In the Seven Last Plagues “is filled up the wrath of God” (Revelation 15:1); the wrath of God falls upon those who worship the Beast and his Image; for it is written: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.” Revelation 14:9, 10.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.2

This Third Angel’s Message is to keep men from the worship of the Beast and his Image, and so to save them from the wrath of God. And the way in which men escape the worship of the Beast and his Image, and so escape the Seven Last Plagues, is by keeping the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus; for the closing words of the Third Angel’s Message: “Here are they that keep the Commandments, of God, and the Faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.3

It is true that, in a sense, whatsoever is in the Bible is of the Commandments of God. Yet, in a particular sense, above all things else in the Bible the Ten Commandments are distinguished as the Commandments of God. These are especially singled out from all things else, upon which people are directed to fix their special attention.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.4

Accordingly, thus it is written: “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, ... and the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:9, 10, 12, 13.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.5

When He had spoken the Ten Commandments,—these Ten Words,—He spoke no more: there was no more to be said. Accordingly, the conclusion of the whole matter, the sum of all that hath been heard is, “Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.6

When the Lord spoke that day from the top of Sinai, all that He said needed to be said. And when He had spoken, all was said that could be said. Now the first words that were spoken that day are these:—ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.7

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 20:2.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.8

This is the introduction, the preamble, to all the Commandments, the whole Law of God. It is as much a part of the Law of God as is any word that follows; for it is written: “God spake all these words.” These words were a part, indeed the very beginning of the words that day spoken, when all was said that could be said, and when nothing was said that needed not to be said.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.9

That law is spiritual: all that is in it or of it is spiritual. This preamble, equally with all the rest of the law that day spoken, is “holy, and just, and good.” Romans 7:12.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.10

God is spirit. And this law, preface and all, being altogether of God, is therefore altogether spiritual; for “the law is spiritual.” Romans 7:14. Accordingly, the Egypt referred to is spiritual Egypt: and the bondage referred to is spiritual bondage; for the Scriptures deal definitely with a spiritual Egypt, as well as with a temporal Egypt. Revelation 11:8.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.11

Spiritually, then, what is Egypt? Read this: “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” Hebrews 11:24-26.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.12

Here we have “affliction with the people of God” set over against “the pleasures of sin,” and “the reproach of Christ” set over against “the treasures in Egypt;” thus:—ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.13

Affliction with the people of God. Pleasures of sin.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.14

Reproach of Christ. Treasures in Egypt.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.15

This shows “affliction with the people of God,” and “the reproach of Christ,” to be synonymous; and “the pleasures of sin,” and “the treasures in Egypt,” to be likewise synonymous. It also plainly shows “sin” and “Egypt” to be synonymous. Spiritual Egypt, therefore, is the realm of sin. Therefore this beginning of the Law of God, as spoken by the Lord from heaven, simply says, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the realm and bondage of sin.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.16

And by these holy words being placed at the very threshold of the keeping of the Commandments of God, it is signified to all people forever that in the keeping of the Commandments of God the first of all things is that the soul shall be delivered from the realm and bondage of sin. By this it is indicated that no man can keep the Commandments of God unless he is first delivered from the realm and the bondage of sin. And in these blessed words, God presents himself to every soul, as the perfect and free Deliverer of men from the realm and the bondage of sin, that they may keep His Commandments.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.17

This is the teaching of the whole record of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, which was “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” While Israel was yet in Egypt, the word was spoken to Pharaoh: “Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: and I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me.” Exodus 4:22, 23. And when, by great plagues and mighty judgments, Pharaoh was brought to the point where he would let Israel go; and when, by His great power, God had delivered Israel, that they might serve Him,—then He said: “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” and so on, to the end of the Ten Commandments; and He added no more.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.18

And all this happened unto them for an ensample: it is “written for our learning,” and “for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.19

The deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage did not, even at that time, consist in deliverance from bodily oppression or temporal bondage. For even after the multitude of Israel had been delivered from that bodily oppression and temporal bondage, their hearts were yet in Egypt: in thought and in heart they time and again “turned back again into Egypt.” Hebrews 11:24-26.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.20

And there were others; because it was by faith that Moses, “when he was born, was hid three months of his parents;” for, by this faith, “they were not afraid of the king’s commandment” that had gone forth, to slay all the male children of the children of Israel.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.21

As, therefore, it is true that the children of Israel, though bodily and temporarily in Egypt, were yet free from Egypt, and were the children of God; and as the whole multitude, although taken bodily entirely out of Egypt, were not free, but, in heart, were still in Egypt,—this demonstrates that at that time, as well as now and forever, true deliverance from Egypt is spiritual; and that the real Egypt from which this true deliverance is found is spiritual Egypt.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.22

Further consideration will have to be deferred until next week.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.23

“The Faith of Jesus” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 5, pp. 72, 73.

“LET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery [“a thing to be seized upon and held fast”] to be equal with God; but emptied himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:5-7.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.1

“For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Hebrews 2:10.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.2

“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” Verses 17, 18.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.3

Made “in all things” like unto us, He was in all points like as we are. So fully was this so that He could say, even as we must say the same truth, “I can of mine own self do nothing.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.4

Of Him this was so entirely true that, in the weakness and infirmity of the flesh,—ours which He took,—He was as is the man who is without God and without Christ. For it is only without Him that men can do nothing. With Him, and through Him, it is written: “I can do all things.” But of those who are without Him, it is written: “Without me ye can do nothing.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.5

Therefore, when He said, of himself, “I can of mine own self do nothing,” this makes it certain forever that in the flesh,—because of our infirmities which He took; because of our sinfulness, hereditary and actual, which were laid upon Him, and imparted to Him,—He was of himself in that flesh exactly as is the man who, in the infirmity of the flesh, is laden with sins, actual and hereditary, and who is without God.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.6

He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” And in saving the lost, He came to the lost where they are. He put himself among the lost. “He was numbered with the transgressors.” He was “made to be sin.” And from the standpoint of the weakness and infirmity of the lost, He trusted in God, that He would deliver Him and save Him. Laden with the sins of the world, and tempted in all points like as we are, He hoped in God, and trusted in God to save Him from all those sins, and to keep Him from sinning.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.7

And this is the faith of Jesus: this is the point where the faith of Jesus reaches lost, sinful man, to help him. For thus it has been demonstrated, to the very fullness of perfection, that there is no man in the wide world for whom there is not hope in God: no one so lost that he can not be saved by trusting God. And this faith of Jesus, by which, in the place of the lost, He hoped in God, and trusted God for salvation from sin, and power to keep from sinning,—this victory of His it is that has brought to every man in the world divine faith, by which every man can hope in God, and trust God, and can find the power of God to deliver him from sin and to keep him from sinning. That faith which He exercised, and by which He obtained the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil,—that faith is His free gift to every lost man in the world. And thus “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.8

This is the faith of Jesus that is given to men. This is the faith of Jesus that must be received by men, in order for them to be saved. This is the faith of Jesus which, now in this time of the Third Angel’s Message, must be received and kept by those who will be saved from the worship of the Beast and his Image, and enabled to keep the Commandments of God. This is the faith of Jesus referred to in the closing words of the Third Angel’s Message: “Here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 72.9

“‘Christian Democracy’” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 5, p. 73.

IN connection with the Vatican there is one who signs himself “Innominato,” who is the regular correspondent of the New York Sun. By his connection with the Vatican, what this correspondent writes is as nearly official as could easily be without being actually so.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 73.1

In the Sun of December 30 is a letter from “Innominato,” under the heading of “Christian Democracy.” He says that the pope will soon issue an encyclical on the subject of “Christian Democracy.” It seems that this encyclical has already been prepared, for the letter says that “the encyclical was announced for September 30,” last; and that “the encyclical was about to crown and sanction the labors of the International Congress of the Third Order when unexpected resistance was discovered. The announcement was made that very powerful pressure was being used to put off the promised document sine die.” And the letter says that “some persons who should know think that they can assert that the German Episcopacy demanded officially the withdrawal of the encyclical.” And this because, “as is well known, an intimate alliance is being formed between the bishops and the Kaiser. The emperor promises all sorts of benevolences provided the Church in Germany will place its forces at the disposal of the Weltpolitik [world-politics], in the expectation of the establishment of the empire of the West, that brilliant phantasm of the imperial fancy.” And “by every means he is endeavoring to enlist on his side the great universal movement which is carrying Catholicism, under the direction of the pope, into social peace, order, justice, and fraternity.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 73.2

Yet though the encyclical has thus been held up, it is said that it “will be promulgated soon.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 73.3

From the letter, and, indeed, from the title of the announced encyclical, it seems plain that what the pope is going to write upon as “Christian Democracy” is exactly what is especially carried on by Protestants in the United States, under the name of “Christian citizenship,” and which the Protestant and Catholic scheme of Church federation is but a means of making effective.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 73.4

And even this “Christian democracy” idea of the pope’s finds its impulse in the United States. The letter says that the meeting at which the encyclical was to be promulgated September 30, was arranged with a certain “Cardinal Vives y Tuto, M. Léon Harmel, and the generals of the Sons of St. Francis, in order to make it the starting point for a great social action.” This Cardinal Vives y Tuto, the letter says, is “the youngest member of the Sacred College.” He was formerly a monk in Guatemala, whence he “was obliged to flee from persecution;” and in his flight “he took refuge in the United States, where he came into contact with the exuberant American democracy.” He has also “a fervent admiration for the program of regeneration of Leo XIII, with the object of bringing together the Church and the people.” “Settling down at Rome, for long years he placed his soul and his knowledge at the service of the papacy and its central ideas.” And now “he is one of the main working levers of the papacy. Whenever the pope and Cardinal Rampolla have to carry out a delicate affair, they intrust it to Cardinal Vives.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 73.5

Thus the influence of the United States is being exerted not only in the United States itself, not only in the United States and Japan, but in the United States, in Japan, and in the papacy itself, and thus around the world. And thus it is beginning plainly to appear, even upon the surface of things, that that other Beast of Revelation 13, which came up out of the earth, and which is to exercise all the power of the first Beast, in his sight, is already exercising some of the power of that first Beast, in his sight.ARSH January 29, 1901, page 73.6

These are important times. Striking events are occurring day by day. And we shall wait with interest for the actual publication of that papal encyclical on “Christian Democracy.”ARSH January 29, 1901, page 73.7

January 22, 1901

February 5, 1901