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    September 13, 1894

    “Front Page” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” Luke 15:1, 2.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.1

    The Pharisees thought this the worst reproach that they could bring against Jesus. They did not realise that it was His glory, and the reason why He came to earth. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15. And He says, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.2

    Strange as it may seem, there are very many people to-day as ignorant of the mission of Christ as the Pharisees were. They are deterred from coming to the Lord, by the thought that they are great sinners, when that is the very reason why they should come. Not only does He receive them, but He invites and urges them to come. “All day long,” He says, “I have stretched forth My hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Romans 10:21.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.3

    The two parables that follow the verses in Luke above quoted, illustrate the relation of Christ to lost sinners. The man went to search for the lost sheep, because it was his own. The woman searched for the lost piece of silver, because it belonged to her. So when Christ comes to seek and to save that which is lost, He is seeking His own. This should at once set at rest all doubts as to whether or not He will receive and accept us. He has already accepted us, and will receive us if we will come.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.4

    But how will He receive us? The next parable, that of the prodigal son, answers this question. He receives us gladly, because He is looking and longing for us. “When He was yet a great way off,” the prodigal’s father “saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” Christ has shown how greatly He desires us, and that “He gave Himself” for us. Galatians 1:4.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.5

    How did the prodigal son come home?—Just as he was,—starving and in rags. He could not come any other way. He had spent all he had, and there was no one to give him anything. He could not come dressed in fine clothes. If he had waited to make himself respectable, he would have died. Moreover, there would have been nothing to call forth compassion, if he had come well-dressed and strong. It was his weak and dejected appearance that called out all the father’s pity.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.6

    There was no hesitation on the part of the father because the son came in rags. In this respect also the picture is true to life. The true parent loves a child, and not the clothes that it wears. Clothing makes no difference with the love of a father for his son. The father was not mourning for the fine clothes that his son took away. He had clothing enough for himself and for his son. What he mourned was his lost child. So when the son returned, the father was content, in the condition in which he came made no difference. This is given to show that God’s love for us is not diminished by the fact that we are covered with the filthy rags of sin. He has righteousness enough to supply all our lack.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.7

    And so we come back to the first word: “This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” To those who are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:21. Best of all, He Himself provides the feast. He is the bread and water of life. His flesh and blood are true food and true drink. “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.8

    “Roman Catholic Progress” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    It requires no very keen observation to see that the Roman Catholic Church is on the alert, and active in making use of every situation in the affairs of nations that can advance its interest. It inherits honestly the craft by which it is enabled to “prosper and practice.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.9

    The current in Protestantism which is running toward Roman methods, and setting the customs of the Church-many of them received from Rome-against the word of God, is doing the work which gives Rome her opportunity. The rationalist that openly undertakes to undermine the Bible, and every one who indirectly undermines it by contending that the Scriptures do not really mean just what they say, are helping to build up the Papacy, which rests upon the principle of self exalted above God.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.10

    In England the activity of Roman Catholics in every direction is noticeable, and new churches and cathedrals are being opened or built. In Germany they have just been holding their forty-first annual Congress. The following summary (from the Echo report) of the topics of discussion shows how boldly and confidently they are planning to further their interests, making use of all the temporal power they can obtain control of:—PTUK September 13, 1894, page 577.11

    (1) The re-admission of the Jesuits into the German Empire; (2) the restoration of the Pope’s secular monarchy; (3) the maintenance of “the Christian School” at State cost; (4) the relation of the Church to the modern demands of the workers; (5) the support of the Roman Catholic newspapers. The president, Dr. Orterer, declared amidst loud cheers, that the Jesuits were already in Germany. “We are all Jesuits nowadays,” said he, “I am an arch-Jesuit.” Professor Schoepmann, of Holland, said that his own country set a noble example to Germany. The Dutch soil is as free to the Jesuit as to every other religionist. “For my own part,” exclaimed this enthusiastic son of Loyola, “I regard the Jesuit as the man in whom the ideal Christ is incorporated.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 578.1

    The attempt to keep down the power of the Jesuits and the power of the Romanist in Germany by repressive laws has signally failed. Cannot every Protestant see that the only weapon that can successfully resist the Papacy is the word of God-the word which accomplished such wonders when the early Reformers let it loose in their days? The trouble since their days is that instead of going on to know all the word of God to men, too many have ceased to go forward and are content with the traditions received from their fathers, who themselves protested that they saw not all the truth, and urged their successors to search for every ray of light which God has given.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 578.2

    “How Can We Know?” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    How can we know whether we are serving God or serving self? The Apostle John answers this question. “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:6, 8. “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” Chap. 2:4, 9. Hatred of our brother is a sure indication of love of self; but love toward our brother is an evidence that self-love is gone. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” Chap. 3:14. And who is our brother? The Apostle Paul answers the question by declaring that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” Acts 18:26. “One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye our brethren.” Matthew 23:8. The tie of brotherhood is just as extensive among men as the authority of Christ is over them. And therefore when we have brotherly love we have love toward all men, and it will be our desire and aim to do good unto all, even to our enemies. When we love all, our enemies included, we may know that we have passed from death unto life, and have not the spirit of self, but of God.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 578.3

    “Simplicity of Faith” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    There is nothing in the world more simple than faith. Faith is dependence upon God-resting upon His word; and it is easier and simpler to depend upon God than upon self, because it is easier to let someone care for us than to take care of ourselves. It is easier to rest upon something than to hold ourselves up. We have neither the strength nor wisdom to take care of ourselves, and when we attempt to do so the result is much worry and useless expenditure of effort, with failure at the end.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 578.4

    But God has invited us to let Him take care of us. His word says, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.” Psalm 55:22. And this burden includes “all your care.” 1 Peter 5:7. And your care includes yourself.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 578.5

    Faith is the simplest means of knowledge. It is easier to learn a thing by being told by someone who knows, than to discover it by our own investigations. And we cannot know the truths which God tells us except by taking His word, for they lie altogether beyond the range of our human powers. Through faith we understand these things although we cannot grasp them by any process of reason or experiment. And we know they are so, for faith is not blind, but sees them. We cannot reason out all the knowledge that we have, or that one mind can receive from another. A look of the eye, a touch of the hand, can convey knowledge from heart to heart without reason being called into action,—knowledge which we would not trust reason to give us. Is it strange then that the Spirit of God can reveal to us deep mysteries by its action upon our hearts, by the simple means of faith?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 578.6

    But faith does not lead to idleness and supine indifference; quite the contrary. For while this would be the result of allowing one like ourselves to care for us in all things and tell us what we need to know, faith puts God within us, there to will and to work His pleasure; thus making our activity greater and wiser than when we moved in our own strength and wisdom. Nor does it make us machines; for when our own wills cease to cooperate with God, He at once ceases to work in us.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 578.7

    “What Is Love?” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    Love is not a mere sentiment in the mind, nor does it find expression merely in words. “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” James 2:15, 16. Love is not a profitless thing, either to the giver or the receiver. The love of God toward men is manifested in every good and perfect gift, which “cometh down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17), both upon the just, and upon the unjust; and this same love, flowing through our hearts to our fellow-men (and this alone is love) will find expression in the same way, to the extent of our powers and opportunities. In true love, self is forgotten. Its claims are neither heeded nor heard, and there is no thought of it, more than of that which does not exist. The Christian is dead to self, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 580.1

    “Studies in Romans. The Blessing of Abraham. Romans 4:1-12” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    It is not necessary to repeat the analysis that has been given in the preceding studies in Romans. The ultimate object of studying any book in detail is to be able to take in the entire book at one glance. So we may cover in a few words the three chapters that we have been studying. We may say that the first chapter, after the introduction and the laying out of the theme of the epistle, sets before us the condition of those who are known as heathen. The second chapter and the first portion of the third, give us the information that all men are in the same deplorable condition. We who are inclined to boast of our privileges, and to be harsh in our judgment upon those who are gross sinners, have a check given to our pride, by the statement that if we know enough to condemn others, we therefore seal our own judgment, because we do the same things. Thus all men are found to be “guilty before God.” Then comes the brighter side in the last part of the third chapter, in which the free grace of God is set forth in Christ as the Saviour of sinners. No one has anything whereof to boast over another, for no one can do anything that has sufficient merit in it to win righteousness.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 580.2

    It has been shown that the Jews, those who had received the greatest revelations from God, and to whom had been intrusted His law, were not justified by works any more than the heathen; and now in the fourth chapter we have the final argument concerning justification by faith, made fromPTUK September 13, 1894, page 580.3

    THE CASE OF ABRAHAM

    “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.1

    QUESTIONING THE TEXT

    What is the theme for consideration in this chapter?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.2

    What “Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.3

    What would Abraham have if he were justified by works?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.4

    “If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.5

    But can he glory?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.6

    “Not before God.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.7

    How is this proved?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.8

    By “the Scriptures.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.9

    “What saith the Scripture?”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.10

    “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.11

    What was counted unto him for righteousness?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.12

    His faith.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.13

    How would the reward be reckoned if it were the reward of works?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.14

    Not of grace, but of debt.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.15

    How is it to him that worketh not?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.16

    “His faith is counted for righteousness.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.17

    Whom does God justify?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.18

    “The ungodly.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.19

    Who describes this blessedness?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.20

    “David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.21

    In what words?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.22

    “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.23

    What important question arises here?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.24

    “Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.25

    “What gives rise to this question?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.26

    “For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.27

    How was it reckoned to him? When he was in circumcicion, or in uncircumcision?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.28

    “Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.29

    What did Abraham receive?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.30

    “He received the sign of circumcision”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.31

    What was the value of this sign?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.32

    “A seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.33

    When did he have this righteousness of faith?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.34

    “Yet being uncircumcised”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.35

    Why was his faith reckoned to him for righteousness when he was yet uncircumcised?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.36

    “That he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.37

    Of whom else is he the father?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.38

    “The father of circumcision.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.39

    To what circumcised ones is he the father?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.40

    “To them who are not of the circumcision only.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.41

    What must the circumcised children of Abraham necessarily have in addition to their circumcision?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.42

    “That faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.43

    “As Pertaining to the Flesh.”-Abraham was not the father, or ancestor, according to the flesh, of all those to whom Paul addressed the epistle. The question under consideration is justification by faith. If now it can be shown that even Abraham received no righteousness through the flesh, but that it was only by faith, the case will be practically settled.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.44

    Glorying.-If in the plan of salvation there were any such thing as righteousness by works, then there would be provision made for boasting. For if one may be saved by works, then all men may be; and then those who were saved might boast of their superiority to others in like circumstances. But we have already learned that boasting is excluded. “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are; that no flesh should glory in His presence.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.45

    Glorying In, and Glorying Before.-If Abraham were justified by works, he might glory; but the fact is that he can not glory before God; and the proof of this is found in the words of Scripture: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” A man can be justified by works when it can be shown that he has done no wrong. In that case he needs no faith; his works speak for themselves. But Abraham was justified by faith, and therefore it is evident that he was not justified by any works. He who is justified only by the works of God, will glory only in those works. That is glorying in God, and is far different from glorying before God.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.46

    Paul and James.-Here is where nearly everybody quotes the words of James, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” James 2:21. Unfortunately this text is usually quoted as a disparagement of the words of Paul. It seems to be taken for granted that there is a contradiction between Paul and James; and sympathy naturally leans to James, because people like to believe that there is some merit in their own works, and they imagine that this is what James teaches. Indeed, there are some who hold that James wrote for the purpose of correcting Paul’s “extreme views” of justification by faith. We may well throw all such foolish and wicked ideas to the winds. No one need hope to come to an understanding of the Scriptures until he approaches them with the settled conviction that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” The Holy Spirit does not at one time inspire words which must later on be corrected.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.47

    Faith Working.-The trouble with those who thus read the words of James is that they suppose that the apostle says that Abraham was justified by his own works of faith. “Seest thou how faith wrought?” That is ever the mark of living faith, as the apostle is showing. And that is just the statement of the apostle Paul. The last verse of the third chapter of Romans tells us that by faith we establish the law. Moreover, the very term “justification” shows that faith performs the requirement of the law. Faith makes a man a doer of the law, for that is the meaning of the term “justification by faith.” So in James we read that the works of Abraham simply showed the perfection of his faith. “And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” The apostle James, therefore, teaches the same kind of justification that Paul does. If he did not, one or the other or both of them would be discredited as apostles. Justification by faith which works is the only kind of justification known in the Bible.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 581.48

    Debt and Grace.—“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” It is necessary to keep in mind what the apostle is writing about. The subject is the means by which a man is justified. To him that works for justification, the reward of righteousness is not a gift of grace, but the payment of a debt. That is, it would be so if there were any righteousness by works. In that case, the man would come to the Lord and demand of Him his due. But no man can put the Lord under obligation to him. “Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?” Romans 11:35. If any one could do something for the Lord for which the Lord would be under obligation to Him, then all things would not be from him. That is to say, the idea of justification by works is opposed to the fact that God is the Creator of all things. And, conversely, the recognition of God as Creator is the acknowledgement that righteousness comes from Him alone.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.1

    Justifying the Ungodly.-God justifies the ungodly. No others need justification. But mark that He does not justify ungodliness. That would be to call evil good, and to deny Himself. But He justifies or makes righteous the ungodly, and that is just what they need. He justifies the believing sinner by making him a new man in Christ Jesus, and this He can do and still be just. To make a new man in righteousness is perfectly in harmony with His own character as Creator.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.2

    Working Not.—“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Bear in mind that justification is the subject under consideration. When the apostle speaks of not working, it is evident that he means not working in order to be justified. A man is not made just by works, but the just man works yet always by faith. “The just shall live by faith.” It is faith that makes him continue to live justly. The reality of the works of faith is made more prominent in the latter part of this chapter.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.3

    The Blessedness Described.-The blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works is the blessedness of sins forgiven, and of freedom from the power of sin. God will not impute sin to the man who lives by faith in Christ, so that Christ’s works are his works. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him; ... for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him.” Colossians 2:6-10.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.4

    Blessings to Jew and Gentile.-This blessedness comes alike to the circumcision and to the uncircumcision. We have here a repetition of the truth set forth in the third chapter, namely, that there is no difference in the matter of justification. Abraham is the father of the Jewish nation after the flesh, but the blessing which he received was while he was uncircumcised, the same as any other Gentile. Therefore he can be the father of both the Jews and the Gentiles. His blessing was received by faith, and therefore “they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Galatians 3:9.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.5

    How the Blessing Comes.-We have some time ago seen that the blessing came to Abraham through Christ. In another place the apostle Paul tells us that “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree; that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:13, 14. Whatever was promised to Abraham was all contained in the blessing which David described. God sent His Son to bless us in turning every one of us away from our iniquities. Acts 3:26. It is the cross of Christ that transmits the blessings of Abraham to us. Therefore the blessings are spiritual. None of the blessings promised to Abraham were merely temporal. And this further shows that the inheritance promised to Abraham and his seed is only to those who are the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.6

    Circumcision is Nothing.-The advantage of those who are circumcised was that to them were intrusted the oracles of God; but that did not come to them through circumcision. Circumcision was only a sign; it was not the thing itself. It was given to Abraham as a token of the righteousness by faith which he already possessed. Therefore it could not signify anything more to anybody else. If any who were circumcised did not have righteousness, then their circumcision did not signify anything. “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” 1 Corinthians 7:19. So Abraham was the father of the circumcised, provided they were not of the circumcision only, but had righteousness by faith, which is the one necessary thing.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.7

    Everything in Christ.-Speaking of Christ, the apostle says, “All the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. There is no promise of God to any man that ever lived on earth, or that will ever live, except through Jesus Christ. The promises to Israel, especially, which most concern us, are those that were first made to Abraham. But “he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:6. Therefore “if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29. So then, the promises to Israel come through the cross of Christ; and none are Israel except those who have personal, saving faith in Him.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.8

    “What Saith the Scripture?” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    This question cannot be answered without an appeal to the books of the Old Testament. This fact is made prominent all through the New Testament writings, and especially so in the epistles of Paul. The question raised by the apostle (Romans 4:3; Galatians 4:30) is as pertinent to our day as it was in his, to an understanding of the truth; and the answer must be the same now as it was then. There is no antagonism, no difference in character, between these two portions of the Bible. The one is not set off against the other, any more than is the upper half of a building set off against the lower half. The statements of the Old Testament constitute the foundation upon which are based the conclusion set forth in the New.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 582.9

    For example, in the fourth chapter of Romans, the apostle, speaking of the justification of Abraham and of all the faithful, quotes from Genesis 14:6, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness;” and also builds upon statements contained in Genesis 17. and 18. and Psalm 32. Without the record in Genesis the apostle’s argument in Romans could not have been made; and if the former record be not reliable, the conclusions reached by him are also worthless. The doctrine stated by Paul was not a new one, but one drawn from the writings of Moses and the ancient prophets. If the latter be swept away, the former must also fall: nor can we expect to understand what we read in the New Testament without beginning at the foundation, and learning, “What saith the Scripture?” in the Old.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 583.1

    “Saint-Making in the East” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    According to the Scriptures, all who accept the call of God are “called to be saints.” Not that any are saints by any merits of their own; for it is all by grace, and not one of all the redeemed will have whereof to boast.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 583.2

    The practice of saint-making is a denial of the Gospel, as it is based on the idea that men may lay up a store of merits by their own deeds. It is justification by works, the root principle of every false religion, as justification by faith alone is the vital principle of the Gospel of Christ.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 583.3

    Proceeding on the idea that man can make themselves saints, the Catholic Church assumes the authority of pronouncing them such. It is all of man, and all comes of self exalting itself above God, and setting itself forth as God. This is human nature always, and in this matter of saint-making, as in a multitude of other details, it works the same in other false religions as in Roman or Greek Catholicism. The last Contemporary Review has a contribution on “Saint-Making in the East,” which shows the similarity, proving the common origin of the idea of the beatification of mortal, sinful men:—PTUK September 13, 1894, page 583.4

    “There are three principal modes of beatification as practised in the East. The commonest method is by the voice of the people. ‘He was a Saint!’ they explain on the death of some remarkable man, and the priests acquiesce, for each new saint brings grist to their mills. When the voice of the people is silent, then the priest, in their own interests, proclaim saints, and demand shrines for them. These two methods are especially characteristic of Hindustan. A distinguished writer has compared the process of beatification, canonisation, or deification-whichever term we like to use-to the ascent and descent of Jacob’s ladder. ‘The Hindus,’ he says, ‘construct for themselves Jacob’s ladders between earth and heaven; the men are seen as ascending until they become gods; they then descend again as embodiments of the divinities; insomuch that it may be almost doubted whether any god, except the Vedic divinities and other obvious Nature gods, comes down the ladder who had not originally gone up as a man, and an authentic man.’ The Hindu, in a certain stage of the enlightenment, is inclined to deify any notable person, not necessarily waiting for his death. While Warren Hastings was on his trial in England it was stated as an argument in his favour that he was being worshipped in his appropriate temple in India.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 583.5

    “But, interesting and important as the Hindu methods of deification are, those of the Chinese are far more curious. In China the Emperor claims power, not only over his subjects (and indeed, for that matter, the whole inhabited world), but also over the realms of departed spirits. These he beatifies, canonises, decorates with titles, mentions with approval in the Pekin Gazette when they do anything to deserve that honour, and actually degrades and uncanonises if he sees just cause. In the latter respect his power over the departed clearly exceeds that even of the Pope himself. For example, the Emperor Hieng-fung elevated the god of war to an equal rank with Confucius, who previously had been chief among the State gods. Sir Alfred Lyall has drawn attention to some amusing extracts from the Peking Gazette, illustrating the way in which the Chinese treat their deities. Thus the Gazette of November, 1878, has the following: ‘The Governor-General of the Yellow River requests that a tablet may be put up in honour of the river-god. He states that during the transmission of relief-rice to Honon, whenever difficulties were encountered through shallows, wind, or rain, the river-god interposed in the most unmistakable manner, so that the transport of grain went on without hindrance.-Order: Let the proper office prepare a tablet for the temple of the river-god.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 583.6

    “News of the Week” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    -Several Egyptian Pashas are on trial at Cairo, charged with dealing in slaves.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.1

    -The climate of Japan ranges from an almost Arctic cold in the north to a nearly tropical heat in the south.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.2

    -A Socialist congress which was to have been held at Imola, has been prohibited by the Italian Government.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.3

    -A party of excursionists who were sailing in Morecambe Bay were capsised, and twenty-five were drowned.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.4

    -Twenty-three per cent. of the land in Australia has been sold or alienated, the remaining 77 per cent. belongs to the State.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.5

    -A revolt has broken out among the Kabyles in Morocco. They are beleaguering Morocco City, and fears are entertained for the garrison.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.6

    -The use of furnaces to destroy a city’s refuse is growing in favour. There are now fifty-five municipalities in England where the system is used.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.7

    -The rudder of the Cunard steamship Campania consists of a single plate of steel 22 by 11 feet 6 inches and 11 inch thick. It was rolled at Krupp’s German gun factory.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.8

    -By the suppression of a certain number of officers in all branches of the service, and other reforms, the Italian Minister of War expects to be able to save a million of lire.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.9

    -The inventor of a water cycle recently ‘rode’ his machine across the Bristol Channel from Newport to Weston-super-Mare, doing the journey of 25 miles in 3? hours.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.10

    -Cholera is increasing on the Continent. The Austrian Autumn Man?uvres have been, in part, abandoned, and the Emperor has given up an intended journey in Galicia owing to the spread of cholera in that part of Europe.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.11

    -The maxim “Murder will out” is disproved by statistics. In the ten years ending 1886 there were 1,766 murders committed in England and Wales, and in 1,094 of those cases no trace of the criminal was ever found.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.12

    -The proposal to construct, as the great attraction of the French Exhibition of 1500, a monster telescope able to show the inhabitants, if any, of the moon has been revived, and M. Bisohoffscheim is said to be willing to advance 2,000,000f. towards the cost.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.13

    -The existence of the Colossus of Rhodes is considered by some historians extremely doubtful. There is no evidence that the ancients were able to cast pieces of metal of such size as must have entered into its composition.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.14

    -A paste of linseed oil varnish, and iron filings rubbed on the soles of new shoes is said to keep the leather flexible, and give greater resistance to wear than the best nails. The invention is to be tried at the German man?uvres.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.15

    -Despite the measures which have been taken during the past two years to drain the bog upon which the town of Eislebon, the home of Martin Luther, is built, the houses continue to sink more and more, and of late the subsidence has become so alarming that it is said that the population are seriously thinking of abandoning the town.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.16

    -Disquieting rumours constantly reach Aden from the interior of Yemen, and it is stated that another revolt of the Arab tribes is imminent. The Turkish garrison in Yemen has been considerably diminished by disease and by withdrawals, so that the chiefs hostile to Turkish rule are encouraged to make an attempt to assort their independence.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.17

    -The office of one of the largest Athenian daily papers, The Acropolis, was totally wrecked by a party of 150 officers of the garrison, accompanied by soldiers bearing axes and revolvers. The attack was planned at the club by all the officers at Athens, because the tone of the paper, in speaking of the excesses committed about town by them was insulting.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.18

    -A unicycle has been invented in America which runs by its own momentum after it has been set going by the usual pedalling method. A forward inclination of the rider’s body keeps the wheel revolving, a backward inclination stops it, and in turning a corner the rider leans as he wants the machine to go. The wheel has no steering gear is 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 1851bs.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.19

    -A scourge of anthrax is devastating the Siberian province of Oussouri. Several persons and some 700 horses have succumbed to the disease within it short time. This large mortality among the horses has seriously affected the postal service in the province, where no letters or papers have been received from Russia for the last two months, and some localities have been without any postal service for even a longer period.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.20

    -The most terrible and disastrous forest fires ever known in America began in the pine region of Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin September 2, and raged for several days following. In Minnesota, nine towns are reported to have been totally, and four to have been partially, destroyed. In Wisconsin, some twenty towns are said to have been totally destroyed. Between 400 and 500 persons perished in the flames, and property valued at $2,500,000 was destroyed.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.21

    -It is announced in a well-known Kieff newspaper, that in a short time a list of questions is to be sent to governors of provinces in Southern Russia with reference to the condition of the Jews within their jurisdiction. The questions, which will be of a most searching and inquisitorial nature, will inquire into the economical position of the Jews, their methods of trading, and their moral and religious state.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.22

    -The Chronicle’s Rome correspondent says that the Patriarch of the Syrian Catholics, Father Benni, who is staying at Rome, has Informed the Pope that Turkey is favourably disposed towards the return of the dissenting Oriental Christians to Roman Catholicism. The Congregation of the Propaganda has received similar information from the Armenian Bishop Adana. The Propaganda have sent a priest of the Greek Rite to Prince Nicholas of Montenegro. The Eucharistic Congress is now sitting at Turin in the interests of an ecclesiastical reconciliation of East and West.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 590.23

    “Back Page” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    We find the following words of “Saint” Francis quoted as a gem of thought in a Catholic paper; “If I met a priest or an angel on the same road, I should at once kiss the hands of the priest before attending to the angel.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.1

    The man who studies the Bible to find an argument may get an argument; but that is all he will get. He who studies it to find the Lord, fresh bread from the words of God for the Christian life, will get the Lord and His life. One of the saddest sights is to see a person clinging to an argument without the life.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.2

    We can no more excuse ourselves from doing what God wants us to do than we can condemn Him who wants us to do it; and it is just as impossible to condemn Him as to unseat Him from the throne of justice. The devil has been trying to do this for six thousand years, but he is as far from success to-day as when he began. There is no excuse to be made to the Omniscient. “If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me.” Job 9:20. Only God can justify us; and He does this when we, by confession, justify Him. Psalm 51:4.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.3

    The difference which it is the fashion to make between war as the great powers of Europe engage in it, and the wild but less sanguinary methods of unskilled warfare, is a distinction which the untutored savage is unable to grasp. Bishop Whipple, of North America, once reproved a chief of the Dacotahs for engaging in a scalp-dance over a murdered Chippeway, and threatened him with Divine vengeance. The old chief smiled, took his pipe from his mouth, blew a cloud of smoke upwards, and said:—PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.4

    White man go to war with his brother in same country; kill more men than Wabasha can count in all his life. Great Spirit smile; says, “Good white man; he has My book; I love him very much; I have a good place for him by and by.” The Indian is a wild man; he has no Great Spirit book; he kills one man; has a scalp-dance; Great Spirit is mad, and says, “Bad Indian; I will put him in a bad place by and by.” Wabasha don’t believe it.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.5

    The Women’s Christian Temperance Union in a United States is in trouble. The white ribbon has been adopted as the badge of the American Railway Union, and was worn by the strikers, many of whom were intemperate. And now the question is, How will it be possible to distinguish the temperance folks from those who use intoxicating liquors? Can anybody suggest a way?PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.6

    “Peter’s Pence” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    Peter’s Pence.-According to Roman journals the Vatican is concerned over the decrease in “Peter’s Pence,” and schemes are being urged for the purpose of drawing more pilgrims to Rome. The sale of indulgences is not so profitable a traffic as formerly. Still there are said to be the vast quantities of gold and silver gathered in by Pius IX., millions of which are simply hoarded in Rome where they produce no income. The authorities of the Church of Rome join with the rich in treasuring up gold and silver until it becomes cankered and rusted. It was Pope Innocent IV., we believe, who, as he was watching men carrying treasure into the Vatican, said to a cardinal, “You could say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” “Yes,” was the cardinal’s reply, “and the day is also passed when she could say to the paralytic, ‘Rise up and walk.’”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.7

    “In Heaven” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    In Heaven.-When Jesus talked to Nicodemus of heavenly things He said that no one could make them known except “the Son of man which is in heaven.” John 3:13. John also tells us that the only begotten Son “is in the bosom of the Father.” John 1:18. Christ was on earth when He was talking to Nicodemus, yet He was in heaven. That is, heaven is wherever Christ is. He brings heaven to earth. So that those who “rejoice in Christ Jesus,” have a heaven in which to live while going to heaven. The song therefore, tells Scripture truth when it says,PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.8

    “Amazing grace! ‘tis heaven below,
    To feel the blood applied.”
    PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.9

    “Spiritualism” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    Spiritualism.-The growth of Spiritualism, a term which may be taken to include all the family of correlated cults, is a fact which every Christian believer must reckon with. It is thus stated in a Spiritualistic paper:—PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.10

    It is idle to deny that at the present moment, just at the close of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, there is a wave of Spiritualism over-spreading all lands of the known world, and increasing daily in intensity.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.11

    The whole subject of man’s nature is involved in the claims of Spiritualism, and it behoves every Christian to study his Bible for himself if he would not be deceived by “signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.12

    “‘On Humane Principles’” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    “On Humane Principle.”—Speaking of the sinking of the Chinese transport by the Japanese, a contemporary says: “It is, however, hardly to be expected that these heathen nations, accustomed to centuries of cruelty, should be capable of conducting war on humane principles.” But a writer on naval affairs, who does not make this fine distinction between heathen and Christian warfare, has inconsiderately shown that every step in the war between China and Japan is paralleled by the record of modern European warfare. War is war, and it is inhumane every time. There is no Christian way of conducting a campaign, although in the treaty between Mexico and the United States it is provided that in case of disputes between the countries the war is to be carried on on Christian principles!PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.13

    “One Talent” The Present Truth 10, 37.

    EJW

    E. J. Waggoner

    One Talent.-Because in the parable of the talents the man who did nothing was the man with one talent, many people who have, or who think they have, only one talent, seem to think that it is decreed that they shall never accomplish anything, and that it is useless to try. Thus they fall into the error of the man in the parable. His fault was not in having but one talent, but in doing nothing with that one. If the man with two and five talents had done as he did, they would receive the same sentence; and if he had done as they did, he would have received the same commendation. The same use which doubles two or five talents, will double one, and then the two may be increased in like manner. Since both the talents and the increase are the gifts of God, He who is faithful in that which is little is precisely on a level with the one who is faithful in a great deal.PTUK September 13, 1894, page 592.14

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