The Present Truth, vol. 15

April 13, 1899

“The Gospel of Isaiah. Deliverance of God's People. Isaiah 25:1-9” The Present Truth 15, 15.

E. J. Waggoner

(ISAIAH 25:1-9, LOWTH'S TRANSLATION.)

1. O Jehovah, Thou art my God;
I will exalt Thee; I will praise Thy name.
For Thou hast effected wonderful things;
Counsels of old time, promises immutably
true. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.1

2. For Thou hast made the city an heap;
The strongly fortified citadel a ruin;
The palace of the proud ones, that it should
be no more a city;
That it should never be built up again. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.2

3. Therefore shall the fierce people glorify Thee;
The city of the formidable nations shall fear
Thee. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.3

4. For Thou hast been a defence to the poor;
A defence to the needy in his distress;
A refuge from the storm, a shadow from the
heat;
When the blast of the formidable rages like a
winter storm. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.4

5. As the heat in a parched land, the tumult of
the proud shalt Thou bring low;
As the heat by a thick cloud, the triumph of
the formidable shall be humbled. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.5

6. And Jehovah God of Hosts shall make
For all the peoples, in this mountain,
A feast of delicacies, a feast of old wines;
Of delicacies exquisitely rich, of old wines
perfectly refined. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.6

7. And on this mountain shall He destroy
The covering that covered the face of all the
peoples;
And the veil that was spread over all the
nations. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.7

8. He shall utterly destroy death for ever;
And the Lord Jehovah shall wipe away the
tear from off all faces;
And the reproach of His people shall He re-
move from off the whole earth;
For Jehovah hath spoken it. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.8

9. In that day shall they say,
Behold, this is our God;
We have trusted in Him, and He hath saved
us;
This is Jehovah; we have trusted in Him;
We will rejoice, and triumph, in His salvation. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.9

“O Lord, Thou art my God.” Whoever says this understandingly, from the heart, has everything. Nothing can make him discontented; nothing can cause him to worry; nothing can make him afraid. Read Exodus 34:6-7, to find out what the Lord is, and also 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, and Psalm 95:3-5, to learn His power, and then think what an infinite treasure every one has who can say, “O Lord, Thou art my God.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.10

Jehovah is not merely the Being whom we worship, to whom we bow down in reverence as One infinitely above us, but He is ours. He belongs to us, as truly as we belong to Him. “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup.” Psalm 16:5. To as many as receive Christ “gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” John 1:12. By believing we become sons of God, “and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:17. Through faith we become partakers of the nature of God, just as Christ is one with Him. He is ours to the extent that everything that He has, and everything that He is, belongs to us. We have Him. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.11

It was this knowledge that gave Jehoshaphat and all Israel the victory over a vastly superior force, even before the battle had begun, and when everything seemed against them. They were in an extremity, and there was no earthly prospect that they could escape. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the midst of the congregation of Israel, and said,” Lord God of our fathers, art not Thou God in heaven? and rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee?” 2 Chronicles 20:6. The fact that God is in heaven, shows that He is over all, and does whatever pleases Him. Psalm 115:3. Nothing is hard for Him, and no enemy can withstand Him. Therefore when in addition to this Jehoshaphat could say, “Art not Thou our God?” he had the victory already; for since God was his, all who came against him came also against the Lord; and their overthrow was assured. Accordingly when this prayer of faith had been uttered, the assurance came, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17. To God belongs victory; “His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory.” Psalm 98:1. When by faith we claim Him as ours, then we prove that faith is the victory that hath overcome the world. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 225.12

“Thou hast done wonderful things.” His name is Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6), so that it is His nature to do wonderful things. He does nothing that is not wonderful. The age of miracles is the age of God. “Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders; Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.” Psalm 77:13, 14. “Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward; they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Psalm 40:5. Therefore let us “sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath done marvelous things.” Psalm 98:1. “I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.” Psalm 145:5. Here is something to talk about. “All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, and talk of Thy power.” Verses 10, 11. If men would do this all the time, such a thing as discouragement or fear would be unknown. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.1

“Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Both of these words, “faithfulness” and “truth,” are from the one root which we have Anglicised as “amen.” The word means firmness, steadfastness, solidity, immovability. So we might read, “Thy counsels of old are amen and amen,” or, as Lowth has it, “immutably true.” Jesus Christ is “the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” Revelation 3:14. His name also is Counsellor. Isaiah 9:6. So “all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.2

All the promises of God centre in the one great promise, the promise of Christ's coming. He is not slack concerning His promise, even though unbelieving men may think He is. 2 Peter 3:3, 4, 9. This has been the purpose of God since the world began, and He “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” Ephesians 1:11. His promises are “immutably true.” His faithfulness is established “in the very heavens” (Psalm 89:2), so that as true as the heavens is the promise of Christ's coming. Always true to their appointed times are the heavenly bodies; those who observe their movements, and keep note, know that they will keep their appointments to the very second; even so will it be with Christ's coming in glory to judgment and salvation. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.3

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1. The children of men take refuge under the shadow of His wing. Psalm 36:7. “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Psalm 91:9, 10. The Lord is everything that anybody requires. He is “a refuge from the storm,” and “a shadow from the heat,” yet He is a sun, even “a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29), and He “hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm.” Nahum 1:3. From Him we get light and heat, and also shade. That is, in Him we find evenness of temperature. But those who do not put their trust in Him will be in darkness, and at the same time consumed by the heat. “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.4

The Lord of hosts will make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, that is, all sorts of delicacies. He provides the table for all, and whoever will may come and eat, “without money and without price.” “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Psalm 23:5. Even though the enemy may be coming on in full strength, raging and boasting, and threatening dire calamity, we can quietly sit down and eat. The Lord invites us to His feast, and even when He comes to us as our guest, He provides the food. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.5

“In this mountain.” That is, in Mount Zion. See last verse of the preceding chapter. That is God's dwelling-place (Psalm 2:6; 48:1, 2), and it is there that He has prepared the feast of salvation for all people. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.6

The covering that is cast over all people, and the veil spread over all nations, is to be taken away in Mount Zion. Over all the earth and over all minds and all lives, rests the shadow of the curse. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” Galatians 3:13. It is through the blood of the new covenant,-the everlasting covenant,-that remission of sins is found. But the god of this world has blinded the minds of all that believe not (2 Corinthians 4:4), and this veil of unbelief keeps the glory of the cross, which swallows up the curse, from shining in. Nevertheless when the heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. The true light now shineth, and whoever will may see light in His light. Even though the majority will not believe, but persist in walking in darkness, the time is coming when even they shall see that God's way is perfect, and shall be compelled by force of evidence to acknowledge that He is just. The covering which has concealed God's gracious working will be removed in the Judgment, and God will stand clear. It will then be too late, however, for any to receive benefit from the light that will shine, since they have rejected light when they might have walked in it. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.7

This veil, the curse, which is even now taken off from all who truly believe, is to be for ever removed from the earth. The very earth itself is to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glory of the liberty of the sons of God. For “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth.” Tears will be wiped away, because the cause of tears-sin and death-will be removed. Compare Revelation 21:1-5 for further evidence that in the prophecy of Isaiah we have in detail the things that are only briefly mentioned in the New Testament. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.8

“He will swallow up death in victory.” Literally, “He will swallow up death in eternity,” or for ever. In 1 Corinthians 15:54 we have this same thing quoted, and there the Greek has it plainly, “victory,” while in the Hebrew of Isaiah 25:8 it is just as plainly “eternity.” Does this indicate a contradiction, or any lack of harmony in the two texts?-Not the slightest; it simply shows that the two words mean the same thing. Victory, in order to be really victory, must be eternal. A seeming victory, which does not last, is not victory at all. When God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, it is for eternity, for “whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever.” Ecclesiastes 3:14. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 226.9

But the final victory over death is only the present victory over sin, which is the sting of death. The power by which the righteous will be raised from their graves, immortal, is identical with the power by which in their lifetime they were raised above the power of sin. That is the power of Christ's resurrection. It was not possible for death to hold Him (Acts 2:24), because guile was not found in His mouth. 1 Peter 2:22. John, in prophetic vision saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, “and with Him an hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads.” “And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Revelation 14:1-5. So we see that there will be found a people over whom death will have no more power than it had over the Lord Jesus. We know that He could not die except by His own will, because He was sinless. In like manner those who “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12) will be superior to death. No man, not even Satan, can take their life from them, and hence they will be translated. Their translation without seeing death is not due to the accident of their being on earth when Christ comes, but to their life of perfect righteousness by faith. There is nothing accidental about it; it is the natural working out of the life of Christ. At any time in the past God's people might have been translated, if at any time it could have been said of them, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 227.1

Men are saved only by the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. It is not abstract righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ's real life “unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference” (Romans 3:22), that saves us. The instant any man, however sinful he may be, believes on the Lord Jesus, and confesses Him, he is counted righteous. God declares him righteous, and that makes him righteous. If he should die that very hour, as was the case with the thief on the cross, he would be saved, and would appear in heaven as though he had never sinned. Thousands will appear in the kingdom of God without fault, who never in their lifetime knew all the commandments of God, nor all that is involved in the faith of Jesus. Consequently not all the righteousness of the law has been exhibited in their lives. They have unconsciously been living in violation of some precepts of the law, but from all these secret, hidden faults they have been cleansed. But these have learned the lesson of submission to God, and were willing to serve Him. They can be taken to heaven, therefore, they will make no break in its harmony, for the instant they see the fullness of God's righteousness they will embrace it with joy. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 227.2

But if all the righteous were saved in this way there would be an opportunity for the accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God day and night (Revelation 12:10), to say that it is impossible for God to make men absolutely perfect in this world; that He is obliged to take them to heaven, and get them out of the reach of Satan's temptations, in order to make them perfectly righteous. To be sure, he can be confronted with the case of Christ, who lived an absolutely perfect life, in spite of all Satan's temptations; but he would evade the force of that by saying, as men, and even Christian men, do now, that Christ was different from other men. Therefore, in order to show that Christ was here in this world with no advantages over other men, and that what God did by Him, He is able to do for all, to exalt the power of God, to show that Christ has power over all flesh, and effectually to stop the mouths of all gainsayers, God will not send Jesus the second time until He can point to a people who, like Jesus, are absolutely without fault, and who, surrounded by sin, and subject to Satan's onslaughts, live entirely above the power of sin and death. They will be complete possessors of the victory that hath overcome the world. Thus will not only the mouths of all the wicked be stopped, but there will be given the perfect witness of God's power to salvation, which will draw many in the last days from the world to God. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 227.3

It is eternity-eternal life-that swallows up death. Absolutely perfect faith means perfect knowledge of God's Word, because “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17. “The just shall live by faith,” so that perfect faith means perfect life,-the life of Jesus manifest in our mortal flesh. When this is experienced, the individual will be delivered from all diseases, even though in weak, mortal flesh, with disease attacking him, just the same as he will be delivered from all sin, even while beset and in heaviness by manifold temptations. Thus will Christ and those whom God gives Him be for signs and wonders. They will walk unscathed in the midst of raging pestilence, just as the three Hebrews did in the burning, fiery furnace, because “the form of the fourth” is with them. And this will be not only in the time when the plagues of the unmingled wrath of God are falling on the reprobate, but before men have made their final decision, so that the witness will tell for the salvation of many. It is just as easy for God to make a man perfectly whole now, and to keep him so, as it is to keep him alive at all; for it is the one life that does all. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 227.4

In that day shall they say “Behold, this is our God, we have trusted in Him, and He hath saved us.” Not merely, “He will save us,” but, “He hath saved us.” A present, complete salvation is the assurance of future salvation. All that is necessary for anybody to be able to say is, “The Lord has saved me, and He saves me now.” Keep trusting, and the salvation will continue. Those who have become acquainted with the Lord, will know Him when He comes. The Lord Himself will come, and He will not be a stranger. “We will rejoice, and triumph in His salvation,” because we have trusted in Him, and have proved the power of that salvation. But the power of the salvation now is worth rejoicing over just as much as it will be at the coming of the Lord. Therefore “rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), because it is with rejoicing that the redeemed of the Lord come to Zion, the mountain of God. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 227.5

“Bible Society in Philippines” The Present Truth 15, 15.

E. J. Waggoner

The British and Foreign Bible Society has been the first to avail itself of the new opening in the Philippines. Almost at once after Manila was occupied by the United States forces, the agent was on the ground, and secured a place for a Bible depository, though not without strong opposition from the priests. The first day he sold twenty Spanish Bibles, seventeen Testaments, forty-eight copies of the Gospels in separate form, one English Bible, and one Testament, and subsequent experiences have proved that the time is ripe for effort. Several mission boards are planning to enter the islands, but thus far no work has been organised there. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 227.6

“Studies from the Gospel of John. Words of Comfort. John 14:1-14” The Present Truth 15, 15.

E. J. Waggoner

John 14:1-14

“I WILL COME AGAIN”

“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.1

Jesus was personally present with His disciples when He spoke these words. He had been with them in bodily form for several years, and they had looked upon Him and handled Him, and had walked and talked with Him in loving companionship. His presence was as real as their own, and they delighted in it. But now He had told them plainly that He was going away, and that they could not follow Him. This had filled their hearts with sorrow; for they had yielded to the powerful attraction of Jesus, and since He had first said to them “Follow Me,” to be with Him had been their joy. Now they felt as children do when the loved and loving mother is taken from them. They were in great heaviness of heart, and therefore Jesus spoke the comforting words that we have just read. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.2

“The glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,” is the “blessed hope” of all His true disciples. Titus 2:13. It is the comfort for all who mourn loved ones who have fallen in death. The words of the Apostle, direct from the Lord Himself, are: “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [go before] them which are asleep. 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 be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.3

One more text will be sufficient for the promise of His coming. Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus led His disciples out of Jerusalem “as far as to Bethany,” telling them of the power by which they were to be witnesses to Him: “And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have Been Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9, 10. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.4

Looking at these statements, we see clearly that Jesus will come again, and that His coming will be as literal as was His first advent, “This same Jesus” is to return again. It is to be no secret coming, no snatching away of His people by stealth. No; the “voice of the Archangel and the trump of God” will make known the second coming of Christ, and every eye must see Him, whether it wishes to or not (Revelation 1:7), “for as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man.” Matthew 24:27. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.5

OBJECT OF CHRIST'S COMING

This is the all-important thing. Why will He come? What necessity is there for it. That His coming is necessary, is evident, since the Lord does nothing in vain. He will not come in all the pomp and splendour of heaven, with all His angels, and with earth-shaking peals of the trumpet, for nothing. The object is plainly stated in our text. “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Take this in connection with the statement to the disciples, recorded in the preceding chapter (verse 36), “Whither I go, thou canst not follow [or, go with] Me now but thou shalt follow Me afterwards,” and we see that no word could make it plainer that only by the second coming of Christ in glory can His disciples be with Him again. It is not only those who chance to be living when He shall come, that He takes to Himself, but the eleven to whom He was talking. They can never be with their Master again, except by His coming again to receive them. Until He comes, they are away from Him. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.6

Here is where the comfort comes in. When it is known that none can be with Christ except by His second coming, then everybody who loves the Lord will also love His appearing. That none can be with Christ in any other way, is evident from the whole Bible. The dead are not with Christ, for “the dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.” Psalm 115:17. “In death there is no remembrance of the Lord.” Psalm 6:5. “The living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6. The old hymn tells us that “death is the gate to endless joy,” but the Bible tells us that death is an enemy. 1 Corinthians 15:26. Since it is an enemy, we may know that it does not admit us to heaven, and the hymn is false. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.7

Moreover “death came by sin.” Romans 5:12. If it were true that death is the gate to endless joy, then it would follow, since death came by sin, that sin admits men to heaven; but that is so palpably false and unscriptural that no one with any respect for the Bible can hold it. Still further: the devil is the one who has the power of death. Hebrews 2:14. Now if death were the way to be with Christ, and the gate of heaven, then we should have the, devil as the gate-keeper of heaven! “But that is too monstrous for consideration. So we must accept the common-sense, Scriptural fact, that death is an enemy, the great enemy, of the human race, and that Christ came to deliver us from it. He came to destroy death, and him that had the power of death. Through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the power of death, yea, death itself, is destroyed, and Christ's second coming is simply the consummation of Calvary. He comes for the salvation of His people. Isaiah 35:4. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 228.8

We see friends sicken and die. We see them carried; cold and to the grave, and every tear that is shed, and every funeral train and procession of mourners gives the lie to the statement that death is a friend. One may say it as a matter of theology, but when he meets it face to face he gives involuntary testimony to the fact that it is a bitter, cruel enemy. At such times the heathen cannot but break out into wild wailing; for death has no hope in it. But the Christian, while he must sorrow for the lose of loving companionship, cannot sorrow as those who have no hope, for Christ's coming gives hope in death. He will come. This is the comfort for those who mourn. Loved ones who have been separated by death shall thus be united; for at the sound of the trumpet the dead shall be raised incorruptible, then-the living, also made immortal, shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. That is the only way, and that is what makes the promise of Christ's coming such blessed comfort. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.1

Even with the Lord! Yes, that is the comfort. Friends; are to be united at the coming of the Lord, but only the presence of the Lord will make that a joyful meeting. We long for His coming in order that we may be with Him. He is coming to receive us to Himself. Do not lose sight of that. It is Christ alone who can sanctify all earthly friendships. “Love is of God.” Therefore it is only the fact that we shall ever be with the Lord, that will make the meeting with friends a heaven. His presence outshines everything else. Without Him friends would be enemies. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.2

PREPARING A PLACE

“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.” He knows when the place is prepared for His people; we do not. He has said that when the place is prepared He will come for us; we must believe that He will keep His word. Suppose for a moment that we had the power to do as we pleased, and should go to heaven before Christ's second coming; we should find no place ready for us. We should be in the embarrassing position of guests coming before the appointed time. But there is no danger that anybody will be in that position; for we have the assurance of Christ's words, that the only way we can go to be with Him is for Him to come again and take us. Knowing this, all His true disciples will join in the prayer of the beloved disciple: “Come, Lord Jesus.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.3

THE WAY

Yet we are in danger of making that petition misunderstandingly. We are in danger of forgetting that Christ is the way to the heavenly mansions; that none can attain to the resurrection of the just except those who are “found in Him” at His coming, not having their own righteousness, “but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Philippians 3:9. No man cometh to the Father, to the place where God sits “in light that no man can approach unto,” except by Christ, who hath once “suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18. But in order that we may at the last day and so on throughout eternity be able to stand before God and see His face, we must now draw near. Even now must we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, and full provision for this has been made, for now, even ” and so on throughout eternity be able to stand before God and see His face, we must now draw near, even “now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13. “Through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” We must come to God and become acquainted with Him before we can see Him; and Christ is the way. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.4

Oh, what depth and breadth of comfort there is in those words of Jesus, “I am the way”! We have all sinned, “all gone out of the way,” and know not how to find God. We would gladly return to the Father's house, but we know not the way. Jesus says, “I am the way.” His name is Immanuel, God with us, and He is with us all the days, even unto the end of the world, so that although we may wander far from God, behold, the way back to Him is close beside us. Though we wander out of the way, it goes with us, so that even while we may be fleeing from the way, the way is seeking us; for “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. What a wonderful way is this, that itself seeks the wanderer! How easy it is to find our way back to God! “I am the way.” You do not know how to do that which you would? Jesus is the way. “I have a frightful temper, and don't know how to get the victory over it.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.5

“I am the way.” You do not know how to do that which you would? Jesus is the way. “I have a frightful temper, and don't know how to get the victory over it.” “I am the way.” Are you overburdened with cares, and know not how to accomplish the tasks that must be done? Still Jesus says, “I am the way.” Would you learn the best way of doing the work to which you are called, so that you can be “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed”? Jesus is the way. He knows how to do that of which you know nothing; and that which you know how to do well, He knows how to do better. And not only does He know how to do it, so that He can teach you, but He is the way to do it, for He is the life. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.6

THE LIFE

Christ is the life, as well as the way, therefore He is the living way. We cannot get the benefit of Christ as the way, unless we know Him as the life. He is the Word of life, the light of men. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” In other words, “the life was manifested, and we have seen it.” There is no real life but the life of Christ-Christ Himself. His life-He Himself-is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He has for ever identified Himself with humanity, that man may for ever be made one with Divinity. He has taken all mankind upon Himself, and is the bearer of all the burdens of humanity. His life given freely to every soul, is the way from sin to righteousness. It is the victory. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.7

Altogether too much is Christ kept at a distance. He is near, but men persist in building up barriers which God has broken down. The middle wall of partition between man and God has been broken down and taken away in the flesh of Christ, so that every man may be, if he will, what Christ is. “The Word was made flesh,” and He has “abolished in His flesh the enmity,” even the fleshly mind. Now He was made our flesh. “There is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds.” 1 Corinthians 15:39. It was the flesh of men that Christ took. It was the flesh of sinful men that He took, for He was “made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” Romans 1:4. Yet He knew no sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21. “He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.” 1 John 3:5. If therefore we will believe, and acknowledge, and hold to, the truth that Christ is our life, we shall find in reality that “as He is so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 229.8

“Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.” 1 John 4:2. “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.” Romans 10:9. How shall we confess the Lord Jesus? What shall we confess about Him?-Confess the truth, namely, that He is come in the flesh, even in our own sinful flesh. Reckon ourselves to be dead, and Him alone to be alive-the life. Then will all things be of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. Then it will no longer be we who profess to be living, and bunglingly trying to manage our own affairs, but Christ who actually lives, and who successfully does the will of God in us. The connection between us and Christ must be a vital one, if we would walk in the way. It must not be simply a joining of hands, that He may lead us in the way, but a union of hearts and lives. We must be lost in Him. Remember that He is the way; therefore if we would walk in the right way, we must live in Him. The identification between us and Him must be complete. What wondrously glorious possibilities there are for us in the fact that Christ is the way and the life-the living way. Let Him do it, and all will be well. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 230.1

THE TRUTH

Jesus is the truth. He says, ” If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” “If the Son therefore shall set you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:31, 32, 36. Thus we see that the Son is the truth which makes free. Only He can give freedom, for nothing but the truth can make men free. Apart from the truth there is only bondage. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold down the truth in unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18, R.V. That is to say that God's wrath is manifested against the ungodliness of those who repress Christ, and refuse to let Him live His perfect life in them. This corroborates the statement that Christ is in every sinful man, ready and anxious to make His life perfect. The fact that a man lives and has breath, which he may use in denying the existence of God, is proof of the presence of God in his flesh. And He is there not to condemn or destroy, but to save. The fact that He stays there and endures all the abuse and shame that is heaped upon Him, proves His forbearance and longsuffering and love. If therefore one will simply “give up,” let go of himself, the truth-the life of Christ-will just as surely manifest itself in him, and will be his life, as grain will grow when good seed is sown in the ground. God has made the way of truth so easy and simple that there is no excuse for those who do not walk in it. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 230.2

Christ is the truth. There is no other. There is no truth in the universe that is not true simply because it is some part of the manifestation of Christ. And there is nothing true that is not in Him. Now it is evident that that which is not true does not really exist. We admit this when we say, “It is not so.” When God made all these things, He created them by His Word. He said, “Let it be,” “and it was so,” that is, it came into being. That which is not so has only a fictitious existence. It seems to be, but the end will show that it is not. If sought for, it cannot be found. In the Sanscrit, from which our language originates, the word for “truth” means simply “that which is.” Christ is; His name is “I AM,” and so He is “the truth.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 230.3

There are men who deny Christ, the truth. How much do such men really know?-Nothing. This is plain enough if we stick to the text. The truth is that which is. But no one can know that which is not. Nobody can know that a thing is so when it is not so. Suppose now, as often happens, that a man has spent a long time diligently studying, and thinks that he has reached a profound conclusion, and it turns out that there is not a word of truth in all that he has been studying. His supposed facts are only fancies. What has he gained? How much does he know as the result of his studies?-Simply nothing. So we see that only in Christ are to be found “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” He is the Author and perfecter of faith, and only by faith can we understand. That which is, is the thing that hath been, and which will be. Christ is the One “which was, and which is, and which is to come.” The truth endures for ever, simply because it is, and therefore, whosoever doeth the truth, or abides in the truth, abides for ever. Men may think that they can acquire vast stores of the wisdom, and yet deny Christ, that is, deny Him in their lives, deny His right to be their life; but all their seeming knowledge will at the last perish with them, showing that both it and they were in reality nothing. Then will it be demonstrated that only in Christ, in knowing Him, can men know anything. Therefore become acquainted with Christ. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 230.4

THE WORD AND THE WORK

“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself; but the Father which dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” John 14:10. Note the change in expression, showing that the Word is the work. We should naturally expect the sentence to run thus: “The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself; but the Father which dwelleth in Me, He speaketh them.” And this is what Christ really said, for whenever God speaks something is done. “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made.” Psalm 33:6. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 230.5

Now read John 8:28, and find the counterpart of the verse in our lesson, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am (He), and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things.” In the first text quoted, we read that Jesus does not speak His own words, but that the Father does the works; in this we read that Jesus does not do the works Himself, but that the Father speaks in Him. Thus we see that the Word and the work of God are one and the same thing. If the Word of God abides in us, then the works of God will be manifested. “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 230.6

GREAT WORKS AND GREATER WORKS

Here is one of the positive assurances of Jesus, that are specially noted by John “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12. How can this be? Do not ask; for just as no man can by searching find out God, so no man can expect to understand how He works, and so of course no one can hope to know how the works of God are wrought in him. The fact is enough for us. “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. Christ was not a monstrosity, a freak of nature, a unique specimen of humanity, never to be paralleled. No; He is “the Man.” He was sent into the world in order that all might have before them an example of a perfect Man, and as a proof that God can make such men. Only as we arrive at “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ,” do we come to “a perfect man.” Ephesians 4:13. God has put into us the same word of reconciliation that was in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19); and as it is the word that works, it follows that the same works will be done by those in whom the Word dwells as were done by Christ. Christ's ministry of reconciliation is committed to us. We are now to appear before the world “in Christ's stead,” as witness for Him, that through us the world may believe in the existence of Christ. This being the case, it follows that the same works that He did must be done. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 230.7

“But we don't see them done now.” That makes no difference with the truth of Christ's words. It only shows how little faith there is even in the church. Men have been too slow to understand the wondrous possibilities embraced in the faith of Jesus. When we receive “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,” then we shall “know what is the hope of His calling,” and “what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.” Ephesians 1:17-20. Why not receive that Spirit now? PTUK April 13, 1899, page 231.1

But what about the “greater works” than those which Christ did? What are they? and how is it possible for us to do them? To both these questions we can only say that we do not know. Moreover it is not likely that we ever will know. Certainly we shall never know how the works are done, for it is only by God's almighty skill that they are wrought. If we cannot know how the least works are done, we certainly cannot know how the greatest are done. We do know that the just will come up to the day of judgment totally unconscious of many good deeds that they have done. Matthew 25:37, 38. What mortal man could endure the knowledge that he was doing greater works than Christ did? If he should think such a thing, the thought itself would lift him up above his Lord and Master, and would ensure his fall. So we must be content and even glad not to know how or what God works in us. The root, buried in the soil, cannot see the glorious fruit that is borne through its faithful ministry, but it works steadily in the place assigned it, content simply to be what God will have it; even so it should be with us. Our part is to trust; God is then responsible for results. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 231.2

IN HIS NAME

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13, 14. A most wonderful promise, and yet a most natural one, when we think what it means to pray in the name of Jesus. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 231.3

In the first place; it does not mean simply the repetition of the word Jesus. That would be but mockery. In Acts 19:13-16 we have an instance of the uselessness of that. The name of Jesus is not to be used as a charm. There is power in it, but it is not the power of magic. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 231.4

We are to pray in His name. That is, we are to be in the name, and the name is Himself. We are to come, not in our own name and person, but in the name and Person of Jesus of Nazareth. We are not to personate Him, however. Such a fraud would quickly be detected. No; we are to be left entirely out of the question. We are not worthy to approach the throne of God. People say, “I am so unworthy: I am not fit to come into God's presence.” Very well, provision has been made for all such cases. We know that Christ is worthy. “In the days of His flesh” He “offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard.” Hebrews 5:7. God never turned away the prayer of His only begotten Son, even “in the days of His flesh,” when He was clothed with our sinful flesh: Everything that He asked was granted. Let us therefore confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh-our flesh. Let us deny ourselves,-deny our own existence,-and acknowledge Him as the only One who liveth. Then it is “not I, but Christ” who approaches the throne of God. Then the answer to our prayers is assured beforehand; for it was for deliverance from our sins that He prayed. Coming thus in His name, we are as sure of receiving the things that we ask for as He was. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 231.5

Our sins were upon Him, and they are upon Him still, for He is still in the flesh, and is still praying for us. The burden of the world's sin was upon Him, and from this He prayed to be delivered. So we can leave ourselves out of the question, and be lost in pity for Christ, as we see Him struggling under the load of sin. Then our pity moves us to make an unselfish prayer, “for the sake of Jesus.” Oh, that he may be delivered from the oppressive load, and may receive His heart's desire! We make common cause with Him. The prayer is heard. He is delivered. But lo, it was our sin that He bore, and as we prayed for deliverance “for Jesus’ sake,” that He might be freed, our sin was removed, and deliverance came to us. Thus His victory is our joy. We prayed in His name, and the Father could not but grant the petition. But it is self-evident that no prayer “in the name of Jesus” can ever be selfish. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 231.6

The name of God is in Christ. Exodus 23:21. So when we pray in the name of Jesus, we are presenting God's own name as the Surety. With what delight then we read the assurance, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” That is a commandment, say you? True; but you must know that in Christ all the commandments of God are blessed promises. Truly, “His commandments are not grievous.” “In keeping of them there is great reward.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 231.7

“Little Folks. The Gospel of the Spring. The Equinox” The Present Truth 15, 15.

E. J. Waggoner

THE EQUINOX

What does this word “Equinox” mean? perhaps you ask. You may have heard it talked about lately, as we have just passed what is called the “Vernal” or Spring “Equinox.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.1

It is made up of two meaning “equal nights.” Latin words meaning “equal nights.” About the 21st of March the days and nights all over the world are just equal, each about twelve hours long, and this is called the time of “equal nights,” or the “Equinox.” PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.2

But after this the days and nights get more and more unequal. The part of the earth that we live on the North, passes more and more into the sunlight and the days get longer. The South passes away from the sun, and the days get shorter and shorter; until, when it is midsummer with us, the longest day, it is midwinter in the South with the shortest day. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.3

Then we pass again to the time of “equal nights.” About the 23rd of September is the “Autumnal Equinox,” when the days and nights are of the same length all over the world again. But after this the South passes into the sunlight, and we pass away from it. Midsummer in the South, their longest day, is our midwinter, the time of short days and long nights. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.4

Now let us think for a little while what it is that makes these changes,-that governs the length of the day all over the world, and makes the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.5

You will remember that when God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament,” He said also, “Let them be for signs, and for seasons and for days and years.” And you know that the year is the exact time which it takes the earth to make its journey round the sun. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.6

But this alone does not make the seasons; for if the earth were to travel round the sun in a perfectly upright position, there would be no change whatever. The days and nights would be always and everywhere just the same length, and some parts of the earth would have nothing but winter, while in other parts there would be continual summer. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.7

The temperature in the part of the earth that we live on would always be what it is about the time of “equal nights,” the end of March and of September. There would never be heat enough to bring any of the fruits of the earth to perfection. So much of the plant and animal life of the world would be impossible. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.8

To what, then, does the earth owe its changing seasons which bring in their turn “cold and heat, summer and winter, seedtime and harvest”? It is to what is called “the inclination of the earth's axis” about which you have most likely learned something in your geography lessons. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.9

Instead of being perfectly upright, the earth inclines, or leans, always towards the North. The North Pole, the uppermost part of the earth, points always to the North Star. Because of this the North Pole is sometimes turned towards the sun, and sometimes away from it, and this has an effect upon the whole earth, and brings the change of seasons all over the globe. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.10

Stick a knitting needle through a ball of wool, or a pencil through a ball of string, and draw this round in a circle with the upper point of the needle turned all the time towards one particular object, and you will see that every part of the ball will be a part of the time turned towards the centre of the circle, and part of the time away from it. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.11

Do you see then to what we owe the life and fruitfulness of the earth? It is to this secret drawing influence, this attraction from that part of the heavens that we call “the North,” that turns the earth always towards it. It is this same drawing power from the North that makes the needle of the compass point always in that direction. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.12

God's Word teaches us that “the North,” “the uttermost North,” is the dwelling-place of God, “the secret place of the Most High,” from which He governs the whole universe. So it is from God Himself that this sweet influence comes, attracting and drawing the earth, making it incline to Himself. “He hangeth the earth upon nothing,” and by His Spirit He guides and holds it in just the position in which it will get the greatest benefit from the life-giving rays of the sun. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.13

Not our earth only, but all the great worlds that God has made He is upholding and drawing to Himself, and guiding in just the way that will bring them the greatest good. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.14

This same sweet influence which attracts the earth towards God, is drawing every one, even every little child, who lives upon it, to Himself. As you feel this sweet influence moving upon your heart, drawing you to turn to God, to love Him, and to give yourself to Him, do not resist His gentle pleadings and grieve His loving Spirit. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 234.15

Let Him turn you fully towards Himself, and guide you in all your ways, to bring the greatest blessing and happiness to you, and to make you a blessing to all around you. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 235.1

“Jottings” The Present Truth 15, 15.

E. J. Waggoner

-A whale, fourteen feet in length, was captured in the Trent, forty miles inland. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.1

-The new Russian ice-breaker has started its career very auspiciously. It went easily through drift foe about five feet thick. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.2

-England, Germany, and the United States have agreed to submit their differences in Samoa to a tripartite Commission. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.3

-A young lady in Philadelphia had her hand permanently injured by the squeeze a gentleman gave it when shaking hands with her. She sued him for damages and was awarded ?2,000. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.4

-The passenger steamer Stella, struck on the Carquet Rocks during a dense fog on her voyage to Guernsey, and was lost. The survivors suffered terribly from exposure, having spent the night in open boats. Between seventy and eighty lives were lost. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.5

-An assault by Turks upon a Bulgarian position has been repulsed with some slaughter. There are persistent rumours of impending trouble between the two countries, and it is generally expected that there will soon be another outbreak of war in the Balkans. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.6

-The Lancet attacks a statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the effect that the people of the United Kingdom would be better off if more beer and less spirits were drunk. The Lancet asserts that beer-drinking in itself is as bad as spirit-drinking, and that the increase in the consumption of beer tends to an increase in the consumption of spirits. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.7

-Coal has been found in Kent at various places in strata of considerable depth. It is no clear yet whether the coal exists in paying quantities, but the indications are that it does, and if this turns out to be the case, it will exert a marked influence on the future of Kent. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.8

-A well-known French Deputy has issued a report in which he professes to prove by evidence obtained at first hand that nine out of ten of the Parisian beggars are impostors. The blind men, he says, can see well enough when the time comes to count their day's takings. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.9

-An expedition on an unusually large scale will leave Russia at the end of April for the exploration of East Central Asia. The Czar has contributed ?6,000 to the funds. The expedition will travel through Thibet, devoting itself to scientific studies, especially to the surveying of those regions not yet accurately mapped. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.10

-Malolos, the capital of the insurgent Filipinos, has been captured after slight resistance, and occupied by the American troops. The insurgents, before retreating to the north, set the town on fire. It is understood that the Americans will not pursue the Filipinos into their mountain fastnesses during the rainy season. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.11

-Bull-fighting has been revived in Havre. It is over thirty years ago since the people of that town closed the arena, and it is only after long negotiations with the municipality that leave has been obtained to reopen it. Some 8,000 spectators were present at the first performance. The bull-fights will be held every Sunday, and the organisers hope to make big profits from English visitors. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.12

-The recent “lease” of territory at Hong Kong to the British Government is now considered insufficient, and a proposition for the acquirement of a larger piece of ground has been submitted to the Tsung-li-Yamen. To ensure due consideration for the suggestion, it has been accompanied by an intimation that in the event of a refusal, the existing Chinese customs establishments will be removed from British territory. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.13

-The Viceroy of India, speaking at Lyallpur, the centre of the most recent Panjaub irrigation scheme, said that four years ago, the town, now a flourishing market, was a barren uninhabited jungle. In six years 1,000,000 acres had been brought under cultivation, at a capital outlay of ?1,500,000 sterling. It is now estimated that the total value of the crops in a single year equals the capital cost of the entire works. There is also a population of 200,000, where six years ago there were no inhabitants. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.14

-A Temperance Congress has been opened at Paris. It is divided into three sections, the first of these being scientific and medical. The social, political and legislative aspects of the question stand apart. The educational side is left to future discussion. The congress will take as its maxim the absolute elimination of alcohol as an essential factor in human diet. The criminal tendencies of over-drinking will probably be the most interesting feature of the congress. Dr. J. H. Kellogg, whose name is well known to our readers, is attending the congress as a delegate. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.15

-The authorities in South Africa object to natives being brought to England from there for the purpose of taking part in mimic combats and savage sports. It is said that a hen the natives return they exercise a bad influence over their people. They are merely overgrown children, and go home completely spoilt. A number of Zulus who were enraged at a London entertainment were engaged in a London entertainment were having enough when they left Durban, where mere of them had been in civilised employment for years, but they came back ferocious drunkards. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 238.16

“Back Page” The Present Truth 15, 15.

E. J. Waggoner

The concluding portion of “In Gethsemane,” by Mrs. E. G. White, which began last week, will appear in our next issue. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.1

That which keeps men from receiving God's blessings in larger measure is the selfish use they make of those they do receive. Not passing on to others what they receive, they cannot develop in Christian experience, and are content to be ministered unto instead of being ministers. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.2

Christ was faithful in all things, as a good steward of the manifold grace of God. No good that He enjoys is retained to minister to His own pleasure, or uphold His own dignity, but is given freely to all. He had everything that heart could wish, yet He emptied Himself, and, taking the form of a servant, became obedient unto death, even the, death of the cross. It was His joy to serve others, and it is when He sees others saved that His soul is satisfied. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.3

Because this mind was in Christ, God could safely commit everything into His hands, knowing that the power would be used to bless others. So God hath given to Him a name which is above every name. But this is not the end. We are not to think of Christ as having gained the position He coveted, and to secure which He suffered Himself to be humiliated for awhile. He is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. Therefore He remains a servant in heart still. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.4

“Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel.” Acts 5:31. But it is the goodness of God that leads man to repentance (Romans 2:4), therefore the more highly Christ is exalted, the more will He continue to show forth the goodness of God in His dealings with us. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.5

Satan is the king of Babylon, so that every one who is in any way subject to Satan is in Babylon. But no one need remain there. There is a way of escape for all, for the message of the everlasting Gospel to every nation is that “Babylon is fallen.” Revelation 14. God calls men out, that they may not be partakers of her sins, and that they receive not of her plagues. Revelation 18:4. “Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing; declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed His servant Jacob.” Isaiah 48:20. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.6

We noted last week some statements by an archdeacon on the ignorance of the Bible among candidates for the church. Dean Farrar is reported to have said a few days ago at a conference of schoolmasters, held at Canterbury, PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.7

He was fairly amazed at times at the ignorance which children and youths and men showed on the subject of the Bible. He constantly found amazing ignorance of the simplest facts and principles of the Bible, and he had found that very strikingly in candidates for Holy Orders when he acted for some years as examining chaplain to the Bishop of Worcester. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.8

The Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking later, said PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.9

he knew repeated Instances of man who was sent out from the Universities as examiners who were not fit to examine in religious knowledge. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.10

This is hardly to be wondered at when the pulpit is so full of infidelity, and uses its influence to make the Word of God subordinate to the speculations and reasonings of man. The Archbishop himself has publicly asserted the fallibility of the Scriptures, quoting a discrepancy, which was palpably due to an error in copying, to back up his statement that the writers of some of the boots of the Bible were not trustworthy, although their intentions were honest. When the most highly placed official of the Church of England prefers not to accept an easy and natural explanation why a certain figure is given as seven in one book of the Bible and three in another, it is not strange that examiners and teachers and pupils should conclude that it is waste of time to study a book which is untrustworthy. If parents and teachers and ministers sow the seeds of doubt, they must not expect to reap a harvest of faith. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.11

The following is taken from a leading daily paper:- PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.12

The Trust system in America has attained gigantic dimensions since the close of the Spanish-American war. So rapid has been its growth and so widespread its operation during the last year that a complete change has been brought about in the industrial system of the United States. Today in America all the chief industries of modern life, except farming and banking, are concentrated into the hands of fifty-four great combinations, controlling between them some three hundred and sixty-six million pounds of capital. Such enormous aggregations of wealth and the power that wealth brings in the hands of a few may seem to be a direct menace to labour all the world over. But the amalgamation of millionaire interests promote as nothing else can the real solidarity of labour. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.13

And when millionaire interests are consolidated, and the solidarity of labour secured, what will be the position? Each will form a powerful army, and there will be war to the death. “Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.” Isaiah 8:9. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.14

The Scriptures recognise that there will be oppression of the poor by the rich in the last days. But the Lord judges the cause of the poor. In this is their only hope. “Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” James 5:4. The Lord hates oppression, but when the labourers organise, that they may oppress their oppressors, they take their case out of the Lord's hand. He cannot approve or support their course. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.15

“Shall men sit down tamely then under oppression?” If they commit their cause to God they may be quite sure that all that God can do for them will be done. “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.” “For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts [the Lord of sabaoth] Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” Isaiah 8:11-13. Labour organisations may have good objects, but they often work hardships on those whose interests they seek. There is only one Union which will never fail to secure its objects, and which will never work an injury to its members, its resources are sufficient for every struggle, and no applicant for membership is refused. “And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are One: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one.” John 17:22, 23. PTUK April 13, 1899, page 240.16