THE PRESENT TRUTH.
Vor. 1, No. 9.
import of or prayers! Jesus knew the
infinite sacrifice at which that glory must be
purchased, when he, “for the joy that was
set before him, endured the cross, despising
the shame.” That joy was to see souls saved
by his humiliation, his agony, and the shed-
ding of his blood,
This was the glory which Christ was to
receive, and which these two disciples had re-
quested that they night be permitted to
shire. Jesus asked them, *“ Can ve drink
ol the cup that I dvink of? and be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with?
And they said unto him, We can.”
Iow little did they comprehend what that
baptism signified! Jesus said unto them,
Ye shall indeed drink of the enp that I drink
of i and with the baptisin that Tan baptized
withal shall ve be baptized. But to sit on
my right hand and on my left hand is not
mine to give; but it shall be given to them
for whom it is prepared.”
Jesus understood the motives which
prompted the request, and thus reproved the
pride and ambition of the two disciples: ** The
Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their
great ones exercise authority upon thew.
But soshall it not be among you; but whoso-
ever will be great among you, shall be your
minister; and whosoever of you will he the
chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the
Son of man carne not to be ministered unto, but
to minister, and to give his life a ransom for
many.”
Upon one occasion, Christ sent messengers
before him into a village of the Samaritans,
requesting the people to prepare refreshments
for himself and his disciples. But when the
Saviour approached the town, he appeared to
be passing on toward Jerusalem. This
aroused the enmity of the Samaritans, and
instead of sending messengers to invite and
even urge him to tarry with them, they with-
held the cowrtesies which they would have
given to a common waylaver. Jesus never
urges his presence upon any, and the Sa-
maritans lost the blessing which would have
heen granted them, had they solicited him to
be ther guest.
We may wonder at this uncourteous treat-
ment of the Majesty of heaven; but how
frequently are we who profess to be the
followers of Christ, guilty of similar neglect.
Do we urge Jesus to take up his abode in our
hearts and in our homes? He is full of love
of grace, of blessing, and stands ready to be-
stow these gifts upon us; but like the Samar-
itans, we are often content without them.
The disciples were aware of the purpose of
Christ to bless the Samaritans with his pres-
cite; and when they saw the coldness,
jealousy, and disrespect shown to their
Master, they were filled with surprise and
indignation. James and John were especially
stirred. That he whom they so highly rev-
erenced should be thus treated, seemed to
them a crime too great to be passed over with-
ott Immediate punishment. In their zeal
they said, * Lord, wilt thou that we com-
mand fire to come down fromm heaven and
consume them, even as Elias did?” referring
to the destruction of the captains and their
companies sent out to take the prophet Elijah.
Jesus rebuked his disciples saying, “ Ye
know not what manner of spirit ye are of;
for the Son of man is notcome to destroy men's
lives but to save then.” John and his fellow
disciples were in a school, in which Christ
was teacher. Those who were ready to see
their own defects, and were anxious to im-
prove in character, had ample opportunity.
John treasured every lesson, and constantly
sought to bring his life into harmony with
the Divine Pattern. The lessons of Jesus,
setting forth meckness, humility, aud love
as essential to growth In grace, and a | jndged worthy of this great salvation « Luke
fitiress for his work, were of the hivhest value
to John. These lessons are addressed ta ns
as individuals and as brethren in che ehuareh,
as well as to the first disciples of Christ.
An instructive lesson nay be drawn {rom
the striking contrast between the character
of John and that of Judas. Johu was a living
illustration of sanctification. On the other
hand, Judas possessed a fori of godliness,
while his character was more Satanic than
divine. He professed to be a disciple of
Christ, but in words and in works denied hin.
Judas had the same preeions opportunities
as had John to study and to imitate the
Pattern. Helistened to the lessons of Christ,
and his character might have been wrans-
formed by divine grace. But while John
was earnestly warring against bis own faults
and seeking to assimilate to Chest, Judas
was violating his conscience, vielding to temp-
tation, and fastening npon himself habits of
dishonesty that would transfor hiny into the
Image of Satan.
These two disciples represent the Chris-
tian world. All profess to he Christ's follow-
ers; but while one class walk in hwnility
and meckness, learning of Jesus, the other
show that they are not doers of the Word,
hut hearers only. One class are sanctified
through the truth ; the other know nothing of
the transforming power of divine grace. The
former ave daily dying to sell, and are overs
coming win. The latter ave indulging in thew
own lusts, and becoming the servants of
Satan.
JP GP Py SE ——
THE SANCTUARY AND 2,300 DAYS.
(Concluded. )
Tri nature of the cleansing of the heavenly
sanctuary wae will now briefly indicate.
The work of the judgnent is divided nto two
parts. The fivst part is the investigative judy-
ment which takes place in the heavenly sanct-
uary, God the Father sitting in judgment.
The second part is the crecution of the judg-
ment, and is committed wholly to Christ who
comes to our earth to accomphsh this work.
John 5: 22-97; Jude 14, 15. Tt is while the
Investigative judgment is in session that the
cleansing of the sanctuary takes place. Or,
to speak more accurately, the cleansing of the
sanctuary is indentical with the work of the
investigative judgment.
This part of the judgnent is described in
Dan. 7: 9-14. God the Father sits upon
the throne of judgment. Those who stand
before the Father are the angels. Compare
Rev. 5: 11. It is not upon carth; for the
Father does nol come to our carth, Tt is
before the second advent of Christ; for Christ
comes to our carth as a king sitting upon
his own throne ( Matt. 25: 31, 54; Luke 19:
12, 15: 2 Thm. 4: 1), but this tribunal of the
Father is the very place where he is crowned
king. Dan. 7: 13, 14. It is the time and
place where our Lord concludes his priestly
office, and must therefore, be in the second
apartment of the sanctnary above. Rev. 10:
7, and 11: 15, 18, 19.
When the Saviour comes, lie gives immor-
tality to the righteous dead. | Cor. 15: 23,
51-55; 1 Thess, 4: 15-17. Thu vest of the
dead arc left until the reswvrection of the
unjust. Rev. 20. Dut those who are thus
made  Inmunortal weve previously accounied
wortley of that great salvation. Luke 20: 35.
There can be no examination afterward to
ascertain whether they shall be saved or lost ;
for they are put in possession ol eternal life
at the moment when the tnnnpet sounds.
And such, also. Is the case with the living
righteous. They are changed to immortality
in the same moment with the dead iin Christ.
1 Thess. 4: 15-17. These are previously
|
210 200, and can never afterward be sub-
jeeted to wal for the determination of this
point. The decision as to who shall have eter-
nal life has, therefore been made before Christ
descends to execute the judgment.
The books are examined before the deliver-
ance of the saints. Dan. 12: 1. The open-
ing of the books is described in Dan. 71 9, 10.
The book of life shows who have ever set out
in the service of God. Tuke 10: 20; Phil.
4: 3. The book of God's remembrance
shows the record of thelr faithfulness in his
cause, and whether they have made clean
work In overcoming. Mal. 3: 16. Other
books contain the record of men’s evil deeds.
Rev. 20: 13, 13.
As the object of this final work in the sanct-
uary is to detemine who are worthy of ever.
lnsting life, no cases will come before this
tribunal except those who have tl their
names entered in the book of Ife. All others
are left out of this investigation as having
never become partakers of Clivist’s atoning
work. The investigation will determine who
have overcome thelr sins; and these will
have their sins blotted from the record,
and their names retained in the book of life.
Tt will also determine who have not over-
come: and these will ave their names blotted
from the book of life, Rev. 3: 3, and their
sing will be retained in the record, to he visited
with retribution in the resurrection to dam-
nation,
The righteous need a high priest until their
sing are blotted out. They cannot be blotted
out until the judgment; for God has decreed
to bring every work into judgment, whether
ood or evil. Lieel. 12: 13, 14, and 3: 17.
He certainly cannot bring any record into
judgment after he has blotted it out. Theblot-
ting out is, therefore, the last act of our Tigh
Priest, and is done when the Father has ac-
counted each person worthy of this, which
will only be when the High Priest has shown
frora the record in the book of God's remein-
brance that he has actually overcome. The
blotting out of sins (Acts 3: 19) is, therefore,
the great work which brings our Lord's priest-
hoot to a conclusion. As this is an individual
work, it evidently begins with the first genera-
tion of the righteous, and so comes down to the
last, that is to those who are aliveat the coming
of Christ. It is the time of the dead that
they should be judged. Rev. 11:18, 19.
The first angel gives notice to the inhabitants
of the earth that the hour of God's judgment
has come. Rev. 14: 6, 7. The living are
still on probation when the solemn announce- |
ment is made to mankind. ’
The proclamation of the third angel, which
Is made while Christ 1s elosing up his work in
the sanctuary, is designed to prepare the
living for the decision of the judgment.
When the cases of the living are reached, pro-
bation closes up forever. The decree goes
forth from the throne of God, ** He that is
unjust, let him be unjust still: and he
that is holy, let him be holy still.” Rev. 22:
11. The sins of the overcomers being blotted
out, and the sanctuary cleansed, the Son of
God is no longer needed as a great High
Priest. He therefore ceases from the oflice
forever, and becomes a king for the delivor-
ance and glorification of his people, and for
the destruction of all travseressors. Dan, 7
13, 14. Satan, the author of sin, receives its
dreadful burden when the work in the sanet-
unary is closed, and will bear ft with him to
the lake of five.
It 1s of mfinite consequence wo us wha live
in the time whey Chloist is closing up his
priesthood, that we understand the work
which he is performing, amd that we so walk
in the light as to shure in his went salvation,
J. N. Axpruws.