The Present Truth, vol. 13

November 25, 1897

“The Russian Jew” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

The Russian Jew .—Speaking of the hard lot of the Russian Jew, Mr. Arnold White, who has recently visited Russia, says in the Contemporary Review:— PTUK November 25, 1897, page 738.1

It is clear that a tragedy is brewing in the cities of the Pale. Already the distress in such places as Homel and Berdicheff is appalling. It is increasing. Sooner or later Europe will be startled by a catastrophe. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 738.2

Amidst all the social and international rivalries the tragedy of the Jewish race is always before the world. In Russia they must realise something of that prediction of Moses: “Thy life shall hand in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life.” Deuteronomy 28:66. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 738.3

“Lessons From the Book of Hebrews. The True Confession of Faith” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

HOW IT IS MADE

We come now to the conclusion of the fourth chapter of Hebrews. The subject of the rest that remains for all who believe has been quite fully considered, although by no means exhausted, and we proceed from the exhortation to give diligence to enter into that rest lest any fall through unbelief, to that which follows, quoting the Revised Version, as being better worded. We must give diligence, or labour, to enter God's rest, because PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.1

“The Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.2

“Having then a great High Priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.” Hebrews 4:12-16, R .V PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.3

QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT

For, what are we exhorted to labour? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.4

“To enter into that rest.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.5

How is it that we enter into that rest? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.6

“We which have believed do enter into rest.” Verse 3. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.7

What then is the work by which we enter into rest? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.8

“This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.9

And how does faith come? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.10

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.11

What evidence is there that this resting on the Word of God does not mean indolence? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.12

“The Word of God is living and active.” Greek, “energy.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.13

How keen is it? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.14

“Sharper than any two edged sword.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.15

What does it do, that no two-edged sword can do? “Piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.16

What is said of the understanding of the Word? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.17

“Quick to the heart.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.18

Who is the embodiment of the Word of God? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.19

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.” “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:1, 3, 4, 14. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.20

How much is hidden from the Word? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.21

“There is no creature that is not manifest in His sight.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.22

How do all things stand before Him? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.23

“All things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.24

What is this ever-present, all-seeing Word? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.25

“A great High Priest.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.26

Where is He exercising His office? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.27

He “hath passed through [or into] the heavens.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.28

How does this concern us? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.29

“We have a great High Priest.” (This is quoted from the common version solely on account of the direct form of speech. Precisely the same thing is stated in the Revised Version, but in words that do not allow so direct an answer to the question.) PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.30

Seeing that we have such a great High Priest, what should we do? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.31

“Hold fast our confession.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.32

What encouragement have we thus to hold fast? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.33

“For we have not a High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.34

How much does He know about them? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.35

He “hath been in all points tempted like as we are.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.36

How did He come forth from the temptations? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.37

Without sin.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.38

What may we therefore do? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.39

“Draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.40

Of what may we be confident? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.41

That we may receive mercy and may find grace to help us, in time of need. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.42

Rest Not Inactivity .—The rest that remains for the people of God is obtained by absolute acceptance of God's Word. “The Word of Christ” which is Spirit and life (John 6:63) is to be allowed to dwell richly in the soul. Colossians 3:16. “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5), and faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17. But this does not imply idleness and inactivity on the part of the believer. Far from it; for the indwelling “Word of God is living and active.” The Greek word here translated “active” and in the common version “powerful,“ is the word which is transferred into English as “energy.” That is to say, the Word of God is force, and, since it is not merely alive, but is life itself, it will be seen that the Word of God is vital force. It is, indeed, all the force there is in the universe. Christ upholds all things “by the Word of His power.” Hebrews 1:3. All things that exist rest on His Word, yet everything in nature is in a state of intense activity. Everything is in motion. Therefore the soul that rests absolutely on the Word of God, and is filled with it, will be as active in the work that God has designed him for, as any part of God's creation. God Himself will work in him to will and to do of His good pleasure. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 739.43

“The Sword of the Spirit.” -The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, Christ is the Word of God, and in the Revelation He is represented with a sharp two-edged sword going out of His mouth. Revelation 1:16. But it is sharper than any two-edged sword on earth, for the sharpest earthly sword can pierce only between different portions of the body, but this pierces every fibre of the body, and the spirit as well. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.1

God's Word Our Life .—In the twelfth and thirteenth verses we have the representation of the indwelling Christ, “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” The Word of God piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart, is simply the Word made flesh. “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” Christ says that He is “the life.” Every pulse beat is but the throbbing of His life. He is our life, for the life is the light of men, and it “lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:4, 9. Wherever there is life, there Christ is present, because He is “the life.” “In Him all things consist.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.2

The Reckoning Already Made .—Since the living Word is the life of every being, it most naturally follows that it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Thus God knows, because He feels. Not a thing touches humanity that does not touch Him. “He knoweth our frame,“ not simply because He made it, but because He bears it. Every motion, every thought, comes upon the Word, which “was made flesh,“ so that He understands our thoughts even better than we do ourselves, since He is more keenly sensitive. Indeed, our hearts deceive us, but not Him. Jeremiah 17:9, 10. “O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.” “For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether.” Psalm 139:1, 2, 4. How is it that He knows it?—Because He is there; prompting the good, as we yield to His influence, and enduring the evil when we hold down the truth in unrighteousness. Therefore all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. The reckoning is all made up every instant. There will be a time of judgment, but not for the purpose of enlightening the Lord. Whatever instant we look into the Word, we can see an accurate estimate of ourselves. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.3

Our Confession .—“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, let us hold fast our profession,“ or “confession,“ as the Revision more accurately renders it. What is this “Confession of faith,“ to which we are exhorted to hold fast? It is that which is referred to in the two preceding verses. A confession is simply an acknowledgment of the truth. The great truth-the Gospel of great joy-for all people, is that “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” 1 John 4:2. Whoever makes that confession is of God, because of the truth, we have been studying about the living and active Word piercing every fibre; now read Romans 10:8, where of Christ, the Word, we read: “The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the Word of faith which we preach: that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.4

“The Word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart.” For what purpose is it so near?—“That thou mayest do it.” Deuteronomy 30:14. The living Word is therefore in the mouth and heart of the sinner, in order that he may do it. So near has God brought His saving grace to all mankind. “He is not far from every one of us.” No; He is very near, even in our very hearts and mouths, “a very present help in trouble.” Lest any should think that this cannot be true of sinners, we will call attention to the following facts in connection with the Scriptures: No one first makes a thing true by confessing it; it does not become a fact because he confesses it, but he confesses it because it is already a fact. Therefore the confession of Christ is but the acknowledgment of the already existing fact, that He “is come in the flesh.” The Word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart-in thy flesh; confess this fact, and “thou shalt be saved.” This teaches the presence of Christ in every soul, waiting for recognition, in order that He may save. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.5

“Then you would make no difference between a sinner and a Christian?”—Oh, yes, indeed; all the difference in the world, or, rather, all the difference between the world and heaven. Christ has come in the flesh,-that is in all mankind, for man is flesh (Genesis 7:3),-but while He dwells in the sinner without recognition, and is held down in unrighteousness (Romans 1:15), in the Christian He dwells “by faith.” Ephesians 3:19. The difference between the impenitent sinner and the Christian is the difference between a man who uses the gift of God without any recognition of the Giver, arrogating to himself God's power, and a man who acknowledges that the Lord is his strength, and who yields all to His control. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.6

Take any sinner; let him acknowledge the truth that is evident to every one, that he does not live by his own power, but that Christ is the only vital force, and let him live in constant recognition of that fact, and he will at once and for ever be a Christian, for he will necessarily allow Christ to have His own way, living His own life in full. Thus easy has God made the way of salvation: simply a constant giving up of self to the control of the Power that keeps us alive. What a glorious Gospel this is to every poor sinner! and what a glorious thing to be permitted to proclaim it! Think of the joy of being able to assure the most debased soul that the fact that he still lives is evidence that there is salvation for him, if he desires salvation, and will yield to the power that keeps him alive. He who is our High Priest on the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, is also by the Spirit present in the flesh, with all power in heaven and on earth over all flesh. John 17:2. Confess this truth, and you have the victory over the world. 1 John 5:4, 5. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.7

This is the only confession of faith. Men may recite creeds until they are grey, and be no better for it, for you cannot put Christ on paper. The confession of faith is not a dogma nor a formula of belief that can be recited in concert by a class of boys. The true confession of faith-the confession of Christ-is the recognition and acknowledgment of the living truth that Christ dwells personally by the Spirit in the one making the confession. Each one must make it for himself, as the result of personal conviction, in words coming from the fulness of his heart, and not dictated to him by another; and not only in words but in action, for the indwelling Word is living and active. The true confession of faith is therefore not a thing for a single hour, but of a lifetime, for it is the Christian life. When this confession is made in truth, the Scriptures will be carefully studied in order that the one confessing may consciously yield to their power, and thus live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 740.8

Encouragement .—“Let us hold fast our confession.” What confession?—That Jesus is come in the flesh in our flesh. Why?—“For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” Clear that statement of the negatives, and we have the equivalent: “We have an High Priest which can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” The original word is “sympathise,“ which means “to suffer with,“ and thus it is rendered in many versions. We have a High Priest which suffers with us in all our infirmities. “He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin,“ and He still dwells in the flesh, suffering all its infirmities, bearing all its weakness and sin, by the same power by which He bore them eighteen hundred years ago without sin. Here is encouragement, yea, joy and rest for the weary sinner. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.1

Not Ashamed .—We have read that He is not ashamed to call us His brethren; therefore He does not despise us. There are Pharisees in the church to-day, as well as in the days when Jesus lived in Judea, who trust in themselves that they are righteous, and despise others; who look with scorn and contempt on a poor outcast, and say, “Come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” But “this Man receiveth sinners.” Although no trace of sin ever marred His character, He is all gentleness and tender compassion to the vilest sinner, for He knows the weight of sin. He encourages each one to pour into His ear all his troubles and temptation, saying, “My brother, I know all about it; I have suffered the same things, and I sympathise with you; trust Me, and I will work in you the same power by which I was kept from sin.” Who can help loving so tender and loving a Companion and Friend? When we know Jesus as He is, we shall find Him the most companionable of beings. We may tell Him everything, and He will never betray us. The sin that is committed to Him will he kept secret for ever; none other will ever be allowed to know of it: Satan, the adversary of souls, will seek for it, in order to urge it against us in the Judgment, to our ruin, but it cannot he found; and even the Lord Himself will forget it. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.2

Boldness .—“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace, to help in time of need.” “Boldly,“ literally, “free spokenness; license of tongue. Speak out; do not be afraid to talk to Him, for He Himself has put the words in your mouth. He has said, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, I will do.” John 14:13, You cannot make too large an order, for He is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20. And you may be sure that what He is able to do He will do, for He has given His life as the pledge, and all things are yours in Him. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.3

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not-I will not desert to its foes,
That soul-though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I'll never,-no never,-no never forsake.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.4

“The Spread of a Great Delusion” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

Spiritualism not only grows in the number of its avowed adherents, but its principles make way rapidly. All along Spiritualists have rightly claimed that nearly all Christendom is permeated with the principle; and now they are jubilant at the increasing disposition outside the ranks to apply the principle. They now claim General Booth, of the Salvation Army, as a clairvoyant, one of their organs quoting the following paragraph by Mr. Booth from the War Cry of Oct. 2:— PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.5

Through all my history my personal intercourse with the spirit-world has been but limited. I have not been favoured will, many visions, and it is but seldom; that I dream dreams that impart either pleasure or profit, and yet I have a spiritual communion with the departed saints that is not without both satisfaction and service, and specially of late the memories of those with whom my heart has had the choicest communion in the past, if not the very beings themselves, have come in upon me as I have sat at my desk, or lain wakeful in the night season. Amongst these, one form, true to her mission, comes more frequently than all besides, assuring me of her continued partnership in my struggle for the temporal and eternal salvation of the multitudes-and that is my blessed, my beautiful wife! PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.6

God knows the need of comfort for hearts sore at the loss of loved ones. He says that we are not to sorrow for those who fall asleep in Jesus, even as others sorrow who have no hope. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall he caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever he with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:10-18, Here is the comfort which the ‘“God of all comfort” giver. And so the “blessed hope” of the coming of the, Lord means not only meeting Him who hath loved us and saved us, but the joyful meeting with those who “sleep in Jesus.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.7

But the truth of the doctrines of the second advent and the resurrection has been so thrust aside that people refuse to take God's comfort. This rejection of the comfort of God opens the way for the evil one to come with his “signs and lying wonders” brought out from his armoury in these last days to deceive the unwary. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-13; Revelation 12:12. He is cunningly laying his snares for the final deception of the world. The Word says of the departed that they have no “more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:6), but the enemy persuades men that it is not so. Do they not see manifestations, and can they not believe the evidence of their eyes and senses? The manifestations are here right enough, but if they believe the evidence of their senses rather than the “more sure Word” they will surely be deceived. The world has to deal with “the spirits of devils working miracles,“ and in Spiritualism Satan is manifesting His miracle-working power. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.8

All the phenomena of Spiritualism, absolutely contradict what the Word says of the nature of man and the state of the dead, while they are absolutely in perfect accord with what the Word says of the deception, of the last days. There can be no mistake in taking God at His Word; there can be nothing else than mistake and deception in following that which is contrary to the Word. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 741.9

“Spain's Decay” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

The history of all the countries that shut out the light of the Reformation conveys a lesson that ought to be thought of more than it is in these days. The idea of enforced uniformity, and of the mingling of religion and politics is taking possession of professed Protestantism, and the spirit of the Papacy is being drunk in by all nations, just as the Revelation predicted of the Iast times. A writer in the evening Echo the other day told the cause of Spain's decay in these words:— PTUK November 25, 1897, page 743.1

“When Ferdinand and lsbella had made Spain politically one, put down the infamous power of the nobles, and, in a measure, enfranchised the burghers, they, under the inspiration of papal priests, determined to have equal unity in faith and worship. Then emerged that monster of all time, Torquemada, the Chief of the Inquisition. And years afterwards, arose the Jesuits, more subtle, more refined, and, possibly, more devout than Torquemada, but not one whit less cruel. Unity in faith came by the suppression of thought, and with unity not only intellectual degradation, but moral atrophy. The unity was almost perfect. Spain has had no Protestantism, no conformity worthy of the name. The priests have both reigned and ruled. Spain is of their making, or rather unmaking, and standing amidst the mental decadence, the moral decay, the religious degradation of Spain, the priests might say, when asked to show the world the monument of their genius and skill, “Look around.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 743.2

“The Triple Alliance” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

The Triple Alliance helps ltaly to stand against the intrigues of the Papacy. For this reason the Pope has been an enemy of the alliance. Now he is showing such partisan favour to the Dual Alliance, France and Russia, that the German Government has warned him that if it continues there will be reprisals taken against Roman Catholics in Germany. Thus goes on still that old game of political religion which princes and popes have played since Constantine's day. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 743.3

“Items of Interest” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

-The Indian frontier war has been costing ?100,000 a day, it is said. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.1

-There are as a rule 117,000 British soldiers abroad and 108,000 at home. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.2

-The Austrian Budget calls for an increased expenditure on army and navy. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.3

-A town in Peru was totally destroyed by a hurricane last week, with great loss of life. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.4

-The plague in Bombay and Poona has revived and is raging about as of old. Poona is said to be largely deserted. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.5

-Russia reminds Turkey that the Greek indemnity must not be spent on the Turkish navy, but must be applied on the Russian debt. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.6

-A new feature of the plague m India is that a colony of monkeys was attacked near Poona, the authorities having to take measures to trap and isolate diseased animals. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.7

-It is stated that the guns used by the Indian frontier tribesmen have been supplied by Birmingham gunmakers, and smuggled across the frontier by way of the Persian Gulf. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.8

-Spain has lost about 50,000 in killed and wounded in Cuba, and it is estimated that deaths among the Cubans, mostly by starvation and plague have been about 200,000. Still the combat goes on. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.9

-A statistical writer shows than one person in every seventy-nine in the United Kingdom is named Smith, the proportion being the highest in Scotland. Every day 42 Smiths are born, 21 marry, 26 die. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.10

-A violent wind blowing from off the sea last week raised the water in the Neva and the canals of St. Petersburg until parts of the town were flooded and much damage was done, and thousands rendered homeless. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.11

-Germany has landed a force of 1,500 men, at one of the Chinese bays, to enforce a demand for reparation for the murder of two German missionaries by a mob. China is expected to make reparations, but some Berlin papers urge the retention of the bay and a strip of coast. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.12

-Last week Wednesday was a day of repentance and prayer by order of the State in Prussia. Catholics and Germans objected to it as a Lutheran institution. Shops were closed and theatres ceased a moment to let the State sanctify all the iniquity of the year by one day of public profession of repentance. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.13

-The number of discharged soldiers or Army reservists chargeable to the poor rates is indicated by a Local Government Board report. In one night 7,326 men, classified as above, were given shelter in the casual wards of England and Wales, out of a total number of 82,917 men. A Poor Law inspector states that 20 per cent. of the “casuals” have been at one time or another in the military service. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 750.14

“Back Page” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

Are you waiting for the way to open for you to serve the Lord? “I am the Way,“ says Jesus. Whoever finds Jesus finds the way to live the life according to the truth. He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.1

The fire in London last week is said to have been the greatest since the fire of 1666. These great fires “make their own wind,“ as the chief of the fire brigade said, and the flames are swept about as though the very “prince of the power of the air” were directing the work of destruction. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.2

Only worthy Christians, said the German Emperor last week, can fulfil the duty of Prussian soldiers. What a grand force the great German Army would make if all were active Christians. Of course they would follow their Lord's command and go into all the world preaching the Gospel of peace to every creature. They would not carry their weapons, for as Jesus came not to take men's lives but to save them, even so are His followers in the world. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.3

The well-known speaker, Mr. Henry Varley, has written a little pamphlet of forty-seven pages, entitled, “A Present day Delusion. The Seventh-day Adventists and Sabbath Observance.” It has been recommended as a “timely” and “trenchant” expose of the wickedness of those who would persuade men to share the Lord's rest, and we therefore give a few specimens from it, that the readers of PRESENT TRUTH may have the opportunity of seeing the strongest arguments that can be adduced against Sabbath-keeping. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.4

Here they are: “foolish assertions;” “false statements;” “specious and misleading statements;” “this miserable delusion of Sabbath-keeping” (these all on one page at the very beginning of the book); “false and foolish statements;” “fanatical delusion;” “mere assertion and empty sound;” “a wide-spread and mischievous propaganda;” “fanatical impertinence;” “stupidity,“ “dishonesty,“ “audacity” (these three words occurring in three successive lines); “delusive heresy;” “they lie and do not tell the truth ungodly impudence,“ with more of the same sort, and the changes rung indefinitely on the word “delusion.” PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.5

The story is told of a poor tailor who used to attend the scholastic debates of the doctors of theology. The discussions were carried on in Latin, of which language the tailor knew not a word, and his friends therefore asked him what good he got out of his attendance. He replied that it was true that he could not follow the arguments of the speakers, but he knew what subject they were discussing, and by listening he could tell which side was wrong. When asked how he could tell, he answered, “By noticing which party gets angry.” Mr. Varley, like Saul of Tarsus, seems to be “exceedingly mad” against Seventh-day Adventists and Sabbath-keeping. The reason is obvious. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.6

It can be set down as a certainty, that he who has the truth does not get angry nor hurl epithets at others who are not in harmony with him; for in the first place, if he knows he has the truth, he can afford to keep cool, knowing that nothing can shake it; and secondly, because the truth as it is in Jesus makes the possessor “gentle to all men,“ and not “a railer.” It is true that men holding some truth have indulged in fierce invective; but their ideas of truth were much beclouded with error. Saul of Tarsus persecuted those who believed more than he did; Paul the Apostle preached Christ and Him crucified. The Gospel of Christ is large enough to absorb all the energies of him who knows it. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.7

“Salvation and the Resurrection” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

Salvation and the Resurrection .—The power of salvation is the power of the resurrection. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.” John 5:25. This agrees with the striking words of the Lord by the prophet Isaiah, “Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live.” Isaiah 55:3. Those who hear the voice of the Son of God will live by the power of the endless life which the Father hath given the Son to have in Himself. John 5:26. But how may we know that such a wonderful thing as changing a man from the death of sin to the life of righteousness can be accomplished?—“Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth.” Verses 28, 29. The power by which men are made righteous now is the power by which those who are in the graves will be, raised at the last day. And that this can and will be done is assured by the fact that “now is Christ risen.” Every Gospel messenger is therefore simply a witness to the resurrection of Jesus. Do you know that Christ is risen from the dead? If so, how? PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.8

“Passive Wickedness” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

Passive Wickedness .—“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1. It is not enough not to be a scoffer or a blasphemer; we must not occupy the place of such. The Christian must not even silently occupy a position among ungodly and scornful men, which might lead others to suppose him to belong to those classes. There are two obvious reasons for this. One is on account of the influence upon others, and the other is the influence on one's self. One cannot sit in the seat of the scornful without being influenced by what he hears. “Be not deceived: evil company doth corrupt good manners,“ or, better rendered, “good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33. It is not enough not to be positively-wicked; for that is to be passively wicked. What the Lord desires is positive goodness. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.9

“The Gospel Committed to Men” The Present Truth, 13, 47.

E. J. Waggoner

The Gospel Committed to Men .—Unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.” Hebrews 2:5. Therefore He hath not committed to them the preaching of the Gospel. This is illustrated in the case of Peter and Cornelius. An angel of God was sent to the centurion, but instead of preaching the Gospel to him, he simply directed him to send for Peter, and he, said the angel, “shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.” Even more striking is the case of Saul of Tarsus. “The Lord, even Jesus,“ appeared to him in the way to Damascus, but He only sent him to the city, saying, “it shall be told thee what thou must do,“ and the humble disciple Ananias was sent to open his eyes, both physical and spiritual. Even the Lord now that He has ascended, no more preaches the Gospel in person, but “hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:15. Let all Christians remember that the Gospel is not something for them to receive merely, for their own benefit, but for them to receive to give to others. God saves men, in order that they may save others. PTUK November 25, 1897, page 752.10