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    May 9, 1899

    “Editorial” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, p. 296.

    IN the Bible there are a number of exhortations to men to seek the Lord early: such as, “Those that seek me early shall find me;” “Suffer the little children to come unto me;” “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.”ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.1

    These texts, and other such, are often quoted in calling the young people to God. This is all well; but there is a text, the complement of all these, which should always be quoted with these, but which we have never heard cited in that connection.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.2

    And here is it: “O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.3

    This tells why the Lord is so anxious to have the children of men seek him early. It is that the whole life may be full of rejoicing and gladness.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.4

    Those who delay, but do finally seek the Lord, have, even then, lost the whole of life in that period of delay; while those who seek the Lord early, and so are satisfied early with his mercy, have all of life in the joy and gladness of the Lord, all their days.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.5

    “Suffer the little children to come unto me” that they may be satisfied and be glad all their days.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.6

    Good is the Lord. Bless his name.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.7

    “Editorial Note” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, p. 296.

    THE mystery of God is God “manifest in the flesh.” 1 Timothy 3:16.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.1

    But as God is manifested only in Christ, the mystery of God is God manifest in Christ in the flesh. Matthew 11:27; 1 Timothy 3:16.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.2

    And the mystery of God being God manifest in Christ in the flesh, when this mystery reaches men, it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:26, 27.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.3

    The mystery of God, the mystery of the gospel, is not the profession of Christ in you; but Christ in you, in reality and in truth. It is not the profession of Christianity and the practise of its forms without, but WITH, the living Christ as all the life and inspiration and power of the profession and the forms.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.4

    The profession of Christianity and the practise of its forms without the living Christ as all the life and inspiration and power of the profession and the practise, the name without the Person, and the form without the power, is the mystery of iniquity.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.5

    The life which Christ does not inhabit, Satan does inhabit. The life of which Christ is not the inspiration, Satan is the inspiration. Then as the mystery of God is the true, living Christ in you, the hope of glory, the living Christ all the inspiration and the power of the profession and the practise of Christianity and all its forms; so the mystery of iniquity, being the mere profession of Christianity without the life of Christ, the form without the power of godliness, and Satan being the real occupant of the profession and the forms,—the mystery of iniquity is Satan in you, the hope of glory. It is Satan in the place of Christ in the profession of Christianity.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.6

    “Sell and Give” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, p. 296.

    PLEASE read slowly and thinkingly the following words from “Testimony for the Church,” NO. 31, page 148: “Could our brethren remember that God can bless twenty acres of land, and make them as productive as one hundred, they would not continue to bury themselves up in lands, but would let their means flow into God’s treasury.”ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.1

    How many Seventh-day Adventists who have a hundred or more acres of land, believe that statement?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.2

    When a man believes that he can get as much from twenty acres of land as he gets from a hundred, he will work the twenty acres instead of the hundred. For in all good sense and fair reason, why should anybody work a hundred acres for the same returns that he can get by working twenty acres?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.3

    Further: when a man who has a hundred acres can get from twenty acres as much as he gets from the hundred acres, then what can he want with the extra eighty acres? What is it that causes him to cling to this useless extra land, and work if all for the same returns that he can get from twenty acres? Here is the answer: “The love of money or a desire to be counted as well off as their neighbors, leads them to bury their means in the world, and withhold from God his just dues.”—Pages 147, 148. It may be that Seventh-day Adventists who have large pieces of land would not have thought that this is the real reason of their desiring to have so much land. But the Lord says that that is the real reason of it; and what the Lord says is the truth, and it is better to acknowledge it than to reject it as not the truth.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.4

    Why should not these things be turned about to the right way? When a man who has a hundred or more acres of land can get as much from twenty acres as he gets from a hundred, then why should he not sell off all but the twenty acres, and put the money for it into the third angel’s message? Here is the further word: “We ought now to be heeding the injunction of our Saviour, ‘Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not.’ It is now that our brethren should be cutting down their possessions instead of increasing them. We are about to move to a better country, even a heavenly. Then let us not be dwellers upon the earth; but be getting things into as compact a compass as possible.” Why then should not our land-holding brethren turn now toward the light, rather than continue any longer in the other direction?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.5

    Seventeen years ago the Lord gave the words quoted in this article. Since that time he has repeated, more than once, the message that now is the time to sell. All things are now repeating and emphasizing the message “sell.” Will our people who have large holdings of land and other property, now walk in the light, give up the love of money, and the love of the worldly admiration of their neighbors, and sell and give?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.6

    And do not forget that Christ’s word to the little flock is, “Sell that ye have, and give.” Luke 12:32, 33. Not sell and lend:SELL and GIVE. That is the word of the Lord. Who will heed the word of the Lord? Who will cut down their large farms to twenty acres in the hundred? Who will SELL? And, having sold, who will GIVE?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.7

    “Are You Honest?” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, pp. 296, 297.

    THE following excellent instruction by Robert Smylie, D.D., in the Northwestern Christian Advocate, on property and business, is just as good for Seventh-day Adventists as it is for Methodists:—ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.1

    Property is ours only to be administered as a God-given trust for the greatest good of the greatest number. The New Testament does not settle who shall be the trustees of the tremendous powers which inhere in wealth, any more than it fixes who shall be the custodians of the powers of the government. But the idea of stewardship runs all through the teaching of the Bible. No human being has any power he can of right call his own. He is one of a great family, and bound to administer on the principle of the golden rule. Any failure in this respect is of the nature of embezzlement. Is it not a fact that in spite of our so-called evangelicalism, the overwhelming majority of the church has lost sight entirely of this central truth in New Testament Christianity? The so-called ethics of the market are only rules of the game, and totally ignore the teaching of Jesus. Nothing is recognized as having any binding authority except what promises success. There is not noticeable difference between the churchman and the worldling in the mad scramble for gain. The secular spirit—namely, every one for himself—is as rife in the church as out of it. It seems to thrive in the face of evangelical doctrines as understood and taught by the preachers. Nobody seems to assume that conversion necessarily means a transformation from a selfish life to a life of holiness. In spite of all that can be said in favor of so-called evangelicalism, with a few noble exceptions, it is a fact that every one who has heart enough left to think he has a chance, is after the main chance.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.2

    It goes without saying, to any thoughtful mind, that the evangelical doctrines, as commonly understood, do not fully interpret Christ. His teaching stands not only for the most radical transformation of the individual life, but for the most far-reaching social reforms. The message of Jesus was, in its essence, peace and good will toward men. Christ was not only a revelation of the truth, but an incarnation of the divine love. To reproduce him means good will toward men expressing itself in benevolent deeds. The Christian life is a life of service—service for humanity. It can endure weariness and sacrifice; but can not reconcile itself to oppression and wrong. Its only attitude toward oppression is that of relentless hostility. Christ stands for peace only on the gospel basis. So far as oppression and wrong are concerned, he came not to bring peace, but a sword....ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.3

    Under the present industrial organization a man is often forced to choose between a selfish administration of business and ruin. he is obliged to climb on other people’s back as the only way of keeping them from climbing on his back. Christ in business sounds well, but most men feel it would be an expensive luxury. The trail of the serpent is in all lines of business, and the well-disposed business man has often to choose between heavy loss and what is ethically wrong. It is often a question whether he will do his best toward crushing his rival, or consent to be crushed.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 296.4

    These temptations and arguments come to Seventh-day Adventists, and to Seventh-day Adventist institutions; but what does the Lord say to every such one? Thus saith the Lord: “Thou shalt not follow after a multitude to do evil.” “Just balances, just weights, and a just ephah.... shall ye have.” That which is altogether just—justice, justice—shall ye have. “Some will urge that in dealing with sharpers, those who have no conscience, one must conform in a large degree to the customs that prevail; that should he adopt a course of strict integrity, he will be compelled to give up his business, or fail to secure a livelihood. Where is your faith in God? He owns you as his sons and daughters on condition that you come out from the world, and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing.”—Unpublished Testimony.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.1

    Dr. Smylie continues, with the following excellent words:—ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.2

    The fact that many of us who are more fortunately situated are little, if at all, concerned about the submerged tenth, and the great mass who are rapidly drifting to swell their ranks, shows how tough the so-called Christian conscience has become, even in an age of great revivals, and in the face of our so-called evangelical doctrines preached from ten thousand pulpits. If we had a million more in our church, how much would it help the social problem? Our being good should mean efficient, enthusiastic, and self-sacrificing service in the cause of humanity. If Christianity, so-called, does not grapple with the crying evils, and promote genuine reform, it is spurious. The preaching of the apostles and their successors transformed the ancient heathen world.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.3

    And let all the people say, Amen. And if Seventh-day Adventist Christianity, both in individuals and in institutions, does not promote genuine reform, the profession of it by those individuals, whether singly or in institutions, is a fraud. “There is a broad, clear, deep line drawn by the eternal God, between worldly policy and the unselfish, undeviating principles of justice and righteousness and equity.”ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.4

    “The New-fangled ‘Good Samaritan,’” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, p. 297.

    A RELIGIOUS paper of Chicago, exulting at the triumphs of goodness accomplished by the United States as “the good Samaritan” in the war last year, says: “We have made Cuba rejoice and Porto Rico glad, and we have given the Philippines a chance to breathe.”ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.1

    It is certain that from at least several thousand of the Filipinos “we” have taken away forever all “chance to breathe,” and there is not much of “the good Samaritan” about that.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.2

    Further, this religious paper says: “We have stopped extermination. We can take up our morning papers without reading a daily chapter of Cuban horrors. The stars and stripes are now waving where the buzzards used to swarm over the dead.” Alongside of that, read the following lines from a letter written by a soldier in the Philippines, Feb. 7, 1899:—ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.3

    The natives fought with desperation. Their sharp-shooters planted themselves in trees, and stayed there until they were shot down. Their trenches were just filled with the dead. But the boys have done their work well, and the insurgents are about fifteen miles out on all sides of the city, and still going. The boys are right after them, however, burning as they go. The skies at night are red with fires. The troops have been allowed to take anything they could find, and as a consequence considerable looting was done. One fellow got six hundred dollars out of a priest’s house. Many have got diamonds and precious stones. Of course there has been great cruelty, but these people needed a lesson. The only way to govern them is by fear. So all the burning and devastation was necessary. I hope it won’t have to go further.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.4

    Of course, all this has not been accomplished without great loss on our part. Last night the list of the dead had risen to fifty. Thus far, about two hundred wounded have been taken to the hospitals. I tell you it is a terrible sight to see the poor boys being taken into the hospitals. It just seems criminal to sacrifice so many American lives on such a country as this is. And the United States paid twenty million dollars for the privilege! The end has not yet come, and no one knows how long it will take to subdue these people.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.5

    I sincerely hope that it won’t take long to educate these people, and that they will soon be convinced that to resist the superior power of the United States is worse than useless. But it is a harsh and unpleasant lesson that we are forced to teach these people. And the worst of it is they are fighting for just the same principle which actuated us in our struggle for our independence; that is, the right to govern themselves, and to conduct their own affairs. They look upon us as invaders; and although we are feared, we are heartily hated by the inhabitants. The Filipinos die with curses on their lips and hatred in their eyes, and we are paying too great a price.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.6

    This is the plain truth and the cold facts, just as they are written by one who is on the spot,—one, too, whose heart revolts at it. Such things, of course, are only to be expected of the governments, states, and nations of earth; but when the churches, states, and nations of earth; but when the churches, religious teachers, and religious papers identify themselves with all this, and proclaim that in it all “we have played the good Samaritan,” this presents a condition of things in the professed Christianity of the United States, that poses as the exemplary Christianity of the world, which, to the one who has a regard for real Christianity, is more disheartening than is the Philippine campaign to that honest soldier. What can such Christianity be but a part of that Babylon which is fallen, and is making all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 297.7

    “Some More Present-day Preaching” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, p. 298.

    WE have mentioned once or twice the sermons of Dr. Newell Dwight Hillis, of Plymouth church, Brooklyn, formerly of Central church, Chicago. A point has arisen that renders it proper that we should mention another one.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.1

    The Chicago Times-Herald each Monday prints, in full, the sermon that at least purports to have been preached the day—Sunday—before. Accordingly, in the Times-Herald of Monday, April 24, is printed what is headlined as “Rev. Newell Dwight Hillis’s Sermon in Plymouth Church;” and is introduced as follows:—ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.2

    BROOKLYN, APRIL 23.—Rev. Newell Dwight Hillis spoke this morning to the congregation of Plymouth church, on “Happiness and the Victory of Life.” His text was: “Your joy no man taketh from you.” John 16:22.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.3

    Then follows the sermon. Yet when we have read perhaps a quarter of the way through it, we come to the following:—ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.4

    Also our daily papers, finding out what the public want and will buy, exhibit the same pessimistic tendency. For weeks and months this city has been rising up and lying down upon a scandal consisting of an alleged murder, a soap-vat, a wagon-load of potash, and a choice assortment of old bones from the stock-yards. All this, too, during the days when the pageantry of autumn has never been more splendid.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.5

    This is the first time that we ever heard that the splendid pageantry of autumn is displayed, even in Brooklyn, as late as April 23.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.6

    Yet more than this: this sermon preached in Brooklyn says that for weeks and months “this city,”—Brooklyn, bear in mind,—by means of “the daily papers,” “has been rising up and lying down upon a scandal consisting of an alleged murder, a soap-vat, a wagon-load of potash, and a choice assortment of old bones fro the stock-yards”!! All this in Brooklyn, according to the sermon; whereas no such thing ever occurred in Brooklyn. The city of Brooklyn never for a day either rose up or lay down upon any such affair.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.7

    The literal truth is that the whole matter of the alleged murder, and the soap-vat, and the potash, and the bones from the stock-yards all occurred in Chicago. And Chicago, not Brooklyn, is the city that rose up and lay down on it for weeks and months. It was in the autumn, too, when Chicago did it. In Chicago, a year ago last autumn, there was for a long time the trial of a man by the name of Luetgert,*The original publication had the spelling “Luetgart.” a sausage-maker, who was accused of murdering his wife, and destroying her body with potash, in a soap-vat in his factory. And to pass off all this upon Brooklyn, eighteen months after it occurred in Chicago, “splendid pageantry of autumn” and all, and late in the spring at that, seems rather odd, even among the odd ways of this present-day preaching.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.8

    It is possible, of course, that the sermon was written eighteen months ago, when Dr. Hillis was in Chicago, “during the days when the pageantry of autumn” was indeed “splendid;” and when Chicago, not Brooklyn, was “rising up and lying down” upon the matter of the alleged murder, the soap-vat, etc. But even then it is odd that he should publish it as being applicable to Brooklyn, and having the splendid pageantry of autumn in the last week of April.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.9

    Would it be impertinent to suggest that it might be well for Dr. Hillis to revise his methods of preaching, or else revise his old sermons?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.10

    “Preach the Word” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, p. 298.

    DR. R. S. STORRS, writing in the Independent, of “The Future of the Protestant Pulpit in American Society,” remarks that “the preacher is no longer regarded as speaking oracularly, under a quasi-inspiration, or even as speaking with the special authority of a skilled and commanding expert, presenting a knowledge of divine themes peculiar to himself, to be properly received upon his testimony.”ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.1

    Why should the preacher be regarded as speaking thus, when in fact he does not speak thus? Such speaking as that can be only by men who accept the Bible as the word of God, and who preach that word as the message of God to men. And every one who preaches so will be so regarded; for the very authority of his preaching preaches novels; human philosophy; politics, municipal, state, or national; or other human affairs, why should he be regarded as speaking with any more authority or truth than any other novelist, philosopher, politician, or man of human affairs?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.2

    Another potent cause of the preachers’ decline is clear to Dr. Storrs, and he tells it thus: “It must also be remembered that recent criticism of the Scriptures ... has left on multitudes of minds an impression that all Scripture is at least uncertain in authority, so that the closest grip of the Biblical words easily slips from the unwelcoming mind. ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ which commanded our fathers immediate assent, now means to many, ‘Thus saith somebody, nobody knows exactly who, reported by somebody else, of the correctness of whose report we can in no wise be certain.’ All pulpit teaching is thus less commanding than it was; while the idea, of late diligently disseminated, that if men do not accept the gospel and the Lord in this life, they will have, probably, other and better chances in the hereafter, tends, so far as it reaches, to reduce the pulpit to practical impotence.”ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.3

    Yet in spite of all this, the Bible accepted as it is in truth the word of God, and preached as it is in truth the word of God, will receive to-day assent as “Thus saith the Lord” as really as it did in the days of our fathers. Let the preacher “preach the word,” as by Christ he is commanded to do, and he will be regarded with the proper regard that becomes the preacher. “Speak unto them, and tell them, Thus said the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.”ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.4

    “For Ministers Only” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 76, 19, p. 298.

    OF course, if Seventh-day Adventists who are not ministers want to read this, there is no objection, as the principles outlined apply to every member of the church. What we want is to interest every Seventh-day Adventist minister, and, in fact, all our readers, in the circulation of the REVIEW. It is a fact that if so disposed, the minister may become the most successful agent for our periodicals and books. Also, next to preaching itself, our ministers should esteem it their privilege and prerogative to get good reading-matter into the hands of church-members. Wesley, and all other faithful ministers since his day, have made it a point to do so. Without doubt, the phenomenal success of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in its earlier years was due very largely to the fact that all our pioneer ministers and other laborers took so deep an interest in the circulation of our denominational literature.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.1

    Speaking of the necessity of each minister assisting in the circulation of his church paper, a pastor from another denomination said that while in the pastorate, no work which he did, or was able to do, was attended with more excellent and more permanent results than the specific endeavor to place his denominational paper in the homes of his parishioners. In view of this pastor’s success in securing subscribers for his church paper, we present to our readers his experience, as given in a letter to the publishers of that paper. His suggestions are valuable; and will certainly do good if acted upon by our ministers, in behalf of the REVIEW:—ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.2

    I can not conceive how a Christian minister can think he has done his duty by his flock unless he has urged upon them the necessity of taking and reading their church paper in order that they may be intelligent members of the church to which they belong. Now as to the number of subscribers: In the fall of 1892 I was led to consider the value of the church paper to the church-member. Since that time I have sent you the names of one hundred and thirty subscribers to the----. At the time already mentioned, I was on my first charge. On going to the charge I found two subscribers, and obtained seven new ones. The membership of the church was forty-eight, ten of whom were male. At----and----I found fifteen subscribers, and obtained forty-one new subscribers. At----I found three subscribers, and up to this date I have obtained ten new ones; in this church there is a membership of ninety. I have, therefore, about one hundred members, one hundred and thirty new subscribers.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.3

    Now as to how I obtain subscribers: This is a very difficult thing to write so as to give you an intelligent conception; for the reason that every case is studied by itself. I will try to give you a general outline:—ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.4

    1. I believe in the paper myself. Three years ago I began to preserve a file of the papers because I considered them so valuable for reference. From the beginning, my treatment of, and attitude toward, the paper have been such that my presiding elders and the members of the churches and congregations which I have served are not in doubt as to what I think about the----.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.5

    2. I make a list of all the families on the charge who ought to take the paper. Then... I take the paper into the pulpit, and present it with all my might. The next day I begin the canvassing of the whole charge in a systematic manner.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.6

    3. If I do not get the subscription the first time trying, I leave it so I can begin where I left it, and go on. In one case I was two years and eight months [getting one subscription].ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.7

    4. Now as to objections about the price: I have never found a single case where the price was the real reason for the people not taking the paper. I hope the price may never be made less than $—. In my judgment it would be much better to allow no commission to preachers than to cheapen the price.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.8

    5. At home and abroad, on my charge and on my vacation, I represent the----.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.9

    Now the reason for all this: People can not be interested in that of which they know nothing. The more the members know about the----Church, ... what it has done, what it is doing, what it proposes to do, and what it is able to do, the more anxious will they become to have a part in the matter. The church paper is an assistant pastor who faithfully does this work by making fifty-two calls a year at the hoe of every subscriber.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.10

    Now, if you who are reading this are a Seventh-day Adventist minister, will not take advantage of the suggestions given above, and not only renew, but even greatly increase your efforts to increase the circulation of the REVIEW wherever you may be called upon to preach? And those who are not ministers of the gospel, please remember that you are to be “ministers” of the grace that you have received, “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10), and should do all in your power to lead that brother and sister of yours who are not taking the REVIEW, to do so, that they may keep in touch with the church of God for these last days.ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.11

    Do you appreciate the REVIEW? If so, then do not be selfish in your enjoyment of the good things it contains from week to week, but go out and tell others about it, and get them to subscribe, that they may also enjoy its benefits. We shall be pleased to furnish sample copies to all who need them, to show to those who should become subscribers. By full right our permanent list must be increased by about two thousand, before the true proportion of our people are readers of the REVIEW. If each reader of the REVIEW would hunt for any Seventh-day Adventist who is not a subscriber, and get his subscription, the full number would be made up in a very short time. And if each minister will settle it forever that he is a permanent agent for the REVIEW, and will stick to each case “two years and eight months” if necessary, to obtain the subscription, then our list will always be up to the proper measure of the denomination. Shall it not be so?ARSH May 9, 1899, page 298.12

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