The Present Truth, vol. 9
February 23, 1893
“What to Talk About” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
What to Talk About.-“I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible acts; and I will declare Thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness.” “All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee. They shall speak of the glory of the kingdom, and talk of Thy power; to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.” Psalm 145:5-7, 10, 11. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 49.1
“Miracles” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
Miracles.-Some men tell us that the age of miracles is passed. That is equivalent to saying that God is dead, or that, at least, He has nothing more to do with the affairs of this earth. Why so?—“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways pass finding out!” Romans 11:33. It is impossible for God to act in a way that is not far above the comprehension of man. The finite can never comprehend the infinite. The existence of God is a miracle. “In Him we live, and move, and have are being;” and our existence is a miracle. Every blade of grass that grows by His power is a miracle. A thing does not cease to become a miracle simply because it is common. If God should raise the dead every day before our eyes, it might cease to attract attention, but it would be none the less a miracle. But God is every day doing just as wonderful things as raising the dead. What we need is to learn to see God in all His works, and to cease to think of things as “happening,” and then we see more miracles than could be recorded in the Bible if it were a thousand times larger than it is. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 49.2
“Science” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
Science.-There is a great misunderstanding in the world as to what science is. It has come to be regarded as simply the discovering and the recording of phenomena. That is a part of it, but not by any means the whole of it, or the most important part. “Science” means simply “knowledge,”-knowledge systematically arranged. But it is not enough merely to know that a thing exists. The knowledge of bare facts is but a step in advance of the knowledge of the dumb animals, who also observe phenomena. They have eyes, and many of them know things that man has not yet discovered. So the man whose only claim to be a scientist is that he has by the aid of the microscope or otherwise, discovered a great many of the phenomena of nature, has not a valid claim to the title. This is generally recognized, and so men set their wits to work to discover the causes of things. This is where “science falsely so called” plays so great a part. They leave God out of their calculations, and therefore miss the secret of the existence of all things. No one can be a true scientist, who denies the existence of God, or who does not recognize Him as the direct power upholding all things. But the love of God is revealed in the things that show His power, for it is by the power of God that men are saved. True science, therefore, leads to humble, reverent love and praise to God as the Creator and Saviour. So the contemplation of the love of God will be to all eternity not only the song but the science of the redeemed. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 49.3
“In His Name” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
“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 any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13, 14. A wonderful promise is this, and as sure as it is wonderful, for it is the word of the Lord. Yet there are many who think that they have asked for things in the name of Jesus, and have not received them. That they have asked for things and have not received them is certain. Then the trouble must be that they have not asked in the name of Jesus. And yet they have closed their petitions with the words, “in the name of Jesus.” What is the trouble? PTUK February 23, 1893, page 49.4
The answer will be found in a consideration of what it is to ask in the name of Jesus. The mistake that too many make is to suppose that Jesus meant, by the words which we have just read, to put Himself at the service of every man’s selfish desires; that He meant that whatever their fancy might light upon, would be given to them if in their asking they would simply use His name. But that this is a mistake, we learn from the words by the apostle James: “Ye lust, and have not, ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:2, 3. Selfishness is sin, and the root of all sin; and Christ is not the minister of sin. Therefore His promise does not mean that He will serve as the panderer of the lusts of all who may take His name upon their lips. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 49.5
The name of a person stands for all that He is worth. In business a man’s name represents himself, so the name of Jesus represents the Lord. Therefore asking anything in the name of Jesus means to ask for anything that is in Christ. Now we read that God hath “blessed us with all spiritual blessings” in Christ. Ephesians 1:3. It is His Divine power that hath given to us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” 2 Peter 1:3. “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11. Now we do not want anything except that which is good, but we are not able to tell what that is; so we must ask with a heart subject to the will and purpose of God. We must be assured that His way is perfect, and that He will give us every needful thing. “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to hHs will, He heareth us; and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” 1 John 5:14, 15. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 49.6
He who asks for anything according to the will of God, is certain to have that request granted. This does not limit the range of our request, for God is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20. And His love that prompts Him to do is equal to His power. There are very many things that God has told us expressly to ask for. These we may name when we come to Him. But after we have asked for all that our sense of need prompts us to ask, we can still ask Him to give us as much more as He sees that we need, and it will be supplied. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26, 27. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.1
To use the name of the Lord in a petition that is not according to His will, is to take the name of the Lord in vain: “And the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh His name in vain.” Why is it any better to use the name of the Lord in a meaningless petition, than to use it lightly in any other matter? This is a matter for serious thought. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.2
No one need say that this is making it a dangerous matter to offer prayer. It is a serious matter but not a dangerous matter. It will be said that we cannot always know the will of the Lord, so as to know how to ask according to His will. If we do not know the will of the Lord in any given case, we have simply to ask that He will give us that which is best,-simply to ask that His will may be done. To ask that the will of the Lord may be done does not imply that there is any danger that He would not do His own will if we did not ask Him; but if it is a true prayer it means that we are perfectly content that His will should be done. It means that having prayed thus, we shall be content with the issue, accepting it as the will of the Lord. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.3
But to ask things not according to the will of God, using His name, is not the only way of taking the name of the Lord in vain in prayer. If we ask for things that are according to His will, and then do not believe that we receive them, that is taking the name of the Lord in vain. For if we do not believe, we do not receive. And if we do not receive the things for which we ask, we ask in vain; and if we ask in vain, using the name of the Lord, it is evident that we have taken His name in vain. We have taken His name upon our lips simply because it is customary, without any definite object in so doing. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.4
The name of Jesus is above every other name. It is a strong tower. It is the Father’s name, for in Him are all the Father’s purposes accomplished. And this is the name of the Lord, as proclaimed by Himself, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Exodus 34:6, 7. And this name contains all that any person can require, and it is a name that will never be dishonoured by failure. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.5
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.6
“The Growing Power in Plants” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
Matherbe saw an acacia tree that, languishing in sterile soil, had thrown one of its roots across a hollow sixty-six feet wide, in order to plunge into a neighboring well. M. Grimard mentions a plant which terminated in the bottom of a mine, and raised itself to a height of 120 feet in order to reach the light, though its usual height is but six inches. The luxuriant growth of trees and shrubs in the Bermudas is a surprise to tourists because of the scanty soil upon hard rocks. Upon examination they discover, however, that the roots have sufficient penetrating power to pierce a hard outer shell, thereby finding moisture and foothold in the porous strata beneath. The penetrating force of the roots of plants was strikingly Illustrated, some years ago, at one of our railway stations. The platform was laid down with a thick coat of asphalt. Nevertheless the roots of the coltsfoot forced their way through the hard material. The latter was pushed up into little hillocks, which gradually cracked; very soon the young leaves made their appearance, and then the whole plant. The common thistle penetrated in the same way. Let anyone take a cake of asphalt and try to push a stick through it and he will be able to realize how great must be the vital force exerted by the plant-roots in question, which, by adding particle after particle to their structure, are enabled to upheave and displace such a hard, compact material as asphalt.-Interior. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.7
Those are the simple facts, which may be verified by anybody’s observation. But how many of those who have seen the simple wonders stop to think of the lesson that they teach? What power is it that is manifested in the growth of plants? Where does it come from? Analysis will not reveal it. There is nothing in the structure of the plant that would indicate the possession of such marvelous power. Pick up that little stalk that has pushed its way through the pavement. It is a tender thing, hardly able to support its own weight. You can twist it into any shape, and it is passive in your hands. It is absolutely destitute of power. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.8
There is only one answer that can be given to the question as to the source of the energy exhibited by growing plants, and that is that it is the power of God, who fills all things. In Jesus Christ “all things consist.” His word said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so.” Genesis 1:11. That word is the life and power of everything that grows. We cannot see the word nor its power, but we can see the working of it. Thus the eternal power and Godhead of the Creator are seen in the things that have been made. See Romans 1:20. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.9
But the power manifested through the tender plant is the power that works righteousness in those who believe the Lord. The power of God is seen in the things that He has made; and the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Romans 1:16. Plant growth illustrates Christian growth. “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God.” Psalm 92:13. God “shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” Isaiah 27:6. The Lord says, “I will be as the dew unto Israel; He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.” Hosea 14:5. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:10, 11. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.10
“The Rest that Remains” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
A proper consideration of this subject involves a study of the fourth chapter of Hebrews, and we will therefore begin with reading the first eleven verses of that chapter according to the Revised Version:- PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.11
“Let us fear therefore lest haply, a promise being left of entering into His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good tidings (margin, Gospel) preached unto us, even as also they; but the word of hearing did not profit them, because they were not united by faith with them that heard. For we which believe do enter into that rest; even as He hath said, PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.12
As I sware in My wrath,
They shall not enter into My rest;
PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.13
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He hath said somewhere of the seventh day on this wise, And God rested on the seventh day from all His works; and in this place again, PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.14
They shall not enter into My rest. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.15
Seeing therefore that it remaineth that some should enter thereinto, and they to whom the good tidings was before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience, He again defineth a certain day, saying in David, PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.16
To-day if ye shall hear His voice,
Harden not your hearts.
PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.17
For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken afterward of another day. There remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.18
As with every portion of Scripture, the meaning of the words is found in the words themselves. All therefore that is needed is to note carefully every statement and the references. In what follows, let the reader note that every statement is really only a repetition of the statements of the above text, or of some other text that is quoted. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.19
In the first place, we find by reference to the third chapter, of which this is only a continuation, that ancient Israel is under discussion. God had promised them rest, and they failed to gain it because of their unbelief in His promise. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.20
Second, we read that the same promise is made to us, and we are warned against coming short of gaining it through the same example of unbelief. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.21
Third, we find that this promise of rest that was made to the people of Israel, was the preaching of the Gospel, the same which is now preached to us. In another place the apostle says, “For how many soever be the promises of God, in Him (that is, in Christ) is the yea; wherefore also through Him is the Amen, into the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. Every promise of God to man is in Christ, and so the promise of rest which was given to the people in the old time, was the preaching of Christ. But Christ is of God made unto us “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Therefore the promise made to Israel, was the promise of redemption, with everything that pertains thereto. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.22
In the next place, we learn that the rest which was promised to Israel, and which is now promised to us, is one that is obtained by faith. But since “faith is the substance of things hoped for,” it follows that those who believe do actually enter into that rest. This is very easy to understand, when we remember that the promise of rest was through Christ, who says, “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:28, 29. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.23
This rest was prepared for men from the foundation of the world, for we read the words of the Lord concerning the Israelites, “They shall not enter into My rest; although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” And then follows the proof of this statement, in these words, “For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works.” And then follow the words, “They shall not enter into My rest.” Thus we learn that the rest which God promised the people of Israel, and which they failed to receive, because they did not believe Him, was the rest which the Lord took when He had created the heavens and the earth. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.24
“They shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain. He formed it to be inhabited; I am the Lord, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:16-18. “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength; and ye would not.” Isaiah 30:15. Salvation is rest; rest from sin and its curse. But salvation is only by the power of God (Romans 1:16), and the power of God is the power that is displayed in the work of creation. See verse 20. So when God had made the earth for the habitation of man, and had placed man upon it, both the earth and man being “very good,” His Divine power had then given unto man “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.25
Joshua, which in the Hebrew is the same as Jesus, meaning saviour, led the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, and they begun the possession of the land. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” Hebrews 11:30. God had then given to them the land of Canaan, and not only the small territory known as the land of Palestine, but the whole earth, for that is what was promised to Abraham in the promise of the land of Canaan. The children of Israel were told that every place on which the soles of their feet should tread was to be theirs. So that all they had to do was to possess the land. It was theirs, but their faith must make it a reality to them. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.26
The children of Israel had rest when they entered the land of Canaan. They believed the Lord when they crossed the Jordan and took Jericho, and in faith there is rest. They had rest from their enemies, although they were in the midst of them, for “the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7. But their faith was only for a moment, as it were, and so they lost the rest. If it had not been so, if they had held to the faith, and had received the permanent rest by Joshua, then the Lord would not “afterward have spoken of another day.” That is, the restoration of the earth would have been established in it for ever. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.27
But they failed, and therefore the same promise that was made to them is now made to us. And why? Because God had sworn that the earth should be inhabited, according to His original plan, by a race of perfect men,-men made perfect by the same power that made the earth. That oath of God assured the land to all who have faith in Him, and therefore the same oath just as surely shuts out all that disbelieve; therefore it is that God swore that the unbelieving Israelites should not have His rest. But the oath of God having been made, it cannot be broken, and then it is that “some must enter in.” The honour of God is at stake in the Gospel promises. In the beginning He made the earth, and placed man upon it perfect. Man fell, and the earth became corrupt. If God should let the earth remain under the cruse, and leave man in his sinful condition, Satan would triumph, and would for ever taunt God with not being able to perform His purposes. Thus the Government of God would suffer. But that cannot be. Not only is God’s honour at stake to show His ability to carry out His designs, but in addition He has pledged Himself with an oath to restore the earth to its original condition, and to have it inhabited with men made perfect through faith in Him, and so it must necessarily be that some must enter into His rest, which rest is the peaceful possession of the earth made new once more. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 50.28
This is the rest that remains to the people of God. And what is the assurance to us that it will be given to them that believe? “For He spake in a certain place on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works.” When the seventh day came the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them, and God rested on the seventh day from all His works. See Genesis 2:1-3. Everything was then ready for man. The rest into which God entered at the close of creation, leaving His word to uphold that which He had made, was the rest which man was to enjoy for ever. Man was to rest upon the word of God, which had created the earth. And now that we see not all things put under man as in the beginning, the Sabbath is the pledge that that Eden state shall be restored. Genesis 2:15, literally rendered, as by Dr. Young is, “And Jehovah God taketh the man and causeth him to rest in the garden of Eden, to serve it and to keep it.” Although labour was allotted to him, his whole life would have been one eternal rest, if he had not distrusted the Lord. And so when Eden shall be restored to the faithful, they will have come into the possession of the rest that now remains for them. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.1
“We which have believed do enter into rest.” Perfect belief of God means resting completely upon His word,-taking Him for everything. It means the acknowledging that He alone is the Creator of all things, and that we are simply helpless dust. Yea, even less than nothing. It means the acknowledging that as God through Christ created all things from Himself, so He is able to take man, in all their worthlessness, and create them new creatures in Christ Jesus, so that they will be fitted for a home in the earth, which is also to be made new through the same power. But the seventh day is the memorial of God’s creative power. It is that which He has given to be a sign between His people and Himself, that they may know that He is God that sanctifies them. Only in the acknowledging of the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord, and the perfect keeping of it in Christ is God recognized fully and completely as the one Creator. So that it is only in the perfect keeping of the seventh day as the Sabbath or rest of the Lord, that He is trusted as He should be. But the Sabbath rest is the rest of the new earth; therefore he who does perfectly trust the Lord as the One who by His creative power is able to do all things, and shows that trust by the keeping of His Sabbath, has really the beginning of that rest which the saints will enjoy in the eternal kingdom of God. Their assurance of at last sharing that rest is the assurance of actual possession. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.2
“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.” The Revision has, “Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest,” but it is all the same; for we have seen that this labour which the Lord gives is itself rest. “This is the work of God that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29. The works which God requires of us are the works which are wrought in Him. See John 3:21. The Divine command is, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12, 13. Our work is to rest in Him, and He becomes responsible for the results. Thus in labour we find our rest, and heaven begins on earth to those who have God for their portion. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.3
“Who Changed the Sabbath?” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
Who Changed the Sabbath? -This is a question that is often asked, and it is answered in various ways, according to the various ideas that men have as to the way that the first day of the week came to be so generally substituted for the seventh. But the true answer to the question is that nobody ever changed the Sabbath, because such a thing is impossible. The Sabbath is enjoined by the fourth commandment, which is a part of the law that is the righteousness of God; and of the commandment we read that “They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” Psalm 112:8. The Saviour said, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17. So the Sabbath has never been changed. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.4
But the Bible tells of a power,-the Papacy,-symbolized by the little horn of the seventh of Daniel, which should “think to change times and laws,” or, as most versions including the Revised, have it, “he shall think to change the times and the law.” This power thinks itself able to do it, because it exalts itself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, and sets itself forth to be God. But what it thinks to do it is as unable to do as it is to make itself God. It is true that it has made a great many people believe that the Sabbath has been changed, but that does not make it so. What is to be done by those who recognize the Lord as the sole ruler and Creator of the universe, without any viceregent, is to show the people that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the badge of the Divinity of Christ, and as unchangeable as the throne of the eternal God. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.5
“Justice and Mercy” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
There is a strange idea prevalent in the world, and even in the professed Christian world, that justice and mercy are opposite qualities, and that they cannot be manifested in the same person at the same time. We remember a hymn long ago, in praise of “charity,” one line of which said, “Justice hath in thee no part.” This expresses the prevalent idea, that justice is harsh and cruel, and that in order to exercise mercy God has to lay aside His justice, and that when He exercises justice He lays aside mercy. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.6
This is a most unfortunate idea. It represents God as changeable. But the fact is that He cannot deny Himself, and He changes not. “For I am the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3:6. “Justice and judgment are the habitation [or foundation] of Thy throne; mercy and truth shall go before Thy face.” Psalm 89:14. These are words of the man by whom the Holy Ghost spake. The psalm begins, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever; Thy faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens.” And again, “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 136:1. God is from everlasting to everlasting; both justice and mercy are parts of His character; He cannot change; therefore both the justice and the mercy of the Lord must endure for ever, unchanged. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.7
Justice no less than mercy is manifest in the plan of redemption. Thus we read: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness; that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26. Here we are told that God does not lay aside His justice in saving men, but in the very act of redemption He displays His justice. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.8
In the tabernacle which the Lord told Moses to build, and the pattern of which He showed him in the mount, the chief article of furniture was the ark. In this ark the tables of the law were placed. The cover of the ark was called the mercy-seat, and upon this cover were the figures of two cherubim, one at each end, facing each other. See Exodus 25:10-21. Of this the Lord said, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 25:22. “And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims; and He spake unto him.” Numbers 7:89. From this we learn that as the tabernacle represented the dwelling place of God, corresponding to the temple of God in heaven (see Exodus 25:8; Hebrews 9:23, 24; Psalm 11:4), so the ark represented the throne of God. Thus the law of God forms the foundation of His throne, yet the throne itself is the seat of mercy. In the throne of God “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Psalm 85:10. His throne is a throne of grace, where we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 52.9
But some reader doubtless thinks that we have not yet touched the real question at issue. The following texts are doubtless in his mind: “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.” Psalm 103:17, 18. “For He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” James 2:13. Doesn’t this seem to indicate that God’s mercy endures for ever only for those who fear Him, and that there will come a time when His mercy will cease, at least as far as the wicked are concerned? Let us see. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.1
GOD THE SOURCE OF ALL THINGS
God is the Creator of all things. It is common to say that He created all things from nothing. That is true, in so far as it means that His word formed the worlds where there was nothing; but they really came from His word. His word is filled with His own life; so it is true that all creation came into existence through the very life of God. Everything sprang from Him, so that in the creation of the worlds there is the mystery of reproduction. This idea is given in the words of the Psalmist, “Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting Thou art of God.” Psalm 90:1, 2. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.2
Read also the following familiar texts: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; ... for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” Acts 17:24-29. “For with Thee is the Fountain of Life.” Psalm 36:9. “All things come of Thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.3
Not only has God, through Christ, created all things, but their continued existence depends upon Him alone. We have redemption through the blood of Christ, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16, 17. Christ, who is the fulness of the Godhead, is the life of everything; He is the force that is manifested in all matter. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.4
NECESSITY OF AGREEMENT WITH GOD
This being the case, it is evident that the continued existence of all things depends upon their harmony with the will of God, and their submission to it. This is not a mere arbitrary demand on the part of God, He does not require that all things shall be subject to Him, simply to gratify His love of power, as would be the case with man, but because only as all things are dependent on Him can they exist. “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8. Two cannot walk together except they be agreed. Man cannot walk and dwell with God unless they are in union with Him; but their very existence depends upon their union with God. Apart from God there can be no life. It is only in Him that we live, and move, and have our being. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.5
So far as the earth itself is concerned, there is no difficulty. The creation was made subject to vanity, “not willingly.” Romans 8:20. It is passive in the hands of God, although it is marred with the sins of men. It has been cursed for the sake of man, and for a little season it groans and travails in pain, waiting for the deliverance which will surely come to it. For “the creation itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.” Romans 8:21. But man has allied himself with Satan and his angels in rebellion against the Almighty. His natural mind is now enmity against God; “for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.6
Yet through the mercy of God man has existence continued to him. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22. This longsuffering of God is for the salvation of man. Although they have forfeited all claim upon Him, having rebelled against His love, and chosen death, He is loth to leave them, and so has provided means that “His banished be not expelled from Him.” 2 Samuel 14:14. The great love of God is shown in this. He “gave Himself for us.” “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. He did this while we were “dead in trespasses and sins,” solely “For His great love wherewith He loved us,” because He “is rich in mercy.” Ephesians 2:4, 5. “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. In giving Himself for rebellious men, that thus they might be reconciled to Himself, God shows how greatly He desired that all men should have everlasting life, for as we have seen, only in union with Him is there a life. And this love for men, and the desire that they may have everlasting life, is daily shown in the fact that as an act of grace He keeps rebellious men alive, in order that they may listen to His loving invitation, and be reconciled to Him. He says, “I am inquired of by them that asked not for Me; I am found of them that sought Me not; I said, Behold Me, behold Me, unto a nation that was not called by My name. I have stretched out My hands all the day unto a rebellious people, and walketh in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts.” Isaiah 65:1, 2. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.7
THE JUSTICE OF MERCY
But in this mercy the justice of God appears. He has made man in His own image, with faculties capable of the highest enjoyment, for He has given him the freedom to choose his own way, and has set everything before him. The highest possible enjoyment is found in the most perfect freedom; and this God has given to man, in giving him the utmost liberty to choose whatever he will. In this choice there is absolutely no restriction put upon man by the Lord. His strict justice is shown in His not interfering with man’s personal right of choice as to what he will have. God knows that only in Him can man find his highest good, and therefore He places Himself before man in the most attractive light, and pleads with him to accept Him; but He will not intrude His presence where it is not wanted. He will not coerce the will of man. He has in making man guaranteed to him perfect liberty, and He Himself respects the rights which He has bestowed on man. To attempt to compel men to accept His ways, perfect though they be, would be to deprive him of that liberty which is inseparable from God; and so it would be to defeat His own purpose. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 53.8
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live; that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him; for He is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:19, 20. Whoever chooses God will have life; for God Himself is life. When the man has yielded to the persuasion of the Lord, so far as to indicate his preference for Him, then the Lord Himself gladly comes in and supplies all his need. He gives him the power to do right, or rather, He Himself lives His own righteous will in the man. As long as the man continues to yield to God, so long will he have life, even to all eternity. God has promised that He will never forsake the man who puts his trust in Him and therefore that man must continue to live as long as God lives. That man will find that God’s plan for him is the very best thing possible for him. In the presence of God there is fulness of joy. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.1
GIVING MEN THEIR OWN WAY
But what of those who will not have Christ to reign over them? What of them who persist in their rebellion against the Lord? Here is the answer: “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; they would none of My counsel; they despised all My reproof; therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.” Proverbs 1:29-32. They resist the Spirit of the Lord, refusing all its pleadings, until it is useless to strive longer with them. They utterly refuse to have anything to do with the Lord, and so He lets them have their own way, which is destruction. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.2
Such ones are self-condemned. There condemnation to death is not merely the decision of a Judge, but is the natural result of their own course. They have hated the Lord, have resisted all His advances, and have shown their desire to have nothing to do with Him. Since they positively refuse to live with Him, He has no other alternative but to leave them to themselves; and as they have no means of self-existence, they necessarily suffer destruction. In addition to that text quoted in the preceding paragraph, which showed this to be the case, read the following:- PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.3
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds.” Romans 2:1-6. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.4
The same love has been bestowed upon the wicked that has been bestowed upon the righteous. It is common for people to say that God has been very good to such and such a person. This is true, but it is not all the truth, and it may convey a wrong impression. The fact is that the Lord is good to everybody. “The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:9. The Lord is goodness itself. He is love. He cannot at any time be any other than He is, and therefore He is just as good to one person as He is to another. He is equally good to everybody and just as good as He can be all the time. Therefore it is not because they have not been drawn by the love of God, that some are destroyed. It is because they have despised that love. Having hardened their hearts against God’s love, the more He manifested His love to them, the harder they became. It is a trite saying that the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.5
THE FATE OF THE WICKED
One question more ought to be considered in this connection, and that is, What is the fate of those who reject the Lord? It is clear enough that it is separation from Him, for that is what they have chosen. They were naturally separated from the Lord by their sins. God, however, would not let them go without an effort to induce them to accept His ways. But their refusal of His kind offers showed their determination to be for ever separated from Him, and He is at last compelled to give them up to their own choice. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.6
Now the question is, Where can they exist separate from God? Read the words of the Psalmist: “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.” Psalm 139:7-12. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.7
God is everywhere. It is His presence, and that only, that upholds the universe. It is evident, therefore, that those who are left to their own choice to be eternally separate from the Lord, have no place left them but utter extinction. There is no place in the universe where men can exist separate from the presence of the Lord. And this is just what the Lord says shall be their fate. “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen; as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.” Obadiah 15, 16. This is reaping the fruit of their own way, namely, rejecting the presence of the Spirit of God. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.8
EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT
“But,” says some reader, “doesn’t the Bible say that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment?” Yes, it does say that, Let us read the text. It is the close of our Saviour’s great discourse to His disciples just before His crucifixion. Having described the wicked, He says, “And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 25:46. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.9
But does that mean that the wicked are to remain alive eternally? Not necessarily. It depends upon what their punishment will be. Now in Romans 6:23 we have a parallel text. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Then since that is the punishment of the sinners, and they are to go into everlasting punishment, it follows that they go away into everlasting death. That is as plain as words can make it. And it is further corroborated by the inspired statement that the righteous shall have rest “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 54.10
UNQUENCHABLE FIRE
“But then we are told that the fire that burns the wicked shall not be quenched.” Very true; and the reason why it shall not be quenched is that it is unquenchable. “He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12. Unquenchable indeed it must be, because it is the fire of the glory of the Lord. When the Lord comes the wicked will be consumed with the Spirit of His mouth, and destroyed with the brightness of His coming. See 2 Thessalonians 2:8. That fire must exist as long as God exists; but while it is death to the enemies of the Lord, it is light and life to those that love Him. It is as in the case of ancient Israel; that which was light to the Israelites, was confusion and destruction to the Egyptians. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.1
But the fact that the fire is unquenchable does not show that what is cast into it must exist for ever. Quite the contrary. If a fire breaks out in a building, and the firemen are not able to quench it, the inevitable result is that the building is utterly consumed. So it is with those who shall be cast into the unquenchable fires of the last day. The text says that they shall be “burned up” with unquenchable fire. The wicked are called chaff, indicating the case with which they may be consumed. “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.2
ETERNAL FIRE
What has been said about the unquenchable fire has cleared up the trouble that some would have had over the term “eternal fire,” into which the wicked are to be sent. “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41. As we have already seen, the effect of such a fire must be to utterly consume and destroy every vestige of that which is thrown into it. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.3
But we have given us an example of the effect of the eternal fire. The apostle Jude writes about the judgment reserved for the devil and his angels, together with those who have served him, and presents this likeness: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Jude 7. The fire that destroyed the cities is the same fire that will at the last day destroy all the wicked. It is eternal fire, yet notice its effect upon those cities:- PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.4
“For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of My people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.” Lamentations 4:6. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.5
GOD TO BE ALL IN ALL
There are other texts that might occur to one, but these are sufficient to show what the Scripture teaches as to the destiny of the wicked. The statements are plain, and there can be no contradiction in the Bible. And now let us once more return to the original thought about the mercy of God in connection with His justice. His mercy endures even to the midst in the execution of His judgments. “O give thanks to the Lord; for ever.... To Him that smote Egypt in their firstborn; for His mercy endureth for ever; ... to Him which divided the Red sea into parts, for His mercy endureth for ever; and made Israel to pass through the midst of it; for His mercy endurth for ever; but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea; for His mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 136:1, 10, 13-15. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.6
God’s mercies endure for ever, even though there are some who will have none of it. In His mercy He bears long with them, but God could not tolerate rebellion for ever in His dominions and be just to His loyal subjects. So in justice no less than mercy to those who willingly yield to His control, He must let the wicked suffer the punishment which they have worked for. Indeed, it would be doing the wicked an injustice not to give them that for which they have so long and diligently laboured. They have taken counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” All their desire has been to be left to themselves and now God gives them their desire. But as there is no place in the universe where God is not, the only thing for them is extinction. So we read, “For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” Psalm 37:9, 10. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.7
Then will be fulfilled the purpose of God, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.” Ephesians 1:10. Then will Christ have accomplished the purpose for which He ascended to heaven, namely, “that He might fill all things.” Ephesians 4:10. “And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:28. And then from “every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them,” will be heard with one voice, “Unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honour, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.” Revelation 5:13. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.8
“Evening Communions” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
Among the members of the Church of England considerable controversy is going on concerning the lawfulness of evening communions. The Archbishop of York has positively denounced it, and declared his determination to do everything to resist such an “innovation.” He says that such a custom is a novelty in the Church of England. Those who support the “novelty” quote Augustine and Tertullian to prove that evening communion was common in their days, and that it is therefore lawful. But the strange and pitiful part of it is that no one has thought that the matter could be settled without any controversy by simply citing the words of Scripture, which record the celebrating of the Lord’s Supper by the Saviour. See Matthew 26:20-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. There are those in the Church of England who are opposed to ritualism; but their opposition amounts to nothing so long as the simple record of Scripture is neglected for the testimony of the “Fathers” and the customs of “the church.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.9
“Wearing Plumage” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
Much has justly been said against the barbarous custom of wearing plumage of birds, and the cruelty that the custom involves; but a writer to the Echo shows in the following paragraph that there is another side to the picture: PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.10
“The habit of flesh-eating is responsible for a thousand-fold more pigeons shot and larks netted than sport and fashion combined, while the love of sport and the compulsion of fashion are quite as powerful in the votaries of such as is the power of appetite to those who have been brought up among the flesh-pots. We are not tempted to shoot or wear feathers, and therefore we Pharisaically express the profoundest disapprobation of both. We are tempted to eat spitted larks and pigeon pie, and therefore we carefully hold our tongues about the horrors of the food market. Sport is unnecessary, plumage wearing is unnecessary, flesh eating is unnecessary. All equally entail barbaric cruelties and the breach of man’s ethical relations to his fellow-creatures. All must disappear. Let us be willing, not only to point out the faults in others, but also to correct ourselves. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 55.11
“Don’t Forget to Eat” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
“Don’t forget to eat! why, I couldn’t forget that if I should try,” says Ernest, “for I like to do it too well. And then, another thing, my head begins to hurt, and I feel weak and faint if I have to miss but one meal. I can’t work, I can’t live at all without eating, so I don’t think there’s much danger of my forgetting to eat.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.1
Yes, but listen a moment. Do you know that you become very much like the food that you eat? If you eat good, nourishing food, you will grow strong and healthy, but if you eat poor, perishing food, you become weak and sickly, and finally perish. Even the best bread and meat and fruit that you can find in the market cannot build you up and make you grow into a perfect man. It may for awhile enable you to live a poor sort of life, but it cannot make even such a life last but for a few short years at most. Then its power is all spent, and your life is all gone. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.2
God says that man cannot live by earthly bread alone, but he must also have Heavenly Bread every day. Earthy bread, like all earthly things, has no life in itself, but soon passes away, and has no life to give us. But the Bread of Life from heaven is so full of life that it can give us life,-even eternal life. If we eat it every day, it will make us grow up perfect, like Jesus so that we shall want to do only pure, good things; and it will also give us strength to do them. You know that common bread cannot do that for us. We try again and again to do right, but cannot. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.3
Well, will God every day rain this Bread down from heaven for us, as He did the manna for the Israelites? PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.4
No; for He has already sent it to us, and it is within the reach of every one of us, only we have not really known it. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.5
God says that you will find all the Heavenly Bread that you can possibly need-in your Bible! Those words that you see in your Bible are not the same lifeless words that you read in men’s books. Jesus says that they are full of life—of His life. And He says, “I am that bread of life that was sent down from heaven.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.6
Then don’t you see that if the life of Jesus is in those words, we can get Jesus, the Bread from heaven, by just feeding on those words? We can feed on them, and make them a part of ourselves, by every day reading them, and believing that it is our heavenly Father speaking to us; by loving them, and believing that Jesus comes with them into our hearts. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.7
And if Jesus is in our hearts, as powerful as when He created the earth and all things, cannot He keep us from sin, strengthen us to say kind words and to do loving acts? PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.8
You say, “Why, how can Jesus come into our hearts with His Word? How can we feed on Him by feeding on His Word?” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.9
That is a question that I cannot answer. I do not know how it can be. But we do not need to know how it is done. Jesus says that He will do it, and isn’t that enough? We also know that He has done it, and is living every day with those who feed upon His words. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.10
Oh prize your Bible. Love it and read it as no other book. Again I say, Don’t forget to eat the Bread of Life every day. You need it much more than your earthly food. Feeding on it once a month will not keep you alive for heaven, any more than eating your earthly food once a month will keep you alive for earth. Then DON’T FORGET TO EAT! PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.11
“All Around India” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
Ah, I see that you recognize that once your little Parsee sister to whom we introduced you in our last paper. You remember where she lives? Yes, she lives far across the sea, in a country called India. Let us go home with her, and see the strange country in which she lives. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.12
“Almost the shape of a triangle!” You say. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.13
Yes, that’s true, but it is a much larger triangle than it seems to be from the small view that we can have of it. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.14
If you should divide India into twenty-five parts, each part would be as large as England and Wales! We shall therefore need to make haste or we shall not see the half of it, for although all the principal cities are connected by railways, yet there are many places which cannot be reached without walking, or riding horses, or in different kinds of carts, drawn by horses, oxen, or buffaloes, in mourwheels (hammocks swung on strong bamboos and borne by six men), in small boats, or in a sort of box called a palanquin, which is borne upon the shoulders of the natives. The railways have been built by the British, as the greater part of this vast country belongs to the Queen of England. About one-third of India is still owned by native tribes that wander through the great forests free from all law and civilization. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 60.15
At this time of the year, from October to March, we find the climate cool and pleasant. The days are bright and sunny, and the pleasant nights “just cool enough to demand the protection of the tent, and light covering for one’s bed.” Sometimes a light frost falls in December, but ice is never formed. Therefore instead of finding leafless trees and dead flowers, as we do at home during this season of the year, we find everything beautifully green: “The grass upon the river, the rushes by the shallow ponds, the springing fields and cheerful trees-all are full of life and beauty.” The trees are never stripped of their leaves, and the flowers bloom all the year round! PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.1
But if we should try to travel during the months of June to September, we would be reminded of the time of Noah. The rain pours down in such torrents that in many places rivers cannot carry it off, and the country is flooded. For miles and miles around the mouths of the River Ganges, in the rainy season, nothing can be seen but villages, houses, trees, and vessels of every kind, all appearing to stand upon the water. It is said that along the western coast of India probably more rain falls in the year than in any other part of the earth. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.2
From March to June we should, day after day, see cloudless skies and a burning sun, with never a drop of rain to moist or cool the dry, hot air. So hot it would be that we should not be able to do anything except very early in the morning and quite late in the evening. We should be glad, indeed, to escape up into the hills and mountains, away from the fevers and other diseases which often visit the people during the hot months. The small streams and brooks become dried up, and the fields have to be water from wells, tanks, and large rivers, or everything would die. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.3
One strange thing in India is that the wind blows from the southwest for one half of the year, and from the north-east for the other half of the year. These strange winds are called monsoons. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.4
But India is not all warm. If you notice carefully you will see that on the north-east it is separated from China by the lofty walls of mountains, known as the Himalaya mountains. Up, up they go, in mighty, glistening, snow-capped peaks, far, far above the clouds. Above them all towers Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Whatever the time of year, and however hot the lowlands and valleys beneath, here is snow always,-nothing but snow, while the higher valleys and gorges are filled with mighty glaciers of blue ice. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.5
As we come down the mountainsides we find it growing warmer, and here and there from beneath the melting glaciers, come rushing torrents of icy water, cutting their way down into the valleys. Here they form two great rivers, the Indus and the Ganges. See if you can find them on the map. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.6
The people of India say that the Ganges came from the sweat of one of their gods, named Siva. It causes things to grow so well in all the country around, that they look upon it, and all the towns along its banks, as holy. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.7
“Fifty rivers find their way through the valleys and wilds of India into the ocean; mighty mountains divide its plains; forests of wondrous trees enwrap great tracts in savage gloom; white plains delight in rays of continual sunshine; vast jungles form the home of beasts and reptiles, and gentle brooks ripple through lovely green valleys. There are deserts of dry sands, where white men have never trod, high steppes broken into natural walled plateaus, great waterfalls, beautiful cascades, and natural mountain arches.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.8
But the most interesting of all things in India are its people. We find men and women and little boys and girls from one end of this broad land to the other. It is true that all of them do not look like us, nor dress as we do, but they all are our brothers and sisters, for God says that He made us all of one blood. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.9
There are about ten times as many people as in England and Wales, and if you should take all the people in the world, and divide them into six companies, one of those vast companies would not contain as many people as India! PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.10
And just think of it! thousands and thousands of these brothers and sisters do not love Jesus; and what is worse, they do not know about Him; they have never heard how He gave His life to save them. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.11
“And don’t the boys and girls know ‘Our Father,’ and ‘Now I lay me’?” you ask. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.12
No, and they know nothing about “Sweet by and by,” “Jesus loves me,” and “When He cometh.” Even this dear little Parsee girl is taught to worship fire and water, and the sun and moon and stars! PTUK February 23, 1893, page 61.13
“Interesting Items” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
-Since the first of February there have been over forty deaths from cholera in Marseilles. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.1
-The damage caused by the floods in Queensland is estimated at between £9,000,000 and £3,000,000. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.2
-The public schools of the State of Now York are outnumbered by the saloons of New York City and Brooklyn. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.3
-It is calculated that an average of seventy-five million chickens are annually hatched in Egypt by artificial means. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.4
-Archbishop Ireland recently dedicated a church for coloured Catholics in Minneapolis, Minn., which cost $78,000. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.5
-A lunatic asylum at Dover, New Hampshire (U.S.A.) burned down on the 10th inst., and over fifty of the insane people were burned to death. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.6
-Very serious floods are reported from Queensland. At Ipswich many people have been drowned, and much property has been destroyed. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.7
-The American legation at Constantinople has received news that the American Girls’ College, at Marsovan, has been burned by a Moslem mob. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.8
-A terrible storm over the Lofoden islands, off the coast of Norway, resulted in the partial destruction of a fishing fleet and the loss of over 100 lives. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.9
-Horses are, it is said, just now so plentiful in Buenos Ayres that everybody has at least one. It is claimed that even the beggars beg on horseback. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.10
-Queen Lilinokaloni is stated to have telegraphed her readiness to agree to an American protectorate over Hawaii, on condition that adequate provision is made for her. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.11
-Five hundred leading Protestants have issued a notice, summoning a meeting at Barmen on Feb. 20, to protest against the proposed readmission of Jesuits to Germany. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.12
-The Australian labour unions are agitating for a law prohibiting the importation of contract labour, more particularly that of Polynesians, Asiatics, Russians, Poles, and Hebrews. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.13
-Last year 462 mistakes were made in London by doctors in notifying cases of infectious disease for removal to public hospitals, with the result that 102 of the mistaken cases ended fatally. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.14
-Great Britain is amongst the lowest of civilized countries in regard to the tender age at which it allows child labour in factories. Seventy-six thousand children of ten years of age are now at work. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.15
-For the first time in the history of the province of Quebec the Montgomery Falls have been frozen into a solid mass of ice. The weather is the severest experienced by the oldest inhabitants. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.16
-In Great Britain there are, according to the latest statistics, 50,000 destitute children in workhouses, 177,000 receive outdoor relief, and 5,000 are provided for as orphans, under the boarding-out system. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.17
-At a recent meeting of the London City Mission, it was showed that the 498 missionaries had made over 3,000,000 visits during the past year. Their work is among the most wretched and debased people in the city. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.18
-Recently in India certain regiments, containing over 6,000 soldiers, were placed under medical observation, from which it was shown that the mortality of the free drinkers was 44 per 1,000; moderate drinkers, 23 per 1,000; and teetotallers, 11 per 1,000. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.19
-It is reported that the Russian Government intends transferring the Finnish battalions to the interior of Russia with a view to “Russifying” them and teaching them the Russian language. In their stead Russian soldiers are to be sent to Finland. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.20
-Some citizens of Alaska are agitating for the establishment of a Territorial Government. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.21
-The value of the honey produced last year in the United States is estimated at £3,000,000 and that of the wax at £300,000. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.22
-Dr. McGlynn asserts that no retraction was required of him by the Pope’s representative as a condition of his restoration to the church and to the priesthood. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.23
-Scores of women work in the brickyards in Springwell, Mich., digging in the pits and carrying bricks, and some of them carry their babies on their backs while at work. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.24
-Roadway authorities in some parts of Australia and Germany, who have for months past experimented with indiarubber for paving, declare that in every respect it excels wood and asphalts, both for horses and pedestrian traffic. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.25
-The Anchor Line steamer Trinacrice, bound from Glasgow to Gibraltar, was wrecked Feb. 9, near Cape Villano. She had a general cargo, a crew of thirty-seven, and four passengers, who were going to Gibraltar to labour in connexion with the mission to the soldiers. All were drowned except six of the crew. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.26
-The household of the Vatican will profit largely by the impending creation of new Cardinals, as the fees payable by each recipient of the red hat amount altogether to £600-a large sum, considering that the stipend of a Cardinal is only £900 a year. A new bishop has to pay some £400 to the “corporations of the Vatican.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.27
-The whole of the February number of Darkest Russia is devoted to showing that Russia is hopelessly insolvent, and yet is steadily borrowing from credulous foreign capitalists, and is lavishing the money in wasteful military and naval expenditure. While a large part of the Empire is exhausted by famine, new taxes are being recklessly imposed on a starving people. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.28
-The stupendous nature of the philanthropic work carried on at Dr. Barnardo’s Homes for Boys and Girls may be seen from the fact that last year no fewer than 8,947 separate applications were made for admission, all of which were carefully sifted, with the result that 2,071 children were permanently and 659 temporarily admitted, the total of 2,730 being more than 1,000 in advance of 1691. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.29
-The breaking up of the ice on the Danube, owing to the sudden thaw, has given rise to feelings of great anxiety. An ice block, some 600 miles long, extends from Vienna to the Roumanian frontier. The Danube is also rising rapidly, and the towns and villages above Vienna are threatened. Some, indeed, are already inundated, while some of the villages along the banks have been destroyed by the great ice-blocks that have been dashed along by the current. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.30
-A well-known Russian statistician has just published a report showing that Russia, in matters of popular education, is the most backward country in the world. Even Turkey is ahead of her in this respect. According to this authority, only 6,500,000 roubles are expended annually on the education of the masses, although the revenue of the State is over 900,000,000 roubles. But while the mass of the Russian people are most ignorant, the upper classes are in some respects the best educated of any in Europe. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.31
-Sentence has been passed upon the defendants in the Panama trial, in Paris. M. Ferdinand and M. Charles de Lesseps were condemned to five years’ imprisonment, and Baron Cottu, M. Eiffel, and M. Fontane were each sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. In addition M. Eiffel is condemned to pay a fine of 20,000f., and the other four defendants one of 8,000f. each. M. Ferdinand de Lesseps, who is very old and feeble, is not yet even so much as aware that a trial has taken place, and probably will never be informed of it. The whole affair is considered by many as a mere political drama. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 62.32
“Back Page” The Present Truth 9, 4.
E. J. Waggoner
On Monday night, the 13th, an enthusiastic meeting of the Association for Stopping the Sale of Liquor on Sunday, was held in Exeter Hall. The Lord Bishop of London presided, and many prominent clergymen and Members of Parliament took part. There were many suggestive and interesting things said, which will be noticed at length in the next number. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.1
We have received an encouraging report from Brethren Farnsworth and Hope as to their meetings in Belfast. The meetings are held at Central Hall, Rosemary Street (off Royal Avenue), every Sunday at 3 and 7 P.M. The Book of Revelation is the subject of study at the present, and the interest is reported to be good and increasing. A hearty invitation is extended to all. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.2
President Harrison has sent a message to Congress, recommending that the United States speedily annex the Hawaiian Islands. He says that no Government has protested against the proposed annexation, and that it is necessary that no other great Power annex them, as that would be inconsistent with the safety of the United States, and the peace of the world. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.3
It is thought that Russia’s recently assumed friendly attitude towards Germany is due to the fact that the new rifles made in the Government factories have been rejected by the Commissioners of the War Department, on account of various imperfections in construction. Nearly the whole of the year’s output has been found to be worthless. So Russia wants to cultivate peace until she can manufacture some better weapons of war. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.4
Several negroes have late been lynched in the Southern part of the United States; and in Laredo, Texas, one case was particularly atrocious. Consequently, the people were aroused to vindicate their good name, and a meeting was called, which was attended by nearly all the citizens. The speeches were made by the leading ministers and lawyers of the district. It was unanimously decided that lynch-law was a relic of barbarism, and a standing disgrace to the nation. And then, in order to emphasize their abhorrence of lynch law, a resolution was passed with the wildest enthusiasm, pledging every man present to assist in capturing and lynching the leaders of the next lynching party. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.5
Not less than 1,200 English pilgrims have gone to Rome for the purpose of attending the Pope’s jubilee. All the European sovereigns who have no permanently accredited representatives at the Vatican will send special envoys to represent them at the jubilee celebration. These include Queen Victoria, the Sultan, the King of Saxony, and the Queen of the Netherlands. Queen Victoria is represented by the Duke of Norfolk. This attention to the Pope not only materially aids his political ambition, but shows that he already possesses immense political influence. If the Pope were simply a minister of the Gospel, his fiftieth year of service would not receive a moment’s thought from a single European sovereign. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.6
“A Jewish Rabbi in Brooklyn has been accused of eating pork. The defense set up was that he did it at the opening of a bar-room, and was ‘too drunk to know pork from veal.’ The influx of Jews from countries where they are in low estate has brought some strange practices. The members of his synagogue did not consider the defence adequate to cover such a sin, and cast him off from his position.” PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.7
What a defence! One might look at it as being to the credit of the congregation that they did not accept the drunkenness as a valid defence; but on the other hand we may wonder at the fine distinction that will ignore a man’s drunkenness and condemn the eating of pork while he was drunk. Such inconsistencies are not peculiar to the Jews. They are sure to be found wherever creeds and forms are depended on rather than the living Spirit in the word. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.8
The Missionary Committee of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States has forwarded to the two Houses of Congress a document praying that the World’s Fair be not opened on Sundays. In this document it is stated that the plea comes from the entire body, and the number of communicants and adherents are given, together with their standing and influence. But what does all that have to do with the question of whether or not Congress should legislate upon the opening or closing of the Fair on Sundays? If a thing is wrong, numbers do not make it right, and if it is right, it is none the less right because only a few stand for it. Truth can stand alone, and needs not the support of numbers. Whenever numbers and influence are urged in favour of anything, that alone is good ground for suspecting the righteousness of the cause. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.9
In the appeal which the leaders of the Methodist denomination in the United States have made to Congress, begging that the World’s Fair be closed on Sundays, they say: “In loyalty to the free institutions inherited from our fathers, our people are second to none. They ask nothing for themselves, nor for their religious establishment, and would contend for the same freedom to Jew and Catholic that they enjoy.” We doubt. If the Jews should plead for the Fair to be closed on the Sabbath, in order that the institution might not be trampled underfoot, the same people would call such a plea absurd, and not worthy of a moment’s consideration. The plea for Sunday closing is nothing but a plea for discrimination in favour of a certain form of religion. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.10
The zealous workers for compulsory Sunday observance seem in England, as well as in America, to be given to wholesale generalizations from a very small basis of fact. The gentleman, a Member of Parliament, who headed a recent deputation to Mr. Acland, to protest against the opening of the museums on Sundays, said that the Sunday opening of museums would lead to the opening of shops and other places, and that the workingmen of England did not desire the opening of these places on Sundays. In reply to this sweeping assertion, Mr. Acland referred them to the fact that but a short time ago he had received a deputation which represented a vast number of workingmen all over the country, pleading for Sunday opening. One of the peculiar features of the Sunday legislation business is that those who are so fearful lest the workingman should be deprived of his rest if there is no law compelling him to rest, are not found in the ranks of workingmen. PTUK February 23, 1893, page 64.11