The Present Truth, vol. 12

January 16, 1896

“Ample Protection” The Present Truth, 12, 3.

E. J. Waggoner

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 33.1

That this is not a mere figure of speech, but an actual fact, as shown by many instances in the Bible. Let us note a few illustrations. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 33.2

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had come up with a vast army against Jerusalem, and had written the most boastful and insulting letter to Hezekiah, the king. Hezekiah placed the matter before the Lord, and received this assurance concerning the king of Assyria, “He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither shall he come before it with a shield, nor cast a mount against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and he shall not come unto this city, saith the Lord. For I will defend the city to save it.” PTUK January 16, 1896, page 33.3

That was a promise of complete deliverance, and here is the record of its fulfilment: “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when men arose early in the morning, behold they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and return, and dwelt in Nineveh.” 2 Kings 19:32-36. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 33.4

There is no one who may not have as great protection, for the promise is, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7. And the Lord is not content with sending forth a single angel to protect His servants. When Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the Syrian army,-horses, and chariots, and a great host,-and the servant was terrified, the prophet assured him, “They that be with us are more than they that be with them.” 2 Kings 6:16. Elisha was sure of this, even though he could not see his protectors, but the servant had not so strong faith, and so the Lord mercifully opened his eyes; “and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” With their aid Elisha lead the whole Syrian army where he would. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 33.5

When Christ was surrounded by the soldiers and the mob, with the traitor Judas at their head, and Peter offered forcible resistance, the Lord bade him put up his sword, and said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels.” Matthew 26:53. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.1

We are assured that “as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 5:17. The Father’s love for us is equal to His love for Him. John 17:23. Therefore we know that in any time of need we could pray to the Father, and He would send to our aid “more than twelve legions of angels,” if so many were necessary. There are “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” of them (Revelation 5:11), even “an innumerable company of angels” (Hebrews 12:22), and they are all “ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” There is therefore no lack of their help. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.2

Now let us make a little calculation. “The angel of the Lord,” who came to the aid of Hezekiah, proved himself equal at the very least, to one hundred and eighty-five thousand men. We know full well that he could just as easily have turned back Sennacherib’s army if it had been ten times as large; but we will take the number given, counting one angel equal in a contest to one hundred and eighty-five thousand men. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.3

But the Lord has promised us “more than twelve legions of angels,” if we need them. A Roman legion was about six thousand men. Twelve legions make seventy-two thousand men. One hundred and eighty-five thousand multiplied by seventy-two thousand, gives us more than thirteen thousand millions. That is, the “more than twelve legions of angels,” which the Lord holds at the service of each of His children, are, at the very lowest calculation, equal in fighting power to about fourteen thousand millions of men, or ten times the population of the whole earth. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.4

With such an overwhelming force at his disposal, the child of God is safe anywhere. He needs not the protection of earthly powers, for he has power with him infinitely greater than all theirs combined; so that he may say: “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me in this will I be confident.” Psalm 27:1, 3. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid.” PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.5

“The Social Current” The Present Truth, 12, 3.

E. J. Waggoner

The wisdom which leaves God out can be only earthly and sensual. This is a wise age, after the standards of earthy wisdom, and pride of the intellect. Culture and civilisation is, without doubt, more marked in this generation than in any preceding. What is to be the end of it all? The same conditions of society, the Lord says, as existed in the days before the flood, and in the days of Sodom. “So shall it be in the days of the Son of man.” Luke 17:26. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.6

As we near those days the current runs more swiftly. A few years make great differences in the moral tone of society. Even society journals, which profess no desire to cry out against those evils which are symptoms of moral decay, cannot forbear expressing mild surprise at the changes. Here are two notes which show how the current is running. The Queen says:- PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.7

It is apparent to all in society that smoking among ladies is immensely on the increase. Husbands, men, friends, and even brothers say nothing against the practice, and, oftener than not, encourage it, unless extravagant indulgence is a result; then they put a limit to the number of cigarettes to be smoked by the wife during the day, if she has not sufficient strength of mind to do so for herself; and, indeed, most lady smokers make a point of limiting themselves to three cigarettes a day on an average. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.8

Again, speaking of the conversation of polite society, the Graphic says:- PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.9

If one ever met one’s grandmother out at dinner, I wonder what she would think of the talk of the intellectual people of 1895? Young ladies, under the circumstances, have been heard to murmur that they “were thankful their mothers were not there,” and as for the very Young Person, she has long been left out in the cold as a killjoy at the feast. It will be noticed that, in these days, unless it be an entertainment arranged entirely on her account, the Young Person does not dine out. Up-to-date conversation which includes everything that would have made our immediate progenitors faint with horror, precludes her presence at the table, and, be she as beautiful as Hebe, she must languish in the cold shades of the drawing-room until the diners have done with their scabreux topics, their Appolinaris, and their cigarettes. It is curious that in an age of so high a standard of morality as ours the conversation between men and women should so often partake of the unseemly. The century of Swift was not a highly moral or squeamish one, neither was the Dean a man to spare the whip, and yet, in his lampoon, the “Art of Polite Conversation,” makes his fops and fine ladies talk the language of the school-room or the nursery compared to what may be heard in the night this week at London dinner parties. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.10

It is of no use to denounce those who do these things. The only thing to do is to preach the Gospel to them. But it is important that those who desire to know the truth should recognise the fact that the world is not grandly sweeping round toward the Gospel, as so popularly supposed. It is filling up the measure which the prophecies of the last days set forth. The “form of godliness,” the formal profession of Christianity, deceives multitudes who partake of the spirit of the world without recognising the fact that they are being swept away from the life and power of the Word. This is what makes the last days “perilous.” While moral decay is striking into the root of society, the great tendency in the world is to pass a little religious legislation, require conformity to certain standards which are set up by human authority, cover up their rottenness at the heart of the matter by loud professions of “civic righteousness” and “Christian civilisation,” and then to cry peace and safety. It is not true. The only peace and safety is in following the Word. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.11

“The Drawing Power” The Present Truth, 12, 3.

E. J. Waggoner

“And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.” Acts 9:35. Whom did they see? They saw ?neas, who had kept his bed eight years, with the palsy, and who had been healed. Peter had seen him and said, ”?neas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole; arise, and make thy bed.” And he arose immediately. What was the result? All that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord. The most notable thing about this is not the great number that were converted. It is that they turned to the Lord, and not to Peter. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 34.12

It is not always a cause of rejoicing when there are many conversions reported as a result of work done. The question is, Did they turn to the Lord, or to the minister? How can people be brought to turn to the Lord instead of to the minister? By doing as Peter did, making Christ prominent. Said he, “Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.” Peter was not in the transaction. Christ did the work, and to Him was the glory given, and people turned to Him. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 35.1

In the record of the healing of ?neas there is a great lesson for all ministers and teachers of the Word. If they turn people to themselves, it were better that they did not do anything. It is not always the case that those turn people who themselves instead of to the Lord, do so purposely. Men often in their zeal for the work give it their impress, instead of that of the Lord. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 35.2

Can this be avoided? Only by letting the Word of God do the work. When the religious teacher tries to add to the force of the Word, he takes from it. It is quite natural to think that the simple setting forth of the Word alone will not make enough impression. Teachers feel it necessary to “stir up” the people. The desire to see the people stirred is a laudable one, but they should remember that “the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Open the Word; hold it up; and Christ, who is in the Word, will draw the people to Himself. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 35.3

“Educated Heathen” The Present Truth, 12, 3.

E. J. Waggoner

An evangelist who has just returned from a missionary tour, writes thus: “Most of the educated heathen with whom I have conversed, were educated in mission schools, and are now the more formidable opponents of Christianity because of the education we have given them.” The only wonder in the case is that any missionary should ever have expected any different result. Only the Gospel of the cross of Christ can make Christians. An educated heathen is but a heathen still. Indeed, mere book learning without the imparting of the wisdom that comes from God only, will soon cause a Christian to degenerate into a heathen. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 35.4

“Items of Interest” The Present Truth, 12, 3.

E. J. Waggoner

-London’s daily water supply is over two hundred million gallons. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.1

-Last year no less than 430 tons of diseased meat were sent into London. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.2

-Last year 6,516 books were published in this country, against 6,485 in 1894. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.3

-Japan has established a steel foundry, and proposes to build its own ships. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.4

-The Sultan’s New Year present to the Czarina, a diamond necklace, is valued at ?35,000 (Turkish). PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.5

-The commerce of the United Kingdom this year shows an increase of over twenty millions over 1894. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.6

-The emigrants who left England in twelve months numbered 271,854, South Africa being the favourite destination. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.7

-In Berlin the penny-in-the-slot system has been successfully applied to the sale of rolls of bread and various kinds of drink. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.8

-The Japanese are said to have evacuated Chinese territory, and the Chinese are again restoring and fortifying Port Arthur. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.9

-During the recent hearing of a charge of stealing shirts in Manchester it was elicited that the workers were paid at the rate of 1? d. a shirt. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.10

-Uncanned frozen salmon is now being brought to this country from Canada at the rate of fifty tons a month, and is selling at from 5d. to 8d. per pound. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.11

-Sleighing and skating are the chief outdoor amusements at this season in Russia, whilst on the rivers and broad lagoons ice-yachting forms a favourite and exciting pastime. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.12

-Some of the most successful fruit growers in California are women. Two women, mother and daughter, derive an income of ?600 a year by cultivating thirty acres of prime trees. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.13

-The bananas which find their way to England come almost entirely from Madeira and the Canary Islands. Before long, however, the West Indian banana will enter the field as a powerful competitor. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.14

-During the past twelve months 84,787 aliens arrived at ports in the United Kingdom, of whom 44,372 were stated to be on their way to the United States. This leaves about 40,000 who have this year come from the Continent to make their home in this country. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.15

-The Church has in recent years, says a newspaper, been trying to use the world to accomplish its ends; now the world is turning the tables by using the Church. Mr. Wilson Barrett, during the provincial tour of “The Sign of the Cross,” did his best to get up an ecclesiastical “boom” in his play. Tickets were scattered with lavish hand among the clergy in every town visited, and the clerics responded by going to witness the woes of Marcia. One well-known divine preached a sermon lauding Mr. Barrett’s endeavour, and crowded houses rewarded the successful manager. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 46.16

“Back Page” The Present Truth, 12, 3.

E. J. Waggoner

Owing to the threatened total destruction of some kinds of birds and the wanton mutilation and killing of nearly all kinds for the sake of wings and feathers “the Society for the Protection of Birds issues an urgent appeal to ladies to desist from wearing bird’s feathers as an adornment.” PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.1

“One of the questions which promises to be brought prominently forward in the forthcoming session of Parliament is,” says the English Churchman, “that of a Roman Catholic University for Ireland, and it is high time the Protestants of the United Kingdom realised the danger which threatens them.” But how much better would Protestants be equipped for the struggle had they not betrayed their own cause by continually working for the State support of the Protestant religion, as professed by them. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.2

In the past twelve months the lifeboats around our coast were launched 427 times and rescued 519 mariners. Apart from the loss of the Kingstown lifeboat crew on Christmas eve, only one other lifeboatman perished during the year. It is impossible for one who realises what war means to feel thrilled at tales of daring and bravery in taking the lives of one’s fellow-men in battle; but who does not feel a thrill of sympathy and admiration at the recital of the heroism of our lifeboatmen who battle with the elements and risk their lives for shipwrecked strangers, of whom their only knowledge is of their distress and need. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.3

Commenting on the recent filibustering expedition into the Transvaal, and the punishment that shall be meted out to the officers accompanying it, the Chronicle says that they “must be credited with sufficient knowledge of life to know that if they were not authorised to try to kill Boers they were guilty of murder, or manslaughter at the least, in every case in which one was killed.” PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.4

Very well, suppose they had been authorised by the Government to try to kill Boers, and suppose it be admitted that such authorisation would have relieved them of the responsibility of the crime of murder, it would, at the most, simply have transferred the responsibility to the shoulders of those issuing the order. But isn't it a strange idea, that when one man kills another man, it is not murder provided he has been told to do it by a company of other men? PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.5

Here is a brief picture of the early Christian, drawn by one who cannot be accused of partiality to Christianity, yet of whom Cardinal Newman said that he was the only Englishman who had any claim to be called an ecclesiastical historian, namely, Gibbon:- PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.6

The humble Christians were sent into the world as sheep among wolves; and since they were not permitted to employ force, even in defence of their religion, they should be still more criminal if they were prompted to shed the blood of their fellow-creatures in disputing the vain privileges or the assorted possession of this transitory life. Faithful to the doctrine of the Apostle who in the reign of Nero had preached the duty of unconditional submission, the Christians of the first three centuries preserved their conscience pure and innocent of the guilt of a secret conspiracy or open rebellion.-Decline and Fall, ch. 20, par. 2. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.7

At the Dublin meeting of the Evangelical Alliance, last week, the Archbishop of Dublin said:- PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.8

There could be no heart there in which fears and forebodings did not find a place. Men’s hearts were failing them for fear as to what might take place upon the earth, and as to what might befit their own British Empire. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.9

There need be no question as to what awaits all the empires of the world. As the Archbishop said, we have entered the time when there is “upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity.” The Lord plainly declared the course events would follow: “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of men coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:25-28. There is something more important for believers to do than to be fearing as to what is coming upon the earth. We are to “fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.10

“Preparing for War” The Present Truth, 12, 3.

E. J. Waggoner

In these times of wars and rumors of wars, the British Government does not intend to be caught napping but is determined to be prepared for any emergency. A large number of battleships, cruisers, torpedo-boat destroyers, etc., have been put in commission, manned, and provisioned, ready to go to any part of the world at a moment’s notice. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.11

The newspaper report states that the “greatest activity prevails in the Royal Laboratory Department at Woolwich Arsenal, where the reserves of small-arm ammunition are being increased to 150,000,000, at which standard the ball cartridge will be maintained.” PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.12

In the Royal Army Clothing Department, were under ordinary circumstances between 2,000 and 3,000 hands are regularly employed, arrangements exist whereby at very short notice the strength of the establishment can be practically trebled. One of the chief officials have stated that at the present moment the stock of uniforms represents a value of not less than ?1,000,000, and that upon the shortest notice the Department can clothe from 80,000 to 100,000 reserve men. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.13

At the Devonport, dockyard 1,800 men are working overtime, and work is being pushed night and day in making the torpedo-boat destroyers ready for sea. One especially interesting item is the following from the Chronicle’s report of the situation:- PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.14

Besides many machinery defects, there are a number of cabin fittings missing. A staff of joiners have already commenced to remedy this, and the men have been informed that they may be required to work all day on Sunday, and the Saturday half-holiday is not likely to be observed this week. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.15

Even the Sunday may be set aside by the exigencies of possible war. This is in keeping with the spirit which originates Sunday laws, namely, the Spirit that “exalts itself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.” God never sets aside His own laws, for they are the manifestation of His life; but earthly powers presume not only to substitute laws of their own in place of His, but also to hold themselves above those substituted laws. PTUK January 16, 1896, page 48.16