The Signs of the Times - 9 May 1884 (ingles)

"Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12.
V O L U M E 10. O A K L A N D , C A L I F O R N I A , F I F T H - D A Y , M A Y 8, 1884. N U M B E R 18.
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Entered at the JPost-Office in Oakland.
T H E COST OF T R U T H .
GREAT truths are dearly bought. The common truth,
Such as men give and take from day to day,
Comes in the common walks of easy life,
Blown b y the careless wind across our way.
Bought in the market at the current price,
Bred of the smile, the jest, perchance the bowl,
It tells no tale of daring or of worth,
Nor pierces e'en the surface of the soul.
Great truths are dearly won, not formed b y chance,
Not wafted on the breath of summer dream;
But grasped in the great struggle of the soul,
Hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream.
N o t in the general mart, 'mid corn and wine;
N o t in the merchandise of gold and gems;
N o t in the world's gay hall of midnight mirth,
Nor 'mid the blaze of regal diadems;
But in the day of conflict, fear, and grief,
W h e n the strong hand of God, put forth in might,
Plows up the sub-soil of the stagnant heart,
And brings the imprisoned truth-seed to the light.
W r u n g from the troubled spirit in hard hours
Of weakness, solitude, perchance of pain,
Truth springs, like harvest, from the well-plowed field,
A n d the soul feels it has not wept in vain. — Sel.
Satan's Devices."
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
THE great controversy between Christ and
Satan, that has been carried on for almost six
thousand years, is soon to close. And yet how
few have their attention called to this matter,
how few realize that we are living amid the
closing scenes of earth's history! Satan is
working diligently, binding his sheaves prepara-
tory to gathering in his harvest. He is uniting
the elements of his kingdom for the final strug-
gle. Since his fall, he has been the great adver-
sary of God and man, and has shown a masterly
activity in trying to defeat our Saviour's efforts
in our behalf He thinks that because so many
readily yield to his temptations and believe his
lies, he'may yet gain some advantage over
Christ, who left the royal courts of Eeaven
that he might defeat this wily foe on his own
battle-field^ and open a way whereby man might
escape from his cruel power.
He is called in the Bible, Satan, Beelzebub,
the serpent, the deceiver, a liar, the accuser of
the brethren, the prince of the power of the
air, the prince of darkness, and the god of this
world. Frightful names, infernal agencies!
This fallen spirit, so malignant and subtle, is
walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour. When there is no special effort
made to resist his power, when profound indif-
ference prevails in the church and in the world,
he is not concerned; for he is in no danger of
*Remarks in the six o'cjock morning meeting at Oakland, Cal.
April 20, 1884.
losing those whom he is leading captive at his
will. But when the attention is called to
eternal things, and souls are inquiring, "What
shalt I do to be saved?" he is on the ground,
seeking to match his power against the power
of Christ, and doubling his efforts to counteract
the influences of the Holy Spirit. Angels of
God, with Jesus at their head, are present to
press back the powers of darkness; but no one
is forced to accept Jesus, and no one can be com-
pelled by Satan's power to reject him.
Satan is at your side when you least suspect
it, watching to find a weak spot in your armor,
where he can introduce his darts, and wound
your soul by betraying you into sin. He has
access to minds that are open to receive his
suggestions, and by long experience he has
learned how to apply his temptations to the
best advantage. His first effort is to keep as
many minds as possible in a state of careless
indifference. He will invent every imaginable
excuse to keep people away from meetings
where they might receive benefit from hearing
the truth. He will especially work to make of
none effect these morning meetings, where the
Spirit of God is at work; and when he cannot
keep persons away, his next effort will be to fill
the mind with unimportant matters, thus pre-
venting them from treasuring up the truths
they hear.
This work Satan is engaged in at every
meeting. He has different temptations pre-
pared for different minds, and souls are continu-
ally yielding to his suggestions. He will adopt
any means by which he may gain control of
the thoughts and purposes of the heart. He
will work to divert the mind from Heaven and
heavenly things by the absorbing cares of this
life. He will produce temporary indisposition
to keep you away from meetings where testi-
monies, from Heaven will be borne, and your
hearts would be impressed with the deep mov-
ings of the Spirit of God. If you attend the
meetings, and your heart is impressed, he will
tempt you to engage in unprofitable conversa-
tion on trivial things, so that you will forget
the words spoken.
Circumstances will arise to divert the mind.
Visitors, relatives, or worldly friends, or some
temporal matter, will engage the attention;
and then "cometh the devil, and taketh the
word out of their hearts, lest they should be-
lieve and be saved." These friends will make
demands upon your time and strength, and thus
God is robbed of the service due him. Yet you
flatter yourselves that you cannot do otherwise;
for how can you displease your friends? God
will not bring a curse upon you for thus robbing
him, but your own course of action brings its
sure result. But ' however alluring Satan's
temptations, however natural and unavoidable
they may seem to the mind that is not clear
and sharp in spiritual discernment, you must
not be lulled to carnal security. However dear
your friends may be, if they lead you away
from God they are emissaries of Satan, who
works through the children of disobedience,
speaks through human organs.
God will not wrork a miracle to change
natural causes which you can control. If you
place yourself and family in the current of the
world, you and your children will be borne
downward by it. Be wise and discriminating
in regard to spiritual advantages, and gather
aboutTyourselves and your children correct in-
fluences. We may have a beautiful and fertile
country; but surrounding influences may be
weaving a spell upon our souls that will sink us
to perdition, and our children may be lost to
the cause of God because we did not place them
where they would cultivate a love for divine
things. We may save our own souls, as did Lot
when he fled from Sodom; but the habits and
customs with which we have become familiar
may cling to us, and we may find that we have
assimilated to them more than we were aware.
This is a risk that we cannot afford to run.
We might better lose every worldly advantage
than to lose Jesus, or dishonor him by our care-
less inattention to his requirements. It is best
to obey God at any sacrifice.
Another way that Satan comes in between
God and your soul is to lead you to criticise the
defects of your brethren and sisters, to watch
their mistakes and talk about them. You think
it is right to grieve over their errors; but the
enemy takes advantage here, and hurls his
poisoned darts through the defective places in
your armor. You let bitterness into your soul,
then jealousy and evil-surmising, and you do
not realize it. Your heart becomes hardened
against your brethren, and you speak evil of
them. You do not know that you are doing
the work of Satan, but you are; and you are
growing spiritually weaker and weaker, and
darker and darker.
The right course for you to pursue is marked
out in the Bible, and you should follow it strictly.
Go to your brother, and with your heart filled
writh tender, pitying love,—just such love as
inspired Jesus in his efforts to save a fallen r a c e -
tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If you fail, do not let this depress you. It will
do you harm, and not good, to let your mind
dwell upon the mistakes and errors of others.
Learn from their weakness to be strong your-
self. Avoid their failures. Because Jesus is
grieved by their faults, try the harder to honor
him yourself by a well-ordered life and godly
conversation. If you think your neighbor or
brother is defective in character, make him a
special subject of prayer; but do not lift up
your soul unto vanity by saying, " I am not like
him. In contrast with him, I am righteous."
This is not obeying the injunction of the apostle
to esteem others better than yourself.
By beholding w^e become changed. If you
allow your mind to dwell upon the imperfec-
tions and moral deformities of others, you will
be changed into the same image. You will be-
come deformed in character, and mentally one-
sided and unbalanced. Let the mind dwell
upon the perfect life of Christ. If the thoughts
are centered upon him, and the conversation is
on heavenly themes, you will be " changed into
the same image from glory to glory." You will
become "partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world
through lust."
The way to eternal life is a battle and a
march. The great adversary of souls is con-
tinually seeking to insinuate himself between
you and the Source of your strength. If you
allow your mind to be taken up with worldly
cares, he will manage to have these cares so
varied in character, and press so continually-
upon you, that you can find no time for the
spiritual and the eternal. Worldly acquaint-
ances introduce subjects that are of the great-
est importance to them; you listen and are at-

274 THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. VOL. 10, No. 18.
tracted, and those things of minor consequence
absorb the mind and affections. You give time
and attention, skill and inventive faculties, to
outward ornamentation, to the neglect of the
inward adorning of the soul. Time is worse
than lost which should be devoted to the search-
ing of the Scriptures and to earnest prayer for
divine guidance; you rob your own souls of
grace and power, and others of the light that
should be reflected through you to the world.
But few know the real power of religion.
They do not appreciate its refining and elevat-
ing influence on the character; they do not par-
take of its joys nor enter into its spirit. We
need constant communion with Jesus just as
much as we need daily food to nourish the body.
If there is a moment when Ave are in no danger
of being deceived by the enemy, then for that
moment Ave may dispense with divine aid. If
there is any moment when we are not depend-
ent on God for our breath, then there is a time
when Ave need not obej^ the injunctions of his
word.
We should be sanctified by the truth. The
conscience and the understanding, the words,
the deeds, and the thoughts, should be con-
trolled by truth, and not error. The principle
of truth and righteousness implanted in the
heart, will be revealed in the life, and especially
in the family circle. God estimates a man by
what he is in the bosom of his family. Fix the
mind on things that are pure and holy.
" Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good re-
port; if there be any virtue, and if there be
any praise, think on these things." And the
life will be clothed Avith the beauty of holiness
even here; but Avho shall tell what it will be,
Ayhen the great controversy between sin and
righteousness is forever closed, and Ave appear
in "the beauty of the Lord our God"?
Rise of the Papacy.
THE church was in the beginning a commu-
nity of brethren. All its members were taught
of God; and each possessed the liberty of draw-
ing for himself from the divine fountain of life.
John 6:45. The epistles, Avhich then settled
the great questions of doctrine, did not bear
the pompous title of any single man, or ruler.
We find from the holy Scriptures that they
began simply with these words: "The apostles,
elders, and brethren, to our brethren." Acts
15 : 23.
But the AVRItings of these very apostles fore-
warn us that from the midst of "these brethren,
there shall arise a power which shall overthrow
this simple and primitive order. 2 Thess. 2.
Let us contemplate the formation and trace
the development of this power alien to the
church.
Paul of Tarsus, one of the chiefest apostles
of the new religion, had arrived at Rome, the
capital of the empire and of the world, preach-
ing the salvation that cometh from God only.
A church was formed beside the throne of the
Cjesars. Founded by this same apostle, it was
at first composed of converted" Jews, Greeks,
and some inhabitants of Rome. For a while it
shone brightly a-s a light set upon a hill, and
its faith Avas everywhere spoken of. But ere-
long it declined from its first simplicity. The
spiritual dominion of Rome arose as its political
and military power had done before, and was
slowly and gradually extended.
The first pastors or bishops of Rome em-
ployed themselves in the beginning in convert-
ing to the faith of Christ the towns and vil-
lages that surrounded the city. The necessity
which the bishops and pastors felt of referring
in cases of difficulty to an enlightened guide,
and the gratitude which they owed to the met-
ropolitan church, led them to maintain an inti-
mate union with her. As is generally the con-
sequence in such circumstances, this reasonable
union soon degenerated into dependence. The
bishops of Rome regarded as a right the superi-
ority which the neighboring churches had vol-
untarily yielded. The encroachments of poAver
form a large portion of all history; the resist-
ance of those Avhose rights are invaded forms
the other part; and the ecclesiastical poAver
could not escape that intoxication which leads
those Avho are lifted up to seek to raise them-
selves still higher. It felt all the influence of
this general Aveakness of human nature.
Nevertheless the supremacy of the Roman
bishop was at first limited to the overlooking
of the churches in the territory lawfully, sub-
ject to the prefect of Rome. But the rank
which this imperial city held in the world of-
fered to the ambition of its first pastors a pros-
pect of wider SAvay. The consideration which
the different Christian bishops enjoyed in the
second century was in proportion to the rank
of the city over which they presided. Rome
was the greatest, the richest, and the most
poAverful city in the world. It was the seat of
empire, the mother of nations. " All the inhab-
itants of the earth are hers," said Julian, and
Claudian declares her to be the "fountain of
laws."
If Rome be the queen of cities, why should
not her pastor be the king of bishops? Why
should not the Roman church be the mother
of Christendom? Why should not all nations
be her children, and her authority be the uni-
versal law? It was natural to'the heart of
man to reason thus. Ambitious Rome did so.
Hence it was that Avhen heathen Rome fell,
she bequeathed to the humble minister of the
God of peace, seated in the midst of her own
ruins, the proud titles which her invincible
SAvord had won from the nations of the earth.
_ The bishops of the other parts of the empire,
yielding to the charm that Rome had exercised
for ages over all nations, folloAved the example
of the Campagna, and aided the Avork of usur-
pation. They Avillingly rendered to the bishop
of Rome something of that honor which Avas
due to this queen of cities; nor Avas there at
first anything of dependence in the honor thus
yielded. They acted towards the Roman pas-
tor as equals toward an equal; but usurped
power SAvells like the avalanche. Exhortations,
at first simply fraternal, soon became commands
in the mouth of the Roman pontiff. A chief
place amongst equals appeared to him a throne.
The bishops of the West favored this en-
croachment of the Roman pastors, either from
jealousy of the Eastern bishops, or because
they preferred subjection to a pope to the do-
minion of a temporal power.
On the other hand, the theological sects
Avhich distracted the East, strove, each for itself,
to gain an interest at Rome, hoping to triumph
over its opponents by the support of the princi-
pal of the Western churches.
Rome carefully recorded these requests and
intercessions, and smiled to see the nations
throAv themselves into her arms. She neg-
lected no opportunity of increasing and ex-
tending her power. The praises, the flattery,
and exaggerated compliments paid to her, and
her being consulted by other churches, became
in her hands as titles and documents of her au-
thority. Such is the heart of man exalted to a
throne; flattery intoxicates him, and his head
groAvs dizzy. What he possesses impels him to
aspire after more.
The doctrine of "the church," and of "the
necessity for its visible unity," which had
gained footing as early as the third century,
favored the pretensions of Rome. The great
bond which originally bound together the mem-
bers of the church, was a living faith in the
heart, by Avhich all Avere joined to Christ as
their one Head. But various causes ere-long
conspired to originate and develop the idea of
a necessity for some exterior felloAvship. Men,
accustomed to the associations and political
forms of an earthly country, carried their vieAvs
and habits of mind into the spiritual and ever-
lasting kingdom of Jesus Christ. Persecution,
powerless to destroy, or even to shake the
neAv community, compressed it into the form of
a more compacted body. To the errors that
arose in the schools of deism, or in the various
sects, Avas opposed the truth "one and uni-
versal" received from the apostles and pre-
served in the church. All this was Avell, so
long as the invisible and spiritual church Avas
identical Avith the visible and outward commu-
nity.
But soon a great distinction appeared; the
form and the Antal principle parted asunder.
The semblance of identical and external organ-
ization Avas gradually substituted in place of
the internal and spiritual unity which is the
very essence of a religion proceeding from God.
Men suffered the precious perfume of faith to
escape while they boAved themselves before the
empty vase that had held it. Faith in the
heart no longer knit together in one the mem-
bers of the church. Then it was . that other
ties were sought; and Christians were united
by means of bishops, archbishops, popes, mitres,
ceremonies, and canons. The living church
retiring by degrees to the lonely sanctuary of
a few solitary souls, an exterior church Avas
substituted in place of it, and installed in all
its forms as of divine institution. Salvation no
longer flowing forth from that Avord which was
noAv hidden, it began to be affirmed that it
Avas conveyed by means of certain invented
forms, and that none could obtain it without
resorting to such means! No one, it was said,
can by his faith attain to everlasting life; Christ
communicated to the apostles, and the apostles
to the bishops, the unction of the Holy Spirit;
and this Spirit is found only in this order of
communication. In the beginning of the gos-
pel, whosoever had received the spirit of Jesus
Christ was esteemed a member of the church;
noAvthe order was inverted; and no one. unless
a member of the church, Avas counted to have
received the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
As soon as the notion of a supposed necessity
for a visible unity of the church had taken root,
another error began to spread, namely, that it
was needful that there should be some outward
representative of that unity. Though no trace
of any primacy of St. Peter above the rest of
the apostles appears in the gospels; although
the idea of a primacy is at variance Avith the
mutual relations of the disciples as " brethren,"
and even with the spirit of the dispensation
which requires all the children of the Father
to minister one to another (1 Pet. 4 : 10), ac-
knoAvledging but one Master and Head;'and
though the Lord Jesus had rebuked his disci-
ples whenever their carnal hearts conceived
desires of pre-eminence,—a primacy of St.
Peter was invented, and supported bv misinter-
preted texts, and men proceeded to" acknoAvl-
edge in that apostle, and in his pretended suc-
cessor, the visible representative of visible
unity—and head of the whole church!—HAu-
bigne's History of the Reformation.
Inaction a Hindrance.
MR. SPURGEON once remarked to his people:
"Many church members think that if they do
nothing wrong and make no trouble they are
all right. Not at all, sir, not at all. We have
a chariot, and Ave are all engaged to drag it.
Some of you do not put out your hands to pull;
Avell then, the rest of us have to labor so much
the more, and the Avorst of it is, Ave have to
draw you also. While you do not add to the
strength which draws, you increase the Aveight,
that is to be drawn. It is all very well for you
to say, ' I do not hinder you.' You do hinder
and you cannot help hindering. If H man's
leg does not help him in walking, it certainly
hinders him." J

275
"Stirring Times Ahead."
" T H E R E are stirring times ahead ofthe present
generation, and whether we shall as a people
survive or perish depends upon the intelligence
and good sense with which we meet coming
issues; and we have no time to lose in making
preparation."
The preceding words are full of prophetic
truth, and seem as forcible and as much to the
point as if they were from the pen of an Ad-
ventist. Yet the writer is not a churchman,
but one who is laboring for the good of humanity,
and is looking unto the future from another
stand-point. He is looking at the conflict be-
tween capital and labor, unjust usury, moneyed
monopolies, and extreme poverty. Certainly
Seventh-day Adventists can truly say, "There
are stirring times ahead," when they look at
the enforcement of the Sunday law in the near
future, and is it not true that " whether we as
a people survive or perish depends upon the
intelligence, good sense," and, we may also add,
Christian courage with which we meet coming
issues. The time will soon come when we must
show our colors, show whether we are on the
side of truth or with the enemy. As a people
we are preparing for the conflict, and are already
in the midst of it in one sense.
The printing presses in this country and in
Europe are sending forth tons of reading mat-
ter, and the living teachers are battling for the
truth, so that it is really going before " peoples,
nations, and tongues, and in a stronger sense
the third angel will soon cry, "If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive
his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of
God which is poured out without mixture into
the cup of his indignation." Rev. 14 : 9, 10.
The schools also, and the sanitariums, are ex-
erting a powerful influence for good. There-
fore we are meeting the enemy by intelligent
forces.
How true are the words that we have " no
time to lose in making preparation." Cathol-
icism is increasing, and its adherents are propa-
gating their doctrines with wonderful zeal,
leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to
gain proselytes, as they are anxious to regain
lost power. And Mormonism. is increasing;
they have their missionaries in nearly all parts
of the world. Spiritualists are also zealous to
increase their numbers, and they number al-
ready over 20,000,000. Infidelity in various
phases is rapidly gaining ground. The mighty
men Avho make wealth their god, are piling up
millions upon millions of unjust gain. All of
these classes are working with zeal, and we can
add still another, which is anxious to bring
about a union of church and State. Then cer-
tainly Seventh-day Adventists who are looking
for the soon coming of Christ, who have the
"sure word of prophecy" concerning these
" stirring times," " have no time to lose in
making preparation," and should work with
greater zeal than any other party.
In looking at the United States, it can be
seen that the elements of strife are rapidly devel-
oping, as there are many enemies of free gov-
ernment, free schools, and freedom in religion.
Romanists, by their secret military organiza-
tions, are drilling and preparing for a struggle
to obtain power." Rings, favoring rich monopo-
lies, are oppressing the people. Taxes and
monopoly oppressions are consuming the pro-
duct of labor, which gives rise to associations
for mutual protection, thus creating strife be-
tween capital and labor, and the prospect now
is that this strife will greatly increase. The
Bdmonds law is denounced in Utah, and a
speaker in a recent meeting at Ogden, called
" the judge," said: " We are bound to beat this
regulation, we have money to do it, and if that
will not do, we have bullets and steel." In
Salt Lake, Geo. Q. Cannon denounced the Ed-
monds law and said they would triumph over
all their enemies, and beat all legislation aimed
at the Mormons." Joseph Cook said in a re-
cent lecture, "Who does not see that we are
drifting into the necessity of armed interference
with Mormonism?"
It is uncertain what will be the result of the
coming contest between the two great political
parties; but one thing is certain, the elements
of strife are in our midst, the kindling material
is ready, and when the match is applied the
winds of contest will soon spread the flames.
Joseph Cook further says in regard to the law-
lessness in our country: " A prolific cause of
lawlessness is the animosities between races,
and religions, and political parties. A. still
larger cause is intemperance. A yet larger
cause is irreligion, atheism, agnosticism, liber-
alistic creeds, blatant infidelity, and the failure
of the church to reach the masses with the
truths that overawe the conscience." It is dif-
ficult to tell what may be the result of the agi-
tation of the temperance question. But one
thing is certain, united effort against moral evils
cannot fail to bring about good results. As the
end is so near, we can only see that the evil of
intemperance will be held in check, but there
will yet be a much greater contest over the mat-
ter.
The recent riot in Cincinnati is further proof
of increasing lawlessness. The people are in-
dignant in many other localities in regard to
criminals escaping justice. Crimes worse than
murder are committed, the most outlandish in
regard to the rights, happiness, and virtue of
women, and yet a trial by jury clears the guilty.
But not the least element in the stirring times
ahead, will be the enforcement of a Sunday
law, which will be brought about by a union
of church and State. This union, which con-
stitutes the "image to the beast," is clearly
predicted in the 17th chapter of Revelation ;
but we have not space in this article to more
than allude to it. The Chicago Journal says:
" The Sabbath question, with its religious as-
pects, will, in all probability, be carried to the
ballot-box for final settlement." The Christian
Statesman says: "The battle will be serious;
it will divide neighborhoods, and separate very
near friends."
The fearful threatening of Rev. 14 : 9-11 has
already been alluded to. We have often thought
of the time when the Third Angel's Message
would go forth with a "loud voice"; and does
not this consist in forcibly and specially giving
warning of the terrible judgment pronounced
against those who worship the beast and his
image, thus plainly drawing the line between
those who serve God and those who serve him
not? And is not this time right here, or near
to come? Why is this Sunday agitation going
on throughout the length and breadth of the
land ? Why is this National Reform Party in-
creasing from year to year, and holding con-
ventions in our large cities to stir up the people,
if it is not to fulfill the prophecy? We are
glad to see the Sabbath Sentinel circulated to
prepare the people for the conflict. Hundreds
of thousands of these should be circulated, and
will be if all do their duty.
Yes, there are stirring times, and also dan
gers, ahead in every direction; and it is a good
thing to foresee the evil and be prepared for it.
The only hiding-place is the Ark of safety.
As the disciples^had only a little time in which
to flee from falling Jerusalem for security, so
now there is only a little time in which to
escape impending destruction. The only way
for the Christian is to work, watch, and pray.
"Seek righteousness, seek meekness," and by
so doing " be hid in the day of the Lord's
anger." W M . PENNIMAN.
JOHN W E S L E Y sent a bank note to one of his
helpers, with this text: "Trust in the Lord and
do good, and verily thou shalt be fed." The
best expository note for that text, he thought.
Have You Faith?
THE great event of earth's history is at hand.
The closing message of the everlasting gospel
is being heard in many nations; and the watch-
ing, faithful ones are obeying its voice by keep-
g " the commandments of God" —not except-
ing the one so long trodden under foot by al-
most the whole Christian world—" and the faith
of Jesus," a faith which embraces his coming
again according to his promise. Rev. 14 : 9-12.
"And yet how few accept and appreciate this
solemn truth! Said Jesus, "When the Son of
man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth ?"
The truth is being proclaimed with many infalli-
ble proofs from prophecy and history; and yet
professed believers in the Bible look on "with
brute unconscious gaze," almost entirely desti-
tute of that living faith which relies on the testi-
mony of God's word and providence as an infalli-
ble guide. Preachers still preach, ignoring, if
not opposing, the present work of the Lord in
fulfillment of his promises contained in prophecy;
and souls are said to be converted, who are kept,
if possible, as really ignorant of these thrilling
truths as their teachers seem to be. I say seem
to be; for it seems impossible that learned men
of extensive travel and acquaintance, as these
"revivalsts" are, should really be ignorant of
the great questions of the day concerning Bible
truth. The Lord's work, though it may appear
small, is " not done in a corner; " and though
they may avoid saying anything of it to the un-
informed multitudes, when the subject is forced
upon their attention they will be found armed
and equipped with traditions of men with which
to oppose the truth of God. Oh, the infidelity
of the professed church! Yet the Heaven-sent
message will be heard and obeyed by some.
It is even now being widely spread among
men. True hearts are responding to the call in
many countries, and true faith shall be victorious.
Those that believe and endure shall be saved.
May Heaven speed on the work.
How is it with us who have for years ac-
cepted this closing message as the truth of God?
Is our faith active and our zeal fervent? Have
we a faith that works? Do we appreciate the
sacred truth for our times, and the high and
holy work to which we are called ? Do earthly
treasures look extremely small, and are our af-
fections for them diminishing as rapidly as we
are approaching the end? "Take heed, lest at
any time your hearts be overcharged with sur-
feiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life,
and so that day come upon you unawares."
Every heart will be tested. We who have
long enjoyed the light are held responsible for
the way in which we let our light shine. Is
our interest increasing, or decreasing? Do we
love the truth? Are we doing our best to ad-
vance it? It is well to think of these things;
for the gospel net has always taken fishes of
different kinds, but when it is brought to land,
the good are put in vessels and the bad thrown
away. Let us be co-workers with God, while
he has a work to do. R. F. COTTRELL.
Engaged by the Day.
A KING had in his garden a yawning pit of
great magnitude. One day he hired a number
of workmen to fill it up. Some went to the
sides of the pit, and as they saw its depth they
exclaimed: "How is it possible to fill it!" And
they gave up the work in despair. But the
others said: "What matters it how deep it is!
We are engaged by the day and are happy
to have something to do. Let us be faithful in
our duty, and we will fill the pit as soon as we
possibly can." Let no man say, "How im-
measurable is the divine law, it is deeper than
the sea, how many statutes to perform, how
can we carry them out!" God says to man,
Thou art engaged by the day, do the work
which thou canst, and think of naught else.

Redemption.
(Continued.)
BY many it is supposed that all the promises
of the possession of the land were fulfilled to
the natural descendants of Abraham who dwelt
in the land of Canaan. We have given to us
in the Scriptures several lines of proof showing
that the possession of the land of Canaan did
not fulfill the promise; that that land, in the
condition in which they received it, was not the
true inheritance of Abraham's seed, but only
typical of it.
1. The dwelling of the children of Israel
in the land of Canaan was not a fulfillment of
the promise that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
should possess it. It was not said merely that
their children should inherit it, but that they
and their seed should receive it for an everlast-
ing possession. Stephen said that Abraham
had no inheritance in it. no not so much as to
set his foot on. This is proved to be literally
true, in that he had to buy of the inhabitants
of the land a place to bury Sarah, his wife, in
Hebron. And Paul said that Abraham, and
Isaac, and Jacob, heirs with him of the same
promise, died without receiving it, and con-
fessed that they were strangers and pilgrims
on the earth. This alone would be sufficient to
prove that the promise remains to be fulfilled.
2. According to Paul's testimony in G-al. 3 :
16, Christ was the seed to whom the promise
was made; and he, as Abraham, was a sojourner
in the same land. He bad "not where to lay
his head." He was the world's Maker, des-
tined to be the world's Redeemer, and yet
spent a life of toil and suffering in the world
without a resting-place or home upon the earth.
He purchased the redemption of the earth .by
bearing in his person the curse of the earth,
even as he will redeem man because he bore
the curse of man. When the ground was
cursed the Lord said it should bring forth
thorns because of man's transgression; these it
would never have produced if sin had not en-
tered. And Jesus, wrhen he was made an offer-
ing for sin; when he was placed in the hands
of the powders of earth, was crowned with
thorns. The old purple robe and the crown of
thorns were a mockery of his right as king,
but they became a part of the means of his
final triumph—a means of vindicating the jus-
tice of God before men and angels in the Judg-
ment. He was "the heir" whom the men of
the vineyard cast out and slew. But he will
come again to claim his own, and they will be
destroyed. Matt. 21 : 33-42.
3. There is an argument from analogy on
this subject which is very conclusive, besides
the direct declarations of the Scriptures, show-
ing that the whole earth was contemplated in
the original promise. This argument must be
admitted by all who claim to be the seed of
Abraham, and recognize as valid the covenant
made with him. In this covenant we find
three prominent points, namely, 1. The land of
promise. 2. The seed to whom the promise
was made. 3. The token of the covenant,
which is circumcision. All that will be here
claimed on points 2 and 3 will be readily ac-
cepted by all New Testament believers.
The seed. The reader of the Old Testament
might easily conclude that "the seed" to
whom the promises were made included only
the literal descendants of Abraham. But the
term was soon restricted, and was shown to
refer, not to all who descended from Abraham,
but to those descending from him through one
of his sons, Isaac. And in the New Testament
it is shown that the term refers primarily to
Christ, the real child of promise, and second-
arily to all who are Christ's by faith. Thus it
is said:—
"He is not a Jew which is one outwardly; .
. . But he is a Jew which is one inwardly."
Rom. 2:28, 29. And again: "For they are
not all Israel, which are of Israel; neither be-
cause they are the seed of Abraham are they
all children; but, In Isaac shall thy seed be
called. That is, They which are the children
of the flesh, these are not the children of God;
but the children of the promise are counted for
the seed." Rom. 9 : 6-8.
Therefore the true heirs of the promise are
not counted by natural descent, but are of all
nationalities, as the apostle says:—
" There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor
female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And
if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:
28, 29.
" Wherefore remember, that ye being in
time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called
uncircumcision by that which is called the cir-
cumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at
that time ye were without Christ, being aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel, and strang-
ers from the covenants of promise, having no
hope, and without God in the world; but now,
in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off
are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Eph.
2: 11-13.
The Gentiles were "aliens from the common-
wealth of Israel, and strangers from the cove-
nants of promise;" but the gospel of Christ is
the means of their naturalization, so that now
they belong to the true Israel of God if they
are of faith, and are " fellow-heirs, and of the
same body, and partakers of his promise in
Christ by the gospel." Eph. 3:6.
The token. When the covenant was made
with Abraham a sign, or token, was given to
him. The Lord said to him: "Every man-child
among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall
circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it
shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me
and you." Gen. 17 : 10, 11. This more than
any other one thing was a mark of separation
between the Jews and the Gentiles. And this,
from its terms, was confined to the male por-
tion of the children of Abraham, "Every man-
child among you."
But in the New Testament everything on
this subject is different, both in substance and
manner. As we have seen that he is not a Jew,
or child of Abraham, who is one outwardly, so
" neither is that circumcision which is outward
in the flesh. . . . Circumcision is that of
the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter;
whose praise is not of men, but of God."
Rom. 2:28 29. "In whom also ye .ire cir-
cumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, in putting off the body of the sins of
the flesh by the circumcision of Christ." Col.
2 : 11.
Circumcision was called " a token of the
covenant;" in the New Testament it is called a
sign and a seal; Rom. 4 : 11. And the seal, or
circumcision, of the New Testament is further
explained as follows: "In whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy
Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our
inheritance." Eph. 1 : 13, 14.
The earnest is the same as the seal or token.
Again it is written:—
" Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby
ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Eph. 4:30. "Who hath also sealed us, and
given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
2 Cor. 1 : 22.
This is the circumcision of the heart, in the
spirit; the true token or sign of our heirship.
And as it was said to Abraham that the uncir-
cumcised man-child should be cut off—he had
no part in the covenant; so it is now said, " If
any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is
none of his." Rom. 8 : 9. He has not the seal
or token of the covenant, and has no part in
the covenant.
Now mark the analogy. All Christians be-
lieve that the seed or children of Abraham,
and circumcision, have a place in the gospel;
that they are brought over into this dispensa-
tion; only they are enlarged in their terrn^,
and made to apply to those and that to which
they did not seem to apply when first the cov-
enant was made. Now an enlargement of
them is the very opposite of nullifying them,
or having them expire by limitation.
But if they to whom a certain promise is
made, and the token or assurance of that
promise, are brought into the New Testament,
why not also the promise itself 2 And if the
terms of the other are enlarged, it is only rea-
sonable to expect that of this they would be
also. And thus we find it written: " For the
promise, that he should be the heir of the world,
was not to Abraham, or to bis seed, through
the law, but through the righteousness of
faith." Rom. 4 : 13. " Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5 : 5.
We fully believe, as before remarked, that
God's original purpose in the creation of the
earth will be fulfilled, that the restoration of
the earth from the curse, from thorns and this-
tles, and from -everything that could annoy its
inhabitants, was included in the promise that
the seed of the woman should bruise the head
of the serpent; or, in the words of the New
Testament, that Christ should destroy the
works of the devil. The "first dominion"
given to man shall be returned to him, but
the promise of restoration was made to and
through Abraham and his seed, and we receive
it as his heirs. The meek shall inherit the
earth. To inherit is to possess by heirship; but
our heirship is solely of Abraham our father.
Two objections raised against this view we
will notice, 1. That the righteous, the meek,
do now possess the earth; that all the blessings
and enjoyments of this world really belong to
the people of God. 2. That the Israelites are
said to have had all the promises made to
their fathers fulfilled to them in their possessing
the land of Canaan.
The first objection is readily disposed of; in-
deed it seems strange that any one with the
New Testament in his hands should urge that
the meek now inherit the earth; that the prom-
ises are now being fulfilled to them. But some
eminent theological scholars have urged this
view. It is disproved by most explicit declara-
tions of the Scriptures.
(1) The poor of this world, the rich in faith,
are only " heirs of the kingdom which God
hath promised to them that love him;" the
kingdom prepared " from the foundation of the
world."
(2) When the meek inherit the earth "they
shall delight themselves in the abundance of
peace." IPs. 37:11. This is not the case at
present, as we all know by observation and
experience; the following words of our Saviour
settle it:—
(3) "In the world ye shall have tribulation;
but be of good cheer, 1 have overcome the
world." John 16:33. The enjoyment or bless-
ing of the Christian is not from or of the world,
but from what Jesus has done for us to over-
come the world. So far from the meek having
"abundance of peace" in this world, they have
persecutions and afflictions; their life is only a
warfare, in which they are speedily overcome if
they lay aside their armor.
(4) The wicked inherit more of this present
world than the righteous do, the latter being
"the poor of this world," while a woe is pro-
nounced upon the rich. But the scripture says:
" Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the
son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with
the son of the freewoman." Gen. 21:10; Gal.
4:30. If the inheritance is of this present
world, the son of the bondwoman has the
largest share.
(5) Abraham dwelt in the land, but he did
not inherit it. He with others, heirs with him
of the same promise, dwelt in the land of
promise as in a strange country. And so the
apostle said his brethren were "strangers and
pilgrims." 2 Peter 2:11. Abraham' had to

APRIL17,1884. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 277
buy a place to bury his dead in the land which
-^as promised to him for an everlasting posses-
sion; even so now, the children of Abraham
have an abiding-place in the earth only by pay-
ing tribute to earthly powers. But of this we
do not complain. The lime for us to inherit the
earth has not yet come.
(6) That the Spirit is an "earnest of our in-
heritance " is proof on this point- The earnest
looks to the fulfillment of a promise in the future.
When God promised the land to Abraham he
gave him circumcision as a token, an assurance
of his promise. So now we have the circum-
cision of the Spirit, "which is the earnest of our
inheritance." How long do we need the ear-
nest or token? Until we take possession of the
inheritance. And howlong is that in the future?
"Until the redemption of the purchased pos-
session." The meek will not inherit the earth
before it is redeemed, for in its present state
they can only possess it in common with the
children of the bondwoman, and they cannot
" delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Jesus purchased the earth with the right to re-
deem it from the curse. And he will surely
claim his right, and his people shall receive
their reward. The expectation of the poor shall
not perish. "The kingdom and dominion, and
the greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the Most High." Dan. 7 :27.
EDITOR.
(To be continued.)
Modern Terrorism.
T H I S is what English papers call the late dem-
onstrations of the dynamite fiends in that
country. The explosion at Victoria Station,
and the discovery of plots to blow up other
public buildings in London, has caused no little
anxiety in English circles. Many comments
have been offered by the press. While some
suggest that the arrest and summary execution
of a few leaders in these villainies would restore
former peace and quietness, others are inclined
to look at the matter in a more serious light.
They regard the late developments as nothing-
less than the outgrowth of irreligion and atheism,
and that they forebode only evil to the country.
In a review of the matter, the Rock (English)
makes the following comments: "Modern ter-
rorism, which has made its formidable attacks
to be felt in so many parts of Europe, has come
unpleasantly close to ourselves. Unfortunately
England does not stand alone in these murder-
ous exploits. Russia has long endured the
horrible fatalism embodied in Nihilism. France
has repeatedly suffered from the intermittent
outbreaks of Communism. Germany has com-
mendably invoked stern legislation against
Socialism, as the English Parliament did against
the ripened Fenianism of Ireland. Austria has
recently placed in a state of siege certain dis-
tricts, one of which includes Vienna. Even Nor-
way is in the throes of a society warfare, in
w^hich the main question is wrhether there shall
be an utter abolition of religion, education, and
proprietary rights.
" What is the fundamental cause of all these
outbursts of social iniquity? We believe the
originating principle to be a compound one, and
in complete correspondence with the 'perilous
times' in which we live, and of which the
most potent element is, beyond all question,
the general depravity and, prevalent irreligion.
Look where we will there is an upheaval of
social forces intimately connected with the
skeptical, the immoral, and the ignorant classes.
The dangers are not confined to one order of
society. The same causes which are manifestly
ripening for catastrophe in the proletariat
(the socialist class), are also conspicuous enough
in some of the upper strata of society. Beflex
action has been already, and will be even more
swiftly, retributive. The new race of politicians
and progressionists sneer at piety as effeminacy,
and what shall we say of the rampant Sabbath-
breaking, of the scornful treatment of the Bible,
of hoty things and persons caricatured? Of one
nation of old we have sundry lurid pictures of'
their extensive but hollow religious professions,
of their fashionable excesses, and of their gross
immorality. These were the pregnant causes
of the ultimate destruction of the Jewish polity.
The eloquence of Isaiah's delineations are as
lamentably accurate of modern English society
as ever they were of Jewish life. Atheism, like
a subtile refuge, is entwining its deadly folds
around its victims; and Universalism, Positivism,
and other members of the poisonous family
group are seducing unwary minds into a whirl-
pool of misery, ignorance, and crime. ' No God'
is the social watchword across the channel;
'No God' is becoming popularized at home by
men who stick ^/t nothing, neither the claims
of religion, social law, nor proprietary right.
When these existing elements of terrorism
have burst into vigor, history will repeat itself
even to the dregs of retributive punishment."
It is not necessary for Americans to journey
across the Atlantic to appreciate the above
statements. And while the picture thus drawn
of English society is not a flattering one, yet if
applied to the social condition of this country,
it would not be overdraAvn. The prevalence of
irreligion in all grades of society is almost appall-
ing, and yet there were never more church
members than at the present time. Each suc-
ceeding year seems to outdo its predecessor in
producing startling crimes. If things go on at
the present rate, it cannot be long before ret-
ributive justice must overtake the world. A
glance about us, and a moment's thought, can
but convince us that we have met the "perilous
times" of the last days. J. O. CORLISS.
Walla Walla, W. T.
Returning- to God.
IT is a sad thought that any soul who has
once enlisted in the service of God should ever
grieve his Spirit, or allow himself to be led into
sin; thus yielding to the enemy of all righteous-
ness. But that such is the experience of some
is proved by both scripture and observation.
David, of whom at one period in his life it
was said that he was a man after God's own
heart, sinned against the Jjord, and brought
upon himself that scathing rebuke recorded in
2 Sam. 12 : 7-12.
God visited the sin of David upon him in the
death of the child which was born unto him,
and raised up evil against him out of his own
house, so that his life was embittered by the
rebellion of his son Absalom.
But David confessed his sin, and was assured
by the prophet that his iniquity was forgiven
him. Nevertheless it was for the glory of
God that the child should die, because the king's
sin had given great occasion to the enemies of
the Lord to blaspheme. Thus it is that sin al-
ways brings a measure of suffering.
But God in mercy is ready to forgive our
transgressions when we come to him, and by
confession and true repentance put the evil out
of our hearts; yet for his glory and our good, he
permits us to suffer the minor consequences of
our iniquities; thereby enabling us to form some
conception of the sinfulness of sin.
Though God is holy, and cannot look upon
sin with the least degree of allowance; and
while the sin of backsliding must be (if we may
so speak) doubly black in his sight, yet the
Bible abounds in invitations to those who have
wandered away from the Lord to return unto
him for "he will abundantly pardon."
The language of inspiration is: " Turn, O back-
sliding children, saith the Lord; for I am mar-
ried unto you; and I will take you one of a city
and two of a family, and I will bring you to
Zion." Jer. 3: 14.
In the parable of the prodigal son we have
a most touching ..lustration of the willingness
of our heavenly Father to welcome the humble
penitent. Oh, the goodness and mercy of God!
His judgments are unsearchable, and " his ways
pastfindingout."
But, backslider, how long will you presume
upon the mercy of God, and continue to grieve
his Spirit? How long will you stay in the ene-
my's country and feed upon the husks of sin?
Throw off the speil which Satan has cast over
you, and like the prodigal resolve, " I will arise
and go to my father." C . P. B O L L M A N .
Barefooted Nuns.
B A R O N P A L E T contributes to the Paris Fig-
aro a strange history, under the title of " An
hour among the dead." The dead in this case
are living women who regard themselves as
"dead to the world." They are, in fact, the
little known order of the Barefooted Clares.
These ladies possess a cloister in Paris, in which
there are eighteen nuns and a few lay sisters
who act as their servants. Fourteen of the
present staff of nuns are under twenty-three
years of age. The reason of this, according to
Baron Palet, is terrible enough to justify the
intervention of the State. The rule of the
Clares is so excessively severe that nearly all the
professed inmates die young. They wear a
rough woolen dress, with a rope as a girdle;
they go barefoot on the cold stone flooring; they
never warm themselves at afire,—eventhe
kitchen fire is placed beyond their access; they
eat meat only once a year; they sleep on a narrow
board; they must spend ten hours everyday upon
their knees; they live entirely upon alms; they
are only allowed to speak to one another upon
rare occasions. The Abbess, through a grating,
assured him that more than one of her nuns,
through cultivation of this grace of silence,
had actually lost the power of forming a sen-
tence. We doubt if Mr. Carlyle himself would
have approved so prodigious a development of
the axiom that "speech is silver, silence is gold."
—Christian Reflector.
" Yet a Little While."
T H E R E is a wondrous healing power in " a
little while." A little while, and the tears of
childhood give place to smiles of joy; a little
while, and the weariness of the toiler is ex-
changed for refreshment and repose; a little
while, and the hour of temptation is past, and
he who was sore oppressed by the adversary,
raises his thanksgiving to God who giveth the
victory; a little while, and the oppressor is
broken, and deliverance comes to the loyal, trust-
ing soul; a little while, and the bitter days of
tribulation are done, and the heart, tossed,
troubled and discouraged, finds repose in the
providence of the Lord Jesus Christ; a little
while, and the anguish of bereavement is as-
suaged, the broken heart bound up, the sorrow-
ing soul made glad, and the discouraged one
goes forward in the strength of God; a little
while, and the weary pilgrimage is ended, the
fight is v, on, and the victory is gained. " A lit-
tle while and he that shall come will come and
will not tarry," is the testimony of faith to the
struggling, trusting church.
Let us rejoice in him who thus gives us ever-
lasting consolation; and, though the time to us
seems long, and the years to us seem weary, yet
our gracious Lord ever whispers in our ears,
" Yet a little while." Blessed are they who can
trust his precious word, and can believe that
" our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eter-
nal weight of glory; while we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen; for the things which are seen are
temporal, but the things which are not seen are
eternal."—The Christian.

278 T H E S I G N S O F T H E T I M E S . VOL. 10, No. 16.
® H t J ^ A L R K T L T - J F C F T M L
LESSON F O R T H E P A C I F I C C O A S T — M A Y 17.
ACTS, CHAPTERS 2 2 : 1 7 — 2 3 : 2 4 .
Paul a Prisoner.
THE latter part of the previous lesson pre-
sents the apostle as a prisoner in charge of the
Roman soldiers at Jerusalem, who had rescued
him from a violent assault of the Jews, a few
days after his arrival from Macedonia. Just
after his rescue he had asked permission to ad-
dress the excited mob, and proceeded to do so
in the Hebrew language. The multitude lis-
tened to him until he came to the point of re-
lating how the Lord had sent him to preach
the gospel to the Gentiles, when they burst
forth in renewed clamor against him. Begin-
ning here, we quote from "Sketches from the
Life of Paul," by Mrs. E. G-. White, as follows:-
He endeavored to show that his work among
the Gentiles had not been from choice. He
had desired to labor for his own nation; but in
that very temple the voice of God had spoken
to him in holy vision, directing his course "far
hence, unto the Gentiles." Hitherto the peo-
ple had given close attention, but when he
reached the point in his history where he was
appointed Christ's ambassador to the Gentiles,
their fury broke forth anewT. Accustomed to
look upon themselves as the only people fa-
vored of God, they could not endure the thought
that the despised Gentiles should share the
privilege which had hitherto belonged exclu-
sively to themselves. National pride bore down
every argument which could influence their
reason or command their reverence. An out-
burst of rage interrupted his speech, as all with
one voice cried out, "Away with such a fellow
from the earth; for it is not fit that he should
live!" In their excitement they flung off their
garments, as they had done years before at the
martyrdom of Stephen, and threw dust into
the air with frantic violence.
This fresh outbreak threw the Roman cap-
tain into great perplexity. He had not under-
stood Paul's Hebrew address, and concluded
from the general excitement that his prisoner
must be guilty of some great crime. The loud
demands of the people that Paul be delivered
into their hands made the commander tremble.
He ordered him to be immediately taken unto
the barracks and examined by scourging, that
he might be forced to confess his guilt.
The body of the apostle was stretched out,
like that of a common malefactor, to receive
the lashes. There was no friend to stand by
him. He wTas in a Roman barrack, surrounded
only by brutal soldiers. But, as on a former
occasion at Philippi, he now rescued himself
from this degradation, and gained advantage
for the gospel, by appealing to his rights as a
Roman citizen.
He quietly said to the centurion who had
been appointed to superintend this examination,
"Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a
Roman, and uncondemned ?" The centurion
immediately went and told the chief captain,
saying, "take heed what thou doest; for this
man is a Roman."
On hearing this, Lysias was alarmed for
himself. A Roman might not be punished be-
fore he had been legally condemned, nor pun-
ished in this manner at all. The chief captain
well knew how stringent wrere the laws pro-
tecting the rights of citizenship, and that if
the statement wrere true he had, in his proceed-
ings against Paul, violated these laws.
He immediately wTent in person to the pris-
oner, and questioned him concerning the truth
of the centurion's report. Paul assured him
that he was indeed a Roman citizen; and when
the officer exclaimed, "With a great sum ob-
tained I this freedom," Paul declared, "But I
was free born." The preparation for torture
went no farther, and those commissioned to con-
duct his examination left him. Paul was, how-
ever, still held in custody, as the nature of his
offense had not yet been inquired into.
On the next day the chief captain summoned
a meeting of the Jewish Sanhedrim, with the
high priest, and brought Paul down from the
castle, under the protection of a sufficient force
to guard against any attempt upon his life.
The apostle now- stood in the presence of that
council of which he himself had been a mem-
ber,—that council by which Stephen had been
condemned. The memory of that scene, and
of his own efforts to secure tke condemnation
of the servant of Christ, came vividly before
his mind. As he looked upon those who were
to be his judges, he recognized many who had
been his associates in the school of Gamaliel,
and who had also united with him in persecut-
ing the disciples of Jesus. They were now as
eager to put Paul to death as they had been to
destroy Stephen.
The apostle's bearing was calm and firm.
The peace of Christ, ruling in his heart, was
expressed upon his countenance. But his look
of conscious innocence offended his accusers,
and when he fearlessly addressed them, "Men
and brethren, I have lived in all good con-
science before God until this day," their hatred
was kindled afresh, and the high priest ordered
him to be smitten upon the mouth. At this in-
human command, Paul exclaimed, " God shall
smite thee, thou wliited wall, for sittest thou
to judge me after the law, and commandest
me to be smitten contrary to the law?" These
words were not an Qutburst of passion. Under
the influence of the Holy Spirit, Paul uttered a
prophetic denunciation similar to that which
Christ had uttered in rebuking the hypocrisy
of the Jews. The judgment pronounced by
the apostle was terribly fulfilled wThen the in-
iquitous and hypocritical high priest was mur-
dered by assassins in the Jewish war. But the
bystanders regarded the words of Paul as pro-
fane, and exclaimed with horror, "Revilest
thou God's high priest?" Paul answered with
his usual courtesy, " I wist not, brethren, that
he was the high priest; for it is written, Thou
shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people."
Paul was convinced that he could not hope
for a fair trial and just decision at this tribunal.
And his natural penetration and shrewdness
enabled him to take advantage of the circum-
stances. The Sanhedrim council was made up
of Pharisees and Sadducees, who had long
been at variance upon the doctrine of the res-
urrection. Knowing this, the apostle cried out,
in clear, decided tones, "Brethren, I am a
Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; of the hope
and resurrection of the dead I am called in
question."
These words, appealing to the sympathies of
those Avho agreed with him in regard to the
resurrection, brought a change in the council.
The two parties began to dispute among them-
selves, and thus the strength of their opposi-
tion against Paul wras broken, for however well
united they were in warring against the gospel,
they were divided by an insurmountable bar-
rier in other matters of religious faith. The
Pharisees flattered themselves that they had
found in Paul a champion against their poAver-
ful rivals; and their hatred against the Saddu-
cees was even greater than their hatred against
Christ and his apostles. With great vehemence
they now began to vindicate Paul, using nearly
the same language that Gamaliel had used many
years before: " We find no evil in this man;
but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him,
let us not fight against God."
The sentence was hardly completed before
the judgment-hall became a scene of the wild-1
est confusion. The Sadducees were eagerly-
trying to get possession of the apostle, that
they might put him to death, and the Pharisees
were as eagerly trying to protect him. Again
it seemed that he would be torn in pieces by
the angry combatants. Lysias, being informed
of what was taking place, immediately gave
orders to his soldiers to bring the prisoner with-
out delay back to the fortress.
Thus closed the scenes of this eventful day.
Evening found Paul still in the Roman barrack,
the rude soldiery his sole companions, their
brutal jests and revolting blasphemy the only
sounds that fell upon his ear. He was not now
nerved up by the presence of his enemies, nor
was he supported by the presence of his friends.
The future seemed enveloped in darkness. He
feared that his course might not have been
pleasing to God. Could it be that he had made
a mistake after all in his visit to Jerusalem?
Had his great desire to be in union with his
brethren led to this disastrous result ?
And now he was in prison, and his enemies,
in their desperate malice, would resort to any
means to put him to death. Could it be that
his work for the churches was closed, and that
ravening wolves were to enter in, not sparing the
flock? The cause of Christ was near his heart,
and with deep anxiety he contemplated the perils
of the scattered churches, exposed to the perse-
cutions of just such men as he had encountered
in the Sanhedrim council. In distress and dis-
couragement he wept and prayed. The Lord
was not unmindful of his servant. He had
guarded him from the murderous throng in the
temple courts, he had been with him before the
Sanhedrim council, he was with him in the for-
tress, and was pleased to reveal himself to his
faithful witness. As on trying occasions several
times before, Paul was now comforted and en-
couraged by a vision in the night season. Such
a visitation had been granted him in the house
of Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth, when he Avas
contemplating leaving the city for a more safe
and prosperous field. And now the Lord stood
by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for
as thou has testified of me in Jerusalem, so
must thou bear witness also at Rome." Paul
had long looked forward to a Aasit to Rome; he
greatly desired to witness for Christ there, but
had felt that his purposes were frustrated by
the enmity of the Jews. He little thought,
even now, that it would be as a prisoner of the
Lord that he would go to Rome.
In the peaceful hours of the night, while the
Lord was visiting his discouraged servant, the
enemies of Paul were eagerly plotting his de-
struction. " And Avhen it was day, certain of
the Jews banded together, and bound them-
selves under a curse, saying that they would
neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
And they were more than forty which had
made this conspiracy." Here was such a fast
as the Lord through Isaiah had condemned
many years before,— a fast "for strife and de-
bate, and to smite Avith the fist of wickedness."
The Jews thus sought to scive to their diabolical
plan the sanction of religion. Having fortified
themselves by their dreadful oath, they came to
the chief priests and members of the Sanhedrim,
and made known their purpose. It was pro-
posed to request that Paul be again brought
before the court, as if for a further investigation
of his case, and that the assassins wrould lie in
wait and murder him while on his way from
the fortress. Such was the horrible crime
masked under a show of religious zeal. In-
stead of rebuking the Satanic scheme, the
priests and rulers eagerly acceded to it. Paul
had spoken the truth when he compared Ana-
nias to a whited sepulcher.
The next day the plot wrould have been car-
ried into effect, had not God by his providence
interposed to save the life of his servant.
When Peter had been made a prisoner and con-
demned to death, the brethren had offered
earnest prayer to God day and night for his de-

MAY 8, 1884. T H E S I G N S O F T H E T I M E S . 279
iverance. But no such interest was manifested
n behalf of him who was looked upon as an
apostate from Moses, a teacher of dangerous
doctrines. It was not to the elders whose coun-
sel had brought him into this dangerous position,
but to the watchful sympathy of a relative,
that Paul owed his escape from a violent death.
A nephew of the apostle, to whom he was
strongly attached, heard of the murderous-con-
spiracy, and without delay reported the matter
to his uncle. Paul immediately called for one
of the centurions, and requested him to take
the young man to the commandant, saying that
he had important information to give him. The
youth was accordingly brought before Claudius
Lysias, who received him kindly, and taking
him aside, inquired the nature of his message.
The young man related the particulars of the
conspiracy, and with deep feeling entreated the
commandant not to grant the request which
would be surely made, that Paul be again
brought before the council. Lysias listened
with close attention. He saw the difficulties of
the situation, and instantly formed his plans.
Choosing, however, not to reveal them, he dis-
missed the youth, with the single admonition:
"See thou tell no man that thou hast showed
these things to me."
When the young man had gone, the com-
mandant " called unto him two centurions,
saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go
to Csesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten,
and spearmen tAvo hundred, at the third hour of
the night; and provide them beasts, that they
may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix
the governor."
Lysias gladly improved this opportunity to
get Paul off his hands. He was the object of
so great animosity, and his presence created so
widespread an excitement, that a riot might
occur among the people at any time, with con-
sequences dangerous to the commandant him-
self'. The Jews as a people were in a state of
excitement and irritation, and tumults were of
frequent occurrence. A short time previous, a
Roman knight of far higher rank than Lysias
himself, had been violently taken and dragged
by the maddened Jews around the walls of
Jerusalem, and finally beheaded, because he re-
ceived a bribe from the Samaritans. Upon the
suspicion of similar crimes, other high officials
had been imprisoned and disgraced. Should
Paul be murdered, the chief captain might be
charged with having been bribed to connive at
his death. There was now sufficient reason to
send him away secretly, and thus get rid of an
embarrassing responsibility.
It was important that no time be lost. At
nine in the evening, the body of soldiers, with
Paul in the midst, marched out of the fortress,
and through the dark and silent streets of the
city, and at a rapid pace, pursued their journey
toward Csesarea. At Antipatris, thirty-five
miles from Jerusalem, the travelers halted.
There was now little danger of attack, and in
the morning the four hundred foot-soldiers were
sent back to Jerusalem, while the horsemen
continued their journey.
The distance from Antipatris to Cgesarea was
but twenty-five miles, and it was in the broad
light of day that Paul, attended by "threescore
and ten horsemen," entered the city. How un-
like his present escort was the humble Chris-
tian company that had attended him on the
journey from Csesarea but a few days before!
Notwithstanding his changed surroundings, he
was recognized by Philip and others of his
Christian associates, whose hearts were shocked
and saddened at the swift realization of their
forebodings.
W H A T is there which makes the heart of a
Christian rejoice in sorrow, and gives comfort
to the mourner, as he sees his dear ones laid in
the grave, but that they shall rise again? It is
the Christian's only hope. 1 Thess. 4 :13-18.
Prohibition in Kansas—Result of Thirty
Month's Trial.
ON the 4th of December, I mailed a series of
questions to every county attorney, county
superintendent, and police judge, in the State,
for the purpose of learning the effect and present
status of prohibition. Replies have been re-
ceived from over one-third of the six hundred
letters sent out, constituting a full report from
sixty-six of the eighty-one organized counties
of the State, including all the populous counties.
These replies demonstrate three facts favorable
to prohibition: 1. That it has materially de-
creased the number of saloons; 2. That an un-
usually large percent, of prosecutions under the
law have resulted in convictions; 3. That the
principle of prohibition is growing stronger.
It must be borne in mind that these figures
come from the officers of the State, without ref-
erence to their views upon prohibition, and are
therefore not subject to the imputation of being
the product of fanaticism. In our letters we
stated that we wanted the facts, whether favor-
able or unfavorable to prohibition. We believe
the facts were given, and that the figures pre-
sented are as authentic as can possibly be
obtained.
In these sixty-six counties there were 708 sa-
loons prior to May 1, 1881, the date the pro-
hibitory law took effect. There are now, in the
same territory, 313 saloons—160, or over half
of which, are in Leavenworth; leaving but 153
saloons in the sixty-six counties, not including
Leavenworth. Prohibition, in less than three
years, has closed 395 saloons. During this time
the population has increased 12 per cent. If
our saloons had kept pace with the population,
wTe would now have 792 saloons; so that in
reality prohibition has prohibited 479 saloons
in the territory named.
Prior to May 1, 1881, there were saloons in
every one of these sixty-six counties. To-day,
the 313 saloons in existence are confined to
twenty-five counties, over half the number being
in a single county. Prohibition has therefore
absolutely driven the saloons out of forty-one
counties, in which they existed under license.
" You can't convict the saloon-keepers," has
been so often repeated that many regard it as
an axiomatic truth. In the early stages of
prosecutions, it was difficult to convict. But
the reports of the officers who have charge of
this class of cases, show that, as a general prop-
osition, it is far from the truth. In the district
courts of these counties, there have been 460
cases tried, resulting in 351 convictions, 47 ac-
quittals, and 62 hung juries, or seven convictions
out of every nine cases tried.
Injustice courts there have been 572 cases
tried, Avith 378 convictions, 65 acquittals, and 59
hung juries, or convictions in three-fourths of
all the cases tried. In these cases thefinesim-
posed amount to $95,200. In addition to these
fines, there have been 81 saloon-keepers im-
prisoned for various periods of time, aggre-
gating 137 months and 19 days, or 11 years, 5
months and 19 days.
There has been a larger proportion of con-
viction in whisky cases than in any other class
of cases tried, as reference to the criminal docket
of any court in the State will prove. There are
now pending in the district courts of the State
218 cases, showing a vigorous determination to
complete the work so well begun.
In fifty-one of these counties, the reports all
agree that the principle of prohibition is growing
stronger with the people. In seven it is reported
weaker, while it remains the same in eight. This,
of course, is a mere matter ofjudgment. If pro-
hibition can accomplish these results in thirty
months, who can say the experiment has failed ?
Or, how long will it be until the unyielding
sentiment of loyalty will crush out the 313
struggling saloons still running ?—Jas. A. Trout-
man, Secy State Temperance Union.
Temperate Endurance.
WESTON'S great walk of 5 , 0 0 0 miles in 1 0 0 days
was completed March 15. The task was un-
dertaken under the auspices of the Church of
England Temperance Society, and began on
November 21, after which day and up to the
conclusion of the walk, he covered fifty miles
every day, except Christmas day, and then the
necessary miles were made during the ensuing
week. Weston suffered from a severely blis-
tered heel, but struggled on for the first 3 , 0 0 0
miles, when the sore healed over. The last 300
miles were covered at the Victoria Palace,
where he made a spurt of one mile in 9:17.
Dr. W. B. Richardson states that the feat
which Weston has accomplished is entirely new
in the history of the world. When first pro-
posed he had some doubt of its propriety, as any
accidental failure would have discredited the
principle that total abstinence from stimulants
was the best guaranty for endurance; but now all
friends of temperance were extremely satisfied
that the feat had been done, of a man walking
for four months at the rate of fifty miles a day
without having the least resort to what the
people of this country had for centuries be-
lieved to be a staminal support for ail mankind.
All might be satisfied now that stimulants were
perfectly useless for sustaining great physical
efforts, whether under tropical heat or polar
cold. He, in the interests of medical science,
had been watching Weston, for the last week,
and Mr. Green, a most accomplished observer,
had never left Weston, recording his pulse,
breathing, weight, height, and every circum-
stance that could ultimately be of use in mak-
ing this great experiment of benefit to the
world. The conclusion was that he was in a
perfectly healthy condition, both of body and
of mind, and if examined for insurance would
be returned as afirst-classlife. Nothing in the
shape of fatigue, or strain of any sort wras ap-
parent, and that was to be attributed to his
having lived so perfectly healthy and natural a
life during this long period of exertion, and to
his having taken nothing which had strained
the heart, or confused the brain, or interfered
with the natural process of waste.—-Sel.
Poor Jacko.
SOME time ago a gentleman, who had been
very kind to an Italian emigrant, received from
him the present of a fine monkey. Pleased
with his present, the gentleman spent much of
his time teaching Jacko (the monkey) various
tricks, so that in a little while he could very
successfully imitate his master in most things.
Desirous of exhibiting his favorite, the gentle-
man resolved to invite some of his male friends
to a dinner party; and that Jacko might play
the gentleman to advantage there w^as but one
thing lacking—Jacko as yet had not learned to
smoke. To remedy this, his master one day
lit a cigar, an example which Jacko soon fol-
lowed. But, alas! it fared badly with him.
Many a wry face did he show, but, encouraged
by his master, he continued to puff, puff away.
At last, overcome by the pernicious fumes, his
eyes rolled in their sockets, his limbs gave way,
and down he fell as drunk as a toper; and all
that his master could do was of no avail, poor
Jacko died! No wonder, for tobacco is a poi-
son, and hundreds of men and boys have been
killed by it.
A college of physicians has said that not less
than 20,000 persons in our land die every year
by the use of this poison. Three young men
formed a smoking club, and they all died within
two years. The doctor was asked what they
died of. He said " they were smoked to death."
—Temperance Banner.

Cjje digits oi % Cimt&.
" C a n ye n o t d i s c e r n t h e signs o f t h e t i m e s ? "
J . H . WAGGONER, EDITOR.
E . J . WAGGONER, ASSISTANT EDITOR.
URIAH SMITH, - - CORRESPONDING EDITOR.
O A K L A N D , C A L . , F I F T H - D A Y , M A Y 8 , 1 8 8 4 .
Trine Immersion.
WHY do we make two ceremonies of the Lord's
Supper, and condemn the Dunkards for dividing the
ordinance of baptism, when the grammatical con-
struction of the works in each ordinance is so nearly
alike ? j. c.
ANTS. In one we have the most explicit state-
ment of the action of our Lord giving thanks twice;
in the other we have neither Scripture, reason, nor
the "grammatical construction of the words" to
justify the dividing of the ordinance.
Matt. 26:26, 27, says: "Jesus took bread and
blessed (gave thanks, margin; see other texts), and
brake, and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat;
this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave
thanks, and gave it to them," &c. It is one ordi-
nance, that is, the Lord's Supper, but thanks were
given over each part of it.
Mark 14:22, 23: "And as they did eat, Jesus
took bread, and blessed, and gave thanks, and break,
and gave to them, and said, Take, eat; this is my
body. And he took the cup, and when he had
given thanks, he gave it to them."
1 Cor. 11:23-25: " The Lord Jesus, the same night
in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he
had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat;
this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in
remembrance of me. After the same manner also
he took the cup," &c. Now the quotations from
Matthew and Mark plainly show that this expres-
sion, " after the same manner," refers to the act of
giving thanks over the cup, as he had done over the
bread. This plain testimony is our warrant for our
practice of twice giving thanks. We do not twice
give thanks for the bread, nor twice for the cup, but
once for each different element used. So you see we
do not rely upon any " grammatical construction of
the words " in this case, but upon the clear state-
ment of the facts. Now we may ask, Is there any
relation of facts warranting three immersions, or
three baptisms, as the Dunkards practice? There
certainly is not. Therefore their claim and their
argument cannot run parallel with ours.
Nor does the construction of the language war-
rant their practice; but, as we think, proves the con-
trary. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are so
closely united in the gospel—in the perfection of
the "one body" in the "one hope"—that what is
done in (into) the name of one is also in the name
of the other. " God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten Son." "God was in Christ recon-
ciling the world unto himself;" the Son came not to
do his own will, but the will of Him that sent him;
in the process of this work, he prayed the Father
and he sent the Holy Spirit in the name of his Son,
who takes the things of Christ and shows them to
his disciples; and eventually our mortal bodies shall
be quickened by his Spirit which is given to us in
Jesus' name. Thus the work of salvation, of sanc-
tification, and redemption, is the work of the Father
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And we cannot see
why it is more reasonable to perform three immer-
sions to baptize or immerse a disciple in these names(
than to make three collections to collect a bill due
to a firm of three persons. One collection in the
name of the three would be all that would be ad
missible if they were united in business—in partner
ship. Whereas to collect once for each separate
name would be proof in itself that they were not
united in business or interest.
Again, " the construction of the words " will not
admit of that practice, for baptism and immersion
are synonymous terms. Baptism means immersion
literally. Therefore trine immersion, that is, three
immersions, is equivalent to three baptisms. To
deny this is to deny that immersion means baptism.
But if immersion does mean baptism then what-
ever is added to immersion is also added to baptism,
and trine immersion is trine baptism, something of
which the word of God takes no account. Trine,
according to Webster, means threefold; and there is
as great difference between baptism and threefold
baptism as there is between a house and three
houses-, or if there is not, we cannot tell why. But
Paul says, "there is one baptism." Let that suffice.
Nor will it answer to say, as some do, that it is one
baptism with three immersions; for that is as un-
reasonable as to say it is one immersion with three
baptisms, or one immersion with three immersions;
or one baptism with three baptisms, which all mean
precisely the same thing.
We should not have answered at such length, but
the subject of three baptisms has often come before
our people, and we trust that this may help them.
General Meeting- in Oakland.
WE can say of this meeting, as of others that have
been held in this State within the past two years,
that it was one of the best we ever attended. In-
deed, each successive meeting of this kind that we
attend seems to us to be the very best. At this
meeting there was quite a large attendance from
abroad, San Francisco being well represented. On
the last Sabbath of the meeting there were seventy-
eight present from the church in that city.
The entire membership of the Oakland Sabbath-
school is 220, but there, were more than 300 present
the first Sabbath, and 360 pupils were in their places,
at the opening of the school on the second Sabbath
Notwithstanding this large increase, there was not
the slightest confusion, which speaks well, not only
for the discipline of the Oakland school, but of the
other schools that were represented. The Sabbath
congregations numbered between 400 and 500, filling
our church building to its utmost capacity. God
has blessed the labors of the missionary workers in
Oakland, so that our regular congregations are larger
than ever before, and additions are co jtantly being
made to our membership.
The interest of the meeting deepened from the be-
ginning to the close. As usual, Bible-readings occu.
pied a prominent place. There were eleven of these,
covering the following subjects: Thanksgiving, Con-
version, Duties of Church Members, Missionary
work, Second Advent, Resurrection, Immortality,
Sanctification, and Work of the Spirit. By these
readings our people get a definite knowledge of the
Bible, such as could be obtained in no other way.
They cannot take the place of preaching, but, if
rightly conducted, they can do a work that preach-
ing cannot. We regard it as a bad indication when
a professed Seventh-day Adventist is not interested in
a Bible-reading. We must learn more of the Bible
itself.
There were eight sermons preached during the
meeting. The principal burden of these was for a
deeper and more intelligent consecration to God.
The difference between true and false sanctification
was clearly shown. This was very timely, for the
so-called "holiness" movement, which teaches in-
stantaneous sanctification, without any change of
habit on the part of the individual, is rapidly gain-
ing ground, and Oakland is the head-quarters of the
delusion on this coast. In the discourses, and in the
Bible-reading on Sanctification, it was shown that
while we are justified freely by the grace of God as
soon as we implicitly believe on Christ, the work of
sanctification is a life work, a constant gaining of
victories over sin, by the aid of the Spirit, and with
the light from God's word. This modern " holiness "
movement is a deception of Satan, to cause men to
be satisfied with themselves while trampling on God's
law. Thorough instruction concerning the law of
God, and a close adherence thereto, is a sure safe-
guard against this delusion, and is at the same time
the means by which we are to be truly sanctified.
John 17:17.
The early morning prayer-meetings, which were
attended by-Sister White, were seasons of refresh-
ing. If the instruction given by the servant of God
shall be remembered and put into practice, there
will certainly be a marked growth in grace among
those who heard. True Christian experience, and
the nature of faith were set forth with a clearness
not to be misunderstood. While we are sanctified
through the truth, that is, by obeying it, we can do
nothing to atone for past sins. Christ knew the
work that he had to do, and understood the frailty
and sinfulness of human nature, before he under-
took our salvation. God does not repulse us because
we are sinful, but for this very reason invites us to
come to him, through Christ, for pardon. One of
the greatest blessings that he can bestow on us is to
show us our sins; and when we see them, instead
of giving way to discouragement, we must believe
that he does pardon, according to his promise. Isa.
1:18, 19; 55 :6, 7. Faith in God is so simple that
many overlook it. We are to believe, not because
of any change in our own feelings, but because of
God's promise. We are not to look at ourselves, but
unto Jesus, the author andfinisherof our faith."
The meetings of the Tract and Missionary Society,
as will be seen by the report, were full of encourage-
ment to the workers. The meeting of the stock-
holders of the Publishing Association was especially
interesting. The work has never been so prosperous
as during the past year. There has been an increas-
ing demand for our denominational literature, so
that all the departments are crowded. It was the
general feeling of the stockholders that more room
is imperatively needed. We must provide, not
simply for growth in the same proportion as in the
past, but for a great increase. The work increases
in geometrical ratio. The Lord has a great work for
us to do in warning the world, and we must hold
ourselves ready to follow at once wherever his prov-
idence opens the way.
The special meetings of the ministers and other
workers, for prayer and consultation, were seasons
to be remembered. The Lord blessed abundantly
in giving light on points that seemed dark. After
earnest prayer and deliberation it was decided
that Elder Ballou, and Brethren Rieck and Kin-
ney should labor during the summer in Nevada.
Brother and Sister McClure, and Brother Henry
Scott have gone to their field in Humboldt County.
Brother Brorsen also goes to that county to work
among the Danes. Brother Ings goes to Oregon
shortly, while the churches on the coast will have
the benefit of Elder Loughborough's labors. Breth-
ren L. A. Scott and A. LaRue, after spending a
few weeks in the San Francisco ship mission work,
will go to the Sandwich Islands. Brethren Frank
Lamb and Lucius Church have started for Sis-
kiyou County. They go by private conveyance,
canvassing and visiting along the road. Besides
these, a good corps of colporters and canvassers
have started out into different parts of the field.
We feel greatly encouraged in regard to the work
on the coast. What increases our courage is the
perfect harmony that prevails among the work-
ers. The feeling of brotherly love seems to be
deepening. We pray God's blessing upon these dear
brethren as they go forth. We believe that he will
accompany them, and give force to their efforts.
The last Sabbath of the meeting was a good day
for all present. Elder Loughborough gave a stirring
discourse in the morning from Luke 12 :35, 36. We
doubt not that many made new resolves to sacrifice

MAT 8, 1884. THE SIGKNB OF THE TIMES.
in the future for the cause of God, as never before.
That must be the one object of our existence here.
In the afternoon Sister White took up the same sub-
ject—that of consecration to God—and carried it
forward, showing how completely we belong to God,
and how we rob him by living for ourselves alone-
At the close of her discourse, about a hundred came
forward for prayers.' A large portion of these had
never made a profession, and some were backsliders-
There was no excitement, but very deep feeling, and
the presence of the Lord was acknowledged by all.
On Monday afternoon, April 28, the large congre-
gation repaired to Lake Merritt, where the ordinance
of baptism was administered to thirty candidates.
While the good meeting was the immediate cause of
the forward move taken by many, the primary cause
was the faithful work that has been done in the past
by the missionary and Sabbath-school workers. The
most of those who joined the Oakland church, are
members of the Sabbath-school. The teachers in
the Sabbath-school should feel that their position is
one of sacred responsibility. Although their field
is not large, it is second in importance to none. The
baptismal scene was very impressive.
At the closing meeting on Tuesday morning, Bro.
N. C. McClure and Bro. Wm. Ings were set apart, by
prayer and the laying on of hands, to the work of
thegospel ministry. The blessing of the Lord was
present in rich measure, and all felt that the ordina-
tion service was a fitting close to a most excellent
meeting. To be permitted to attend throughout the
entire meeting was a rare privilege. Many, we are
confident, will make more rapid advancement to-
.ward the kingdom, as a result. Will there be any
who go backward ? May God give us all strength
and courage, and protect us from the snares of Satan.
E. J. W.
Elder Haskell's Address,
TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF THE PUBLISHING
ASSOCIATION.
D E A R BRETHREN AND SISTERS:—I would be glad
for many reasons to meet with you in your annual
meeting, and also in the annual meetings of the
College and Health Retreat, were it consistent with
other duties. There are enterprises which our
brethren on the Pacific Coast have nobly commenced,
which I would gladly help them through with; but
under the present circumstances I can only avail
myself of the privilege of writing a few lines, to be
read at your annual meeting.
There is no Conference or legal institution in which
I have felt a deeper interest than those on the Pa-
cific Coast, especially the Publishing Association
and the College. We have great reason to praise
God for his b l e s s i n g which has attended the untiring
efforts of those connected with the Publishing As-
sociation on the Pacific Coast during the past few
years. But even these efforts would not have been
as successful as they have been, had they not been
backed up by the moral andfinancialsupport of the
friends on the coast, especially those in California.
It is not a burden nor a calamity in any sense for
any people to have such heavy responsibilities
placed upon them; but it is an honor to have God
consider us worthy to bear responsibilities as great
as have been placed upon the friends in California,
in having in your midst a publishing house from
which are issued publications which go to " earth's re-
motest bound."
The object of the publishing house was to print
present truth. Printing for outside parties has been
a secondary matter, and at first thought, it might
seem that no good could arise from such intimate re-
lations with the world as would be necessary in do-
ing such an amount of work for business men of the
world. But such a conclusion would be hastily and
unwisely drawn. By this business relation the fact
has been demonstrated that Christians looking for
the second coming of Christ, and observing the
Seventh-day Sabbath, can, in the midst of a pleasure-
loving people worshiping an idolatrous Sabbath, do
business with the world and not sacrifice their Chris-
tian integrity or deny their faith. Second, it has
called the attention of men to the truth who other-
wise might not have seen the light.
It is by our good works when mingling with the
world that the light shines before others. We are
actuated by different motives and work on different
principles; but it is evident that the time has come
when God would have us enlarge our own work, so
that the talent and experience gained in working
for others should be more exclusively given to our
specific work. The work of God needs the best tal-
ent, the best facilities, and the benefit of a practical
experience. But the work done in the future should
bear more of the divine mark, and be a special ad-
vertisement of our people and of our specific work-
We are a missionary people. Our work is a mission-
ary work. Our publications are missionary publica-
tions, consequently the SIGNS Office is a missionary
office. Our success in the office, as much as the suc-
cess of those in the field preaching the truth, de-
pends upon God. He is the author andfinisherof
our faith. It is for the interests of his cause that
the office was established. Hence the important
question arises, How can it, and those connected
with it, best promote the glory of God and answer
its original design?
1. Financially it should be the banking institu-
tion of our people on the Pacific Coast. In it they
should make their deposits without interest, as far
as possible.
2. It would be far better for our brethren who
have mortgages, stocks, or bonds, to transfer them to
the Association at a low rate of interest, and thus be
helping the cause. The time is near when the best
securities this world can give will not be worth the
paper upon which they are written.
3. Then let this institution be generous towards
our other institutions on the Pacific Coast, in as-
sisting them financially, realizing that they are a
part of the one common cause, and that in uphold-
ing them, it is advancing the cause of truth.
4. Stock should be taken. The shares are only
ten dollars each. Many of the friends have lifted
nobly in the past, but there are others who have»em-
braced the truth more recently, who have taken no
stock in the institution. They should be invited to
take from one to fifty shares. The spirit of taking
stock should be revived.
5. A spirit of prayer should be encouraged among
our brethren, that God would bless the institution,
and its workers. It is a very important part of
God's work on the coast.
6. A spirit of devotion and consecration should be
encouraged throughout the entire establishment.
There is always a tendency to worldliness in such
an institution. As far as possible those employed
should be men and women of prayer. In no case
should it be a place for those who have no integrity
of character. God cannot accept the labors of those
who are persistent in doing evil.
7. It would seem that the time has come when
books should be prepared in a more acceptable form.
What I mean is, canvassing books should be pre-
pared. The " History of the Sabbath " should have
been in the market before this as a subscription
book. That portion of the works of Sister White
which is of a general interest should also be pre-
pared in subscription book form. There should be
some works prepared immediately, so that canvassers
who are obtaining an experience in the canvassing
work can pay their expenses. But should this branch
of the work be pushed, and the labor of the office be
turned more in this channel, it would require funds
to carry forward the work, for it would not bring
in returns as outside job work.
It may also be necessary to make some purchases
and have some changes in the real estate effected
the coming year. What I say upon this point is
only suggestive, as I am unable to judge as well as
those who are upon the spot. Therefore, I would
not wish what I say to have too much weight in
these matters. I would not suggest the purchase
of real estate beyond what is necessary for the en-
largement of our business, merely for the sake of
outside patronage. If we could in some way con-
nect in our business relations with the islands of
the Pacific Ocean, Australia, etc., it might be well to
do so, since the work must soon extend to those
places, and people coming from there will look to
the Pacific Coast for a representation of the cause.
Could we be known as an upright, business people
by persons when they receive the first impressions of
the truth, and come in contact with us, it might be
a help to the cause of Christ.
In all the plans you lay do not forget the fact
that we are in the last days of the last generation-
We should therefore be prepared to increase our
work tenfold on short notice. Expect great things
from God. He has a great work to do, and will ac-
complish it in a short time. My interest will ever
be the same for the prosperity of the cause on the
coast, but I shall not be able, I fear, to be there very
much in the future. To the brethren there I am
strongly attached, and there is not one word of' com-
plaint which I could make of any one. In every
plan which we have tried to carry through for the
advancement of the cause, we have had a hearty co-
operation from all the friends on the coast, so that
with the blessing of God there has been success.
In union has been our strength. It has been, un-
der God, the faithful laborers on the coast who have
accomplished this. You have on the coast men of
judgment, those who fear God; and there are suc-
cessful business men living in the country, who,
could they be influenced to move into the city,
would be of help. They will be willing to connect
their interest there if they see it duty. You want
their active co-operation and judgment. Give
proper persons a chance to develop, by giving them
positions, or in some way connecting them with you.
May God bless you in all your deliberations, and
may the Publishing Institutions accomplish their
mission with triumph and glory. I remain as ever,
Your brother in the work. S. N. HASKELL.
Pacific S. D. A. Publishing- Association.
THE last meeting of this Association was one of
more than usual interest and occupied two sessions,
one in the forenoon and one in the afternoon. The
attendance of stockholders, and others, was larger
t h a n at a n y p r e v i o u s m e e t i n g .
The Treasurer's report showed that the amount of
business done during the past year was $110,858.83'
or an increase of 273^ per cent, over last year.. The
balance sheet showed a profit to the Association,
this year, of $5,000. This may look small to some,
when compared with the amount of capital invested,
but when we take into account the fact that but
very little profit is made on the SIGNS and our de-
nominational books, the difficulty is explained. The
sale of our denominational books has been much
larger than ever before, and the circulation of the
SIGNS has increased fully one-third. In fact, our
work is increasing in all departments so rapidly
that already we find our facilities entirely inade-
quate to supply the demand.
Every department of the office now seems to be in
a prosperous condition, but in all our calculations
the SIGNS has received ourfirstand special attention.
We were never satisfied with the old way of stitching
the SIGNS with thread, so at the commencement of
this volume it was enlarged from a twelve to a sixteen-
page paper, and a new machine was bought which
folds, pastes, and trims the paper, all at one opera-
tion, thus presenting it in a much more acceptable

The Signs of the Times - 9 May 1884 (ingles)

The Signs of the Times - 9 May 1884 (ingles)

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The Signs of the Times - 9 May 1884 (ingles)