January 18, 1894

“Learning and Knowing” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Learning and Knowing.-The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy of some who were “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:7. There is a difference between learning and knowing. A great many things may be learned, but only truth can be known. God has made man upright, but “they have sought out many inventions.” Evil and error are taught upon every hand. But what we learn by faith, we know. This is the best, the simplest, and the most satisfactory way of learning. What God says, is so; and then it only needs our belief of the same for us to know it. In the Christian life, believing is knowing and having.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.1

“Be Strong” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Be Strong.—“Finally, My brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” But how can one who is weak be strong? In the eleventh of Hebrews we are told of some who “out of weakness were made strong,” and this by faith. If you believe God means what He says when He says to you, “Be strong,” the strength comes in the command. The prophet Daniel in vision saw the Lord who talked with him, and he says, “straightway there remained no strength in me.” Then the word came, “Fear not; peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let My Lord speak; for Thou hast strengthened me.” It is to you and to-day that God says, “Be strong in the Lord.” He is able to perform His will in those who do not resist Him when He speaks.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.2

“Thy Strength” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Thy Strength.-Here is a word for those who fear that the strength which the Lord has given them may forsake them at some trying moment: “Thy God hath commanded thy strength.” Psalm 68:28. When God made the worlds, “He commanded, and it stood fast,” and to-day they stand by the same word. “Thou hast a little strength;” rejoice in that, and pray, “Strengthen, O God, that which Thou hast wrought for us.” “As thy days, so shall thy strength be,”—not a “little strength” merely, but thou shalt be “strengthened with all might;” “for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.3

“To Men, not to Angels” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

To Men, not to Angels.-It was to men, and not the angels, that Christ said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Christ took not on Him the nature of angels, but He took the nature of man. Consequently only men can be sharers with Him in the work of saving souls. The angels are sent forth to minister to all who are heirs of salvation, but to men alone is committed the ministry of reconciliation. The Lord sent an angel to Cornelius, but it was only to direct him to send for Peter, who should tell him what to do. What an exalted privilege this is, to be workers together with God! Only those can engage in it, who have felt the power of sin, and the power of salvation.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.4

“Pursued by Mercy” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Pursued by Mercy.-In that most familiar of psalms, the twenty-third, we read, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” The Hebrew word rendered “follow,” properly means, “to run after, to follow eagerly, to pursue.” We associate the word “follow” with the idea of lagging along behind; but the inspired song is that goodness and mercy shall pursue us, they will run after us. His goodness and power are in His word, and “His word runneth very swiftly.” We are prone to think only of the fact that Satan goes about, like a roaring lion, seeking to destroy us, forgetting that God sends His goodness and mercy also after us, and that they are able to deliver us. “The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.5

“A Question of Yielding” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The worldling cannot see how believing the word of the Lord can make any actual difference in the life of the individual. The idea that a wicked man can be made righteous, and work that which is right by faith, seems to such an one preposterous. The cross of Christ is foolishness to the worldly wise, but it is nevertheless the very power of God.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.6

Believing God is yielding to Him implicitly. Let us take a feeble illustration of what yielding will do, from the experience of those who are so thoughtless as to yield their wills into the hands of one having the powers of hypnotism. The subject is told that he cannot speak, and he cannot. He is told to sing, and the will of the operator uses the voice. And so it acts in everything, limited only by the power of the man directing. The secret of the matter is that the subject is fully yielded, and the will of another is working instead of his own.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.7

Now the man who believes the Lord yields himself into the hands of the Lord, and the power of God works in him just in the measure that his will is yielded up. And the power of God is creative power; so that it is not simply a directing of what exists, but bringing forth of new power, of the new heart and the new life. Unless a person yields, he can never know that believing God makes any difference. And the reason why the sinner does not yield, and will not believe, is because he fears there really is a power in believing which will take from him some ways of self in which he wishes to indulge. But the man who yields to God wholly, with no reserve for self, knows that faith alone brings to him life that is not of himself, that works in him that which is not of his own doing. Read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and see the effect that believing God has on the life. If you do not know that God’s power is working in you day by day, be assured that you are not believing, not yielding.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 33.8

“What We Shall Be” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.1

What we shall be is not of so much importance to us now as what we are. And the difference between what we are and what we shall be is not so great as we are prone to think; because we do not now realise what we are. “Now are we the sons of God;” and in the kingdom of glory we will still be sons of God. “When He shall appear we shall be like Him;” but even now, “as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.2

We are now essentially what we shall be; but what we shall be “doth not yet appear.” When we are reproached for the name of Christ, the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon us. 1 Peter 4:14. Glory indescribable is there, and power in proportion to the glory; but they are not seen. It is all with us, it rests upon us; but “it doth not yet appear.” It will be visible in the world to come, but no more real than it is now.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.3

This world is not the place for the sons of God to appear in glory; for Christ Himself manifested His glory only in the mount of transfiguration before Peter and James and John, and then charged them that they should tell no man till after He were risen from the dead. We are here to live by faith and not by sight. And when He shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:3, 4.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.4

“The sufferings of this present time,” says Paul, “are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” It is in us now, for the Spirit of glory is there; but it is not manifest now, the Spirit is not now revealed in glory, but in the fruits of grace. The sons of God must now wait till the final separation between the wicked and the righteous, when the former shall have been gathered out and cast into a furnace of fire (Matthew 13:42), and “then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.5

“Imitators of God” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

“Be ye therefore followers of God,” says the apostle in Ephesians 5:1, or, as the Revision has it, “imitators” of God. Literally, we are to mimic God, to act like Him.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.6

There is but one place where we can look to see what this involves. In the life of Jesus Christ is revealed what God is in human flesh, and what He does. Christ went about doing good, and always triumphed in the conflict with sin. This was the life of God in the flesh, and in weak human flesh; for Christ said, “I can of Mine own self do nothing,” but “the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.7

If we are to imitate God, we also must have His life and power in us. And this is the promise, “If a man love Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with Him.” This is the presence and power of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit promised to the believer, and not as a transient help, but to abide in us. But the sword of the Spirit, the instrument by which it works, is the word; therefore we are to feed continually upon the word of God and find in that His abiding presence. “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you,” says Christ, then the will of the Father shall be done in us. By the promises of the word we become partakers of the Divine nature, and it is Divine power alone by which we can “imitate” God. That power must be operated by God Himself, wholly independent of ourselves either in the willingness or the doing, we only giving consent that it shall work in us.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.8

The kingdom of God is “as if a man should cast seed into the ground,” “and the seed should spring and grow up; he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself.” Mark 4:26, 28. The word rendered “of herself,” is interesting to note, it is the same from which we have the word “automatic.” Therefore the earth is said to bring forth automatically, the spring of the power being not of the earth, but working spontaneously in it and through it. It is the life that springs from the seed.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.9

The meaning of the parable is well known. The seed is the word of God, the soil is the human heart. We take the word of God within the heart, and there it works automatically. We are familiar with the working of an automaton, as a wax figure, for instance, by the power of a concealed mechanism which moves head or limbs in imitation of life. Just so the word of God in the heart of the believer is a power working by him automatically. Not that the believer is simply a machine, but in this case the automaton is an intelligent one, having the power of choice, willing to be acted upon, and yielding to the power within. And the spring of the power is not a mechanism, but the Divine life in the word. The working of this life will be the working of God’s life, and the man who is willing to have his own life effaced, and to be controlled wholly by the life of the word, will know daily that the apostle enjoins no impossible things when he says, “Be ye, therefore, imitators of God.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.10

“Knowing the Certainty” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The beginning of the book of Luke is on this wise: “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 34.11

In the Revised Version the third verse is slightly different, thus: “It seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee,” etc.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.1

It is most certain that Luke himself was not an eyewitness of all the things which he narrates, for He begins back before the birth of John the Baptist, and relates the story of his birth, as well as that of Jesus. He also tells the details of the temptation in the wilderness, of the transfiguration, and of many other things which occurred when he could not have been present. Therefore his “perfect understanding of all things from the very first,” was not through personal acquaintance with the events as they occurred.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.2

If we take the reading of the Revision—“having traced the course of all things accurately from the first”—to mean that he had compared and sifted the different accounts, then we throw discredit upon his narrative; for how could Theophilus or we ourselves have the certainty of our knowledge increased by the narrative of one who himself received it second hand?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.3

What shall we do, then? Shall we doubt the accuracy of the Gospel of Luke? Not by any means. We shall take the most consistent course, namely, to believe that he received his knowledge by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which is really what he himself claims.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.4

It is a fact, which the one who reads only English can verify by consulting Young’s Analytical Concordance, that the Greek word which is rendered in the common version by, “from the very first,” and in the Revision by, “from the first,” may properly be rendered, as it often is, by the words, “from above.” In the following texts the words italicised are from the same word that is used in Luke 1:3. The reader will see that in these cases no other rendering would be admissible.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.5

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.6

“This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” James 3:15.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.7

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” James 3:17.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.8

“Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above.” John 19:11.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.9

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.10

“Marvel not that I said unto you, Ye must be born again.” John 3:8.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.11

In the last two texts the marginal reading is “from above,” the same as in the others.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.12

It is true that the word which is thus rendered occurs in one case in the Bible, where it must mean, “from the beginning,” namely in Acts 26:5; but the texts above quoted are sufficient to show that “from above” is a perfectly proper rendering. There is nothing whatever to forbid its being so rendered in Luke 1:3, thus: “It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from above, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.13

This is not only allowable, but is the only really consistent rendering. It is only from above that one can receive “perfect understanding” of anything, and especially of such things as Luke narrates; and it is only by wisdom “from above” that we can have certain knowledge of the truth of those things. Luke simply states the fact that he wrote by inspiration of the Spirit, which alone can make us “know the certainty” of those things which we believe.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 35.14

“Man’s Way and God’s Way” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The case of Naaman, the Syrian, affords a good illustration of that natural perversity of the human heart which prevents many people from realising the blessing of God.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 36.1

Naaman was captain of the armies of Syria, and a great man, but was a leper. In this respect he was like many who live to-day. Sin is a leprosy no less real than the loathsome disease which afflicted the body of Naaman. It is the leprosy of the soul. Of how many may it be said, as it was of Naaman, “Great, but a leper!” His leprosy was a complete offset to his greatness.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 36.2

The king of Syria heard that there was a power in Israel to heal disease above that possessed by man, and sent Naaman to the king of Israel to be healed of his malady. And Elisha the prophet sent to the king, and said, “Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 36.3

“So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.” 2 Kings 5:9-11.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 36.4

Naaman had the plan by which the Lord was to heal him all laid out in his own mind, and because the Lord did not purpose to manifest His power in that way, he went away in a rage. And so it is with people to-day. They want the Lord to work for them, but they have the plan by which He is to work all arranged in their own minds, and they ask the Lord to work and then watch to see some manifestation of the nature which they have marked out. They want God to work for them in their way. And when something comes from the Lord which is not in their way at all, although perhaps a direct answer to their prayers, they turn away and will not have it. “Are not Abana and Pharpar,” said Naaman, “rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them and be clean?” If he was to be cleansed by washing, he knew a better way of doing it than the Lord had proposed! And just so with us. Our own way seems a great deal better in our eyes than God’s way. But God says His ways are as much higher than our ways as the heavens are higher than the earth.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.1

But Naaman’s servants came to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” Men are continually seeking to be cleansed of their soul leprosy by doing some great thing. This is the way it should be by the wisdom of man. It is a fundamental idea of all false religions. By doing some great thing,—going on some weary pilgrimage, enduring long fasts and other bodily afflictions, saying so many thousand prayers, or in some other way exercising his powers of mind or body to their utmost limit-he can so command himself to God that he will receive from Him what he desires. But when man has done something that he thinks is great, and the glory is his own and not the Lord’s; and as God cannot work for the glory of man, his elaborate and laborious plan can only utterly fail.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.2

God’s plan, God’s message, is, “Wash, and be clean.” It is so simple that all can do it,—so simple that the glory of the result must all be given to God. There is a fountain open for sin and uncleaness, and the most leprous soul that will wash in that fountain will be cleansed. The word of the Lord is, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be read like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.3

To wash in that fountain is to believe the word of the Lord. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Who can be simple enough to believe God? Naaman believed and washed in Jordan, and was cleansed. So will all be cleansed who are willing to give up their own way, and take God’s way instead.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.4

“The Evidence of Faith” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

“Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.5

Faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. By faith we know that which is true in the things that pertain to our salvation, but which we cannot perceive by our natural senses. It constitutes an avenue through which we receive the most important information, which could not come to us by any means over which we have control.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.6

No one can overcome the world and gain eternal life, save he that is born of God. And no one can know that he is born of God except by faith. Without the evidence which faith supplies, we should be without power to withstand the forces of evil.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.7

Faith is the point at which Satan makes his attack. He caused our first parents to fall by getting them to doubt God’s word. He presented before Eve appearances which made his story plausible. He, a serpent, had eaten of the forbidden tree, and had, he said, acquired great wisdom and the power of speech; and therefore it was not true that in the day one ate of it he would surely die. He succeeded with Eve, and he has tried the same tactics with great success upon her descendants. Faith is the connecting link between the soul and God; and when that is broken by doubt, the individual is in Satan’s power.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.8

God has said that “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” 1 John 5:1. This is true, because God has spoken it; and upon His word, faith rests. And it is just here that the devil makes his attack. Upon this point he thought to overcome the Saviour of the world. When Christ had been in the wilderness and had fasted forty days, the tempter came and said to Him, “If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” This was in effect saying to Him, You are not the Son of God; if you are, do something to prove it. And what was the evidence that the Saviour had that He was the Son of God? He had to come to earth and been born a babe in Bethlehem, and we are told that He grew up and developed in mind and physical stature like any other baby that has come into the world. He had been made in all things like unto His brethren in mortal flesh. Hebrews 2:17. There was no outward evidence, nothing that the natural senses could grasp, that He was indeed the Christ. Isaiah had prophesied of Him, “He hath no form nor comeliness” (Isaiah 53:2); and when Peter said to Him, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus answered, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” The Jews looked for a deliverer who would show in his outward appearance that he was of Divine origin, and they did not find him. And when Jesus was alone in the wilderness, at the end of His long fast, weak and emaciated, there was certainly nothing about Him to afford any outward evidence whatever of His Divinity. Under such circumstances it was that the tempter said to Him, “If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread;” and the temptation to Christ to doubt, and to do something to prove to Himself that He was indeed the Son of God, must have been very strong. But if He had done as Satan suggested, He would have manifested a lack of faith. He stood just where we must then,—upon the evidence of faith. God said, “Thou art My beloved Son;” and to have done something to prove to Himself that this was true, would have been doubting God.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.9

As the tempter came to Christ, so he comes to us. God has said, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” But the tempter says, You are not born of God; the appearances are all against it. Look at the sins that you have committed! If you are the son of God, what is your evidence? And just as Christ resisted Satan, so must we resist him; not by essaying to do something or to produce some tangible proof that we are sons of God, but by resting upon the evidence of faith, which grasps the word of God.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 37.10

And faith brings further evidence of our Divine relationship; for when Christ said to the tempter, after the latter had sought to induce Him to worship him, “Get thee hence,” the devil had no power to withstand His word; and he left Him, and angels came and ministered unto Him. His faith gained the victory; and so will it be with us. “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world,” and when we get the victory over the world by faith, it is an evidence of our sonship which the tempter cannot question. “Resist the devil”—resist him “steadfast in the faith”—“and he will flee from you.” “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ”—that is, “confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”—“is born of God,” and “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.1

“True Religion” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

True religion consists in knowing God; not in learnring theology, but in becoming acquainted with Him who is our Creator and Redeemer. One difference between theology and true religion is that the former goes a certain distance and then comes to a stop, while the latter goes on eternally. A person can learn all there is to theology (though it is most unfortunate for anyone to do so, since the less one knows of theology the better), but no one, either now or hereafter, can know all there is to learn about God.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.2

One of the erroneous ideas which prevails in the religious world to-day, is that Christianity is designed only to take a person out of the pathway of destruction and set him in the pathway of life, so that he may escape the fate which will overcome the wicked. People do not generally see much more in Christianity than the attainment of a state of conversion, in which the individual has only to guard himself against “falling from a grace.” The individual is to learn a certain amount and arrive at a certain place, and there stop.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.3

Theologians have devised and carried out their systems of theology to a certain point, and then imagine that the only essential thing remaining was to defend the doctrines they had “established” against their opponents; though they are not to be blamed for coming to a stop, since no man can devise a system of religious belief that will not sadly need defending before he has gone very far in the process. But to come to a stop in the study of God as He has revealed Himself to man in His word, or to think that what men have learned about God is all there is to be learned, is a great mistake.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.4

The realm which the word of God opens to men, in the revelation of the nature and attributes of the Creator, is an infinite one, and as yet the mind of man has scarcely crossed its threshold. Through all eternity the saved will explore that realm, and will ever find new wonders to call forth their praise and admiration.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.5

None of the creatures of God, not even the angels of heaven, have ever yet reached a place where there was no more for them to learn about Him. They have never yet come to the line which marks the limit of the knowledge of God, beyond which there is nothing more and from which their lives would be but a monotonous looking back upon things they had known before. There is no such line for them to reach. Through all the ages since the creation of man, God has been revealing His wisdom and His mercy not only to man, but to all created intelligences.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.6

The riches of the wisdom and love of God are unsearchable. The Apostle Paul writes, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ; to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:8-11. In God’s dealings with fallen man, all the sinless intelligences above have been deeply interested as spectators and as participants in His work, and have been continually adding to their own knowledge of Him.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.7

Nor will the process stop when man has been brought back to the state from which he fell, and placed once more in the long-lost Paradise. For Paul tells us that God “hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6, 7. Redemption-the “mystery of godliness,” will be the theme of study throughout eternity, and it will never be exhausted; for it is the manifestation of power and love and wisdom which are infinite.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.8

Realising, then, that there is a boundless field open before us in the knowledge of God through His word, upon which we may freely enter, let us not halt, but “follow on to know the Lord,” whose “goings forth are prepared as the morning.” Then our pathway will be a continual dawn of the light of the wisdom and love and majesty of our God.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.9

“Sacramentarianism Dominant” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The constant and rapid growth of the High Church party in the Church of England in recent years must surely have convinced most Protestants in that church of the hopelessness of relying on a legal establishment to keep out the spirit and practice of popery. Until they tried it and found themselves discomfited at every step, many apparently thought that by appeal to the law Ritualistic innovations might be kept down. But while the “throne of wickedness” “frameth mischief by statute,” righteousness, which is true Protestantism, can never be framed by human statute. It is established by the word of God alone, by faith in that word. And the only bond that unites believers is the Spirit, which guides into the truth of the word. So now the Church of England, which was bound about by all possible statutory provisions to insure uniformity, is being rented in twain, and the Ritualistic or Romanising wing is getting the upper hand. In the January New Review, Mr. Augustine Birrell says:—PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.10

It would be inaccurate to assert that the “Evangelical” party has disappeared like the Broad Church party, but this may be safely said, that there is but a remnant left of it, and that remnant is in a very bad state of health.... I do not believe that anybody who thought the subject worthy of his attention could, after examining it, come to any other conclusion than that the system of belief, commonly called Sacramentarianism is the prevailing and rapidly extending faith and practice of the clergy of the Establishment.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.11

“Worth How Much?” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Worth How Much?-It is very common to hear a man’s worth estimated at so many thousand pounds. We read that one man died worth fifty thousand pounds, and of another that he is worth two hundred thousand pounds. What is meant is that man possessed so many thousand pounds. If it were true that they were actually “worth” no more, they were poor indeed. Jesus of Nazareth had no place that He could call His own, in which to lay His head, yet He was worth more than all the world combined. His riches are described as unsearchable. And He gave Himself for us,—for each one of us,—in order that, having Him, we might be worth as much as He. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” In Christ we are made overcomers, and “he that overcometh shall inherit all things.” Revelation 21:7. Let all, therefore, beware how they despise the poor of this earth. The poorest man on earth, if he has Christ, is worth more than can be expressed in figures; and if he has not Christ, there is still the possibility of his gaining “eternal riches.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 38.12

“Self-Defence” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Self-Defence.-There are many professed Christians who, while they would not countenance a wilful attack upon another, think that it is perfectly right to go to almost any lengths of violence to self-defence. There need be no doubt about this matter, for both the words and the example of Christ are very plain. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in His steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2:21-23. “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.” Matthew 5:39, 40. Christ “emptied Himself,” and represented only the Father, who dwelt in Him. If we likewise have given up self to Him, we shall have no occasion for self-defence, for self will be dead. Therefore it is an impossibility for Christians to engage in any war, even of self-defence. And this principle also applies to verbal self-defence,—the disposition always to set one’s self right before others. Love of self, and lack of confidence in God, and unwillingness to wait for Him to give us righteous judgment, are at the bottom of all kinds of self-defence.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 39.1

“Great Things” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

God only can do great things. The powers that set themselves in array against Him often boast great things, and essay to do great things, but in the end their efforts are made to look very small in comparison with the work of the Lord. Thus it has always been at every climax of a long contest between the powers of light and of darkness. The agencies of evil have begun their work and carried it forward as far as they could by all the means in their power, and for a time have drawn the attention of the people to it; but after they have reached their utmost limit, God has gone so far beyond them in the manifestation of His power, that they have had to stand ashamed and confounded in the midst of their fallen glory.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 39.2

This is what the world is about to see to-day. A climax is here-the last great climax in the battle between the forces of God and of Satan. The combat is hourly deepening. The law of God has been made void by the commandments and traditions of men; and when this time is reached the prophetic words of the psalmist apply, “It is time for Thee, Lord, to work.” And God will work, to vindicate His name in the earth, and all the world will see His power and glory.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 39.3

But meanwhile the forces of evil, in pious guise, will magnify their power and do great things in the endeavour to lead the people to trust in them, and to terrify all that would oppose them. But to those who trust in the Lord and look to Him, He sends the word, “Be not afraid.” “The Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel;” and they need have no fear of the “great multitude,” which with all the machinery of human governments and human laws, are arrayed against them. The Lord through the prophet Joel says to His people, “I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because [Hebrew] he hath magnified himself to do great things. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice; for the Lord will do great things.” Joel 2:20, 21. And when the Lord does great things all the world will know it, and the great things which the enemy has magnified himself to do will fade into insignificance.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 39.4

There is a power on earth which magnifies itself above God. It is a spiritual power, and its development dates back to the days of the Apostle Paul. Paul had much to say concerning this power to the churches among which he laboured. While at Miletus, on his way to Jerusalem (See Acts 20.), he sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus and warned them of the development of this apostasy in the church, and how that “grievous wolves” and perverse teachers would come in and make havoc among the flock. And to the Thessalonians also he said that before the day of Christ there should come “a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” 1 Thessalonians 2:3-5. Doubtless he did not warn these two churches alone, but all those for which he laboured.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 39.5

What power is this which magnifies itself above God? From the text already quoted we note that it is a power represented by one who “as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” There is but one person to whom this language will apply, and that one is he who styles himself “viceregent of the Son of God” and claims to stand at the head of the church, to be infallible, and bids all people look to him for salvation. But Christ is the Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23), and bids all people look unto Him and be saved. Isaiah 45:22. He puts himself therefore in the place of Christ. It hardly need be said that this can apply only to the pope of Rome.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 39.6

There is still more emphatic testimony in the book of the prophecy of Daniel. In the vision recorded in the seventh chapter, the prophet saw “four great beasts” rise out of the sea, which the angel explained to him represented four kings, or kingdoms (see verses 17, 23). Upon the head of the fourth beast, which had ten horns, He saw another “little horn” rise up, before which three others were plucked up by the roots, and this horn had “eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things” (Verses 7, 8). In verse twenty this horn is mentioned again as a “horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things;” and the prophet saw (verse 21) that “the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.” He was told also by the angel that this horn should arise after the first ten and should be diverse from them, and should subdue three kings. “And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws.” Verses 24, 25. This language has unmistakable reference to the papacy, which put to death from fifty to one hundred millions of martyrs during the Dark Ages, and of which the chief representative is the pope, who wears on his head a triple crown as a memorial of the fact that the papacy was established by the overthrow of three kingdoms which stood in its way.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.1

The greatness of God is shown by the power of His word. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.... For He spake, and it was; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9. And the Psalmist also says, “Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.” Psalm 138:2. But the papacy assumes the authority to change God’s word. That law which He spake with His own voice from the flaming, quaking summit of Mt. Sinai, while the whole earth shook, and the Israelites removed in terror afar off, the papacy has thought to change, according to the prediction of Daniel 7:25. She has stricken out the second commandment, which forbids the worship of images, and made the fourth commandment to apply to the first day of the week instead of the seventh. The papacy boasts of having changed the Sabbath to Sunday, as a mark of her authority. Of course no power can make any real change in the law of God, but this power has made people think she has changed it; and by claiming the authority to change this word of God, which is magnified above all His name, she has magnified herself above God.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.2

This is the power which magnifies itself to do great things. The papacy is rapidly extending her influence throughout the world. Her spirit is rapidly permeating the world and the professed church. And when this takes place, the forces of the world and of the worldly churches will be arrayed against the saints, and this great army will magnify itself to do great things. And then the Most High God will arise and say, I will do great things.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.3

This time is at hand. God will manifest Himself through His people, and the world will see great things. And now, when the great controversy is about to close, He will magnify His name more wonderfully than ever before, not even excepting the time when He led ancient Israel out of Egypt; but the prophet says, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them.” Jeremiah 16:14, 15. The second redemption and gathering of Israel (the true Israel) will be with a greater manifestation of God’s power than was the first.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.4

The Psalmist speaks of this in the one hundred and twenty-sixth Pslam. “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” The heathen are all those who know not God; and when the Lord with His omnipotent power delivers His people from all their enemies, the heathen will know and say that the Lord hath done great things for them.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.5

And this time is at hand. Those who honour God He will honour. Those who honour God are those who believe Him, who humbly take Him at His word. They are those who observe His Sabbath and keep His commandments, by having Christ in their hearts by faith. And when the Lord arises to vindicate His name these will say, “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.... To Him who alone doeth great wonders; for His mercy endureth for ever.” Psalm 136:1-4.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.6

“‘Blasphemed Among the Gentiles’” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The Apostle Paul, addressing what was known as “the church” of his day, wrote: “Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest His will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” Romans 2:17-24.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.7

An the illustration of the blaspheming of the name of God among the heathen, on account of the doings of professed Christians, is given in a letter to the New York Independent, from Rev. J. L. Dearing, missionary of the American Baptist Missionary Union, in Yokohama, Japan. Here is the letter, which speaks for itself:—PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.8

“The Buddhist representatives from Japan who were in attendance at the Parliament of Religions have returned, and their reports are interesting as showing what effect the great convention really had upon the representatives of the various religions there assembled, and as also showing what the second-hand effect is upon the people who listen to the reports brought back. Soon after the return of the Buddhist orators and representative men, a public meeting was called under the auspices of the Buddhist Young Men’s Association, in Yokohama, an organisation copied after the Y.M.C.A. Some seven hundred people were gathered in one of the largest theatres in town, and from ten o’clock in the morning till about seven at night continuous addresses were given by one after another, recounting the reception they had received, and the impression the meetings had made upon them.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 40.9

“The two chief speakers were Bourin Yatsubuchi and Shaku Soyen. The former is a priest of Kamakura, and a graduate of the college of which Mr. Fukuzawa is the head in Tokio, a man well versed in modern learning, and a scholar of no mean ability. He was one of the speakers at the Parliament in Chicago. Shaku Soyen, also one of the speakers at Chicago, is a great scholar, and is regarded as the most talented priest in Kiushiu. Some eight others occupied some time in giving their impressions. Among the statements that were made by the priests were the following:—PTUK January 18, 1894, page 41.1

‘When we received the invitation to attend the Parliament of Religions, our Buddhist organisations would not send us as representatives of the sect. The great majority believed that it was a shrewd move on the part of Christians to get us there and then hold us up to ridicule or try to convert us. We accordingly went as individuals. But it was a wonderful surprise which awaited us. Our ideas were all mistaken. The Parliament was called because the Western nations have come to realise the weakness and folly of Christianity, and they really wished to hear from us of our religion, and to learn what the best religion is. There is no better place in the world to propagate the teachings of Buddhism than in America. During the meetings one very wealthy man from New York became a convert to Buddhism, and was initiated into its rites. He is a man of great influence, and his conversion may be said to mean more than the conversion of ten thousand ordinary men, so we may say truthfully that we made ten thousand converts at that meeting. Christianity is merely an adornment of society in America. It is deeply believed in by very few. The great majority of Christians drink and commit various gross sins, and live very dissolute lives, although it is a very common belief and serves as a social adornment. Its lack of power proves its weakness. The meetings showed the great superiority of Buddhism over Christianity, and the mere fact of calling the meetings showed that the Americans and other Western peoples had lost their faith in Christianity and were ready to accept the teachings of our superior religion.’PTUK January 18, 1894, page 41.2

“These remarks and more like them were received with great applause by the enthusiastic audience. They will be thoroughly believed by the masses of the people, for whose benefit meetings are to be held here and there throughout Japan to spread these interesting reports. The educated classes, as a rule, know too much to believe such statements, but the effect upon the lower classes will be to strengthen the power of Buddhism and to neutralise the influence of missionaries and native Christians.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 41.3

“Said an earnest, intelligent young Japanese Christian man: ‘How could American Christians make so great a mistake as to hold such a meeting and injure Christianity as the influence of those meetings will do in Japan?’”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 41.4

“The New Earth” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

Glorious thought! we have something better to look forward to than life on this old worn-out, sin-cursed earth. Patience a little longer; a few more trials, a few more tears, and a few more temptations, and a few more victories, and the earth that has waxed old like a garment, as a vesture shall be changed. Psalm 102:26.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 43.1

The day of the Lord will come in the which the old heavens, with all the poisonous vapours and chilling winds, shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the old earth also with all its works of sin shall be burned up. “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:9, 10, 13. “As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.” Isaiah 65:22. “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” Isaiah 65:17.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 43.2

The new earth will be as real as this old earth, but it will be filled with righteousness instead of sin, blessing instead of cursing, and life instead of death. And there will be no more danger of sin; for Satan and all his followers, root and branch, perish together and are burned to ashes in the fire that cleanses and purifies the earth. Revelation 20:7-15; Malachi 4:1-3.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 43.3

“And I John saw the Holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.... And heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4; Zechariah 14:4-9.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 43.4

“And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22, 23.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 44.1

“And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.” Isaiah 65:21. “And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall prepare the waste cities, and the desolations of many generations.” Isaiah 61:4.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 44.2

“The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” Isaiah 35:1. “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree.” Isaiah 55:13. “And there shall be no more curse.” Revelation 22:3.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 44.3

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them. And the cow shall eat straw like the ox. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 44.4

Notice the real things that are to be upon the new earth. There will be blossoms, straw, trees, vineyards, fruit, animals, houses, and cities, people, little children, and a place of worship. The New Jerusalem with its golden streets, mansions of glory, Garden of Eden, river of life, and throne of God will come down at the end of the thousand years, with the angels and Adam and Abraham and Noah, and Moses and all the rest of God’s children. But the best of all, God Himself will be there and the Lamb will be the light thereof. The same God who in the beginning created the earth and all its perfection and beauty, the same God who came to this earth in His Son and became poor that we might be rich, who suffered and was tempted that He might be able to help us when we are tempted, and who died that we might live,—this same God and Saviour will dwell on the new earth and His children will see Him face to face in all His glory, and listen to the music of His living voice.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 44.5

Oh, the joy of being accounted a child of God! If we are His children now, we shall be His children then.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 44.6

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 44.7

“Beasts and Creeping Things” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

“A little child shall lead them; .... they shall not hurt nor destroy.” Isaiah 11:6, 9.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.1

On the plains, in the desert, among the cliffs of the mountains, along winding rivers and silvery lakes, swinging from lofty tree-tops, burrowing in the ground, creeping through the grass, and hiding ‘neath the leaves, we find creatures, living creatures, so many and so wonderful that we are led to exclaim, “O Lord, how manifold (many) are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all!” Psalm 104:24.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.2

Each animal is fitted by the all-wise Creator to do just those things that it needs to do. Esquimaux dogs, foxes, bears, and many other animals have a warm coat for winter and a cooler coat for summer; the Arctic fox has even fur slippers for the bottom of its feet. Some of the animals in hot countries do not have any hair or fur, but have skins so thick that a common bullet cannot go through them. The silken fur of the Water Shrew is better than a rubber coat to keep out the water when the animal is swimming, and although the mole is a great digger, none of the earth can stick to its glossy coat. As the Honey Weasel lives mostly on honey and the young of the honey bee, it has a thick, loose skin through which the bees cannot sting. The Hedgehog has a coat of sharp springy spines to protect it when it throws itself down from high walls or meets an enemy.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.3

Dogs and cats and tigers cannot use knives and forks, as we do, in eating their food, but their sharp teeth and claws do as well. The teeth of the rat, mouse, and rabbit, are repaired or mended, as fast as they wear out. And the teeth of the Asiatic Elephant grow up as fast as they are worn away. When the whole tooth is worn out, it falls from the jaw and a new one comes in its place. The Elephant’s long trunk serves for hands, a pump, and many other things. The Mole has shovels, the Oared Shrew oars, the Hedgehog and Porcupine an armour, and the Kangaroo a cradle in which to carry its babies. The Spider Monkey uses its tail to hook food out of places too small for its hand. The Ant-eater has an insect catcher, the Musk Rat a perfume sac, the cow four food pouches, the camel a water bottle, and cushions for its breast and knees and feet, and even pussy has cushions on her feet. Find out, if you can, how they use all of these strange things.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.4

Some animals have very odd habits. The bear, squirrel, wood-chuck, field mouse, and other animals sleep nearly all the winter with little or nothing to eat! But in this wintry sleep breathing is almost entirely stopped, and the blood circulates very slowly. This is why we see so few animals in the winter. Frogs, toads, spiders, bees, and many of the birds do this. The Mole has a very curious habit of working three hours and then resting three. The Brush-tailed Bettony fastens its tail around a bundle of grass and hops away with it to its nest. The opossum, when attacked falls down and pretends to be dead till its enemy leaves. The hippopotamus carries its young on its back. The monkeys take hold of one another’s tails and make living bridges across streams. The beaver cuts down trees, builds houses and dams, and plasters them with mud.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.5

As you put on your warm clothes, do you ever stop to think where they come from? Some of them are made from the woolly coat of the sheep, the hair of the camel or Cashmere Goat, or the fur of the beaver or brown rat! Even the skins of young goats are made into gloves called kid gloves. The buffalo robe is the skin of a bison, and carriage robes and rugs are sometimes made of the shaggy coats of bears and wolves. We get ivory from the elephant. Polecats’ hairs are used for artists’ brushes. Hogs’ bristles are also used for brushes, and their hide is made into leather for saddles. The otter can be taught to catch fish for its master, the Shepherd Dog to tend sheep, the St. Bernard Dog to find lost and freezing travellers, the Reindeer and Esquimaux Dog to take the place of horses in cold countries, the ox to plough, and the noble horse to be the companion and servant of man. The cow gives us milk, butter, glue, leather for our shoes and carriage and harness, and hair for plastering. Even the despised rat saves the lives of thousands of people in our large cities by eating the decaying things in the sewers.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.6

The more you study and think about the animals the more you will see to admire, and to thank God for. For it was God, who, on the sixth day, made “the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth after their kind; and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:25. Oh, to have seen them then! Not a poor, sickly, or cross animal among them all! Not one that would hurt or kill, for then none lived on flesh, but upon the green herb which God gave them for their meat. Genesis 1:30. They all were more tame and friendly than your dog or kitten.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.7

Now, many animals are wild and so fierce that we would be afraid to meet them outside of a cage. But God has made a wonderful promise. He says that by-and-by the beasts will all be as good and friendly as they were at first,—so friendly that a little child can lead them. Listen, here is His promise:—PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.8

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox.... They shall not hurt nor destroy.” Isaiah 11:6, 7, 9.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.9

In other parts of the Bible we learn that this will be after He has made the earth all new again and destroyed every evil thing. Where will you be? Will you be among the evil things that will be destroyed, or among the happy children who will live on the beautiful new earth with Jesus, and who will lead the friendly lion and the bear? If you would be with Jesus then, you must live to please Him now. If you are cross and rude to your parents, and cruel to God’s birds and animals now, He could not trust you to live with them in the perfect new earth. Jesus invites you to be there, but He cannot take you unless you here learn to be kind and gentle and good.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 45.10

1. What animals do you have at your home?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.1

2. Name some other places in which we find animals.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.2

3. Which is the strongest beast? Proverbs 30:30.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.3

4. Which is the tallest?—The Giraffe is the tallest of all earthly dwellers; it is from 18-20 feet high. As it feeds upon the leaves of trees it has long legs and a very long neck, and a tongue so formed that it can be lengthened or shortened or wrapped round one leaf. It can make this tongue so small at the tip that it can pass into the pipe of a common pocket key.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.4

5. Name some creeping things. Leviticus 11:20, 30.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.5

6. What kind of clothing do part of the animals have in cold weather? In warm?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.6

7. What kind do some have that live in hot countries.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.7

8. Name a few of the wonderful tools that beasts have.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.8

9. Why do we not see so many animals in winter as in summer?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.9

10. What strange thing does the Opossum do? The Monkeys? The Beaver?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.10

11. Would we be so comfortable and happy if there were no animals? Why not?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.11

12. Who made all of these wonderful creatures, and fitted them with just the right kind of clothing and tools?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.12

13. Then which is greater, the creatures or the Creator?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.13

14. Suppose we should think more of them than of Him, or should worship them, as some do, how would He feel?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.14

15. Or suppose we should treat them cruelly, would He be pleased?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.15

16. To whom do they all belong? Psalm 50:10.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.16

17. Then have we any right to be cruel to them?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.17

18. When we enjoy their companionship, and see how wonderfully they are made, what should it lead us to do? To thank and praise the wise, good Father who made them.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.18

19. When did He make them?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.19

20. Were they then just as they are now?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.20

21. Which do you enjoy most, wild animals or tame animals?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.21

22. What precious promise has God made about them? Isaiah 11:6, 7, 9.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.22

23. When will that be?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.23

24. Only what kind of children will He permit to lead the animals on the new earth?PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.24

“Interesting Items” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

-M. Charles Dupuy has been re-elected President of the French Chamber of Deputies.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.25

-The Russian budget shows an increase of receipts over expenditures to the amount of 10,000,000 roubles.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.26

-Not only have females obtained the franchise in New Zealand, but a lady has been appointed mayor of one of its seaport towns.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.27

-The Emperor of Germany has just completed his 35th year, and is about to celebrate the 25tgh anniversary of his entry into the army.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.28

-A bush fire on Table Mountain, South Africa, has done enormous damage to property and damaged the water supply of Cape Town.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.29

-The Belfast barque Cooleen, has been wrecked near Ballycotton in a heavy gale, resulting in the drowning of the captain and nine of the crew.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.30

-Honduras is being overrun by the allied forces of Honduras insurgents and of Nicaragua. The Honduran government forces have sustained several defenses, and a number of towns have been captured.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.31

-During the thick fog on the night of Jan. 6 the Sunderland steamer Ashford collided in the Channel with a vessel unknown, which is supposed to have sunk; one of the crew of the Ashford is missing.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.32

-A Boston (Mass.) telegram announces that the Globe Theatre in that town has been destroyed by fire, while adjoining buildings have sustained considerable damage. The loss is estimated at 1,000,000 dollars.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.33

-The disturbances in Sicily are lessening, but riots continue to recur in South Italy and Rome. In a police search made in Rome on Jan. 8, 10,000 revolutionary manifestoes were seized, besides other compromising documents.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.34

-A Bill imposing a tax on tobacco was introduced into the German Reichstag, its object being to raise funds for meeting the increased expenditure entailed by the new Army Bill.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.35

-The Central Board of the Evangelical Union in Berlin has issued a long address strongly protesting against the readmission into Germany of the Jesuits, who are described as the enemies of the Fatherland and of the Protestant faith.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.36

-After Matabeleland comes Zambesialand. Mr. Archibald R. Colquhoun has delivered an address before a meeting of members of the London Chamber of Commerce, on “Zambesia: Its Capabilities for Commercial Expansion and Development.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.37

-The Manchester Ship Canal has exceeded expectation. During the first week twenty-nine vessels were berthed in the docks, and there was considerable passenger traffic. The first cargo of cotton carried to Manchester by the new waterway was delivered amidst great rejoicings.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.38

-A Republican manifesto has been issued by Senor Ruiz Zorilla, the Spanish Republican agitator. In this he announces the early advent of the Republic in Spain, and at the same time declares that the Republicans will make war without quarter against the Anarchists.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.39

-The trial of Vaillant, the perpetrator of the bomb outrage in the French Chamber of Deputies, took place in Paris Jan. 10, and resulted in a verdict of guilty on all counts of the indictment, without extenuating circumstances. The prisoner was accordingly sentenced to death.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.40

-The Porte has decided that all foreign representatives, without distinction, shall have the right to hoist their respective flags on f?te days. This decision will put an end to the discussions in which the Consular body in Turkey has from time to time had to engage with the local authorities.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.41

-Miss Kate Marsden has arrived at St. Petersburg, and is preparing to start afresh for the leper colony. Queen Victoria is stated to have provided Miss Marsden with an autograph letter, asking all persons to whom she may apply during the journey to furnish her with all the assistance in their power.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.42

-In order the better to stamp out Stundism in the provinces of Kieff, Volhynia, and Pdolia, M. Skvortsoff, an official of the “Holy” Synod, has been attached to Count Ignatieff’s Chancery, whose duty it will be to carry out the various repressive measures recently enacted against these unfortunate “heretics.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.43

-For over eighty years it has been customary for the priests in Russia on Christmas Day to anathematize the French for their invasion of Russia in 1812. The traditional prayer was omitted this Christmas for the first time, owing to the recent demonstrations of friendship for Russia on the part of France.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.44

-The Berlin Municipal Council have decided to extend the existing system of night refuges for the homeless, and to grant admission to these establishments during the day. It was also decided to increase the number of warming halls. Soup is now being distributed to the necessitous every morning and evening.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.45

-A telegram received in Paris from Rio de Janeiro announced the resignation of Marshal Peixoto, but the Brazilian Minister in Paris gave a formal denial to the report. A Reuter’s telegram from Buenos Ayres states that the Marshal is fortifying the coast. The inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro are in a state of great apprehension over an expected attack upon the city. A decisive battle is expected shortly.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.46

-It is reported that Lobengula has arrived on the banks of the Zamesi with 2,000 well-armed young warriors. Fresh bodies of Matabele are reported to be massing with hostile intentions, and fifteen of the Bechuanaland police have been killed near Inyati. Evidence is coming to light of the intention of the Chartered Company to make slaves of the Matabele to work the mines of Matabeleland.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.47

-A fire, supposed to have been incendiary, broke out at the World’s Fair grounds at Chicago, Jan. 8, and continued for several hours, doing great damage to some of the large buildings, and destroying the Peristyle and Music Hall. The exhibits in the Liberal Arts building were considerably damaged, and parties employed to remove them improved the opportunity to steal articles to the value of many thousands of dollars.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 46.48

“Back Page” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The annual appeal supplement of the Charity Record shows eighty-seven hospitals and charitable societies furnishing homes and aid to the homeless and suffering in London. It is stated that no other city in the world comes up to London, when the conditions of the poor are compared, among whom three million pounds are spent annually. This would go much further in relieving the situation were it not for the eight thousand public-houses in London into which a steady stream of millions is being poured from the pockets of the people.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.1

In the House of Commons a few evenings ago, Mr. Gladstone was asked by a member “whether, before embarking on new and costly naval expenditure, the Government could see its way to open up communication with other European powers with a view to national disarmament.” The Premier replied that the question was one of “great importance and value,” and referred to some steps once taken in that direction with his full concurrence, as showing his friendliness to the project, but said, “I am very doubtful whether the present occasion is one when such representations could be advantageously made.”PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.2

In this reply Mr. Gladstone shows his knowledge of the situation. It is absolutely certain that no nation on earth would at present think of such a thing as disarmament, however politely they might receive the proposition. But the time is not far off when such a proposition will be made and accepted. “Many nations,” according to the “sure word of prophecy,” will think that, through their exaltation of the church the kingdom of God has been set up on earth, and will propose to transform their instruments of war into farming implements, saying, “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” See the whole of the second chapter of Isaiah. But “when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Then will begin the reign of the Prince of peace, over those who have already chosen the way of peace, and have allowed the peace of God to rule in their hearts.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.3

The Roman Catholic mission in Uganda is circulating Bibles, and this is the reason, or rather the apology for it, in the words of the bishop: “After much hesitation, I have concluded that it is necessary for us also to print the New Testament, which to Protestants are spreading everywhere. The chief reason is that we cannot prevent our people from reading it. We are, therefore, preparing an edition with notes drawn from the holy Fathers.” This will be better than none at all, for not even notes from the “Fathers” can wholly obscure the meaning of the Scriptures, if the full text is but given. Some souls will reject the chaff, and retain the wheat.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.4

It is stated on good authority that the Bible heads the list of books sold in Italy. “Signor Sonzogno, editor of the Secolo newspaper, has recently sent out from his press in Milan an illustrated family Bible, bearing the imprimatur of the Pope. The enterprise has met with wonderful success, not only in the large cities, but in the towns and villages, and among the clergy as well as the laity.” The first edition of 50,000 copies was speedily exhausted. If Paul rejoiced when Christ was preached, even though some preached Him from envy and strife (Philippians 1:15-18), we may rejoice at this circulation of the Bible, even though cumbered with such notes and comments as would lead the Pope of Rome the sanction it.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.5

It is stated that the Roman pontiff has offered to be arbitrator in the territorial dispute between Ecuador and Peru. And this same pontiff claims to be the “vicar of Christ,” who when one said to Him on a certain occasion, “Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me,” replied, “Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?” Luke 14:11, 12. Christ, unlike His pretended “vicar,” never said anything that could be taken as an act of interference in any of the disputes which pertain to the exercise of political or civil power; and those who profess to be His followers should imitate His example.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.6

“I Am with You” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

I am with You.-To His disciples Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you, alway, even unto the end of the world.” But the question often arises, What shows that He is with us? and it receives various answers. Some say, The number of our converts shows it. Others say, Our zeal and works show it. But those who trust in these or other outward signs as an evidence of God’s presence, are deceived. Christ’s word is enough,—“I am with you.” Those who come up in the Judgment day pointing to their numerous converts and their wonderful works, will hear the voice of their professed Master say to them, “I never knew you.” Those who who do not take Christ at His word, cannot have Him with them. Faith constitutes the simplest and best evidence of spiritual truths that can be had. Let us look to Christ for our evidence, and not to external signs.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.7

“The Turning Point” The Present Truth 10, 3.

EJW

E. J. Waggoner

The Turning Point.-Who has not had the experience of resolving again and again to turn away from some evil habit, and yet finding the thing asserting itself just the same? The resolution was no stronger than we were, and was of no force against the evil. Putting confidence in the resolution led to the neglect which Daniel confessed in his prayer, “Yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities.” The turning point is reached when we have learned our helplessness by turning and resolving, and have put up the petition, “Turn Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned.” Lamentations 3:21. The Lord does not reserve the blessing until we have put away iniquity. He blesses that it may be put away. “Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” Acts 3:26.PTUK January 18, 1894, page 48.8