligences—angels and men—with, or without, freedom of choice?—Everybody who has the read the Bible, and who will think, knows that all intelligences were created with freedom of choice. It is written, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.” “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” And when God created man, and put hi in the garden, in the midst of the garden there were the two trees,—the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil,—and the man was left absolutely free to choose which way he would take,—the way of good and life, or the way of evil and death. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.10

Indeed, to speak of intelligences without freedom of choice, is a contradiction in terms. To have no power of choice is to be not intelligent, a mere machine. Such could not possibly be of any use to themselves or their kind, nor of any intelligent honor or praise or glory to Him who made them. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.11

Freedom of choice is essential to intelligence. Freedom of thought is essential to freedom of choice. God has made angels and men intelligent. He has made them free to choose, and has left them perfectly free to choose, and free to think as they choose. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.12

Thus God is the author of intelligence, of freedom of choice, and of freedom of thought. And he forever respects that of which he is the author. He will never invade to a hair’s breadth the freedom of angel or man to choose for himself, nor to think as he chooses. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.13

For God to create intelligences free to choose to serve him, in that very thing they are created free to choose not to serve him. Freedom of choice at all, involves freedom to choose to serve him or not to serve him, freedom to choose him or themselves, his way or their way, life or death. And such he did create all intelligences. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.14

This of course involved the possibility of the entrance of sin,—the possibility that some would choose not to serve him, would choose the way of disobedience and rebellion. Then it may be asked, Was there not involved in this a provision against the results of this possible choice, before they were made—must not provision be made for the possibility of sin, before ever a single intelligent creature was made?—Assuredly so. And such provision was made. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.15

What could be, otherwise? Should he refuse to create, because, if he did create, it must be with the possibility of the entrance of sin?—That would be but eternally to remain self-centered and solitary. But that is not God. He is love; and love is not selfish. God’s love is not self-love. He is not a solitary self-satisfied existence. His joy is not fulfilled in wrapping himself within himself, and sitting solitary and self-centered. His love—himself—is satisfied only in flowing out to those who will receive and enjoy him to the full. His joy is fulfilled only in carrying to an infinite universe full of blessed intelligences, the very fulness of eternal joy. But for any intelligence to have all this, he must freely choose it. And in order freely to choose it, he must be free to choose it. And also in order for him to be free to choose it, he must be free not to choose it. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.16

More than this: For God to shrink from creating intelligences, because of the possibility of the entrance of sin—and there could be no possibility more dreadful—would not only be to remain eternally solitary and self-centered, but would in itself be to cease to be God. for what would be a god, or what would he be worth, who could not perform his own will, nor fulfil his own wish and pleasure? Such a god would simply be no God. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.17

But thank the Lord, such is not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He made all intelligences free to choose, and to think as they choose, and therefore free to choose not to serve him, free to sin, if they choose. and at the same time, in his infinite love and eternal righteousness, he purposed to give himself a sacrifice to redeem all who should sin; and so give them even a second freedom to choose him or themselves, to choose life or death. Those who the second time would choose death,—let them have what they have persistently chosen; and those who would choose life, the universe full of them, angels and men,—let them enjoy to the full that which they have chosen, even eternal life, the fulness of perfect love, and the dear delights of unalloyed joy forever. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.18

Thus it is, and this is why it is, that Jesus Christ “verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,” and “was manifest in these last times for you.” And thus the cross of Jesus Christ is an eternal witness to the divine truth that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.19

“Their just powers.” It is therefore only governments founded in justice, and holding strictly by justice, that can hold to this principle. God’s government is infinitely just, and eternally holds by infinite justice. God will exercise no power upon the governed without the consent of the governed. It is impossible to do otherwise with freedom of choice in the governed. For God to propose freedom of choice, and then deny it, or so to govern as to frustrate it, would be to make himself a Tantalus, and his government a mocking despotism. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.20

And this denial in the United States, and for the government of the United States, of the principle that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, is only to turn this hitherto free republic back to “the hateful paths of despotism;” and to deny such principle to the government of God, is only to drag down the God of love and freedom to the sanction and support of despotism. In this nation and by this nation, how could there be a greater apostasy than that? It is apostasy upon apostasy. And loyalty to God and man, patriotism before both God and the nation, is the opposite of the principles of that apostasy. ARSH June 20, 1899, page 396.21