The Present Truth, vol. 14

May 5, 1898

“Power and Love” The Present Truth 14, 18.

E. J. Waggoner

Who has not had the experience of trembling at the thought of the mighty power of God? We have been glad to hear about His love and tender compassion as revealed in the miracles of Christ, and in His death for mankind, but have dreaded to hear of His eternal power and Divinity. Often we hear men wax eloquent over the love of God, who lose all their enthusiasm when it comes to telling about His power. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 273.1

All such exaltation of the love of God at the expense of His power, shows a lack of acquaintance with Him. It shows that they have not yet learned what it is to trust in the Lord. Yea, it reveals a lack of love for God, for “perfect love casteth out fear. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John iv. 18. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 273.2

It is impossible for us to have perfect love for one with whom we are not well acquainted. Now it is a fact that God is all-powerful. “Power belongeth unto God.” Ps. lxii. 11. He is the Almighty. But “God is love.” 1 John iv. 8. Therefore to feel any shrinking from the power of God, indicates ignorance of the perfection of His love. He cannot be other than He is, neither can He separate any of His attributes from Himself. So then if we do not rejoice in the mighty power of God, we do not rejoice in God at all; for we do not know Him. Love is attractive, and “God is love.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 273.3

It was the love of God that moved Him to save men from death. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John iii. 16. But what would His love amount to, if He had not power to accomplish what it prompted Him to undertake? Abraham knew God, and trusted Him, because he was “fully persuaded that what He had promise, He was able also to perform.” Rom. iv. 21. It is in the almighty power of God, and in that alone, that all our hope of salvation rests; and in saying that we are not in the least disparaging the love of God, for His power is love, since He Himself is love. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 273.4

The Apostle Paul exclaims, “God forbid I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Gal vi. 14. The cross of Christ is our salvation; it is our joy and rejoicing; it is the one thing of importance to men. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Yet the preaching of the Cross “is the power of God.” Therefore the only thing worth glorying in is the power of God. Is it not true, then, that he who does not rejoice in God's power, does not know Him, and therefore does not love Him? PTUK May 5, 1898, page 273.5

Let one read the Bible carefully and thoughtfully, and he will see that the one thing which is dwelt upon more than all others, is the power and greatness of God. Take the ninety-fifth Psalm as a single instance. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.1

Come! let us joyfully sing unto Jehovah,
Let our shouts ring to the Rock of our help!
Let us come before His face with songs of
thanksgiving,
With stringed instruments joyfully saying to
Him!
For a great God is Jehovah,
A great King above all gods.
In Him the heights of the mountains belong.
His is the sea; He made it;
The lands His hands have fashioned. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.2

When God commissioned His servants to give a special message of comfort to His people, saying, “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people” (Isa. xl. 1), He makes Himself known as the One who holds the seas in the hollow of His hand, and before whom all nations are as a drop from a bucket. Verses 12, 15. “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; He calleth them all by name; by the greatness of His might, and for that He is strong in power, not one is lacking.” Verse 26, R.V. What is the comfort of this?—“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.” “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.3

Beneath His watchful eye,
His saints securely dwell.
That hand which bears creation up
Shall guard His children well. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.4

Who does not feel that there is something majestic in the name Jehovah? There is no other name which conveys such a sense of strength and majesty. When we know that this is the name that is used in the twenty-third Psalm, what a new sense of security it gives us to read, PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.5

Jehovah is my Shepherd,
Therefore I can lack nothing. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.6

Who is it that leads beside the still waters, and in the green pastures, and who restores our soul?—It is the Lord Jehovah, in whom is “everlasting strength.” All right, then; we need not be afraid; we can safely rest in His power. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.7

It is the arm of the Lord that delivered Israel from the Egyptians, and that divided the Red Sea, and it is on His arm that His people trust. They cry, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in that ancient days, in the generations of old. Art Thou not he that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Are Thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?” Isa. li. 9, 10. But it is this same mighty arm, the arm with which He rules the nations, that gathers the tender lambs of the flock. Isa. xl. 10, 11. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.8

As thy days, so shall thy strength be. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.9

There is none like unto God, O Jeshrun,
Who rideth upon the heaven for Thy help,
And in His excellency on the skies.
The eternal God is Thy dwelling-place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.10

The last comforting words of the Lord to His disciples, were of His power. “Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” This was His promise; and the Holy Ghost is the Comforter. When the disciples have received the power of the Holy Ghost, then, said He, “Ye shall be My witnesses;” that is, when we have received power, then, and only then, can we represent Him. Only by the manifestation of His power, can we show His love. Recollect that the miracles of Jesus, in which we all delight, and which reveals such wonderful, tender love and compassion, were but revelations of the mighty power of God. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.11

When we know that God is love, what a delight it becomes to meditate upon His works, and to talk of His power! This is to be the occupation of His saints now and in eternity. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.12

One generation shall laud Thy works to another,
And shall declare Thy mighty acts.
The glorious majesty of Thine honour,
And of Thy wondrous works, will I meditate.
And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible
acts;
And I will declare Thy greatness.
They shall honor the memory of Thy great good-
ness,
And shall sing of Thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion;
Slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The Lord is good to all;
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
All Thy work shall give thanks unto Thee, O
Lord;
And Thy saints shall bless Thee.
They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom,
And talk of Thy power;
To make known to the sons of men His mighty
acts,
And the glory of the majesty of His kingdom. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 274.13

“Notes on the International Sunday-School Lessons. Watchfulness. Matt. xxiv. 42-51” The Present Truth 14, 18.

E. J. Waggoner

MAY 15

Replying to the question of the disciples, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?” Jesus briefly mentioned some of the events which would mark the progress of the world's history from that time until His second coming, speaking with special definiteness of the signs which would appear in the last generation. And then, in view of the fact that the exact time of His coming is not revealed, He gives the exhortation to watchfulness which furnishes the basis of our study this week. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.1

CHRIST’S COMING THE CONSUMMATION

In the coming of the Lord is found the consummation of the hope of every believer in Christ. Then will be “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” The promise to Abraham was “that he should be the heir of the world,” but “by faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise,” and God “gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on.” “These [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob] all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declared plainly that they seek a country, ... But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly.” Heb. xi. 13-16. And if we are Christ’s, then are we Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal. iii. 29. For our citizenship is in heaven, wherefore a Saviour also we are ardently awaiting, the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil. iii. 20. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.2

THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

Christ's work for us includes the restoration of all that was lost through sin. Man will be “renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him,” and the earth will be freed from the curse and its effects, “For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He shall make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” Isa. li. 3. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.3

But this work will not be completed until He returns to this earth for His people. His promise is: “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John xiv. 2, 3. “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. xxii. 12. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.4

So it is in the coming of the Lord that the hope of the waiting church has centred during all the centuries. We are instructed concerning those who “are fallen asleep in Christ:” “But 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 the Lord Himself shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.... Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thess. iv. 13-18. So at the coming of the Lord the dead are raised, the living will be changed, and the reward will be given to God's servants, the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear His name, small and great. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.5

THE TIME NOT REVEALED, BUT NEAR

Now the exact time of the Lord's coming has not been revealed. “But of that day and hour and knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Matt. xxiv. 36. And some seem to regard this as a sufficient reason for not knowing anything about the event, but many prophecies point out when it is near, and after giving a series of signs connected with His second coming, the Saviour said: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors.” Verses 32, 33. Those who will believe the Word will know of the time. “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” 1 Thess. v. 1. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.6

THE NECESSITY FOR WATCHFULNESS

Those who may know that He is near, even at the doors, are urged to watchfulness: “Watch therefore; for ye know not when your Lord doth come.” The thief chooses the night for his work, and his efforts are successful when he can find “the master of the house” resting in fancied security, with the idea that no thief is likely to visit his premises. But even if careful watch should be maintained for a part of the night, and then relaxed because no thief had been seen, then would be just the time for a successful robbery. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.7

NO IDLE WATCHERS

But watching also includes working. We are not to sit idly by, merely waiting for the time to pass, but “what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for an hastening the coming of the day of God.” These are they who are diligent in making known that their Lord's coming is near, and knowing the terror of the Lord they persuade men. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over His household, to give them meat in due season! Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing.” It is the duty of the servant to “feed the church of God,” by teaching them the Word of God, and he who has been set as a watchman on the walls of Zion should be the first to give warning of any approaching event. What a neglect of duty it is when he is the very one who “shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming!” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.8

But there will be those who will ridicule the idea, and this is in itself one of the signs of the times. “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter iii. 3, 4. It may seem at times as though His coming was being deferred longer than we had hoped, and yet “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 275.9

THE DAY FAST APPROACHING

Just now the exhortation to watchfulness should be earnestly heeded. “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” We are living in the last generation. The last signs are being fulfilled. We now see “upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” What means this war spirit which is now taking such a hold upon men in all parts of the world? What means this arming of the nations? It is simply the preparation for “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 276.1

How soon the storm will burst we know not, but we know that “the day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly.” Now let every one who has received light be faithful to his trust by giving the light to others. “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching.... And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.” Luke xii. 35, 38. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 276.2

“The Epistle to the Galatians. The Flesh, the Spirit, and the Law” The Present Truth 14, 18.

E. J. Waggoner

We have seen that love is the fulfilling not the abolishing of the law. All the law is fulfilled in the Word, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” To say that love is a substitute for the keeping of the law, is to say that love is a substitute for itself. Men may say that they do not see very much love in the commandments, and that they do not seem to them to be the fulfilling of all love; but that tells nothing against the words of the Scriptures. It simply shows that they do not know the law of God, and that they are speaking evil of that which they know not. Let them but become acquainted with the Lord, and they would find that “His commandments are not grievous,” but are the fullness of His own life of love. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 276.3

The law is love; “but if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” That is to say, If ye do not observe the law of love, then destruction will be your lot. They who despise the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and love, which are all embodied in His law, whether they see it or not, are heaping up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath and perdition of ungodly men. They who reject God's law are simply working for their own destruction; and they who teach others to despise the law, are not only contributing to the destruction of those others, but are inviting those others to destroy them. When respect and love for God's law are weakened, then are the flood-gates of violence and crime opened. But there is a brighter side, with grander possibilities, and it is presented in the PTUK May 5, 1898, page 276.4

THE LESSON FOR THE WEEK

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. [“They that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.” R.V.] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Gal. v. 16-26. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 276.5

THE FLESH OPPOSED TO THE SPIRIT

The flesh and the Spirit are in direct opposition. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other.” There is no agreement whatever between the flesh and the Spirit. The Spirit strives with men in the flesh, seeking to control the individual to the glory of God; but so long as the Spirit is not fully yielded to, there is no peace, but continual war and unrest. He who is not controlled by the Spirit of God, is controlled by the sins of human nature, and is therefore a slave; “every one that committeth sin is the bond-servant of sin.” John viii. 34. On the contrary, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Cor. iii. 17. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 276.6

THE FLESH OPPOSED TO THE LAW

It is clear that there is no agreement between the flesh and the Spirit. What about the flesh and the law? Remembering that “carnal” means fleshly, read Rom. viii. 7: “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” So then the flesh and the law of God are in as direct opposition as are the flesh and the Spirit. Let us now read a little further, to see that this is not a three-cornered fight, but that the flesh is opposed to both the law and the Spirit, because both the law and the Spirit are one. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 276.7

THE LAW AND THE SPIRIT IN UNISON

The story is really all told in Rom. viii. 1-8, which we will read:— PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.1

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.2

Note especially the items in the foregoing: (1) The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those who walk after the Spirit. (2) The flesh and the Spirit are in direct and deadly opposition, as already noted. (3) To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Why?—Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God. (4) Thus we see that the opposition of the flesh to the Spirit is simply its opposition to the law of God. This follows as the natural consequence of the fact stated in Rom. vii. 14: “The law is spiritual.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.3

THOSE LED BY THE SPIRIT KEEP THE LAW

Having seen that those who follow the Spirit fulfill the righteousness of the law, read verse 18 in our lesson. “But if ye be led of the Spirit ye are not under the law.” That is to say, Those who fulfil the law, are not under the law. What a pity that there are so many who profess to be teachers of the Word, and who, more than all, make a special point of the baptism of the Spirit, who have so little spiritual discernment, and so little acquaintance with the Spirit of God, that they can use the words, “Ye are not under the law,” as meaning that the law of God is not to be observed! The only reason why any are not under the law, is that they are keeping it through the Spirit. To reject the law of God is to reject the Spirit, for “the law is spiritual.” Those who walk after the Spirit fulfill the law, and only such are not under the law. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.4

JUSTIFIED THROUGH THE SPIRIT

It is not clear that there is in this not the slightest ground for any one's thinking that men are justified by the works of the law, but the very opposite? It is the work of the Spirit of God that brings justification. But the works of the Spirit are perfect righteousness, even the righteousness of the law. The Spirit is the living, personal representative of Christ. It is by the Spirit that Christ dwells in the heart. This makes a complete new life. The old life passes away, as the old man is crucified with Christ, so that the life that is now lived in the flesh is the life of Christ. The only life that appears is the perfect life of Christ. The law has nothing against Him, since He has always done the will of the Father. There is therefore no condemnation to such an one. He is justified. Why?—Because no unrighteousness-no transgression of the law-is found in Him. Then he continues to walk in the law, not by his own power, but through the power of the Spirit. The justification is therefore all of God, and to Him alone is the glory. No man can boast, but he that glorifieth must glory in the Lord. Justification is not by the works of the law; but the very work “justification,” which means made righteous, is an assurance that the law is not ignored, but that the perfection of it is so put into and upon the believer that no fault can be found in him. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.5

THE WORKS OF THE FLESH

Verses 19-21 contain a partial list of the works of the flesh. The list given is only a sample of them, closing with the words, “and such like.” Note that they are the works of the flesh, that is, they are such things as are natural to mankind. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.6

Compare this list with that given by the Lord, in Mark vii. 21-23, as things that come from within, from the heart of man. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.7

Compare both these with the list given in Rom. i. 28-32, as the things done by the heathen, who did not like to retain God in their knowledge. They are the things that are done by all who do not know the Lord. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.8

Then compare these lists of sins with the list given by the apostle Paul in 2 Tim. iii. 1-5, of things that will be done in the last days by those who even have a form of godliness. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.9

How can it be possible that men professing to be Christians can be guilty of such horrible deeds?—The answer is easy: it is because they reject the law of the Lord. Worst of all is the fact that they are guilty of all these things even while seeking the very highest profession of godliness, in that they profess to be led by the Spirit. But since they have so little knowledge of the Spirit that they imagine that the reception of the Spirit gives them liberty to cast off the law of God and trample it under foot, they are abandoned to all sorts of sins. It can not be otherwise. They use their liberty as an occasion to the flesh, and while making liberty, and promising other people liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption. 2 Peter ii. 19. O, the pity and the awfulness of it! PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.10

THEY CANNOT BE HID

The works of the flesh are manifest. They cannot be hid. That which is in the heart must show itself in the life, no matter how much one may endeavor to conceal it. “An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil.” Luke vi. 45. All the evil things that are named in Gal. v. 19-21 are in every human heart by nature. No man is responsible for their being in his heart, for he is born with them. They form our inheritance from our ancestors, from Adam down. But we are responsible if they are allowed to remain in the heart; for the Spirit of God will utterly remove them if allowed free access. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.11

But the righteousness of the Spirit is the righteousness of the law, and therefore whoever depreciates and rejects the law of God, or any part of it, thereby rejects the Spirit, no matter what his profession may be. So although he may for a time succeed in concealing the existence of the wickedness of his heart, not only from the world, but even from himself, it is sure sooner or later to manifest itself. Then when the law of God shall have been so preached in the demonstration of the Spirit that all have heard its claims, and the multitude have rejected it, will the Spirit leave them to their own desires, and then PTUK May 5, 1898, page 277.12

will be experienced the “perilous times” spoken of by the apostle, for all the earth will be filled with violence, even as it was in the days that were before the flood. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.1

“AND SUCH LIKE”

Read again that list of the works of the flesh. They are these: “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings.” “They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” One would naturally think not, for it is a bad list. Yet in reading them, one is apt to overlook some of the things named, and to dwell only on what seem to be the worst ones, as adultery, murder, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.1

Those are quite universally regarded as outbreaking sins. But notice the words, “and such like.” That means that there are others in the same class, and moreover it means that all the things that are here named are identical in character. The Scripture tells us that hatred is murder. “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.” 1 John iii. 15. Moreover, anger is also murder, as shown by the Saviour in Matt. v. 21, 22. Envy, which is so common, also contains murder in it. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.2

But who regards emulation as so sinful? Isn't emulation encouraged everywhere? Are not children from their infancy taught to strive to surpass somebody else? Is not emulation fostered, not only by schools of all kinds, but also in the home, and in the church? So far from being regarded as sinful in the extreme, it is cultivated. And yet the Word of God assures us that it is of the same kind as adultery, fornication, murder, and drunkenness, and that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Is it not a fearful thing? PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.3

The love of self, the desire for the supremacy, is the source of all the other sins that are mentioned. Out of that have grown innumerable murders. And to think that many mothers are unconsciously training up their children to just such things, even while striving to bring them up properly, by saying: “Now see if you can not behave better than so-an-so.” “See if you can not learn to read or to play better than such an one.” “See if you can not keep your clothes looking as nice as that one.” All such expressions, which are everyday words in thousands of households, are teaching emulation, and setting a false standard. The child is not taught to distinguish between the right and the wrong, and to love the right, but is simply trained to appear better than somebody else. That leads to deception, for all that is thought necessary is to present a better appearance than others, while the heart is corrupt. Those others may not be of very high character, and so the emulator is satisfied, even in this faulty exertion, with simply appearing better than some one who is himself very bad. Ah, the abominable works of the flesh are lurking where many least suspect them! The only remedy is the Spirit of God. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.4

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

When the Spirit is given control, the works of the flesh will no longer be manifested, because the Spirit drives them out of the heart. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” There is no room for emulation there. “Against such there is no law.” Why not? Simply because these things are the result of obedience to the law through the Spirit. It is impossible for the natural man to possess these good things. It is impossible for us of ourselves to love those who despise us, or to suffer long and be kind. It is not possible for us to rejoice when we are ill-treated, or even to rejoice when somebody else, moved by the spirit of emulation, surpasses us, and takes from us a prize which we coveted. But it is possible for the Spirit of God. What a blessed condition the one is in who possesses the fruit of the Spirit. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.5

NO POPERY

“Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another.” That is to say, Let us have done with emulations and strife. Emulation and strife are the natural outgrowth of self-righteousness, the exaltation of self above God's law. This is the very essence of popery. If there were no emulation, no strife, there would be no pope. The Papacy,-the existence in the world of such a thing as a pope,-is the result of the strife for the supremacy among the early bishops. At first all bishops, or elders, or presbyters, or pastors, for all mean the same thing, were equal. “All ye are brethren,” said Christ, and for a little while they lived as brethren. But soon there was a strife as to who should be the greatest and the streets of more than one city, Rome especially, ran with blood which was shed in these contest. The final result was the recognition of the bishops of Rome as supreme. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.6

“But how can it be that so many acknowledge the pope's supremacy, if the popish spirit is inherent in human nature?” Thus: when the popish principle is admitted, some one must be chief, or else there will be a war of extermination. So the others unite in homage to the fortunate one, in hope that their turn may come next, or in the knowledge that they will at least be popes of lesser rank, exercising lordship over those who are beneath them. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.7

Wherever there is emulation, there is the Papacy; and wherever the Papacy is, there is every evil work. The Spirit of God casts out the Papacy from the individual human heart, by producing meekness, faith, goodness. He who knows that from self only evil can come, and that all good things come only from the Spirit, is made humble by that very knowledge. Knowing that he is nothing, he gives place to the Spirit, and the fruits of the Spirit grow in him. Such an one is truly happy, because he is, through the Spirit, “perfect and entire, lacking nothing.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 278.8

“Jerry McAuley” The Present Truth 14, 18.

E. J. Waggoner

The late Jerry McAuley, who for twelve years superintended the famous Water Street Mission in New York City, was converted while serving a fifteenth-year sentence in the penitentiary for theft. He was pardoned when his sentence had about half expired, but in a short time became a worse drunkard than ever. Through the efforts of some city missionaries, he was reclaimed, and brought back to God, but fell into drunkenness five times during the first year of his new start. At least he was persuaded to give up the use of tobacco, and he never fell again. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 279.1

“The Shepherd Boy” The Present Truth 14, 18.

E. J. Waggoner

Although the Scriptures give a very full account of David's life, but little is told us of his early days. We know, however, that these were spent at Bethlehem, and he is first brought before us as a shepherd, minding his father's sheep. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.1

Bethlehem was a small town, built on one of the highest hills in Palestine, about four miles to the south of Jerusalem. Its name signifies “The House of Bread,” and was probably bestowed on it on account of the fertility of the surrounding country. Even at the present time, visitors to the place report that fruit trees and vineyards abound, and that the neighbourhood of Bethlehem is not surpassed by any in Palestine for luxuriance and beauty. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.2

It was an ancient city in David's time. The patriarch Jacob had sojourned there in his wanderings and it was near by that Rachel had died and was buried. The monument erected by Jacob to the memory of his beloved wife was still standing. It was in Bethlehem, too, that David's great grand-parents, Ruth and Boaz, had their homes; and it was there, a thousand years later, that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was manifested in sinful flesh to save His people from their sins. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel.” Micah v. 2. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.3

Jesse, David's father, was counted a very old man. He had eight sons, of whom David was the youngest, and two daughters, both of whom had children of their own. These, although David's nephews, which be about the same age as himself. They were doubtless among his youthful companions, and we can imagine how, as they minded their sheep together, or practised with their slings, they would talk of what they hoped to do when they grew to be men. It is not likely, however, that they anticipated becoming so famous as they afterwards did. One of them became a great king, and all grew up to be famous warriors. Joab, the great general and statesman, brave but crafty and unscrupulous; Abishai, the mighty men of valour; Asahel, “as light of foot as a wild roe;” and Amasa, who afterwards commanded the army of Absalom and was slain by Joab in treachery, were among these nephews of David. Then there was Elhanan who became one of the chief mighty men of Israel. He also lived at Bethlehem. It must have been a cause of sadness to David in after life to know that so many of the playmates of his youth should destroy one another, and to find them siding with his enemies against him. It was an experience of this kind that made him write the forty-first Psalm. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.4

Yea, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,
which did eat of my bread,
Hath lifted up his heel against me. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.5

For David was not only a shepherd boy, able to run races with the fleet-footed Asahel, and to sling stones like Joab and the others, but was also a musician and a poet. As he listened to the voice of Nature, speaking all around him, and thought upon the Word of God, he sang promises to his Maker, and made sweet music on the harp. He had carefully stored up the instruction received from his father Jesse, Samuel the prophet, and other good men, and had hidden the words of God in his heart that he might not sin against Him. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.6

We do not know whether any of the Psalms contained in the Bible were written by David at this time, but it is very likely that some of them were, and even if they were written in after years, we know that the thoughts in them came to him in those early shepherd days. It was then he had the blessed experience of which he sang in the thirty-second Psalm:— PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.7

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth
not iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no guile....
I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity
have I not hid:
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the
Lord;
And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.8

The shepherd's work was not done at sunset. The sheep had to be guarded from the attacks of hungry wild beasts, or these would come and destroy the flock, so that David sometimes had to remain out at night, and watch the sheepfold. It was not always pleasant, but instead of complaining, he composed verses on the beauties of the star-lit heavens. The eighth Psalm was one of the songs he wrote on this subject. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.9

O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Thy name in all the earth!
Who hast set Thy glory upon the heavens ...
When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy
fingers,
The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained
What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.10

David knew that although he was young and simple, the Lord could reveal in him the same glory that made the heavens beautiful, and so we find these words in the same psalm:— PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.11

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast
Thou established strength. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.12

When Jesus reminded the Jews of these words He said, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou has perfected praise;” so that when God was doing this with David, He was “establishing strength” in him. That this was a real strength was seen in David's case. More than once while he was guarding the sheep at night, fierce beasts came prowling round, and on one occasion a lion, emboldened by hunger, seized one of the lambs, and was dragging it away. David might have thought of the great danger he would run by interfering with the lion, and perhaps reason that he could not hope to save the lamb, and his own life was more precious. But no, he had the true shepherd heart. He loved his sheep, and his only thought was that the lamb was in danger and must be rescued. Besides, God was his strength, and even though the lion was much stronger than himself, God was stronger still. So he went in God's strength to do his duty, taking only a shepherd's staff. He overtook the lion and struck it until it dropped the lamb and turned on David. Then it was seen that God really girded him with strength, for in spite of its superior strength the lion was slain. Another time a bear attack the fold, but David pursued it and fought it with the same result. He must have had this in mind when he wrote the seventeenth Psalm. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 282.13

He is like a lion that is greedy of prey,
And as it were a young lion lurking in secret
places.
Arise, O Lord.
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my soul from the wicked by Thy sword;
From men, by Thy hand, O Lord. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.1

In after years when crafty enemies were about him, trying to lure him into wrong paths that he might fall into evil and be ruined, he remembered how the Lord had upheld him as he climbed from crag to crag of the limestone rocks of Bethlehem, making him sure-footed and keeping him from falling. So when he was at last delivered from the persecutions of Saul, he sang in the eighteenth Psalm:— PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.2

He maketh my feet like hind's feet:
And setteth me upon my high places ...
Thy right hand hath holden me up,
And Thy gentleness hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged to my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.3

David knew what it was to be tired and hungry and thirsty. In the hot summer days how he liked to lead the flock to the well which was by the gate of Bethlehem, where they could quench their thirst with the clear, cold water. Many years after, when the Philistines invaded the land, and had taken possession of Bethlehem, David and his men were in a fortress not far off. They ran short of water, and David could not help thinking of the cool, delicious draughts he used to get at the old well. “And David longed and said, Oh that one would give me a drink of the water of the well Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” When some of his mighty man heard that, three of them went down to Bethlehem, broke through the Philistine host, drew water at the well and brought it back to David. He did not like to drink water that had been procured at such a risk, so he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. We learn from the incident, however, how highly he had learned to prize the well in his earlier life, and this helps us to appreciate more fully the words of the sixty-third Psalm, which he wrote at the time just referred to:— PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.4

O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee:
My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for
Thee,
In a dry and weary land, where no water is. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.5

In all the experiences of his life the youthful shepherd learned to see the working of God. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses also, had tended sheep, and as David studied the records of the past, he saw how all men were like sheep, and God was a great Shepherd, feeding and guiding His flock, and leading them to the fountain of the water of life. So he sang in the ninety-fifth Psalm:— PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.6

O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker:
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture, and the
sheep of His hand. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.7

He knew how the very helplessness of the sheep appealed to his own heart, and how carefully he sought to lead them where the pasturage was best and the way was easiest. So the Lord was guiding him, only with infinitely greater love and wisdom, and the joyful realisation of this thought found expression in the beautiful “Shepherd Psalm,” which has gladdened the heart of every believer who has read it, and will continue to inspire rejoicing till we all enter the heavenly fold. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.8

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters ... alley of the
shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.9

So the shepherd boy was learning the ways of the Lord. By faithfulness in the discharge of the duties allotted to him, he was developing a character that God could use anywhere. One who does everything to the glory of God, even if it be only minding-sheep, is achieving true and lasting greatness, and as we follow the history of God's dealings with him, we shall see how PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.10

He chose David also his servant,
And took him from the sheep-folds:
From following the ewes that give suck He
brought him,
To feed Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 283.11

“Back Page” The Present Truth 14, 18.

E. J. Waggoner

“What must I do to be saved?” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.1

There is but one answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.2

“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.3

“By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.4

“But I don't feel as I ought to; I cannot feel that I am saved.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.5

If you have never been saved, how do you know how you ought to feel? You don't know how a saved man feels. If you depend on feeling, you will never know whether you are saved or not, for you will never be sure that you have the right feeling, especially since one's feelings change from day to day, and even in a moment. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.6

Can you feel a thing that you don't take hold of? Feeling is touching. If you want to feel that you are saved, the most sensible thing to do is to lay hold on salvation, and that is done only by faith. “Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.7

“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” The Word of God gives life to the dead; and life is salvation. But a dead man cannot feel anything. The Word awakens him to feeling; but a live man does not by any means always have the same feeling. You therefore receive the living Word of God, and you will find life. Then no matter what your feeling may be, you will know that you are saved. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.8

Jesus saves! That is what His name means. “I even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Saviour.” Isa. xliii. 11. “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa. xlv. 22. Thank God for salvation that depends not on our fitful feeling, but on His eternal, almighty power! “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Do it, then, do it! PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.9

It is refreshing to come across one remonstrance at least against the incongruous association of bloodshed, perfidy, cruelty and greed with “Christian nations.” The Bishop of Marlborough, in his sermon at St. Paul's Cathedral, April 24th, is reported to have said:— PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.10

Look out upon the world from Klondyke to Rhodesia: and from the banks of the Niger to the Far East where the four Christian cultures, Russia, England, Germany, and France, are gloating over the moribund Empire of China, claiming it not for Christ, the Master of the Nations, but passionately claiming it for commercial purposes. Mammon, Mammon, Mammon! Can your Christian consciences be satisfied with the aspect of things represented by those Christian vultures, not having claimed China for Christ, but for cotton or gold? PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.11

The managing partner of the Walker Engineering and Galvanising Company, Mr. James Judge, who is an engineer and an inventor of long experience, has just patented a gun which he believes will, when perfected, discharge 30,000 bullets a minute. It uses no powder, and the discharge will presumably be comparatively noiseless. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.12

The gun discharges its missiles by centrifugal force, being, in fact, a wonderful development of the ancient sling. He has a disc working within a case of 15,000 revolutions per minute, a speed which has already been obtained in practice. From the circumference of the disc project two hands. The bullets are poured into the case from a hopper, and as they fall are caught by the hands, which in coming round rain them out in a continuous stream through an orifice. They are guided into a sieve which may be elevated or depressed and sighted like the muzzle of a rifle. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.13

The Daily Chronicle, in an editorial notice of this machine, says: “Scarcely a day now passes without the invention of something more startling in man-killing implements than those of which the world well wots.” PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.14

It is reported that President McKinley's call for 125,000 volunteers for the war with Spain has been responded to by more than 700,000 men. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.15

The Daily Chronicle speaks of “the feverish eagerness with which the Christian world is waiting for some copious effusion of blood.” It is a sad thing that such an expression is not sarcasm, but quite accurately describes the situation. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.16

The United States has now formally declared war against Spain. As yet the actual fighting has been confined to a short bombardment of the Cuban city of Matanzas. The Spanish fleet has left the St. Verde Islands, where it remained so long to everybody's surprise, and has gone no one knows whither. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.17

The Chancellor of the Exchequer having been asked if, in view of the splendid results of the social work of the Salvation Army, and the unprecedented surplus from the revenue returns, he would consider the desirability of aiding the Army either by a donation of ?50,000 or an annual grant of ?10,000, as is done in the Australian Colonies, has replied that he did not see his way clear to recommend any such action. It was a wise decision. The Government could very easily contribute that amount; but the very worst thing that can happen to any religious work is to receive Government support. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.18

At a committee meeting of the Roman Catholic Young Men's National Union, in New York, last week, a resolution was adopted, offering President McKinley the services of 50,000 members of the Union as volunteers. These Roman Catholics will go to fight and kill the Spaniards, who are also all Roman Catholics, and the Roman Catholic Church will send both parties forth with its blessing! It blessed those who in the Crusades went forth to kill the Turks; it recently blessed the soldiers who went to kill Protestants in Madagascar; and now it blesses Catholics who go out to kill each other! Christ said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The conclusion is obvious. PTUK May 5, 1898, page 288.19