"Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12.  
VOLUME 10.  OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FIFTH-DAY, MARCH 13, 1884.  NUMBER 11.  
Cjje digits of tljc Citm  
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, FOR THE  
International Tract and Missionary Society.  
[For terms, etc., see last page.]  
Entered at tlie IPost-OfB.ee in Oakland.  
OJST GAJLRLJCJE:.  
DOWN the bright vale of Galilee  
A tempest swept, the night feli dark,  
And out upon the stormy sea  
In peril toiled a lonely bark.  
And one on board, in welcome rest,  
Was sleeping sweetly as the child  
That's rocked upon its mother's breast,  
Unmoved by winds or billows wild.  
The men beheld his weary form.  
And none could wish to break his rest,  
But darker, louder grew the storm,  
And harder was the vessel press'd.  
Stout hearts were there, and men of skill  
That long had sailed their native lake,  
But naught avails, the ship must fill;  
Oh, will the Master not awake?  
Then rose above the breaking wave  
The cry of mingled faith and fear,  
"We sink, O Lord; wilt thou not save?  
Let not thy servants perish here!"  
The wearied Jesus rose from sleep,  
He glanced into the storm and night;  
"Be still," he said. And lo! the deep,  
Like his own face grew calm and bright.  
What wondering joy abounded then—  
A placid sea, a welcome strand;  
Ah, favored boat! 0 happy men!  
To have such present help at hand.  
Dear Lord, hast thou not servants still  
On earth who know thy love and power?  
Sustain our hearts, our bosoms fill  
With trust, against the trying hour.  
But should the erring soul grow dark,  
And waves of passion o'er it sweep,  
Ah, do not leave the foundering bark, ~  
But save us from the yawning deep.  
-Sel.  
d>£itml ^rtfclea.  
Science and Revelation.  
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.  
"THE fool hath said in his heart, There is no  
God." The mightiest  intellects of earth cannot  
comprehend God. If he reveals himself at all  
to men, it is by veiling himself in mystery.  
His ways are past finding out. Men must be  
ever searching, ever learning; and yet there is  
an infinity beyond. Could they fully under- 
stand the purposes, wisdom, love, and charac- 
ter of God,  they would not believe in him as  
an infinite being, and trust him with the inter- 
ests of their souls. If they could fathom him, 
he would no longer stand supreme.  
There are men who think they have made  
wonderful discoveries in science. They quote  
the opinions of learned men as though they  
considered them infallible, and teach the de- 
ductions of science as truths that cannot be  
controverted. And the word of God, which  
is given as a lamp to the feet of the world- 
weary traveler, is judged by this standard, and  

pronounced wanting. The scientific research 
in which these men have indulged has proved  
a snare to them. It has clouded their minds, 
and they have drifted into skepticism. They 
have a consciousness of power; and instead of  
looking to the Source of all wisdom, they tri-
umph in the smattering of knowledge they  
may have gained. They have exalted their  
human wisdom in opposition to the wisdom of  
the great and mighty God,  and have dared to  
enter into controversy with him. The word of  
inspiration pronounces these men "fools."  
God has permitted a flood of light to be  
poured upon the world in discoveries in science  
and art; but when professedly scientific men  
lecture and write upon these subjects from a  
merely human stand-point, they will assuredly  
come to wrong conclusions. The greatest  
minds, if not guided by the word of God in 
their research, become bewildered in their at- 
tempts to investigate  the relations of science  
and revelation. The Creator and his wTorks  
are beyond their comprehension; and because  
they cannot explain these by natural laws  
Bible history is considered unreliable. Those  
who doubt the reliability of the records of the  
Old and New Testaments, will be led to go a  
step farther, and doubt the existence of God; 
and then, having let go .their anchor, they are  
left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity.  
Moses wrote under the guidance of the Spirit 
of God, and a correct theory of geology will  
never claim discoveries that cannot be recon- 
ciled with bis statements. The idea that  
many stumble over, that God did not create  
matter when he brought the world into exist- 
ence, limits the power of the Holy One of  
Israel.  
Many, when they find themselves incapable  
of measuring the Creator and his works by  
their own imperfect knowledge of science,  
doubt the existence of God and attribute in- 
finite power to nature. These persons have 
lost the simplicity of faith, and are removed  
far from God in mind and spirit. There should 
be a settled faith in the divinity of God's holy 
word. The Bible is not to be tested by men's  
ideas of science, but science is to be brought to  
the test of this unerring standard. When the  
Bible makes statements of facts in nature, sci- 
ence may be compared with the written word,  
and a correct understanding of both will al- 
ways prove them to be in harmony. One does  
not contradict the other. All truth, whether  
in nature or revelation, agrees. Scientific re- 
search will open to the minds of the really  
wise vast fields of thought and information.  
They will see God in his works, and will praise  
him. He will be to them first and best, and  
the mind will be centered upon him. Skeptics,  
who read the Bible for the sake of caviling,  
through ignorance claim to find decided contra- 
dictions between science and revelation. But  
man's measurement of God will never be cor-
rect. The mind unenlightened  by God's Spirit  
will ever be in darkness in regard to his power.  
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned.  
Those who have no vital union with God are  
sw^ayed one way and another; they put men's 
opinions in the front, and God's word in the  
background. They grasp human assertions, 
that judgment against sin is contrary to God's 
benevolent character, and, while dwelling upon 
infinite benevolence, try to forget that there  
is such a thing as infinite justice.  

When we have right views of the power,  
greatness, and majesty of God, and of the 
weakness of man, we shall despise the assump- 
tions of wisdom made by earth's so-called great  
men, who have none of Heaven's nobility in  
their characters. There is nothing for which 
men should be praised or exalted. There is no 
reason why the opinions of the learned should  
be trusted, when they are disposed to measure 
divine things by their own perverted concep- 
tions. Those who serve God are the only ones  
whose opinion and example it is safe to follow.  
A sanctified heart quickens and intensifies the  
mental powers. A living faith in God imparts  
energy; it gives calmness and repose of spirit,  
and strength and nobility of character.  
Men of science think that with their en- 
larged conceptions they can comprehend the  
wisdom of God, that which he has done or can 
do. The idea largely prevails that he is  
bounded and restricted by bis own laws. Men  
either deny and ignore his existence, or think  
to explain everything, even the operations of  
his Spirit upon the human heart, by natural  
laws; and they no longer reverence his name 
or fear his power. While they think they are  
gaining everything, they are chasing bubbles,  
and losing precious opportunities to become 
acquainted with God. They do not believe in  
the supernatural, not realizing that the Author  
of nature's laws can work above those laws. 
They deny the claims of God, and neglect the  
interests of their own souls; but bis existence, 
his character, his laws, are facts that the rea-
soning of men of the highest attainments can- 
not overthrow.  
The pen of inspiration thus describes the  
power and majesty of God: "Who hath meas-
ured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and  
meted out heaven with the span, and compre- 
hended the dust of the earth in a measure, and  
weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills  
in a balance? . . . Behold, the nations are  
drop of a bucket, and are counted as the  
small dust of th§ balance; behold, he taketh  
up the isles as a very little thing. And Leb- 
anon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts  
thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All na-
tions before him are as nothing; and they are  
counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.  
. . . It is he that sitteth upon the circle of  
the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as 
grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens  
as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent  
to dwell in."  
Nature is a power, but the God of nature is  
unlimited in power. His works interpret his  
character. Those who judge him from his 
handiworks, and not from the suppositions of  
great men, will see his presence in everything.  
They behold his smile in the glad sunshine, and  
his love and care for man in the rich fields of 
autumn. Even the adornments of the earth, 
as seen in the grass of living green, the lovely  
flowers of  every hue, and the,lofty and varied  
trees of the forest, testify to the tender, fa- 
therly care of our God, and to his desire to 
make his children happy.  
The power of the great God will be exerted  
in behalf of those that fear him. Listen to the  
words of the prophet: "Hast thou not known? 
hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, 
the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,  
lainteth not, neither is weary? There is no  
searching of his understanding. He giveth


162  THEE SIGr]N"S OE THE TIMES.  VOL. 10, No. 9.  
power to the faint; and to them that have no 
might he increaseth strength. Even the youths  
shall faint and be weary, and the young men  
shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the 
Lord shall renew their strength; they shall  
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,  
and not be weary; and they shall walk, and  
not faint."  
In the word of God many queries are raised  
that the most profound scholars can never an- 
swer. Attention is called to these subjects to 
show us how many things there are, even  
among the common things of every-day life,  
that finite minds, with all their boasted wisdom,  
can never fully comprehend.  
All the systems of philosophy devised by  
men have led to confusion and shame when  
God has not been recognized and honored. To  
lose faith in God is terrible. Prosperity cannot  
be a great blessing to nations or individuals,  
when once faith in his word is lost. Nothing  
is truly great but that which is eternal in its 
tendencies. Truth, justice, mercy, purity, and 
the love of God, are imperishable. When men  
possess these qualities, they are brought into 
close relationship to God, and are candidates 
for the highest exaltation to which the race  
can aspire." They will disregard human praise,  
and will be superior to disappointment, weari  
ness, the strife of tongues, and contentions for  
supremacy.  
He whose soul is imbued with the Spirit of  
God will learn the lesson of confiding trust.  
Taking the written wTord as his counselor and 
guide,"he will find in science an aid to under-
stand God, but he will not become exalted, till,  
in his blind self-conceit, he is a fool in his ideas  
of God.  
Immortality—Belief of the Ancient  
Hebrews.  
WE find among the early Hebrews no trace  
whatever of the doctrine of the natural immor- 
tality of man, for the good reason, that they wrere 
more directly under the teaching of divine in-
spiration than any other people. They did have 
notions, more or less distinct, of a future life— 
not on the ground of the natural immortality 
of the soul, but through the redemption of the  
soul and body together. It was the object of  
their divinely ordained sacrificial system to  
foreshadow this great truth, that man needs to  
be redeemed from the death to which all are 
subject on account of sin. Their hope of liv- 
ing again, so far as they laid hold of it, w^as in  
a resurrection from the dead by Divine Power, 
and not, according to the heathen ideas, on ac-
count of the living nature of the human soul.  
As they came under the demoralizing influ- 
ences of the nations with which they had inter-
course, they imbibed many of their false and  
superstitious notions concerning the dead. It 
was expressly to keep them from the corrupt-
ing power of these false notions, that they were  
segregated, and cut off as much as possible 
from intercommunication and association with 
them. They were forbidden to practice their  
rites, and, especially, under pain of death, to  
practice those delusions of the devil—necro- 
mancy, witchcraft, and the like—which so com-
monly prevailed throughout the Gentile world. 
And to the very last, though they became sadly  
corrupted in their latter days, they were kept 
more free from the ghostly superstitions of the  
heathen than any other people on the face of  
the earth.  
They regarded the sheol into which all men,  
whatever their character, descended at death  
as a region, or rather a state of silence, dark- 
ness, and utter unconsciousness, until God shall  
awaken them by his almighty power to live 
again. While, by the rites of their religion  
and by divine communications through their  
prophets, they were taught to look beyond the 
present life, and by faith to lay hold of that  
mysterious, undefined, future good in reserve  

for them, and yet to be more fully revealed;  
and while they believed that the wicked should 
tremble in view of a future judgment and of  
remediless destruction; yet their ideas of any- 
thing beyond this life, even in the case of the  
most advanced, Avere exceedingly vague, and 
the great mass appear to have been hardly at  
all influenced by them. The motives and sanc- 
tions of their divine law and system of religion  
were pre-eminently earthly and temporal. The 
rewards of virtue and obedience were health,  
abundant harvests, numerous progeny, length of  
days, and general prosperity; and the penalty 
of sin and disobedience was just the reverse of  
these—drought, famine, disease, pain, sorrow,  
and death. No doubt, there was involved in  
these promised blessings, and especially in the 
promise so oft repeated that the righteous  
should prolong his days, possess the earth, etc., a  
deeper meaning than at first appeared. Here  
was the germ of that gospel truth yet to be re- 
vealed through Christ, of everlasting life in the  
kingdom of God, yet to be established on this  
renewed earth; and in the threatening of evil,  
and of death itself, there were doubtless  in- 
timations of that second death which follows  
the future judgment of the wicked, and from  
which there is no possible recall. But these  
higher truths were not distinctly apprehended  
till they were brought fully to light in the gos- 
pel.  
Warburton, in his " Divine Legation," says:  
The doctrine of a future state of rewards  
and punishments is not to be found in, nor did  
it make a part of, the divine legation of Moses."  
Bishop Lowth, in his Lectures, says that "no  
explicit mention of immortal spirits " is to be  
found in the Hebrew poets.  
Dr. Harmer says: " Many of the Jews under- 
stood the life of the world to come in a literal  
sense;" that is, they believed in a literal resur- 
rection from the dead, and in a real substantial  
life, and not in any such ghostly life of the  
spirit only, as was commonly imagined by the 
heathen.  
It does, indeed, seem strange to those who  
are thoroughly possessed by the Platonic idea  
of the immortality of the soul as distinct from 
the bodjr, and who try to find some support for 
it in the Bible, that the Jews, who of all others 
might be supposed to be well instructed in this  
fundamental truth of religion," as it is called,  
should be so unsophisticated and innocent of  
any such idea. It puzzles them. It ought to  
lead them to inquire whether the idea—so far 
from being fundamental—ought to have any 
place whatever in any system of religion, as it  
certainly did not in that wThich was divinely  
given by Moses.  
Professor Ernst Stahelin, in " The Foundation  
of our Faith," says: " Moses and Confucius did  
not expressly teach the immortality of the soul;  
nay, they seemed purposely to avoid entering  
upon the subject. They simply took it for 
granted." How does he know they took it for  
granted ? He would better have said, As for  
Moses, he did not teach it simply because, as  
God's servant, he had no such doctrine to teach.  
It was Satan's doctrine, not God's truth; there- 
fore he "purposely avoided " it. The author of  
"EcceHomo," himself a believer in this heathen  
dogma, on pp. 35 and 36, says: " It is surpris- 
ing that the early Jews, in whom the sense of  
God was so strong, and who were familiar with  
the conception of an eternal being, should yet  
have been behind, rather than before other na- 
tions, in suspecting the immortality of the soul.  
The Greek did not even in the earliest times  
believe death to be annihilation, though he  
thought it fatal to all joy and vigor; but the  
early Jews, the legislator himself, and most of  
the psalmists, limit their hopes and fears to  
the present life, and compare man to the 'beasts 
that perish.' .... The suspicion of im- 
mortality appears in the later prophets—that  
suspicion which Christ himself was to develop  
into a glorious confidence." A glorious confi- 

dence in what? JSTot in the immortality of the  
soul of man. That doctrine is not found in the 
later prophets, nor in the gospel of Christ; but 
in the Christian doctrine of the immortality of  
the whole man through a resurrection from the  
dead, by the almighty power of God, and by  
virtue of the death and resurrection of Christ 
the Saviour. It was not the ghostly im- 
mortality of disembodied spirits, but a living  
again of resurrected saints to possess this re- 
newed earth and to hold it forever.  
Dr. G. D. Boardman, in his " Creative Week,"  
page, 215, makes the following admission,  
though he seems reluctant to do it: "And yet  
—for I would be candid—I must add that not  
single passage, from Genesis to Revelation,  
teaches, so far as I am aware, the doctrine of  
man's natural immortality. On the other hand,  
holy writ emphatically declares that God only  
hath immortality; that is to say, God alone is  
naturally, inherently, in his own essence and 
nature, immortal. He alone is the I AM, hav- 
ing this as his name forever, his memorial to all  
generations. If then man is immortal, it is be- 
cause immortality has been bestowed on him. 
He is immortal, not because he was created so, 
but because he has become so, deriving his  
deathlessness from him who alone hath immor- 
tality;" and—he should have added—only by 
the regenerating power of the Lloly Spirit and  
a new birth and a resurrection from the dead  
through the Saviour, as revealed in the gospel.  
It was not till after the return of the Jews  
from their long captivity, where they imbibed  
many heathen notions, and after the close of  
the sacred canon, which had hitherto been the  
foundation of their religious faith, that they be- 
gan to think of the soul as a separate essence,  
and to entertain the fables of the pagan world  
respecting its separate existence after death.  
Hence in the Apocrypha, and in the Mishna  
and Gemaraof the Talmud, and in the writings 
of Josephus, who was a Pharisee and a Platon-
ist, as the Pharisees generally were, we find  
here and there traces of such notions. But  
there is no uniformity nor consistency of teach- 
ing in these writings, nor in the later writings  
of their Rabbins. By careful scrutiny one may  
find, mixed with much that is true and in ac- 
cord with the Old Testament doctrine, many  
passages, here and there, which favor the Gre-
cian philosophy, as well as vague hints that he 
may construe either way as he may himself be 
inclined.  
Dr. Pusey, in his " Analysis of the Book of  
Enoch," maintains that it is made  up of contri- 
butions from several authors, and can be quoted  
on either side of this question, because it ex-
presses both the belief of the Ph-arisees in the  
endless suffering of the wicked, and of the 
orthodox Jewish church in the everlasting life 
of the righteous only, and the destruction of  
the wicked.—The Life Ecerlasting, by Rev. J.  
II. Petting ell.  
HAPPINESS—Most of the wrong-doing in the  
world comes from an uneasy craving for pleas-
ure of some sort. The desire for revenge pro- 
duces all kinds of malicious and hateful conduct;  
the yearning for gain suggests dishonesty,  
fraud, oppression, injustice; the appetite for sen- 
sual gratification leads to gluttony, intemperance  
and vice. A state of true happiness would render  
these cravings impossible; were the higher grati-
fications once thoroughly enjoyed, no room  
would be left for the lower. The great happiness  
of love annihilates revenge and malice; sym-
pathetic pleasures extinguish selfish ones; pure  
and innocent recreations, cheerful society, and 
wholesome habits preclude the temptations to 
vicious courses. In a word, happiness, in its 
truest meaning and best forms, is the foe to  
wrong-doing, and in this sense it may be said 
that those who are happy are good.  
BLESSED are the meek, for they shall inherit  
the earth'.


MARCH 13, 1884. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 163  
The Mormon Plagne.  
THE extensive and successful efforts of the  
Mormon power, in almost all nations, to decoy  
innocent people into its net, calls for a note of 
warning from every one in a position to give  
the sound any influence whatever. From an  
elaborate article in the Christian  Union, by  
Prof. George N. Marden, of Colorado Springs,  
Col., who has well acquainted himself with the  
subject, wTe cull the following:—  
To-day the Mormon Church has as many  
missionaries as has the American Board. In 
one year, 1881, they sent out one hundred and 
eighty-nine, besides seventy-nine to Arizona to  
spy out and secure the best land for colonization  
purposes. One day last April, sixty-one Mor- 
mon missionaries were at the Grand Central  
hotel, New York, and sailed for Europe the day  
following. On the 16th of October, thirty 
more left Salt Lake City in a Pullman car. 
Within eight months of last year, about 3,000 
Mormon proselytes arrived at New York. The  
Mormons have missions in England, Scotland,  
Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark,  
Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Malta, Gibraltar,  
Hindoostan, Australia, Siam, Ceylon, China,  
Chile, Guinea, the West Indies, the Sandwich  
Islands, New Zealand, Iceland, on the banks of  
the Nile, and even in the Holy Land. Twenty- 
seven nationalities were represented in one of  
their recent public celebrations. More converts 
were sent to Utah in the past two seasons, since  
the passage of the Edmunds bill, than in any  
four years previous. Rural districts in the Car- 
olinas, Georgia, and Tennessee have yielded  
many. The Book of Mormon is now printed in 
many tongues, and periodicals are issued in at  
least eight languages. Mormon land is much 
more than Utah land. Shrewdly, system- 
atically, large areas have been secured in the  
great central plateau of this continent, and are  
being colonized for religious and political con-
trol. Some of the best portions of Arizona, 
Wyoming, New Mexico, Idaho, and Colorado,  
are under Mormon control.  
Forty years ago an officer of the United  
States Army wrote to a friend: "There is de- 
veloping in the Rocky Mountain region a power  
that will, if unhindered, some day shake this 
country to its center." William Smith, brother  
of the prophet, left the Mormons years ago,  
saying, "It is their design to set up an independ-
ent government; the mass of Mormons will be  
purged of American feelings, and will be shut 
out by church restrictions from any but a Mor- 
mon freedom." To-day the Mormon vote is 
solid, is dictated by a few men, and is in favor of  
the party which is least inclined to restrain  
Mormonism.  
Surely, Mormonism is no weakling to be ig- 
nored. It is probably the most energetic ecclesi- 
astical body on this continent. In the face  of  
pulpit, press, and adverse legislation this sect  
has thriven and thrives. Many people are  
asking how it is that this thing of mean origin  
and ridiculous pretensions has been able to rise  
up in the midst of the nineteenth century.  
How is it that in this our country, where every  
fifth inhabitant belongs to the Christian com-
munion, is found a system with practices toler- 
ated in no other nominally Christian land ex- 
cepting Abyssinia ? The answer is manifold.  
1. Mormonism goes after simple-hearted, un- 
educated people. It gains a respectful hearing  
by means of the truth which the system contains,  
and not by means of the error. It says many  
good things, as: Repent; fear God; be honest; be  
just; be virtuous.  
2. It is eclectic. Joseph Smith shrewdly de- 
termined that his scheme should accommodate 
wanderers from all folds. So it professes to  
believe in the New Testament, and in the mis-
sion of Christ, and in the Book of Mormon as  
being in harmony with the Bible. It borrows  

scraps of doctrine from the various Christian  
sects. John Taylor says: "The present dis- 
pensation is a combination of the various dis- 
pensations that have existed in the different  
ages of the world." This profound liberality  
and breadth is artfully contrasted with the  
exclusiveness of the sects; and Mormon unity, 
also, with the divided aspect of Christendom.  
3. Missionary operations are conducted with  
enthusiastic, self-denying zeal, many mission-
aries traveling—as the president of the church  
has done—tens of thousands of miles without  
purse or scrip, preaching the doctrines of Mor- 
monism. Little or nothing is said about the 
obnoxious features of the system. All that the 
converts know is from the statements  of Mor- 
mons.  
4. While Mormonism goes across seas to men  
in coal-pits and factories, and labors among  
them as loving their souls, it also holds out to  
the weary, hopeless toiler the assurance of a  
home of his OAvn and forty acres in a sunny  
land, and offers him aid, if necessary, from the  
Emigration Fund.  
5. By thoroughness of organization the Mor- 
mon Church has a strong hold. Every fourth  
man is an official. There are twenty large  
districts; these are divided into two hundred 
and thirty wards; the wards are subdivided, 
and over the subdivisions are set deacons and  
teachers to visit each individual every moon,  
and to know his affairs, temporal and spiritual  
All Mormons are solemnly sworn to keep no 
secrets from the teachers. From the great 
wheel to the least spindle the whole Mormon  
system is tightly belted and geared together.  
6. The iron grip of the Mormon Church ap- 
pears in its control of the land. The forty  
acres promised is to be  found where the church  
elects to send the proselyte. The leaders have  
such control of choice soil in Utah that non-
Mormon emigrants are discouraged from en- 
tering. Colonization for political ends is sys- 
tematically carried on. Does the Mormon vote 
need strengthening in some county in Idaho?  
Strong wards in Utah are bidden to furnish  
their quotas of emigrants. As Bishop Lunt 
says: " Our people are obedient. When called  
by the church they promptly obey; sell houses,  
lands, and stock, and remove to any part of  
the country to which the church may direct 
them. You can imagine," adds the Bishop,  
"the results which wisdom may bring about  
with such a system as ours; it is the complet-
est the world has ever seen." The Mormon 
Church in its control of the irrigating canals  
has an effective grip. If a man rebels, the  
thumb on the ditch chokes him into submission. 
No wonder the Mormon vote is solid.  
7. Great is the power of the tithe. One- 
tenth of all one's property and income and 
time is required. About a round million a year 
is raised for purposes which strengthen the 
church. Thousands of dollars are spent at  
Washington in adroit lobbying against anti-Mor- 
mon movements. Generous attentions shown  
to distinguished visitors at the Mormon capital 
tend, in some degree, to disarm criticism.  
8. The Mormons are held together, not only  
by external authority, but by a kind of faith  
and devotion. It were blindness to call them 
hypocrites; though it would doubtless be but a 
discreet and mild use of language to apply to  
the founder the word knave.  
9. Mormonism has as a part of its capital  
the memory of sufferings and tribulations; es-
pecially the martyrdom of the prophet, the  
manner of whose death threw his vices into  
the background and surrounded him with a  
halo. The story of the march of the ten thou- 
sand across the plains, and of precious dust laid  
beneath the buffalo grass by the weary way, is  
not without effect. The shotgun policy, which 
report says was employed against Mormon 
preachers in parts of North Carolina last year, 
is an effective ally of Mormonism.  
10. Among the leaders polygamy is a bond,  

the sense of fellowship being strengthened by  
common opposition to the law of the land. It  
is a sad fact that the Mormon Church furnishes  
to the conscience a justification of all that it  
bids men do. It sets its "ought" to abomin- 
able things. Adroitly shuffling texts, it teaches  
that the highest seats in Heaven are for those 
who have the largest families on earth. And  
the sly oracle permitting polygamy was care- 
ful to provide for future changes of policy on 
this subject.  
11. Favorable to Mormon growth is the isola- 
tion of its seat of power, and the general segre- 
gation of the converts, by which much con- 
tact with non-Mormon civilization is generally  
avoided; also their concentration in a great  
gathering-place from all the nations, for which  
prediction was provided in the Book of Mor-
mon.  
The magnificent temple at Salt Lake City,  
whose total cost will be nine millions of dollars, 
and which has already been thirty years in  
building—this, and other grand and imposing  
structures, the creation of their own toil, and  
for their solemn mysteries, impress the people  
with a sense of power. Zeal in temple build- 
ing is quickened by the doctrine that the living  
may be baptized for, and save the souls of their  
dead friends, or of heathen, but that the bap- 
tism, to avail, must be performed in the temple  
only.  
The Mormons have a strong hold on their  
young people by means of their system of  
schools, from which non-Mormon teachers are  
excluded, and in which Mormon doctrines are  
assiduously taught.  
The Mormon press and pulpit catch eagerly  
at calamities, by fire and flood, earthquakes,  
popular discontents, fears in high places, wars  
and rumors of wars, and crimes outside of Mor-
mondom, as signs that the kingdom of the  
" saints " is to triumph.  
Finally, by substituting church tribunals with  
closed doors in place of open courts, and by the  
apparent faith of the leaders in their ability to  
defy the Government, and, if it must be said,  
by the slowness of the Republic to awake to a  
sense of danger, this masterly tyranny has got 
a tightening grip, which can be broken only by  
vigorous measures applied speedily, and faith- 
fully followed up.  
Yet in the face of all this spectacle of cor- 
ruption, political demagogues become fawning  
sycophants before the Mormon ballot and Mor- 
mon money. And  in wholesale mercantile  
circles is whispered the fear that anti-Mormon  
agitation may injure trade with Utah!  
Precept and Example.  
IT has been sarcastically said of some minis- 
ters of the gospel, that they are like guide-boards 
in the highways—pointing out the true path to  
others, but not going in it themselves! And so 
the apostle Paul suggests that one may proclaim  
the way to Heaven, and yet never himself reach  
that goal. "I keep under my body," he says,  
" and bring it into subjection, lest when I have  
preached to others I myself should be a casta- 
way." I do not suppose he meant us to under-
stand from this that he had any serious doubts as  
to his good prospects for eternity, for elsewhere  
he manifests abundantly the full assurance of hope 
which he exhorted others to attain; but he knew  
that his salvation was to be consummated, under  
God, by watchfulness on his own part against  
temptation, and by a persistent warfare" with  
" the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the  
pride of life."—J. C. HolbrooJc, D. D.  
JOHN BUNYAN was once asked a question  
about Heaven which he could not answer, be- 
cause the matter was not revealed in the Script- 
ures, and he thereupon advised the inquirer to  
live a holy life, and go and see.


164  THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.  VOL. 10, No. 11.  
The Kingdom of Christ.  
THE doctrine of the kingdom of Christ calls  
for special attention in this connection; though  
some may, at a first glance, think that it is not  
directly related to the subject of the Atone- 
ment. Here we may repeat a statement made,  
that there are no isolated, independent truths  
in the great plan of salvation. It takes all the  
truths and doctrines of the Bible to make one  
complete system; and the Atonement is the  
great central work, by virtue of which all  
other parts of the work of salvation and re- 
demption are carried out. But the special  
reason why the subject of the kingdom should  
here receive attention is this: There is another  
class of texts in the Scriptures which speak of  
Christ on his throne which are misapplied by  
many religious teachers, who refer them also to  
his kingly priesthood. They seem to take it for 
granted that every Scripture declaration con- 
cerning his kingly authority must refer to him 
while sitting a priest on his Father's throne in  
Heaven. But the Scriptures themselves very  
clearly distinguish betAveen these two classes 
of texts, and to amalgamate them is only to 
make confusion and to obscure the light of  
some precious Bible truths.  
In Acts 1: 6 it is recorded that the disciples  
inquired of Christ: "Lord, wilt thou at this  
time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"  
On this we first notice, that the term "Israel"  
primarily was indicative of character, and not  
of birth. Jacob Avas called Israel, and Esau  
was not, though they were children of the 
same parents—twin brothers. Afterward the  
term Avas applied to all the descendants of  
Jacob, though it never lost its primary signifi- 
cation. It was by this fact that Paul proved  
that the promises of God are strictly and lit- 
erally fulfilled, though the unbelieving nation  
were rejected which"daimed the sole right to  
that title. They are not all Israel which are  
of Israel, nor are all heirs of the blessings of  
Abraham who descended from Abraham. The  
promise of kingly glory preceded the existence  
of the nation (See Gen. 17 : 5-7), and the re- 
jection of any part of the nation, or even of  
the Avhole as a nation, did not and could not  
destroy the promises. When Jesu-, because  
of their rejection of the message from Heaven,  
foretold the rejection of the Jews, he.did it in 
the following language: "Therefore say I unto  
you, The kingdom of' God shall be taken from 
you, and given to a nation bringing forth the  
fruits thereof." Matt. 21:43. That was to 
say, that the kingdom should be taken from 
nominal Israel, and given to the true Israel,  
the faithful overcomers. See also Gal. 3 : 29.  
And with this agree the words of the Lord  
to David, as recorded in Ps. 89. " I have made  
a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn unto 
David my servant, Thy seed will I establish  
forever, and build up thy throne to all genera- 
tions." Verges 3, 4. And again: "His seed  
also will I make to endure forever, and his  
throne as the days of heaven. . . . Once  
have I sworn by my holiness that I will not  
lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever,  
and his throne as the sun before me. It shall  
be established forever as the moon, and as a  
faithful wilness in Heaven." Verses 29-37.  
It is not merely a theory that depends upon  
the true interpretation of these promises. We  
shall endeavor to show that the truths which  
they contain are eminently practical, and that  
a misapplication of them leads to serious per- 
versions of the gospel and of the relations of  
Christianity to the kingdoms of this present  
world.  
We turn now to the question found in Acts  
1: 6. The opinion largely prevails among com-
mentators of the present day that the disciples  
were indulging a very erroneous idea respecting  
the kingdom, which was the cause of their  
asking such a question. Dr. Barnes says: 
" They did not ask whether he would do it at  

all, or whether they had correct views of the  
kingdom; but, taking that for granted, they  
asked him whether that was the time in which  
he would do it," And from this he draws the 
conclusion that nothing is so hard to remove  
as "prejudice in favor of an erroneous opin- 
ion." It might be suggested that prejudice  
against the truth is as" blind and unreasoning  
as prejudice in favor of error. But Dr. Barnes 
thought that, from the teachings of the Saviour  
in regard to his kingdom, they should have  
better known its nature than to ask such a  
question. And his comment doubtless ex- 
presses the views of a majority of  commen- 
tators of the present day.  
We say, " of the present day," because the  
popular vieAV of the present day was not al-
ways the popular view held in the Christian  
Church. But for that we care nothing; our  
inquiry is, " What saith the Scripture? "  
The question of the disciples was solely in  
regard to the time of setting up the kingdom.  
The answer of the Saviour was in reference  
to the subject of the question, the time, and  
it was not at all calculated to correct a wrong  
impression in regard to the nature of the king- 
dom, if they were resting in an error on that  
subject. "It is not for you to know the times  
or the seasons, which the Father hath put in 
his OAvn power." This answer was certainly  
well calculated to confirm them in the view  
which they held. Not the hint of the cor-
rection of an error, but, to the contrary, they  
were told that the time of which they inquired  
was not to be revealed to them. The Revised  
Version says, "which the Father hath set  
Avithin his own authority." Margin—"ap- 
pointed by." A careful examination of the  
whole subject must convince any one that this  
is parallel with Matt. 24:36. "But of that  
day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the 
angels of Heaven, but my Father only." The  
declaration that the time of which they in- 
quired is set or placed within the authority of  
the Father, known to no others, is quite the  
reverse of an intimation that the question re-
ferred to something which would never take  
place.  
Yerse 3 says that, after his resurrection,  
Jesus was seen of the disciples "forty days,  
and speaking of the things pertaining to the  
kingdom of God." Some appear to think that 
the time and opportunities were rather limited  
for their gaining instruction on this important  
subject. But, remembering that "the king- 
dom" was the burden of all the teaching and  
preaching of both Jesus and his disciples dur-
ing all his ministry, insomuch that be called  
his gospel "this gospel of the kingdom," Matt. 
24 :14, we would rather take the chance which  
the disciples had of learning the truth on the  
subject, than to take a " three years' course " 
in any theological school now in existence.  
We have another instance of the Saviour  
giving instruction on this subject where the  
question of time was first in their minds. " He  
added and spake a parable, because he was  
nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought  
that the kingdom of God should immediately  
appear." Luke 19 : 11. In this parable he 
spoke of himself as a nobleman who went into  
a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, 
and to return. That this represents his going  
to his Father in Heaven to receive a kingdom,  
and returning to this earth, is evident, for, he  
said: "But his citizens hated him, and sent a  
message after him, saying, We will not have  
this man to reign over us. And it came to pass 
that when he was returned, having received  
the kingdom," then he rewarded his servants  
and destroyed his enemies. But this will apply  
to no other locality but this earth. And it  
exactly corresponds J-o his statement of what  
takes place at his coming, at "the end of the  
Avorld." Matt. 13:41, 43. "The Son of man 
shall send forth his angels, and they shall  
gather out of his kingdom all things that  

offend and them which do iniquity. . . Then 
shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in 
the kingdom of their Father." It must be  
borne in mind that "the field is the world;" 
that the workers of iniquity are represented 
by the tares, which grow with the wheat until  
the harvest. That the harvest is reaped at 
the coming of the Son of man is shown in  
Rev. 14 :14-20, and other scriptures.  
The kingdom and dominion over this world  
is given to Christ, the "nobleman," not at or  
near the beginning of this dispensation, as  
many believe, but near its close. This is  
proved by Rev. 11:14, 15. Under the third 
woe trumpet, which is the last of the seven 
trumpets, and which introduces the Judgment  
(verse 18), a voice proclaims: " The kingdoms 
of this world are become [the kingdoms] of 
our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign 
forever and ever." Under this trumpet the  
dispensation comes to its close.  
Also the prophecy of Daniel is decisive on  
this point. In chapter two, in the dream of  
Nebuchadnezzar, the king or kingdom of Baby- 
lon answered to the head of gold of the image.  
This kingdom was succeeded by that of the 
Medes and Persians, see Dan. 5 : 30, 31, which  
answered to the breast and arms of the image.  
And the Persian was succeeded by the Grecian,  
Dan. 8: 3-8, 20, which was represented by the  
body of brass of the image. Another kingdom,  
the fourth, was strong as iron—represented by 
the legs of iron,—stronger than all that pre- 
ceded it; and it was divided into ten parts, or 
kingdoms, in the  image represented by the feet  
and toes. This was the  Roman kingdom, which  
was successor to the Grecian, and which bore  
an iron rule over all the world. It was divided  
into ten kingdoms. These are the several parts  
of the image which was seen by Nebuchad- 
nezzar; and such was the interpretation of the 
dream, as given by Daniel.  
But another object was seen in the dream,  
and it also represented a kingdom. It was " a 
stone cut out of the mountain without hands."  
The original is reflexive in form, conveying  
the idea of self-moving. This stone snu Le the  
image "upon his feet, that were of iron and  
clay." That is to say, that it smote the image  
at some time after the Roman kingdom was 
divided, for the stone could not smite the feet  
and toes of the image before they existed. Or,  
in the fulfillment, the kingdom represented by  
the stone could not smite the kingdoms rep- 
resented by the feet and toes of the image 
until they had arisen— until the Roman Empire  
was divided into ten parts or kingdoms.  
In the dream, the effect of the smiting of  
the image by tbe stone, is thus described:  
"Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the 
silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together,  
and became like the chaff of the summer  
threshing-floors; and the wind carried them  
away, that no place was found for them; and  
the stone that smote the image became a great  
mountain, and filled the whole earth." In the 
interpretation it is thus stated* "In the days  
of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up  
a kingdom, Avhich shall never be destroyed;  
and the kingdom shall not be left to other peo- 
ple, but it shall break in pieces and consume  
all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."  
Dan. 2:35, 44. This describes, not the con-
version of earthly powers, but the entire de- 
struction of all earthly powers, their places  
being filled by the kingdom of God, by which  
they are broken in pieces. See the same fore- 
told in Jer. 25:15-33. In this chapter it is  
said that "all the kingdoms of the world, which  
are upon the face of the whole earth," shall 
drink of the wine-cup of God's fury, "and  
fall, and rise no more, because of the sword  
which I Avill send among" them. No such  
destruction as that described in Jer. 25 has ever  
taken place; but it will, for the word of the  
Lord declares it. Then will the interpretation  
of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar be fulfilled.


MARCH 13, 1884. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 165  
It is true that Dan. 2 does not definitely give  
the chronology of the setting up of the king- 
dom of God; but  it does definitely place it  
after the full development of the image, in-
cluding the divisions of the Roman power.  
This brings it down several centuries this side  
of the days of the apostles. But in Dan. 7: 
9-14 it is located, as in Rev. 11:14-18, in the  
time of the Judgment. In Dan. 7 is recorded  
a vision of the prophet, which was explained  
by an angel. Under the symbols of beasts and  
horns it presents the same kingdoms and the  
same events which are given in chapter 2 in  
the great image. In chapter 7, the Roman 
Empire and its divisions are represented by a  
dreadful and terrible beast with great iron  
teeth, whfch had ten horns. This chapter 
contains, however, two important points which 
are not found in chapter 2. (1) The ri-e and 
work of "another little horn," after the rise 
of the ten, which was quite different from the 
others, and at length became stronger than all j 
the others. (2) The sitting of the Judgment, 
which takes place before the kingdoms of the  
world are given to the Son of man.  
The work of the "little horn" was one of  
persecution. "And he shall speak great words  
against the Most High, and shall wear out the  
saints of the Most High, and think to change 
times and laws; and they shall be given into 
his band until a time and times and the divid-
ing of time." This wearing out the saints of 
the Most High—the most terrible persecution  
which the church of God ever suffered—was  
under the Roman power, but principally under  
its ecclesiastical form. The angel continued:  
"But the Judgment shall sit, and they shall 
take away his dominion, to consume and to  
destroy it unt© the end." These words con- 
tain a confirmation of the view we have ad- 
vanced that the Judgment sits before the end;  
before the coming of the Son of man; and 
before the dominion is taken from this perse-
cuting power. And how noteworthy it is that  
within the last score of years the civil power  
has been entirely taken away from the church 
of Rome. "United Italy" has literally de- 
throned the head of the church, who now pays 
taxes to the Government as any other citizen! 
And the next event in the angel's interpretation  
of the vision is this: "And the kingdom and 
dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom  
under the whole heaven, shall be given to the  
people of the saints of the Most High, whose 
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all 
dominions shall serve and obey him." Dan.  
7 : 25-27. This Closes the interpretation. The  
last event in every line of prophecy is the 
giving of the kingdom and dominion to Christ  
and to his people. And, as has been shown,  
and will be further noticed, this gift is speedily  
followed by the overthrow and entire destruc- 
tion of all the kingdoms and dominions of the  
world.  
It may not be objected that these prophecies  
refer to the introduction of the gospel and to 
the establishing of the church of Christ, in the 
present age. The scope of the prophecies for- 
bids it. The events given in the vision of Dan.  
7 cover the entire gospel dispensation, and even  
reach beyond it. If this be denied, we might  
as well deny the Judgment and future rewards  
at once. And—which ought to be decisive 
with all—the New Testament presents the pos-
session of the kingdom as a  matter of promise  
and of hope to the saint®. Thus James says: 
"Hearken, my beloved brethren. Hath not  
God chosen the poor of this world, rich in  
faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath  
promised to them that love him?" Jas. 2:5.  
In the same manner Peter speaks "to them  
that have obtained like precious faith with us,"  
and informs them what they must do in per- 
fecting their characters, "for so an entrance  
shall be ministered to 37ou abundantly into the 
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour  
Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:1-11. And Paul also  

shows to his brethren the mystery of the pos-
session of the kingdom. He says "that flesh  
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,  
neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."  
1 Cor. 15 : 50. In the scriptures already quoted  
it is said the kingdom is to be everlasting—to  
stand forever. "Flesh and blood" is an ex- 
pression indicating a mortal, perishable, cor- 
ruptible condition. A mortal, corruptible man  
could not inherit an everlasting, incorruptible  
kingdom; for he would die and leave it to suc- 
cessors. But that would destroy the scripture  
which says "it shall not be left to other people."  
In this present mortal state the saints are heirs 
of the kingdom; when they inherit it their  
heirship will cease. EDITOR.  
(To be continued.)  
OH, WHY SHOULD THE SPIRIT OF  
MORTAL J3JE PROUDP  
OF, why should the spirit of mortal be proud ?  
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying  cloud,  
A flash of the lightning,  a break of the wave,  
Man passes from life to his rest in the grave.  
The leaves of the oak and the willow shall fade,  
Be scattered around and together be laid;  
And the young and the old, and the low and the high,  
Shall molder to dust and together shall die. 
The infant, a mother attended and loved,  
The mother, that infant's affection who proved,  
The husband, that mother and infant who blessed,  
Each, all, are away to their dwellings of rest. 
The'maid, on whose cheek, on whose brow, in whose eye, 
Shone beauty and pleasure—her triumphs are by;  
And the memory of those who loved her and praised  
Are alike from the minds of the living erased. 
The hand of the king, that the scepter hath borne,  
The brow of the priests, that the miter hath worn, 
The eye of the sage, and the heart of the brave, 
Are hidden and lost in the depth of the grave. 
The peasant, whose lot was to sow and to reap;  
The herdsman, who climbed with his goats up the steep;  
The beggar, who wandered in search of his bread,  
Have faded away like the grass that we tread. 
The saint, who enjoyed the communion of heaven,  
The sinner, who dared to remain unforgiven, 
The wise and the foolish, the guilty and just,  
Have quietly mingled their bones in the dust.  
So the multitude goes, like the flower or the weed 
That withers away to let others succeed; 
So the multitude comes, even those we  behold,  
To repeat every tale that has often been told.  
For we are the same our fathers have been; 
We see the same sights our fathers have seen—  
We drink the same stream and view the same sun, 
And run the same course our fathers have run. 
The thoughts we are thinking our fathers would think;  
From the death we are shrinking our fathers would shrink;  
To the life we are clinging they also would cling;  
But it speeds for us all, like a bird on the wing. 
They loved, but the story we cannot unfold; 
They scorned, but the heart of the haughty is cold;  
They grieved, but no wail from their slumbers will come;  
They joyed, but the tongue of their gladness is dumb.  
They died; ay! they died; and we things that are now, 
Who walk on the turf that lies over  their brow,  
Who make in their dwelling a transient abode, 
Meet the things that they met on their pilgrimage road.  
Yea! hope and despondency, pleasure and pain,  
We mingle together in sunshine and rain;  
And the smiles and the tears, the song and the dirge,  
Still follow each other, like surge upon surge.  
'Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draught of a breath,  
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death,  
From the gilded saloon to the bier and  the shroud—  
Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud ?  
HONESTY obliges us to make restitution, not  
only of that which comes to us by our own 
faults, but of that which comes to us by the 
mistakes of others. Though we get it by over- 
sight, if we keep it when the oversight is dis-
covered, it is kept by deceit.  
IT is no fault, but our wisdom and duty, to  
alter our purposes and resolutions when there  
is a good reason for our so doing. Constancy 
is a virtue, but obstinancy is not.  

Saved by a Caress.  
"A KISS saved me!" Immediately every face  
bent forward. Richly, daintily-clad women and 
moneyed men filled the spacious room; but the  
silence that followed that statement could be  
felt, so eager were they to catch every word.  
Some one had spoken lightly of the trifles  
that so surely make up the sum of human hap-
piness or woe. Trifles count for nothing, they 
thought; it is the great events that determine 
the destinies of men for good or ill. It was  
this that had drawn forth the statement and  
the explanation that followed.  
"I know nothing," he continued, "of my par- 
ents or the circumstances of my birth. Noth- 
ing in all the bitter past clings so close to 
memory as the certainty that I belonged to no- 
body and nobody belonged to me. In one of 
our large cities, in a locality where there are  
many little homeless ones, where baseness is the 
ruling element, I may or may  not have had my  
birth—at least that was the first I knew of my-
self. Poverty isn't so hard if we've some one  
to love us; but no one cared for me, and all the  
days were alike, and the nights seemed an 
eternity of time. There is a bitterness of sor- 
row in the lives of the homeless of which God  
only can know.  
" The snow had fallen, and the cold March  
winds were blowing, leaving us no choice, ex- 
cept the sunny side of the dismal street in 
which we found shelter. I, with others whose  
years were few, and whose homes were any- 
where, had sought the sunny side, when a  
lady paused beside us, smoothed back my tan- 
gled locks and kissed me. That was the first  
caress I had known, and it saved me. I slept 
somewhere that night, and unlike all other  
nights that bad preceded it, I was neither cold 
nor weary. The hand reached down to lift me  
up from the depths never unclasped its hold. 
Angels sang their sweetest songs through the lon g  
hours; the rapturous refrain echoes in my soul 
to-night. It was years before 1 grew out of  
that life to a better one; but whether I had  
where to lay my head, or had not, I knew no 
weariness. The warm glow of  a perfect day  
lighted all the future, and in every dark hour  
I felt the presence of a light foot-fall, the soft  
tcmch of a hand.  
"Out of the pure depths of her pitying wom- 
anhood she kissed me. It was a trifling thing  
indeed, to kiss a homeless, friendless child; but  
because of that kiss, and with the Father's help,  
I stand to-day upon the firm basis of an honor- 
able manhood."—Selected.  
The Way to Conquer.  
IN all past ages the pious in times of trouble  
have found refuge and strength in prayer.  
This weapon of their warfare—not carnal but 
spiritual—forged for them in the armory of  
Heaven, has been mighty through God for their  
own deliverance and the overthrow of their en-
emies. " Is any afflicted let him pray." Com- 
mit thy cause unto the Lord, and so engage  
him on your side. When good Hezekiah re-
ceived a letter containing the sad information 
that Sennacherib, the formidable king of As- 
syria, was about to attempt the capture and  
destruction of Jerusalem, we are told that  
he " went up into the house of the Lord, and  
spread it before the Lord " in prayer. And he  
had power with God; his prayer was effectual,  
and the Lord sent a destroying angel against  
the Assyrian army, who slew in a single night  
185,000 men. Thus Hezekiah upon his knees  
conquered Sennacherib; and this should be our  
resource in the hour of danger and distress.  
We should fight upon our knees. This will in- 
sure speedy and decisive victory. "Restraining 
prayer we cease to fight."  
IT is foolish to strive with what we cannot  
avoid; to obey God is perfect liberty.


166  THE SIGNS  OF  THE TIMES.  VOL. 10, No. 11.  
©K ^HBKTH-^DMAL  
LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—MAR. 23.  
ACTS, CHAPTERS 14 AND 15.  
The Gospel in Iconium.  
THE first time that the Saviour sent forth  
the twelve disciples to preach, his instruction 
was, " When they persecute you in this city, 
flee ye into another." Matt. 10 : 23. The idea  
of being discouraged or giving up the contest 
was never entertained for a moment, even un-
der the most adverse circumstances. " He that 
endureth to the end shall be saved." Yerse 22.  
In harmony with the Master's precept and ex- 
ample, Paul and Barnabas, when expelled from  
Antioch and the province of Pisidia, patiently  
moved on to Iconium, the chief city of Lyc-
aonia. Here success crowned their first effort, 
and a great multitude both of Jews and also of  
the Greeks believed." Acts 14 : 1.  
More Trouble.  
BUT no true missionary of the cross ever  
found a very long stretch of smooth sailing;  
and the apostle but spoke his own bitter experi-
ence when, on his return trip, he assured the 
churches raised up on this tour that " we must  
through much tribulation enter into the king- 
dom of God." Yerse 22. The experience of  
those ministers is in marked contrast with a re-
cent comment in a leading denominational or- 
gan. Speaking of the improvements made by  
a prominent pastor in his church and parson- 
age, it was said that " he would soon have  
things just as nice as any one could wish." The  
first success at Iconium aroused the jealousy  
and envy of the Jews; their influence was at  
stake, as it had been at other places, and  
they stirred up strife against the new teachers.  
They incited the Gentiles to opposition, and in- 
voked the power of the authorities of the city, 
bringing charges of evil designs on the part of  
Paul and Barnabas when they should have  
gained the adherence of the people. However, 
the Lord "  gave testimony unto the word of his  
grace, and granted signs and wonders to be  
done by their hands." Yerse 3. Here again  
was the proof that no one can resist the wis- 
dom and power of the Spirit of truth. All the  
temporally victories that have ever been gained  
by the enemy have been by falsehood and decep- 
tion, or by brute force. And even these appar- 
ent .triumphs have always been in some way  
turned to the glory of God.  
Paul and Barnabas Fled.  
FINALLY " there was an assault made," with  
the intent of stoning the ministers of Christ*  
and they being made aware of it, " fled unto  
Lystra and Derbe," in the same province.  
There was no cowardice about this fleeing. A  
" long time " they had abode there " speaking  
boldly in the Lord," notwithstanding the de- 
termined opposition of their enemies. Paul,  
especially, proved by his whole life that he was  
no coward, and his coming back to Iconium in  
a short time afterward is evidence that he was  
not actuated in feeling by any dread of physi- 
cal consequences. He could do no more good  
there at that time, and his mission to the Gen-
tile world had but commenced. The Master  
himself evaded attempts upon his life by flee- 
ing, wThen he could have conquered his enemies  
upon the spot. John 8 : 59; 10 : 39. No dis- 
ciple is justified in unnecessarily exposing him- 
self to danger, as the glory of God and the  
honor of his cause can in no way be upheld by 
mere bravado of puny humanity. Let all cour- 
age be in the Lord, and let bis Spirit dictate  
when to stand and when to flee. A firm trust 
will insure the guidance.  

Unselfish Zeal.  
NEVER were the freaks of human nature, or  
the vicissitudes of the Christian life and minis- 
try more clearly demonstrated than at Lystra,  
on the occasion of the first visit of the mission- 
aries. There was no Jewish synagogue here,  
and but few Jews. Utter strangers, Paul and  
Barnabas gathered the people about them as  
best they could, and made known the gospel of  
Christ. In the assembly was a poor cripple 
wdio had never been able to walk. Pftul sawr  
that he had faith, and healed him. With all 
the excitement characteristic of heathenism, 
the people set about to worship the apostles.  
Had the ministers been seeking their own 
glory or pecuniary gain—as was charged against 
Paul by the false apostles of Corinth, and has 
often been charged by the enemies of Christ 
since—here was their opportunity. The peo-
ple believed they were gods come down from  
heaven, and were ready to comply with any  
outward demand. But they disclaimed all 
honor, and endeavored to show the peop?e that  
it was from this kind of worship that their  
teaching was designed to turn them. And the 
next thing we are told is that this same excita-
ble community, under other leaders, are incited 
to put to death those whom they but a short 
time previous were ready to honor with sac-
rifice and worship. So much for the wisdom  
of men. 
Characteristic Inconsistency.  
WHILE the servants of the Lord were en- 
deavoring to turn the heathen to  the worship  
of the true God, they were followed up by  
their persecutors from Antioch and Iconium— 
representatives of the professed church of God.  
These bigoted zealots of the popular church  
now joined the heathen, whom they considered 
to be unclean, and instigated a riot against the 
reformers. To this envious extreme do all 
professors and churches go when they seek to 
maintain merely their own name and authority.  
The same spirit of envy has pursued the church  
from age to age until the present time, and  
must eventually take possession of every indi- 
vidual or body professing godliness, which re-
fuses to keep pace with the light of truth, and  
with every advance step in the great reforma- 
tion which God is working by his Spirit amongst  
his children. When men profess to believe the  
wx>rd of God, yet reject its plain fulfillment;  
when they assume the " form of godliness," 
yet "deny the power thereof" when it is  
plainly demonstrated before their eyes; they  
are prepared for almost any degree of incon- 
sistency—even to a rejection of the "com-
mandments of God and the faith of Jesus."  
The Stoning- of Paul.  
THE idol-worshipers of Lystra, not receiving  
the word of truth sent unto them, and being  
greatly disappointed on learning that the apos- 
tles were not the gods which they had sup- 
posed them to  be, were in a proper frame of  
mind to be incited to any extreme action.  
When, therefore, the Jews from Antioch and  
Iconium had given out false impressions of the  
disciples, the people were only too ready to  
rush upon them with deadly intent. And thus  
it ever has been,—those who refuse to obey the 
truth are easily led to believe a lie; and such a  
condition is specially pointed out by this same  
apostle as pertaining to the last days. 2 Thess. 
2:11. Paul was stoned and dragged out of  
the city as dead. But as the disciples mourned  
around him, he rose up, praising God, and en- 
tered with them into the city again. This oc- 
currence was no doubt of great value to the new  
converts of Lystra, in confirming their faith. 
Here it was demonstrated to them that those  
who followed Jesus not only had the power of 
God accompanying them, but that  part of their  
calling was to suffer for his name who had died  

for them. The young man Timothy learned a  
lesson here that did much toward preparing  
him for the important station which he filled in  
after years. Not a drop of Christian blood  
was ever spilled in persecution that did not in  
some way yield fruit to the glory of God.  
To Derbe and Return to Antioch.  
THE next day after their dreadful experience  
at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas went on their 
way to Derbe. Here they are said to have se-
cured many converts, and apparently without  
any demonstrative opposition. Then they re- 
turned, by the same route they had come (ex-
cept that they passed by Cyprus), to Antioch,  
"whence they had been sent forth." On their  
return they preached the word at Perga, in  
Pamphylia, which place had previously been  
passed by.  
This journey, undertaken in A. D. 45, in- 
cluded about 1,400 miles of travel, and occu- 
pied in time about one year and a half. We  
can imagine the returned missionaries received  
a joyful greeting by the church at Antioch,  
"from whence they had been recommended to  
the grace of God for the work wThich they had 
fulfilled." And it is enough to arouse the dor-
mant missionary spirit of the most careless 
Laodicean to contemplate the rejoicing over 
the results of that enterprise, as Paul and Bar-
nabas "rehearsed all that God had done with  
them, and how he had opened the door of faith  
unto the Gentiles."  
The First Internal Strife.  
THE 15th chapter of Acts gives an account  
of the first serious internal trouble in the church.  
The Judean Jews were slow to believe and ac- 
knowledge that the Gentiles were on an equal  
footing with themselves under the gospel. We  
find even Peter, under whose ministry the  
broken partition had first been fully demon- 
strated, at one time so manifesting his preju- 
dice that "even Barnabas was carried away." 
Gal. 2:11-13. In the midst of the prosper- 
ous times enjoyed at Antioch, after the return 
of Paul and Barnabas, certain ones came from 
Judea and taught the brethren that they should  
be circumcised and keep the law of Moses.  
Paul and Barnabas resisted the doctrine, but 
the dissension grew to such an extent that it  
was decided to have the matter settled at Jeru-
salem. At this meeting Peter gave his testi-
mony, during which he raised a pointed ques- 
tion: "Now therefore why tempt ye God, to  
put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which 
neither our father's nor we were able to bear?"  
In modern times, some who are sore pressed  
for excuse to disregard the moral law have  
grasped at this straw, and teach that the " yoke "  
here referred to is the ten commandments. But  
the idea is not advanced by any of the stand- 
ard commentaries, and in fact was little thought 
of by any one till all other arguments against  
the Sabbath of the Lord had failed. Circum- 
cision was the main question at issue, it being  
a prominent part of the ceremonial law; but  
the moral law says nothing about circumcision,  
nor indeed any other ceremony. That law the  
observance of which is the evidence of love,  
Rom. 13 : 10, cannot be called a yoke of bond- 
age in the sense of being burdensome. To the  
obedient follower of Christ, his law is a yoke  
only in the sense of submission, with rest—it  
is "easy" and "light." Matt. 11:28-30.  
But this first internal disturbance in the  
church was happily adjusted by all concerned  
"agreeing to the decision of the arbiters. Al- 
though the question was a momentous one for 
that age and people, we do not read of any  
faction growing out of it, or the setting up of  
an Independent Church of the Circumcision, or  
any " agreement to disagree." It wTas settled  
by honestly " endeavoring to keep the unity  
of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph. 4: 3.  
W. N. GLENN.


MARCH 13, 1884.  167  
" Things Indifferent."  
THE fact is, that the people do not need la- 
borious efforts to uphold an indulgence in  
"things indifferent." They are led astray by  
them. The young man thinks that wine-drink-
ing is a "thing indifferent," and next he acts  
as if it were a "thing indifferent" whether he  
be a drunkard or not. The indifferent cards 
are shuffled for amusement until he is educated  
for gambling; and what difference is it, if he  
spend whole nights in cheating and being  
cheated? The indifferent dance engages the  
young men and maidens, and they whirl through  
ball-rooms and trip into perdition with bad  
company. So of other amusements leading to  
vice. In the very last excesses of their sins,  
such persons still plead "indifference, " for they  
do become indifferent to God, to conscience, to  
religion, to the soul, and to salvation. These  
"things indifferent" are the first steps toward  
wretchedness and ruin.  
Are they indifferent? They might be, one  
says. They might be,  if the person kept him- 
self within the bounds of innocence. But where  
are those limits? Tell us just where a lamb  
becomes a sheep, and we may draw the line. 
Nay, we cannot then. For these, things are  
not to be considered simply per se (by them-
selves). Their tendency and influence must be  
taken into account. There is no such thing as  
drinking a glass of wine per se. It is not an 
act beginning and ending in itself. Who doubts  
that the tendency of card-playing is to gam- 
bling, and that of dancing is to reveling, and  
that of occasional drinking is to frequent drink- 
ing and to intoxication? Who denies that  
many moderate drinkers become excessive 
drunkards? Who denies that many young  
men begin by imitating moderate drinkers, and  
end in the excesses of drunkenness? Look  
into the social circle where the glass circulates,  
and mark those who drain it. Follow them  
through life. Into how mauy hovels must you  
go? Into how many crimes? Into how many  
prisons? Into how many dreary abodes to  
bear a drunkard to his grave ? The statistic.?  
of the past are alarming. The present increase 
of social tippling must make them frightful.  
In what had they their beginning ? In those 
" things indifferent."  
But are they indifferent? They cannot be  
if they lead to crime, to misery, to self-destruc- 
tion. They cannot be if they insult God and  
blast the soul forever. Nay, they are matters  
of conscience. Ought I not to have a tender 
conscience in regard to my tastes, my appetites,  
my habits, and my influence? Grant that it  
be not a sin per se for me to take a glass of  
wine; ought I not to  have a scrupulous con- 
science in regard to  the influence of that glass  
upon others? If I take one in the drawing- 
room, they may take scores of them in the dram- 
shop. Surely, it is not a perverted conscience  
that reproves one for his evil influence. Then  
is it any perversion of conscience for one to  
feel that it is a sin to take the social glass?  
Surely not. Then total abstinence is based, not  
on expediency alone, but on conscience.  
Will the church allow itself to be moved and  
placed upon the ground of total indifference?  
Will Christians take that position? It is not  
solid ground. It has not an enlightened, recti- 
fied, and sanctified conscience as the substratum 
for a good foundation. It is but a quagmire of  
quicksand. The church cannot stand securely  
upon it. Yet its white spire may be seen. The  
tried and the tempted will see it when laboring  
at the helm to make their entrance into the  
port of safety. They will see it in the wrong 
place, it having beeu removed from the founda- 
tions built for it by Christ and bis apostles.  
They will not know of the removal; and, with  

an eye upon it, they will make shipwTreck upon  
the hidden sands of intemperance.  
Shall this be so ? Shall our young men perish  
saying, " We began our career with the doctrine 
that our amusements and indulgences were  
'things indifferent.' The church taught it to us. 
We were deluded by it; for it was so tenaciously  
held and so largely expounded. It made up the  
thunders that we heard, while the warning to  
abstain, lest we should injure ourselves and  
others, came in feeble whispers. Christians 
were ever saying, ' No harm, it is not a sin in  
itself;' but we scarcely heard the wise advice,  
' Look not thou upon the wine when it is red,  
when it giveth its color in the cup, when it 
moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like  
a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.' We  
looked, we took, we drank, we gave, we were 
ruined." Shall they say this when writhing 
under the adder's sting? Not if the church 
stand on the ground of self-denial, and heed  
the doctrine upon which Baul insisted, " That  
no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion  
to fall, in his brother's way." " When ye sin  
so against the brethren, and wound the weak 
conscience, ye sin against Christ."—Sel.  
The Fountain of Crime and Suffering-.  
JUDGE BITMAN, of Massachusetts, tells us that  
in 1871 about $600,000,000 was the amount 
paid for liquor in this country. The total ex- 
penditure for all schools, public and private, for  
the same year was less than one-sixth of that 
sum. " All the libraries of the country, public 
and private," says the same authority, "are 
are said to contain 45,528,938 volumes, which,  
valued at $2 a volume would give $91,057,876.  
So we drink up all our books in less than two  
months ! " This, be it remembered, is only the  
direct cost. The indirect, though it cannot be  
estimated, it is safe to say, will probably equal  
the direct. The malt liquor traffic rose from  
2,000,000 barrels in 1863 to 13,000,000 in 1880.  
In the State of Ohio, of which I wish to  
speak in particular, according to Governor Fos- 
ter's last message to the Legislature, there are  
about 16,000 saloons—one to every 225 of the  
population; one to every 45 voters; one to ev- 
ery 30 families, even in Cleveland—one of the  
most moral cities in the State. "The entire  
traffic in the State," he adds, " will probably  
exceed $70,000,000 annually." " The Cincinnati 
annual grog bill," says the Gazette of that city, 
"is $9,036,000, or $30.12 for each man, woman, 
and child in the city."  
The Ohio statistics for 1881 give the amount  
received for distilled liquors in Cincinnatti as a  
little less than $30,000,000, while the aggregate  
value of the receipts for the coffee, sugar, mo- 
lasses, and rice of the city was only about $12,- 
500,000. The Hon. Mills Gardner says that,  
within the past thirty years, the "manufacture  
and consumption of malt liquors have risen from  
an almost nominal amount to more than 2,000,-
000 barrels annually in Ohio alone." These fig- 
ures may serve to give some approximate idea  
of the "innumerable trap-doors" upon which  
the people are being pushed, and through which  
they are falling into the " great tide  of eter- 
nity."—Rev. James Brand.  
THE Woman's Christian Temperance Union  
of Yonkers, N. Y., failing to secure the intro- 
duction of temperance books into the public  
schools, have organized a temperance school in  
the largest ball in the place, and have several  
hundred children together every Friday after- 
noon. They have a noble band of women who 
take and pledge the children, teach them the  
"Catechism on Alcohol," and now have intro- 
duced the "Boys' and Girls' Temperance Text- 
Book." These children are taught the funda- 
mental truths of the nature and effects of alco- 
hol upon the human system, and go through a 
drill equal to any other day-school.  

A Word to Physicians.  
THERE is reason to believe that a large per- 
centage of the drunkenness among men and 
women, is caused by physicians' prescriptions.  
That many obstinate cases have been brought  
about in this way can be proved beyond a doubt.  
There is, however, a marked improvement of  
late, even among physicians, who are giving the  
subject much thought, the result of which is  
favorable to the disuse of liquors in their prac-
tice.  
The eminent physician, Dr. Muzzy, says:  
" That alcohol is a poison to our organization,  
is evident from observation. It is that sub- 
stance, in whatever form it may be, which, 
when applied to a living surface, disconcerts  
life's healthy movements. Such a poison is al- 
cohol; such in all its forms, mix it as you may.  
It is never digested and converted into nourish- 
ment." Says another: "I have come to the 
conclusion that alcohol, as a medicine, may be 
wholly dispensed wTith, and the more speedy 
and thorough restoration of health, and the  
prolongation of life be insured." Baron Leibig  
also says, "Beer, wine, spirits, etc., furnish no 
element capable of entering into the composi- 
tion of blood, muscular fiber, or any part which  
is the seat of the vital principle." These and  
many others furnish testimony which is indis- 
putable, and it is to be hoped that soon all 
physicians will protest in like manner against  
the use of liquors in their practice.  
Moderate Drinking.  
A YOUNG man, with an inherited taste for liq- 
uor, was at a Masonic festival, where was also an  
English clergyman who was in the habit of freely 
drinking beer. He called for a bottle, and offered 
a glass to the young man: " Mr. Cushing, have 
a glass of beer with me." I looked at him and  
said, " Don't you dare to touch it." Said the  
clergyman, sneeringly, "Are you his mental ad- 
viser ? I hope you are able to take a glass without  
making a fool of yourself." The young man said,  
" If my pastor can drink, so can I." He took it.  
At the end of three weeks he died of strong drink.  
During his deliriums he exclaimed, in bis agony.  
" God won't damn me for drinking unless he also 
damns Dr. Bichmond." That minister mur- 
dered my friend, but he walks the earth to-clay,  
unhung.—Mrs. Molloy.  
GRIEF banished by wine will come again,  
And come with a deeper shade,  
Leaving, perchance, on the soul a stain,  
Which sorrow had never made.  
Then fill not the tempting glass for me;  
If mournful, I will not be mad;  
Better sad, because we are sinful, be,  
Than sinful because we are sad. —Sel.  
WITHIN the last few years the annual produc- 
tion of native opium in China is said to have in- 
creased from 100,000 to 300,000 chests, and it  
is stated that in some provinces as many as sixty  
out of one hundred of the whole population are 
opium-smokers. Hitherto, complaint has been  
made chiefly against the importation of foreign  
opium. But the cultivation of the poppy has  
spread rapidly over extensive districts, and it is  
now said that three times as much is produced as 
is imported. If the use of the drug, and the cul-
tivation of the plant which yields it, shall increase  
for a generation as during recent years, that  
whole populous country will be on the highway  
to ruin from this vice alone.  
THOSE parents who permit the introduction  
of cards to their premises may soon learn that 
their sons visit gambling-houses for the most dan-
gerous sort of "amusement." Total abstinence  
from card-playing, as well as drinking, is the  
safest rule everywhere. Christian parents par- 
ticularly should not allow cards to enter their  
dwellings; and if found there they should go  
into the fire with no special ceremony.—A. F,  
Independent.


168  
Cjn digits of % Cintes.  
" Can ye not discern the signs of the times ?'  
J. H. WAGGONER, EDITOR.  
E. J. WAGGONER, ASSISTANT EDITOR.  
URIAH SMITH, - - CORRESPONDING EDITOR.  
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY,  MARCH 13, 1884.  
Pacific Coast Council.  
LAST year Elder Haskell advised the holding of  
councils on the Pacific Coast. We are so far re-
moved from the places of holding the General Con-
ference, that very few of our citizens, and compara- 
tively few of our laborers, have much knowledge of 
such meetings. Of course it is understood that our 
councils have no strong resemblance to a regular  
Conference meeting; and yet they may add greatly 
to the interest and usefulness of our Conferences.  
Last week we published an article from Elder  
Haskell on this subject; and we received it with es- 
pecial pleasure, because there had been consultation  
in regard to it of late in this State.  
At our camp-meeting in San Jose,  in 1883, we  
were much pleased to meet Bro. Colcord of the Up- 
per Columbia Conference. And at a recent, and  
very important  meeting in Healdsburg we were  
again made glad by the presence of Bro. Boyd, of  
the North Pacific Conference. We believe that the 
cause in these two Conferences was benefited by the  
attendance of their Presidents at these important  
meetings.  
In consultation with Eld. W. C. White, who is on  
the General Conference Committee, it was decided  
to recommend that a council be convened at the  
next North Pacific Camp-meeting, which we expect 
will be held in East Portland. East Portland is  
separated from Portland only by the Willamette 
river. A more important place for a camp-meeting 
cannot be found north of the California line. It is  
expected that that will be the largest meeting ever  
held in the Northwest.  
Within the next year, we may reasonably expect,  
our work will be vigorously pushed into new fields.  
We speak more particularly of the country known  
as " the Pacific Slope." Our College at Healdsburg  
is doing a great work in preparing laborers for mis-
sionary work of various kinds. There is a large ex-
tent of territory east of California, Oregon, and  
Washington Territory, which calls for laborers.  
Indeed, there is a large amount of territory within 
California, Oregon, and Washington, which urgently 
calls for helpers. We hope that soon Nevada may 
have labor bestowed on her ripening fields. Idaho  
is ready and waiting, yes, calling for help. The isl- 
ands of the Pacific demand attention. " The har-
vest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few."  
Seventh-day Adventists believe in order. Almost  
all Adventists, after the churches so generally shut  
their doors against the doctrine in 1844, were op- 
posed to organization. But twenty-five years ago  
or more we plainly saw that without organization  
there would always be confusion, and our work  
would be crippled. Even at that time, when our  
numbers were so few, our churches were constantly  
laboring under difficulties; and much time was lost 
by the ministers, which might have been saved if  
order had been sooner established. Every year has 
confirmed us in the conclusion at which we then ar- 
rived, that there must be organization if we would 
remain united and have our work effective.  
And it has become apparent that the work, espe- 
cially in our younger and weaker Conferences, may  
be greatly strengthened and expedited if there are  
councils where the workers and represent itive men 
of several Conferences can meet together, to can- 
vass the prospects and wants of their several fields, 
and of new fields, and to devise means to best carry  

on the work under their circumstances. These also  
become seasons of special religious effort, to increase  
the spirituality of  the laborers and the people, and  
by thus together drawing nearer to God. In this 
our courage is renewed and our strength is increased.  
At the coming meeting in East Portland we think  
we may safely promise that, of those now in Cali- 
fornia, there will be present, Eld. White, of the Gen- 
eral Conference, Eld. Corliss, the editor of the SIGNS,  
and Bro. Ings. We are not now able to speak for 
others. The ministers and principal workers, and 
the officers of the Conference, should attend from  
Upper Columbia. There should be no failure in this. 
And there should be some from Idaho. Boise City 
should surely be represented.  
Idaho, being outside of any organized Conference,  
is, according to the Constitution of the General Con- 
ference, missionary ground. As such it is placed un- 
der the jurisdiction of the General Conference.  
Laborers going there should go under the sanction  
of the General Conference. But as the General 
Conference will be represented at East Portland,  
and the neighboring Conferences will there meet in 
council, it is of the greatest importance that Idaho 
be represented there. If there shall be even two or  
three friends of the cause from that Territory, or  
even one if no more can go, it will be the means of  
so interesting the brethren in that field, and so in  
forming them of its wants, that the work may be  
greatly forwarded there. If Idaho is not repre-
sented there, if her wants and situation are not set  
before the council, it may hinder the work more than  
can be readily appreciated. There is a strong desire 
now arising to do something for Idaho. We ear-
nestly hope that we shall meet some friends of the  
cause from that Territory.  
It seems unnecessary to speak for a general attend  
ance from all parts of the U. C. and N. P. Confer- 
ences. This will be the most important, and there- 
fore the most interesting meeting which has ever  
been held in the Northwest. We shall further speak  
of it hereafter.  
What Is Theology?  
WEBSTER enumerates five heads under which he  
classifies the science of theology, namely: Moral, 
natural, revealed, scholastic, and speculative. There  
are, doubtless, even in this age, some good and ac-
ceptable works on moral theology, and some works 
of value on revealed theology. But if we may judge  
by the popular church teaching we must decide  
that such works do not exercise any strong or con 
trolling influence over the current theology of the 
denominations. This seems to be an age of disin 
tegrations. Old landmarks are fast being removed 
The popular standard of faith is variable and super- 
ficial. Confidence in the Bible is giving way; its  
plainest facts and precepts are yielded to any tyro  
who presents a tolerably plausible theory and labels  
it "science." We have been led to remark—and  
our opinion is being confirmed by yearly observa 
tion—that men often profess to love the Bible when 
in fact they love only their opinions of the Bible  
This is proved to be a truth by their so frequently 
giving up the Bible rather than to give up their 
opinions.  
When they start out in that direction they have  
no idea of the terminus of the journey. Nor do 
they generally appreciate the influences which are  
moulding them un^il their faith is undermined 
And so liable are they to be mistaken in themselves 
—so subtle are the deceptions of the enemy—that  
we have seen them pose as model Bible believers  
even after they had openly set it aside as of no  
authority.  
Some years since we presented our present faith  
the doctrines of the Lord's coming, the Sabbath, etc  
—before the members of a certain church in Wis  
consin. A prominent member said to his brethren  

that they were hound to accept the teaching be- 
cause it was according to the Bible, and in their cov- 
enant they had promised to take "the Bible as their  
ule of faith and practice." This was denied by  
another, who said they had covenanted to take only  
the New Testament. To settle the dispute a meet- 
ing was called, and the covenant was produced, and  
it said "the Bible." Whereupon a motion was  
made, and passed by a goodly majority, that they  
strike the Bible out of the covenant! and the New  
Testament was inserted in its place. That was  
twenty-six years ago. We do not know how many  
would like openly to take the same position; but we  
do believe there are many who, if they acted out  
their feelings, would vote the Bible out of their  
churches.  
Representative men of nearly all the churches  
now are putting forth their theories which are un- 
dermining the authority of the law of ten com- 
mandments; and in furtherance of this object, they  
are setting aside the entire Old Testament. Re-
cently a church member, in his efforts to evade the 
position of a Seventh-day Adventist, in answer to  
the statement that the Bible is the rule of our life, 
said that the Bible was only of use to us to prove 
that Christ is come. Now we are to look to him  
alone.  
It is quite true that we are to look to him alone as  
the author and the way of salvation, whose blood  
alone can cleanse from sin. But it is equally true  
that "sin is the transgression of the law," and that  
we are not permitted to transgress the law under  
the pretext of causing grace to abound. Rom.  3:20;  
1-3. The Saviour prayed to the Father, in behalf  
of his disciples, "Sanctify them through thy truth;  
thy word is truth." John 17 :17. Any theory  
which sets aside the word of God—and the Old Tes-
tament is the word of God, and to it the Saviour re-
ferred in his prayer—is subversive of the principles 
of righteousness; it  is opposed to the sanctification  
of the believer on a true Scriptural basis.  
Another instance of giving up the landmarks, and  
yielding the Scriptures to the life-long opponents of  
the orthoclox faith, is found in the tendency to spir-
itualize the declarations of the Bible in regard to 
future rewards. The following paragraph is copied 
from a Congregationalist paper, being part of a ser- 
mon preached by a minister of that church:—  
" I hold that the soul is immaterial, and that its  
happiness and misery are internal to itself, the re- 
sult of no moral surroundings, but exclusively the  
result of its own moral condition. The soul is in  
Heaven when in a state of equilibrium and peace;  
it is in hell when in a state of unrest, out of har- 
mony with itself and with God."  
In our younger days we lived some time in a  
neighborhood which was almost a stronghold of Uni-
versalism; and we attended their preaching, and 
read extensively their papers and books, and (we  
say it with regret), we became so deeply interested  
that we were almost persuaded that they had the 
truth of the Bible. We speak of this to show that  
we became well acquainted with the system. And 
we affirm, without any fear of being contradicted  
by any one who understands the subject, that the  
above paragraph, as far as the final condition of the  
sinner is concerned, is pure and unadorned Univer-
salism. Every soul "in a state of unrest, out of  
harmony with God," is in hell already! And yet  
some such souls enjoy that position, and would fain  
remain in hell; indeed, they cannot be urged to  
leave it when the door is opened before them. And  
if hell in the future is no more crossing to their feel- 
ings than is hell in the present state, most of them  
will be willing to risk it, and—not go to hell, as they 
are there already, but—remain there to all eternity!  
Only prove to them that this old Universalist the- 
ory is truly orthodox, and the preaching of the cross 
of Christ will he foolishness indeed in their sight.  
As to the reward of the righteous, if they are al- 
ready in Heaven, with cares, and tears, and groans,


MARCH 13, 1884.  169  j —  
and tribulations, what assurance have they that  
these afflictions will not always attach to them in 
Heaven? Is this the teaching of the Bible? No,  
no. It is only a perversion of gospel truth, and is  
part of a spiritualizing system which makes the Bi-
ble a mere plaything in the hands of every dreamer.  
By just such things as these, made popular in large 
denominations, " the way of truth shall be evil  
spoken of."  
The Bible is a plain book, well suited to the wants  
and conditions of plain people. It  is said in the  
gospel that, when Christ spoke, "the common people 
heard him gladly." But if his preaching had re-
sembled that of the spiritualizes, the common peo- 
ple would have gone away uninstructed.  
We deeply regret that such teaching as that of  
the paragraph above quoted is becoming popular.  
Man is a fallen being; the race is inclined to have 
its own way. However faithfully the Bible is  
preached, it is difficult to arouse people to a sense of  
their condition and their danger. But such doc-
trine as that here noticed is only calculated to lull  
them to sleep. May the Lord in mercy open the  
eyes of the blind shepherds, before the day comes  
spoken of by Jeremiah the prophet: "Howl, ye 
shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the  
ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the days of  
your slaughter and of your dispersions are accom-
plished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel." 
Jer. 25. That day will surely come, and the un- 
faithful ones, who have misled the people, and vir- 
tually taught them that no evil shall befall them  
for their evil doings, will have their portion with  
the hypocrites.  
We are aware that it may be said, These people  
are sincere, and you should have charity. But we 
dare not hold our peace. We believe the Pharisees, 
in the days of the Saviour, were generally sincere, 
and that they thought they were the only safe lead-
ers of the people. We do not accept man as our  
standard. "To the law and to the testimony; if 
they speak not according to this word, it is because  
there is 110 light in them." We pity them, but duty  
compels us to warn the people of the danger of  
such teachings.  
Progress of the Work at Healdsburg-.  
THE first Sabbath in this month was a day of in- 
terest and profit to the church at Healdsburg; of 
profit not only to the church, but to the College, and  
through it to the cause throughout the State. In  
the forenoon, Eld. Corliss preached from Col. 3 :2, 3: 
"Set your affection on things above, not on things  
on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid  
with Christ in God." The responsibilities resting  
upon those who profess to be members of Christ's  
body, were clearly set forth. We belong to the fam- 
ily of Christ, and are individually responsible for 
the reputation of the family. The danger of be- 
coming estranged from Christ by following the vain 
and silly fashions of the world, was dwelt upon 
with earnestness. The true Christian will indeed  
be dead,—insensible to the allurements of the  
world.  
After the sermon, the congregation repaired to the  
usual place of baptism, where six souls were bap- 
tized, as evidence of their faith in the death and 
resurrection of Christ, and their determination to be 
henceforth new creatures in Christ. Four of this  
number are students at the College,—two of them  
from Mendocino County, one from Humboldt County,  
and one a resident of Healdsburg.  
In the afternoon some twenty of those who intend  
to labor in the various capacities in the field during  
the summer, met in one of the rooms of the College  
building, together with Elds. White, Corliss, Israel,  
and Healey, to consider some plans for the coming  
campaign. So far as a division of labor had been 
made, all heartily acquiesced in the  suggestions of  

the Conference Committee, expressing themselves as  
willing to labor to the extent of their ability, in 
any field to which they might be assigned. As tes- 
timonies and exhortations were given, the Spirit of 
the Lord came into the meeting, and all felt 
strengthened and encouraged.  
We believe that the spirit of love and harmony  
that exists among the workers, and which seems to 
be increasing, augurs well for the success of the  
work. As was stated by one brother, the laborers 
must press together if they would see the work pros- 
per. But it is God who sends prosperity, and blesses 
our efforts; in order to succeed, we must draw near  
to God, and when we all get near him, it follows as  
a natural consequence that we will be near to one 
another. We confidently expect to see the cause of  
God advance greatly this year. If God is in the  
work, of which there ^an be no doubt, and the 
workers go forth accompanied by his Spirit, we cer- 
tainly may expect great things.  
During the past two weeks the missionary class  
has enjoyed the presence and labors of Bro. White,  
who has given much valuable instruction in regard  
to canvassing, doing colporter work, and preparing a 
field for tent labor. Certainly those who go into the 
field with a definite plan of operations in mind, and  
are fortified, as far as possible, against every objec-
tion that can be made, have a far better prospect of  
success than those who go out trusting alone to their 
general, unclassified knowledge, and the inspiration  
of the moment, for the means to awaken the interest 
of the indifferent, and to answer those who make  
objections. It is just this definite, practical knowl- 
edge that the instructors at Healdsburg College aim  
to impart. Brethren, remember the work, and pray  
for the workers. E. J. w.  
For Deeds Done.  
IN reference to the subject of the sanctuary, and  
the investigative Judgment which we teach is now  
going forward, a question sometimes arises in sub- 
stance as follows:—  
A man's influence for good or evil, as exerted  
through his example, teachings, and life, is felt, and 
helps to mold the characters of others as long as  
time shall last. How, then, when his case comes up 
in the investigative Judgment, can he be judged  
for his deeds and life, before the results or effects of  
that life have ceased ?  
This is indeed an insuperable objection to the  
view that a man is judged as soon as he dies. In 
that case a large portion, perhaps much the larger 
portion, of the evil influence of some persons is  
either left out  of the count, or the Lord is obliged  
to anticipate in their judgment.  
This difficulty we conceive is entirely obviated in  
our views of the investigative Judgment of the 
heavenly sanctuary. The natural order would 
seem to be that the work should commence with the  
first generation of men, and come down through  
succeeding generations in consecutive order to the  
end. And we know that of all the earlier genera- 
tions of men there are none, with but exceedingly 
few exceptions, whose influence has not for genera- 
tions been as dead as their bodies. The account  
with such persons can be at once closed up, and the  
decision of the Judgment rendered.  
This is especially the case with the wicked. It  
strikes us as something a little remarkable, as we 
think upon it. If we go back only three or four  
generations from our own time, how many ungodly  
persons can be named whose teachings, life, or ex- 
ample is exerting a pernicious influence on the 
world to-day? It is marvelous how soon the influ- 
ence of the wicked is cut off. With the righteous  
it is not wholly so; for even Abel, with many of the  
ancient worthies who are set forth as examples, and 
all Bible writers, are to the present day exerting an  
influence upon multitudes for good. Perhaps a few  

ancient heathen philosophers may be counted on 
the other side.  
But giving this the widest scope possible, it is  
seen at once that but very few of those who have 
long been dead are wielding any potent influence 
over the human family at the present time. And if  
the number were ten times as great as it is, it would 
involve no difficulty; for we can readily see how  
easy and appropriate a thing it would be to count  
that man in the Judgment work, whose influence is  
still alive and active among men, as himself still  
with the living, and leave his case to be decided  
with the cases of the living, at the very close of the  
sanctuary work and of probation.  
But, further, we are to consider that the investi- 
gative work in the sanctuary is not for the purpose  
of tracing out the full guilt of the sinner and de- 
termining  the degree of his punishment, but simply  
to decide the question whether, taking into account  
his deeds to that point where his probation ended,  
he should be assigned a place with the righteous or 
the wicked. And this is all that need be deter-
mined in this Judgment, all else being left till after  
the coming of Christ, to that Judgment of the thou- 
sand years, 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Eev. 20 :4, in which the  
cases of the wicked will all be examined, their deeds,  
and the influence of them while time lasted, be  
taken into the account, and the punishment to be  
rendered in the second death be accurately adjusted 
to the degree of their guilt. u. s.  
South Lancaster, Mass., School.  
IT may be interesting to the readers of the SIGNS,  
especially those on the Pacific Coast, to learn some-
thing of the progress of the school at South Lan- 
caster, and more particularly so considering that the  
school a\ Healdsburg, Cal., and the one at South  
Lancaster commenced at nearly the same time, and  
were established upon the same principles.  
With us it was more of an experiment, although  
we have always had great faith in the plan adopted  
by these schools; that any school established upon  
correct principles will prosper, and that God will  
add his blessing to efforts put forth in the right di- 
rection, and we shall see them succeed. We serve  
a God who is all-powerful, and his providence is  
over his own work; neither does he leave his people  
to fight their battles alone, but he goes before them  
and works for them to his name's glory.  
We believe that the school upon the Pacific Coast  
will yet furnish laborers for the islands of the Pa- 
cific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, and many 
plac£S where as yet the living preacher has never  
gone, in addition to its influence in America; and  
we hope as great results will be achieved by the  
College at South Lancaster, in the country border- 
ing upon the Atlantic Coast and the islands of the  
Atlantic Ocean, and distant lands east; while the  
Battle Creek College will furnish a class of laborers  
that will form a clasp to bind the influence of the 
two schools in the one great work until the influ- 
ence of all will encircle, the world. From these 
schools there should be hundreds of teachers that  
will commence smaller schools in every Conference  
of S. D. Adventists in America, and we know of no  
reason why the same spirit should not reach the 
European Continent where our missions are estab- 
lished.  
It is now nearly two years since these schools,  
were opened. Our brethren in the East, realizing  
the nearness of the time of trouble, thought that  
there should be a school for the benefit of those who  
could not have the advantage of the one at Battle 
Creek, Mich. They have labored under some disad- 
vantages that our brethren in California have not  
experienced, having no suitable  school buildings.  
During the first term of the school, although number- 
ing less than forty, students were under the neces- 
sity of reciting in three separate buildings. In the  
winter the number so increased that they were


170  THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.  VOL. 10, No. 11.  
obliged to occupy the meeting-house,  in which the  
school has been held from that time to the present.  
Having no suitable rooms in the boarding-house in 
which the students could study, they have been un-
der the necessity of spending all their study hours  
in the meeting-house.  Notwithstanding  these diffi- 
culties, the results of the first year were far greater  
than our most sanguine expectations.  ; This encour- 
aged our brethren to go forward; consequently, at a  
general meeting held in Lancaster about one year 
ago, a resolution was passed authorizing  our School  
Committee to proceed to erect such buildings as  
would be suitable for the school; but owing to cir- 
cumstances, nothing was done in this direction un- 
til the present winter.  
At the general meeting held at Lancaster in De- 
cember, it was voted to proceed at once to raise  
$25,000 to purchase land and erect buildings. One- 
half this sum was pledged at this meeting. In less 
than one week from the close of the meeting twenty-
six acres of desirable land were purchased in the  
village of South Lancaster, for cultivation  and a  
building site. During this week a corporation was  
organized with the following persons as directors:  
S. N. Haskell, D. A. Robinson, G. H. Bell, E. P.  
Farnsworth, C. W. Comings, J. C. Tucker, and C. E. 
Palmer.  
At a subsequent meeting the board was organized,  
electing S. N. Haskell, President; D. A. Robinson,  
Secretary; E. P. Farnsworth, Treasurer. A stock- 
book was opened and stock has been issued repre- 
senting 226 shares at $25 each. Others have paid  
in their pledges in part, so that there has been paid  
up to date upon real estate, including  what was  
paid for lumber, school furniture, etc., over $10,000.  
A portion of the lumber and stone for the founda-
tion of the buildings are already upon the ground.  
Building will commence early this spring. It is de-
cided to erect two school-buildings,  one 45x65 feet  
with a 13x20 front, in which will be placed the  
stairs, leaving the main building for recitation and  
lecture-rooms, etc.; and another about 40x75 or 80 
feet, three stories high, with basement.  
Believing it would be for the interest of the stu- 
dents to have manual labor connected with the  
school, and that this manual labor should be di- 
rected in useful trades, it has been arranged to con-
nect with the school at least six trades, four of  
which are now in active operation, viz., the manu- 
facturing of tents and brooms, mending of boots 
and shoes, and printing; and it is hoped before  
spring opens two other trades will also be introduced, 
besides gardening.  
It is needless tb state that there have been dis- 
couraging circumstances connected with the school,  
but no more so than might be expected with any  
new enterprise. Looking back over the past two 
years, it can truthfully  be said that God has dealt  
with this school in great mercy and given largely of 
his Spirit. Quite a large number have been con- 
verted and baptized, some of them as marked cases 
as we have seen for a number of years.  
At least twelve of the students are now active  
laborers in the cause in different Conferences, a  
number of whom came to the school without any  
idea of engaging in the work of God. Some of 
these were converted here, and so partook of the  
missionary  spirit that they have gone forth and be- 
come successful in colporter work. There has also  
been a school started in Rome, N. Y., by a student 
from this school, which is now in successful opera-
tion; while Maine and Vermont have efficient sec-
retaries who received their instruction in this 
branch of the work in connection with this school  
during the first year. For these things we thank  
God and take courage.  
During the next term, which will commence the  
17th of March, there will be a course of instruction 
given, especially adapted for those advanced stu-
dents who expect to enter the field as laborers the  

coming season, and also those of more mature years  
who have not had the benefit of instruction at this  
school.  
These various steps are entered upon not without  
much prayer and careful consideration. It is ex- 
pected that during the next term we shall see at 
least a score of men and women from the New  
England Conference, and as many more from other  
Conferences, who will enter the field as laborers 
during the summer of 1884.  
There are hundreds of young men and women, as  
well as those of gray hairs, who by a few weeks or  
months instruction  in language, letter-writing,  gen- 
eral missionary  and colporter work, and how to con- 
duct Bible-readings, will be qualified to become ef- 
ficient laborers in the cause; and others who have 
had some experience in the field, but have found 
themselves  deficient in some respects, can be greatly  
benefited by the special course of instruction  to be  
given next term.  
Many have a heart to do, but do not know how to  
set themselves about the work; a little instruction  
and mental training may change their entire course  
of life, when they can enter upon a sphere far  
more useful.  
Another feature of the school is to connect actual  
labor for souls with the instruction  received, if in- 
dividuals are being educated for teachers or col- 
porters, or in any feature of the missionary work- 
There will be long vacations in the summer, during  
which schools can be taken in our churches and the  
same principles be taught which have been received  
during the winter, and also canvassers, colporters, 
and ministers will exercise the gifts which God has  
given them, during the long summer vacations. In- 
deed it has been the aim, and God has seemed to  
signally bless the effort, to have such a school as  
will contribute to the advancement of the truths  
which we believe are applicable at the present time  
and also to enable those attending the school to form  
habits of industry that will fit them for  usefulness  
in any sphere where the providence of God may 
place them. We look forward with a degree of hope  
to the future of the schools among Seventh-day 
Adventists,  believing, if they are conducted prop- 
erly, they will contribute largely to the carrying 
forward of the work of God in the earth. It is al-
together too late to look forward to three, four, or  
six years of mental training before the individual  
enters upon the work of God which he is seeking to  
fit himself to do. There should be a combination 
of the practical with the theoretical, and an experi- 
ence should be had in every step taken. It is the  
building up of the character in every particular 
that will fit men and women for the kingdom of 
God. As the stream can rise no higher than the  
fountain, so individuals  can be useful only as they  
have had experience themselves. If this experience 
is connected with the acquiring of their education,  
then they will be qualified to lift the fallen, and  
make their work practical as they go forth from the  
institution  of learning. S. N. HASKELL.  
AN event worth y of note occurred at the First  
Baptist Church, on Columbia Avenue, Boston, on  
Sunday the second inst. The pastor announced  
that he would omit the regular sermon, as there was  
a more important duty on hand. One of the dea- 
cons then came forward and stated that it was his  
greatest desire that the church debt, amounting to 
$55,000, should be wiped out. As proof of the  
sincerity of his desire, he stated that he had been  
laying aside a sum of money each year for several 
years, with which to purchase a farm to which he 
could retire in his old age, and that he would now  
give the entire amount toward the cancellation of 
the church debt. His sacrifice stimulated others to  
give, and in less than an hour the entire amount  
was subscribed. This simply shows what may be  
done when men do not regard their own work as of  
greater importance than the Lord's.  

IPMMTNRIL  
Religious Persecution.  
IN giving the following  from one of our sub- 
scribers we withhold the name and place, as it  
might possibly be the means of further injury  
to the persecuted individual, or hedge up the  
way of his future labors to publish them:—  
" I could write much about the persecution  
here in S , which is being carried  on by the  
Catholic Church against one who has left them 
and united with those who keep the seventh  
day. He has been knocked down with stones  
and fired at with pistols. Last night he was 
assaulted by three men.  
<' Since he left that church he has been or- 
dained and been preaching in the different  
churches, and is now a firm believer in the sev-
enth-day Sabbath. His preaching in the differ- 
ent churches was always crowned with success.  
His name is . Please remember the name;  
he intends to be at the camp-meeting next  
summer, if the Lord permits. The half in re-
gard to his persecution is not told."  
We shall forward this letter to the President  
of the Conference from which it comes.  
SIGNS.  
The Work in California.  
OUR good meetings held at Healdsburg and  
Woodland were, in some respects, the best we 
have ever had in the State. The Bible-readings  
and close, practical sermons, attended by the 
Spirit of God, caused all to feel that in the past  
we have come far short of our duties and privi- 
leges in love to God and man. Earnest peti-
tions ascended to Heaven for a nearer walk  
with God, and answers of peace were returned.  
Testimonies  of gratitude to God were given  
and an increased spirit of brotherly love was  
manifested on the part of ministers and people.  
We feel grateful for the evidences of God's  
willingness  to bless his people and prosper his  
work in California. He has planted our pioneer 
missionary paper, THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, in  
our midst, which is visiting thousands of fam- 
ilies, introducing to them in all parts of the 
world the precious truths of the last message 
of mercy to the world. Then we have the 
School at Healdsburg, where scores of our  
young people are being fitted for usefulness in  
the cause. Not less than twenty will be ready  
to enter the field as laborers at the close of  
the special Biblical course of study, April 4. 
Some of these are from Oregon and Nevada, and 
will go out as canvassers or colporters, and  
quite a number to preach the message.  
The prospect for laborers never has been so  
favorable in this Conference, and with the bless-
ing of God a great work may be done the com-
ing season. At the Healdsburg and Woodland  
meetings, and one more recently held in Healds- 
burg, March 1, the wants of the cause in this  
Conference were quite freely discussed, and calls  
for labor considered, and as far as practicable,  
plans were laid for work during the coming  
season. A general meeting will be held in  
Oakland, April 18-28, similar to the one in 
Healdsburg, in connection with the State Quar- 
terly T. and M., and Publishing  Association  
annual meeting. This will be a very important  
meeting, at which it is expected Elders Lough- 
borough, Waggoner, and White, and Sister  
White and others will be present.  
The spring camp-meeting will be held at or  
near Los Angeles, preceded by a tent-meeting  
to be conducted by Elders Iiealey and Briggs,  
and others. We hope to charter cars or obtain  
reduced rates, so that many of our brethren  
and friends from the northern portion of the  
State may attend this camp-meeting.  
Elder Ballou and Bro. Rieck will labor in  
Humboldt County until July, when, if thought  
best, they will go to Nevada and hold a tent-


MARCH 13, 1884.  THE SIG-NS OF THE TIMES.  171  
meeting there. Bro. and Sister McClure and  
Bro. Henry Scott expect to labor in Humboldt  
County. Brethren Lucius Church and Frank  
Lamb go to Etna Mills, Siskiyou County. Brn. 
L. A. Scott and A. La Bue expect to go to  
Honolulu in May, after spending a few weeks  
with Brn. Ings and Brorsen at the mission in  
San Francisco. Elder Healey and myself ex-
pect to visit the churches in Fresno and Tulare  
Counties, commencing meetings Thursday even-
ing, 13th inst, at Fresno. After the Los An-
geles camp-meeting it is expected a tent-meeting  
will be held at Modesto by Elder Healey and  
Brn. Buckner and Swayze; and another at Or- 
ange or Santa Ana, by Elders St. John and  
Briggs. We ask an interest in the prayers of  
all that are interested in the work, that a great  
harvest of souls may be the result of the labors  
of the tent season of 1884. M. C. ISRAEL.  
Oakland, March 9, 188J+.  
North Pacific Camp-Meeting-.  
IT is time to be thinking about this meeting.  
Preparations should be made at an early date  
as something unforeseen may hinder us in mak-
ing our arrangements. At the last camp meet- 
ing the Conference instructed the committee to  
find a suitable place as near Portland as possi- 
ble. A good location has been found, and one  
which will be unusually convenient to reach  
from both East and West Portland; and we  
think this place can be obtained for our use.  
When this is determined, more will be said  
about the matter.  
Hundreds of persons have been interested in  
the truth through the SIGNS, and other mission- 
ary work, in and about Portland during the  
past year. A good camp-meeting will be just  
the place for these to receive further light, and  
also to bring hundreds more under the influ-
ence of this last message of warning. Breth- 
ren and sisters, this is not the time to ease  
up on our oars. The current is too strong.  
Where we have reached a few in the past, we  
want to reach thousands in the living present.  
Do you ask, " W^hat can I do for this meeting 
more than to attend it myself?" Get as many 
of your neighbors and your missionary sub- 
jects to  attend as possible. Pray to God un- 
til, like Jacob, you prevail upon the angels of  
Heaven to come to our encampment.  
Parents, bring your unconverted children.  
Do not leave them at home. God's arm is not  
shortened, and we want to see if unitedly we  
cannot prevail on him to open Heaven's win- 
dow's to pour us out a blessing, and we want  
many here to receive it. CHAS. L. BOYD,  
For N. P. Conference. Com.  
CAMP-MEETING COMMITTEE.  
THE following named brethren are requested  
to act as a Camp-meeting Committee for the N.  
P. Conference the present season: Henry At-
kins, John C. Hall, J. Kingsbury, J. E. Wilson,  
John Burden.  
A REQUEST.  
WILL those men who are willing to spend a  
few days in preparing the grounds for this im- 
portant camp-meeting, please notify Eld. Chas.  
L. Boyd, East Portland, Or., Box 18. Provis- 
ion will be  made for the board of those who  
labor on the ground. N. P. CONE. COM.  
Nebraska.  
WE are now preparing to hold a large camp- 
meeting in southeastern Nebraska, in the lat-
ter part of May or first part of June, 1884.  
We invite all to work and pray for the meet- 
ing. We want a large attendance, not only of  
our own people, but thousands of those not of 
our faith. Important matters pertaining to all 
branches of our work must be considered at  
this meeting. Exact place and date will be  
given in due time. A. J. CUDNEY.  

Women's Rights.  
DEAR SIGNS: AS the question of women's  
rights is receiving so general attention, a word  
on one branch of this question may be of inter- 
est to some of your readers. The Saviour rec- 
ognized woman's right to help support the 
cause of God, and to pour upon her Lord the  
precious ointment. It was woman's right to  
be the recipient of the last expressions of the  
care of Him whose words she had kept, and  
pondered in her noble heart; to be the first to 
receive words from a risen Saviour, and the  
first to embrace an ascended Redeemer.  
Although not personally with us now, this  
same Jesus has said that when he returns, 
" The King shall say unto them, Yerily I say  
unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto  
one of the least of these my brethren ye have  
done it unto me." The following quotations  
from a letter recently received, may be taken  
as an index to the manner in which some of  
our missionaries are exercising their rights as  
women. The writer first speaks of visiting a  
sick sister living several miles distant, and, be- 
cause the river was frozen over, she had to 
walk both ways. I take the liberty to quote 
as follows:—  
" On my  way back I called on Sister  
She had not seen a woman's face since she saw  
mine last, which must be four or five weeks  
ago. I went through the subject of  the seal- 
ing with her. She seemed so thankful. She  
has been quite sick, and so have some of  her  
children. We had a good season of prayer,  
and she seemed much encouraged. ... I  
have received a letter to-day from Mr. , of  
He says he commenced to keep the  
Sabbath the 2d of this month [February]. I 
am so glad. Says by God's grace he hopes  
to be faithful. God is blessing our efforts. He  
is one of the first I sent the SIGNS to after com-
ing here. He has been reading about two 
years. Others may commence keeping the  
Sabbath yet. They move more slowly when  
they come out by reading. . . . What an 
important time we are living in! we must be 
faithful.  
"I went and called on Mrs. , and had a  
good visit for an hour and a half. She urged  
me to stay longer. I am much more hopeful  
of her. The Lord seems to be working on her 
mind. I think she will do good. She has a  
Bible-reading appointed for next Friday even- 
ing, to examine the Sabbath question with a  
number of her friends. She has got some of 
our tracts to help her. She is a nice woman."  
It is one of woman's rights for our sisters to  
engage in faithful missionary work, and, amidst  
the fast-increasing perils by which we are sur-
rounded, to unite with the sons of Adam in un- 
doing, as far as possible, the evil brought upon  
the race by the united action of our first parents.  
And in view of the promised reward, this  right  
becomes a joyful privilege.  
CHAS. L. BOYD.  
West Chehalem, Or., Feb. 21, 188Jf.  
Sow the Seed.  
" IN the morning sow thy seed, and in the  
evening withhold not thine hand; for thou  
knowest not whether shall prosper, either this 
or that, or whether they both shall be alike 
good." Eccl. 11 : 6.  
Youth is here represented by the "morn- 
ing," old age by the " evening," showing the 
necessity there is for all, young and old, to be  
at work. Each has his place to fill, his work  
to do, and as we are living in the closing days 
of the gospel dispensation, how necessary it is 
that all should be at work "while it is day," 
remembering that " the night cometh, when  
no man can work." John 9 : 4. Jesus is soon  
coming; probation will soon close; the world  
must be warned; the time to sow is almost  

past. Oh! where are the sowers? Where are 
those that have been sowing? "No man hav- 
ing put his hand to the plough, and looking  
back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9 :  
62. Where are those that want to work, and  
no one has hired them?  "Go ye also into the  
vineyard and whatsoever is right I will give  
you." Matt. 24 : 7. Jesus is talking; do you  
believe him? Will you work for Jesus? He  
will see that you are paid.  
"For we are laborers together with God; ye  
are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."  
1 Cor. 3:9. "Husbandry," the business of  
cultivating the earth. Paul here gives us an  
illustration thai all may understand. We all  
know how the farmer goes to work to  raise a  
crop. He plows the ground, harrows it until  
all the clods are thoroughly pulverized, sows  
the seed and covers it so that the fowls will  
not pick it up, and leaves it to grow. But all  
this labor would be in vain if God did not give 
the increase. " Doth the plowman plow all  
day to sow? doth he open and break the clods 
of his ground? When he hath made plain the  
face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches,  
and scatter the cummin, and cast in the princi- 
pal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the 
rye in their place? For his God doth instruct  
him to discretion, and doth teach him." Isa.  
28 : 24-26.  
God works by means, and when he has a  
work to do on the earth among men, he raises  
up a people to do it; and if they fail he will 
raise up others to take their places and their  
crowns. The time for the third message ar- 
rived; the Seventh-day Adventists were raised 
up, and are now carrying this message to the  
world. The day of its proclamation is far  
spent, and we know it is to  go with a "loud  
voice."  
Now for the work. A husbandman does not  
sow his seed before the ground is plowed, and  
if it is cloddy after he has broken it up, he will  
harrow and roll it, until he gets it thoroughly 
pulverized and level; then he will sow the 
seed. The seed to be sown is all ready, in the 
shape of tracts, pamphlets, books, and papers.  
The man that sows no grain in seed-time can- 
not expect to reap in the time of harvest. If  
he does not prepare his ground, he cannot ex- 
pect to reap much but weeds; there may be a  
few sickly stalks, but very little grain. So if  
we want a plentiful harvest, we must first pre-
pare the ground for the seed. Do this by gen- 
tleness. If the man with whom you are con- 
versing breaks up rough and cloddy, smooth  
him down with love and kindness; get all the  
anger out of him, and then before leaving hand  
him a tract on the subject you have had under  
discussion. Pursue this course in the fear of  
the Lord, being very careful not to offend, so  
as to choke the seed already sown, and perse- 
vere until you have his mind well seeded with  
the truths of the message. Then the living  
preacher can water the seed, and God will give  
the increase. But we must first have our own  
hearts broken up and brought into subjection  
to God's will, getting self entirely out of the  
way.  
" Now he that planteth and he that watereth  
are one; and every man shall receive his own  
reward, according to his own labors." 1 Cor.  
3 : 8. The devil will be at work, picking up 
all the seed he can before it gets rooted; and  
you will see some that will not understand.  
Others will receive the truth with gladness,  
but in a short time they will give up and go  
back to the world; while others will bring 
forth fruit, some sixty, some an hundred fold.  
Matt. 13 : 18-23.  
"Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters."  
Isa. 32 : 20. " They that sow in tears, shall  
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, 
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come  
again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with  
him." Ps. 126 : 5, 6. Who will sow the seed?  
—Eld. J. N. Ayers.


172  THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.  VOL. 10, No. 11.  
g.mt xtlt  
THE CAREJL.IR.SS WORD.  
A WORD is ringing through my brain—  
It was not meant to give me pain; 
It had no tone to bid it stay, 
When other things had passed away; 
It had no meaning more than all  
Which in an idle hour do fall;  
It was, when first the sound I heard, 
A lightly uttered, careless word. 
It was the first, the only one  
Of those which lips forever gone  
Breathed in their love—which had for me 
Rebuke  of harshness at my glee;  
And if those lips were here to say,  
"Beloved, let it pass away,"  
Ah! then, perchance—but I have heard  
The last dear tone—the careless word. 
Oh, ye who, meeting, sigh to part, 
Whose words are treasures to some heart,  
Deal gently, ere the dark days come,  
When earth hath but for one a home;  
Lest, musing o'er the past, like me, 
They feel their hearts wrung bitterly,  
And, heeding not what else they heard,  
Dwell weeping on a careless word.  
—Mrs. Norton.  
Keeping- Promises.  
" HENRY," said Mrs. Allen, as she tied down  
the cover of his little basket, "here is your  
dinner, and I want you to do two or three er- 
rands for me to-day."  
" Yes, ma'am, I will," said Henry, tying on  
his tippet.  
"I watit you to go over to Mrs. Mason's this  
noon, and give her this note which came in  
my letter yesterday. It is important that she  
should have it as soon as possible."  
" Yes," said Henry; " and, Carrie, you be  
sure and feed the hens this noon."  
"Yes, indeed," said Carrie; "I should think  
I might remember it by this time."  
" Then," continued his mother, " after school  
is done, you may go into the store and buy a  
spool of cotton, No. 40, and a pound of tea.  
We're all out of' tea. What number of cotton  
did 1 say?"  
"No. 40, mother; I'll remember everything  
if you won't make me say it over so many 
times."  
" And when you are there," said Aunt Mary,  
"will you do an errand for me? I have written  
it on a slip of paper, and put it in the purse."  
"Yes, ma'am. Oh, mother, can you mend  
my mittens to-day? They've got great holes 
in them."  
" Great holes! your new mittens?" 
" Well, one of them has, at any rate. I guess  
it's got cut or something," said the little boy,  
producing a mitten with a large cut across the 
palm.  
"How was this done?" inquired his mother. 
"I don't know, without I did it chopping  
sticks this morning. I found it down amongst 
the wood, any way."  
"Leave them  for me to mend," said Aunt  
Mary. "Your mother has enough to do."  
" Can I leave my geography for somebody to  
cover?" asked Henry.  
"Yes," said his mother, "I'll do that. Now  
run away to school, and come home promptly  
when it is done."  
" Yes;" and away he sped.  
"Can one of these boys take a package to  
Mr. Sawyer's for me?" asked the teacher, at 
noon.  
"I will; I will," answered several. "/Mall  
go, sir," said little Henry, pressing forward,  
and reaching out a hand.  
" Thank you," said his teacher; and he gave  
it to him.  
And so it fell out that Henry forgot to go to  
Mrs. Mason's.  
And when school was dismissed he stopped  

to snow-ball a few minutes, till a neighbor,  
passing by, drew up his horse, and offered him  
a ride. Such an offer was not to be refused, 
and Henry tumbled into the sleigh, quite out 
of breath, quite unmindful also of his errands  
at the store. But suddenly, when they were  
about half-way home, he bethought himself.  
"That is too bad!" he exclaimed. "Mother  
wanted me to get something at the store."  
" We'll go back, if you say so," said the man,  
looking behind him; "but 1 guess your mother  
won't mind waiting till morning, will she?"  
"No, I guess not," said Henry, ashamed to  
make any trouble, unwilling also to take any.  
" Well, Henry," said his mother, as he came  
in, "what did Mrs. Mason say? "  
"Mrs. Mason! I declare, mother, I never  
thought  of it till this minute! The reason was  
—oh, the reason was, 1 had to go on an errand 
for the teacher, this noon."  
" Had to?" 
"Why, yes; he asked who would go, and 1  
said I would."  
" Didn't any others offer? " 
"Yes; but I didn't think as there was any- 
thing else to do."  
" Didn't think! Oh, Henry, I am very sorry.  
Did you think to buy us any  tea?"  
" Why, no, mother; the way of it was, Mr.  
Hardy came along just as I was going home,  
and asked me to ride with him, and I jumped  
right in, and never thought a word about the 
tea, till Ave were half way home; and then I  
didn't want to make him turn round and go  
back."  
"Well, I don't care so much about the tea,  
because I have found a little in the blue can- 
ister; but I should think you might have re- 
membered to go over to Mrs. Mason's. Poor 
woman! I know she can't sleep nights, she's  
so anxious. And I suppose plenty of  the boys  
would have been glad to do the errand you did.  
There's Aunt Mary's errand too, that's forgot- 
ten, of course, and here she's been at work  
half the afternoon over your mittens."  
" Thank you, auntie. How nice they look!" 
" And I," continued his mother, " have been  
sewing for you all day, and you come home at  
night without doing one of the things I spoke  
about this morning."  
" Mother," he answered petulantly, " you  
have so many errands, I can't remember them  
all. I never go out of the house but you want 
something."  
" That sounds well," said his mother, severely,  
" very well, for a little boy that has so much 
done for him as you have. You deserve to be  
sent back now, only you wouldn't have time to  
do your work."  
"Carrie, did you feed the hens, as you said  
you would?" asked Henry, willing to change  
the subject.  
" Yes," said Carrie, " I fed them." 
"Wasn't it nice," she said, after he left the  
room,—"Wasn't it nice that he didn't say this 
noon? I don't suppose it made much difference 
to the hens, whether they had their dinner 
then, or at three o'clock, do you, Aunt Mary?"  
"Not so much difference to the hens, as it  
does to Carrie, whether she keeps her word or  
not."  
"Well, you see, auntie, 1 forgot." 
" Ought you to forget a promise? " 
" Why, I can't help it. Mother forgets some- 
times. She hasn't covered Henry's geography,  
as she said she would."  
"Hasn't she?" said Aunt Mary. "Well, I  
will do it now, so that it may be ready for him 
when he comes in."  
" Where have you been, Aunt Mary?" asked  
Henry, when he came in to his supper.  
" Over to Mrs. Mason's, and then to the  
office."  
" Oh, it's too bad for you to take that long  
walk for me! But you needn't have gone to 
the office. I'll carry all your letters, auntie."  
"No," said auntie, smiling, "I can't let you  

make any more promises till you keep some of  
those you have made."  
Henry was silent, but after supper, when he  
sought his aunt's room for some help in his 
studies, he said to her,—  
" I'm real sorry I forgot those needles. Did  
you want them to-night very much? "  
"No; but I want Henry to fulfill his prom- 
ises."  
"Here is the money," said he, opening the  
purse.  
"No; keep it, and remember to-morrow."  
"Aunt Maiy," he continued, after a pause,  
" I've got a very poor memory."  
"Have  you forgotten what I promised you  
for Saturday? "  
" No; I think of it every little Avhile. I kept  
thinking of it in school last week, and to-day 1  
thought of it too."  
"Do you remember any plan for Wednes- 
day?"  
"Yes; I'm going to grandpa's in the after- 
noon, if the sleighing is good."  
"And Thursday?" 
"Thursday,—no; there isn't anything going  
on Thursday,—is there?"  
" Only you promised to carry some eggs to  
Mr. Parker."  
" There! I never should have thought of it."  
"A very poor memory it is, Henry, if it al- 
ways remembers for itself, and not for others.  
I am afraid it is a selfish memory."  
"How can I help it?" 
" When you love others as much as yourself,  
it will not be so hard. But in the meantime,  
when you have forgotten a promise, keep it as  
soon as you remember it, unless it would be 
wrong to do so. Now, to-night, when you first  
thought of your mother's errand, you should 
have gone back to the store."  
" Then I should have lost my ride." 
" Yes; but it does not hurt a boy so much to  
lose a ride as to lose his character for faithful- 
ness."  
" But mother didn't care much about the tea,  
she said."  
"That made no difference. You had prom- 
ised, and you did not know it. And then,"  
she continued, " do not be in haste to promise. 
I should not dare to make half the promises  
you do."  
"But you always keep yours. I mean to  
try your way, Aunt Mary."  
"Do." said she. "It costs something, but it  
is worth all it costs."—Sel.  
Jessie's Good l>ay.  
"I DON'T think it has been a 'good day' at all,  
Jessie Emery," said Cousin Pansy.  
"The sunshine has melted the snow, so we  
can have no fun on our sleds, and the streets  
are so bad mamma will not let us go out. The  
snow is so deep it will be wet and muddy for a  
week, most likely; and here we are all shut up  
in the house. I think it is just miserable."  
Pansy had not been a bit of a "heart ease"  
to anybody that day.  
"The day has not been long enough for me,"  
said Jessie, brightty, as she threaded a needle  
to take a few more swift stitches before the 
light quite faded.  
"I can't see what you have done so pleasant ?' 
"In the first place, I assorted a pile of papers  
papa gave me to do with just as I pleased. I  
laid aside those I wished to send awTay, in a pile  
by themselves, and then cut wrappers for them  
and sealed them up. I directed all the parcels,  
and weighed each on papa's postage scales.  
Then I put stamps on each, as papa told me  
I might draw on his desk for all the postage  
I needed for such a good work."  
"I saw you fussing with those old papers, and  
I was 'most sorry I let you^teaze away two of  
my nice magazines to put with them."  
"Oh, you wouldn't be, Pansy, if you could see


MARCH 13, 1884.  THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.  173  
the poor little fellow they went to. He has not  
walked for seven years, and is always in pain;  
sometimes very great. He is ten years old,  
and can read. The magazines will be such a  
feast to him. Now. 1 know you are glad 1 sent  
them."  
"You must have had a dozen of those pack- 
ages, Jessie. It would take a lot of money."  
"No; I only had nine. I did wish I had a  
dozen. But then, it makes me happy to think  
of giving so much pleasure to nine people, for 
all of these are people who have but few papers.  
Likely the whole family will read them. NOAV  
I think, Pansy, it was a very good morning's  
work."  
"What did you do with the others? 1 saw  
you put on your rubbers, and run Out some- 
where with as big a parcel as a newsboy."  
"Those left over ones I assorted again, and  
took a large bundle across to Becky Maurice.  
She always wants a large paper to cut a pattern  
for somebody. She is so obliging; and she likes 
to keep her shelves as tidy as a pin. She puts  
on clean papers twice a week, if she can get  
them. You should have seen how pleased she  
was with that bundle. She will read them all  
first, she says."  
"Well, I must say it has been 'paper day'  
with you. What were you doing so long up- 
stairs when I wished you to play a game with  
me?"  
"Just fixing up the closet for mother, putting  
new papers on the shelves, and arranging boxes.  
Miss Becky's fine order made me feel a little  
ashamed."  
"Well, I think you have had a happy day  
of it, just mousing about among old rubbish the  
whole time. Beading this story book in this  
easy chair has been too much for me. Most of  
the time I looked out of the window at the 
miserable streets, and the miserable people  
wading through them."  
"You may not believe it, Pansy, but the very  
surest way of being happy yourself is to do  
something for some one else. It makes you  
happy at the time, and when you think of it  
afterward. Now, if you really think it over, I  
believe you feel better pleased about those tw^o  
magazines than about anything else you have  
done to day. Just try my way to-morrow, and  
see if it does not work well."  
"I don't see what I could do."  
"Only make your mind up in earnest and you  
will find ways enough. The trouble will more 
likely be you'll not know which to do first. It  
often puzzles me."  
It was likely that Jessie saw more than Pansy  
about some things, because she had learned to 
see. There is a great difference in people about  
this, yet any child with a heart for the work  
can begin to learn right away the blessedness 
of doing good to others.—Mrs. McConaughy.  

Lincoln's Advice.—Good for All.  
THE following letter was written many years  
ago by Abraham Lincoln to his half-brother.  
It is worthy the careful attention of all young 
men, and in fact of all:—  
DEAR JOHNSTON: Your request for $80 I  do  
not think it best to comply with just now. _ At  
the various times that I have helped you a little  

T  
HE COMING CONFLICT.  
OR  
THE GREAT ISSUE NOW PENDING  
IN THIS COUNTRY.  
BY ELD. W. II. L1TTLEJOUN.  
THIS book contains a complete history of the rise and progress of  
the National Reform Party, together with an exegesis of the last  
Interesting Facts.  

0  
GLASS windows were used for lights in 1180.  
Chimneys first put up to houses in 1236.  
Tallow candles for lights, 1290.  
Spectacles invented by an Italian in 1240.  
Paper made from linen, 1302.  
Woolen cloth made in England, 1341.  
Art of printing from movable type, 1440.  
Watches first made in Germany, 1447.  
Telescopes invented by Porta and Janson,  
1590.  
Tea first brought from China to Europe m  
1501.  
Circulation of blood discovered by Hervey  
in 1610.  
Newspaper first established in 1629. 
Pendulum clocks first invented in 1639. 
Barometer invented by Torricelli in 1535. 
Steam engine invented in 1649.  
Bread made  with yeast in 1650.  
Cotton planted in the United States in 1759.  
Fire engine invented in 1685- 
Telegraph invented by Morse in 1832.  

A  

you have said to me, "We can get along very  
well, now," but in a short time I find you in the  
same difficulty again. Now, this can only hap-
pen by some defect in your conduct. What  
the defect is I think I know. You are not lazy,  
and still you are an idler. I doubt whether, 
since I saw you, you have done a good whole  
daj^'s work in any one d&y. You do not very  
much dislike to work, and still you do not  
work much, merely because it does not seem  
to you that you could get much for it. This  
habit of uselessly wasting your time is the  
whole difficulty, and it is vastly important to  
you, and still more to your children, that you  
should break this habit. It is more important to 
them, because they have longer to live, and can j  tmie  
keep out of an idle habit before they are in it'  
easier than they can get. out after they are in.  
You are now in need of some ready money,  
and what I propose is that you shall go to  
work, "tooth and nail," for somebody who will  
give you money for it. Let father and your  
boys have charge of things at home—prepare  
for a crop and make the crop—and you go to 
work for the best money wages, or in discharge  
of any debt you owe that you can get. And to  
secure you a fair reward for your labor I now  
promise you that every dollar you will, be- 
tween now and the 1st of Ma}^, get for your la- 
bor, either in money or on your own indebted- 
ness, 1 will give you one other dollar. By this, 
if you hire yourself at $10 a month, from me 
you will get $10 more, making $20 a month for  
your work. In this I do not mean that you  
shall go off to St. Louis, or to the lead mines, 
or to the gold mines in California, but I mean 
for you to go at it for the best wages you can  
get close to home—in Coles County. Now, if  
you do this you will soon be out of debt, and  
what is better, you will have a habit that will  
keep you from'getting in debt again. But if 1  
should now clear you out, next year you will  
be just as deep in as ever. You say you would  
almost give your place in Heaven for $70 or $80. 
Then you value your place in Heaven very 
cheap, for I am sure you can, with the offer I  
made you, get the $70 or $80 with four or five  
months' work. You say  if I will furnish you  
the money you will deed me the land, and, if 
you don't pay the money back, you will deliver  
possession. Nonsense ! If you cannot now  
live with land, how will you then live without 
it? You have always been kind to me, and, 1  
do not now mean to be unkind to you. On the 
contrary, if you will but follow my advice you  
will find it worth more than eighty times $80  
to you. Affectionately, your brother,  
A. LINCOLN.  

portion of the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, assign-
ing to the United States its proper place in prophecy.  
EMPHATICALLY  A BOOK  FOR THE TIMES.  
434 pages, in muslin covers, and will be mailed to any address,  
post-paid, for $1.00.  
Address, .SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
UR COUNTRY'S FUTURE FORETOLD.  
THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY.  
By ELD. U. SMITH.  
THIS is a full exposition of a portion of prophecy which  applies  
to our own Government, showing the position the United States 
holds in prophecy, and the part it has to act in the closing scenes of  
THE SUNDAY MOVEMENT,  
Which is now attracting such general attention, is thoroughly can- 
vassed, and abundant testimony is given to prove that it is fast com-
ing to be the ALL-IMPORTANT  QUESTION in thu country. Deal- 
ing with our own land and applying to our own time. Of surpassing 
interest to every American reader New ed tion; revised and en-
larged. Cloth, 225 pp., 75cts. Paper covers, new edition, condensed, 
186 pp., 25cts.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
MINE OF INFORMATION  
A SENSIBLE writer expresses his opinion of  
old maids in the following manner: "I am in-
clined to think that many of the satirical asper- 
sions cast upon old maids tell more to their 
credit than is generally imagined. Is a young  
woman remarkably neat in the person, she will 
certainly be an old maid. Is she perfectly re- 
served toward the other sex, she has all the 
squeamishness of an old maid. Is she frugal in  
her expenses and exact in her domestic con 
cerns, she is cut out for an old maid. If she is  
kindly humane to the animals about her, nothing  
can save her from the appellation of an old  
maid. In short, I have always found that neat-
ness, modesty, economy and humanity are the  
never-failing characteristics of that terrible  
creature."  

HISTORY OF THE SABBATH AND FIRST  
DA Y OF THE WEEK.  
By ELD. J. N. ANDREWS.  
THE Bible record of the Sabbath , the secular history concerning  
it; the successive steps by which the change to the first day was  
made and the work of restoration, are given in detail.  
EVERY TEXT OF SCRIPTURE concerning the Sabbath is com- 
mented on at length; and the COMPLETE TESTIMONY OF THE  
FATHERS in regard to the Sabbath and first day is given. The  
comparative merits of the seventh and the first-day Sabbaths are  
fully shown. A copious index enables the reader to find any text,  
or the statement of any historian.  
Should be read by everybody. 528 pp. Price, $1.25.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
O KETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF PAUL.  
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.  
IN this book the history of Paul's life, from the time when he  
" made havoc" of the church until he was " offered up " as its cl ief  
representative, is traced in a clear and connected manner. Paul's 
allusions to himself in his epistles are connected with the record in  
the book of Acts in such a manner as to throw great light both oil  
the epistles and the " Acts." But that which gives the book even  
greater value than its historical accuracy, is the lessons that are  
drawn from Paul's words, and the hardships which he endured, and 
their practical application to our own times. This is a marked feature 
of this work, and the instruction given in this way cannot be esti-
mated in dollars and cents. 234 pp. Neatly bound in cloth, 80 cents.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.;  
Or. REVIEW AND HERALD. Battle Creek. Mich.  
EXPERIENCE AND YIEWS.  
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.  
THIS volume contains the earliest writings of Mrs. White, first  
printed in 1851. It contains an account of her early religious  ex- 
perience, and a brief account of the wonderful dealings of God with 
her. Apart from its intrinsic  value, it will be of interest as showing  
the harmony between the earliest writings of the Seventh-day Ad- 
ventists and those published at a later date. Its publication k very  
timely. In paper covers, with Supplement, 25 cents.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
T  
HE HOME OF THE SAVED.  
BY ELD. J N. LOUGHBOROUGH.  
GIVES the Bible evidence upon the interesting topic of the earth  
made new, as the inheritance of the saints. 82 pp. Price, 10 cents.  
Addrrss, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal,


174  THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.  VOL. 10, No. 11.  
NOTICE.—We send no papers from this Office without pay in ad- 
vance, unless by special arrangement. When persons receive copies 
without ordering them they are sent by other parties, and we can  
give no information in regard to them. Persons thus receiving them 
are not indebted to the Office.  
Money orders, drafts, etc., should be made to "Pacific Press,"  
NEVER to individuals,  as they may be absent, and business thereby  
be delayed.  
Items for Workers.  
ALTHOUGH the page is somewhat smaller than heretofore,  
the SIGNS OF THE TIMES contains MORE READING MATTER  
(by actual measurement) than any other paper or journal  
published by Seventh-Day Adventists, and its publishers  
have NEVER RECEIVED ONE DOLLAR for advertising in its  
columns. While the SIGNS contains such a wealth of choice 
reading matter, it is so neatly and economically put to- 
gether that a single copy weighs, with wrapper, only ] \ 
ounces, so that an eight-page tract can be enclosed with 
it and mailed for one cent.  
Of the reading matter in volume ten we have spoken  
quite fully in " What the SIGNS is Doing." We shall en-
deavor, by the blessing of the Lord, to make the present  
volume better than any previous one.  
As its efficiency in bringing precious souls into the truth  
became more and more apparent, great efforts have been  
made by the publishers to make it interesting, valuable 
and acceptable, in every feature. It was changed in 1880 
from eight to twelve pages, and at the beginning of this  
volume to sixteen pages, without an increse in the subscrip-
tion price. It is printed on good paper of a uniform 
grade, being just as good at the close of a volume as at the 
beginning, from stereotype plates made from new, clear- 
faced type, and is firmly pasted and neatly trimmed.  
There are very many of our brethren and sisters who  
could persuade one, two, three, or more of their neighbors  
to subscribe for the SIGNS, if they would try in the right  
way: and there are others who could serve the Master  
acceptably as volunteer colporters. .  
Many are hungering for the truths brought out in our  
papers so clearly, but they know not where to  find them.  
Will you help them? To aid you in the preparation for  
this work we have had prepared the "Canvass," so suc- 
cessfully used by Bro. Boynton, in Yineland, N. J., and  
taught by him to the large classes at South Lancaster and  
at Battle Creek. It is clear and concise. You cannot 
place too much stress upon the importance of learning it 
thoroughly, so that none of its strong points will be for- 
gotten or passed over unnoticed. The more one studies  
this "Canvass" the more he sees its strength. Write to  
your State T. and M. Secretary for a copy of this little 
book, circulars, etc.  
Will you not devote some time to this work, and get  
as many of your neighbors to subscribe as possible ?  
OUR GHEHNTERAL, AGENTS.  
California—Miss Anna L. Ingels, care Pacific Press,  
Oakland, Cal.  
Colorado—J. W. Horner, Boulder, Colo.  
Dakota—Alice H. Beaumont, Howard, Miner Co., Dak.  
Florida.—J. F. Bobbins, Holly Hill, Volusia Co., Fla.  
Illinois—Lizzie  S. Campbell, Belvidere, Boon Co., 111.  
Indiana—W. A. Young, Union City, Ind.  
Iowa—Mrs. Lizzie H. Farnsworth, State Center,  Iowa.  
Kansas and Arkansas—Clara A. L. Gibbs, Ottawa, Kan. 
Kentucky—Bettie Coombs, Nolin, Hardin Co., Ky.  
Maine—Mrs. R. Robbins, South Norridgewock, Me. 
Michigan—Miss Hattie House, Battle Creek, Mich. 
Minnesota—Miss Mary Heileson, Mankato, Minn.  
Mississippi—Peter H. Clark, Moss Point, Miss. 
Missouri—Miss Clara E. Low, Sedalia, Mo.  
Nebraska—Nebraska Tract Society, Fremont, Neb.  
New England—Mrs. Eliza T. Palmer, N. E. Tract  
Depository, South Lancaster, Mass.  
New York—Miss Addie S. Bowen, box 113, Rome,  
N. Y.  
North Pacific—Mrs. C. L. Boyd, East Portland, Oregon.  
Ohio—Mrs. Ida Gates, Clyde, Sandusky Co., Ohio.  
Pennsylvania—Mrs. D. C." Phillips, Wellsville, N. Y.  
Tennessee—Mrs. M. C. Fulton, Leach, Carroll Co.,  
Tenn.  
Texas—Capt. C. Eldridge, Denton, Tex.  
Upper Columbia—Mrs. G. W. Colcord, Goldendale,  
Klickitat Co., W. T.  
Vermont—Lizzie A. Stone, South Lancaster, Mass. 
Virginia and West Virginia—R. D. Hottel, Quicksburg,  
Shenandoah Co., Va.  
Wisconsin—Miss Phemie Lindsay, 901 East Gorham  
Street, Madison, Wis.  
_A.G-TCJNTTSJ A^STD JT-ortHSIGrKT BRANCH  
OFFICES.  
British Columbia—B. Robb, Victoria, B. C.  
Canada—Eld. A. C. Bordeau, South Stukely, P. Q.;  
Robt. McCormick, Belleville, Ont.; Mary E. Cushing,  
Dixville, P. Q.  
England—Miss Jennie Thayer, Ravenswood, Shirley  
Road, Southampton, Eng.; Eld. A. A. John, 89 Hainton 
Street, Great Grimsby, Eng.; George R. Drew, 16 Rodney  
Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire, Eng.  

Norway—Eld. J. G. Matteson, Akersveren, No. 2,  
Christiana, Norway.  
Prussia—Eld. J. Ertzenberger, 10 Rudolph Strasse,  
Vohinkle, bei Elberfield, Prussia.  
Switzerland—B. L. Whitney, Los Signes des Temps,  
Bale, Suisse; Eld. D. T. Bordeau, Rue de Canal 135, 
Bienne, Suisse.  
RECEIPTS.  
NOTICE.—The change of figures on the address labels  
will be in all cases a sufficient receipt for money sent for  
the paper. If these changes do not appear in due time, 
and if books ordered by mail are not received, please  
notify us. All other business is acknowledged below.  
CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE.—Napa Church (tithe) $11.00.  
Vacaville $10.00.  
FOREIGN MISSIONS.—A Friend $5.00.  
CALIFORNIA T. AND M. SOCIETY.—District No. 3, per  
P M Partridge, $34.30;  Dist. No. 7, per Anna L Ingels,  
$60.00; E S Johnson 25c, Albert Weeks 25c, J Strom, 
25c, J A Crary 25c, B A Rodgers 75c, John Woof  
$2.00, B Robb $5.50, Mrs M J Horn 30c, Mary A.  
Cleary $1.00, C H Peach $2.00, F M Price $2.00, T  
G Davis 25c, Mrs P I Striplin $2.75, Mrs Flora Willi- 
ford $1.20, Frank Thorp 35c, J I Dubble 25c, Joseph  
Clarke 25c, Mrs M Ferguson $1.00, F D Snyder 25c.  
ORDERS FORWARDED.  
BOOKS SENT BY FREIGHT.—Eld C L Boyd.  
BOOKS SENT BY EXPRESS.—Eld W C White.  
BOOKS SENT BY MAIL.—C B Fitzgerald, A N Allen,  
Eld G D Ballou, L R Wright, Mrs M A Johnson, I S Sher- 
win, Elva Reynolds, Mrs E Scazigliini,  Susan Cook, Chas  
W Searight, J C Bunch, Wm G Smith, Eld J O Corliss,  
Miss Jessie Whytock, Thomas Harris, Thomas Howson,  
Adam Rae, Mrs S E  Sanders, Mrs Kate Miller, H Frese,  
Mrs J Stubbs, James M King, Mrs Dora A Bacon, John 
Clasby, Mrs Flora Williford, J I Dubble, T G Davis.  
RELIGIOUS.  
—Charlotte, S. C., has a colored Salvation Army. 
—The Toronto Presbytery has denounced secret  
societies as opposed to religion.  
—The General Conference of the M. E. Church  
will meet May  1, at Philadelphia.  
—The next consistory at Rome is fixed for March  
Probably four cardinals will be appointed.  
—The City of Mexico organ of the Catholic  
Church, El Cronista, has suspended publication.  
—" The Religious and Benevolent Association "  
is the title of a Spiritualist society recently organ-
ized in Waco, Texas.  
—Dr. John Hall wrote: "I would rather have a  
church of five-and-twenty members than a crowd  
of twenty times that number."  
—Rev. J. Hyatt Smith, one of the great Baptist  
preachers and ex-member of Congress, has gone  
over to the Congregationalists.  
—Rev. S. L. Beal, until recently pastor of the  
Universalist Church in Brockton, Mass., has aban-
doned that belief and  embraced Spiritualism.  
—Chicago doesn't know what to do for audiences  
in her 300 churches, but her 4,000 saloons are amply  
provided for.—N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.  
—Mennonites in Nebraska occupy three entire  
counties, are good farmers and hard workers, and so 
economical that their prosperity is remarkable.  
—A prominent clergyman of Lockport, N. Y.,  
positively refuses to marry any young couple unless 
the bridegroom first signs a temperance pledge.  
—A misanthrope, named Warren, recently de- 
ceased at Barnardstown, Vt.. bequeathed all his  
property " to oppose that horrid old monster of king-
craft called religion."  
—The Bible Banner is " glad to note " that Rev.  
Joseph Cook assures the public that Wendell Phillips  
" was a genuine believer in Christ." Mr. Phillips  
had a world-wide reputation; and the Christian be-
lief of such a man, that is not known until publicly  
proclaimed after his death, could not have been of "a  
very emphatic character, in fact hardly worth speak-
i ng of.  
—Dr. Sprecher, of Calvary Presbyterian Church,  
San Francisco, preached a sermon Sunday before  
last, on the "New Heavens and New Earth," in  
which he took the Bible position that Heaven is as  
real and tangible a place as this earth, and that the  
future abode of the redeemed will be this earth re-
newed and purified, and made a fit habitation for 
holy beings.  

—W. J. Colville reports to the Banner of Light  
that Spiritualism is fifty per cent, stronger all over  
England than when he' was last there. Also, that  
the doctrine is making rapid headway in France.  
—Rev. Nelson Ayers, rector of the Church of our  
Saviour, New York, Sunday, Feb. 24, declared his  
belief in the doctrine of purgatory, for which he  
was complimented by the Catholic clergy but was  
compelled by his congregatfon to resign.  
—The remains of a young man who was supposed  
to have committed suicide, at Lafayette, Ind., were  
denied interment in the cemetery of his church  
(Catholic). His father sought redress in one of the  
courts, and defeated the church authorities. The 
remains were buried in the cemetery, whereupon  
the father was officially excommunicated and the 
ground declared desecrated.  
SECULAR.  
—Snow lies twelve feet deep at Lake Tahoe, in  
the Sierra Nevada.  
. —A fire at Utica, N. Y., on the 2d. inst., destroyed  
property valued at $800,000.  
—The City of Mexico is now connected with all  
parts of the United States by railroad.  
—The fire record in the United States for the past  
two months shows a loss of $19,000,000.  
—Extensive mines of tin have been discovered in  
Harney Peak District, BJack Hills, Dakota.  
—A Nebaska City bar-keeper gives away a sack  
of flour to every purchaser of one hundred drinks.  
—A cave in a shaft of the Prietas minest Sonora,  
Mexico, two weeks ago, buried twenty miners hope- 
lessly.  
—The city of Los Angeles is again reported to be  
suffering from an overflow of the river, with great 
damage to property.  
—On the 3d inst., John Glasscock of Delaplane,  
Va., murdered his wife and three children, and then 
shot himself through the heart.  
•Men on snowshoes now carry the mails up to  
Moore's Flat, Graniteville, and other high mountain  
post-offices in the Sierra Nevada.  
—Desire Roudoir has confessed that he killed Ed- 
ward Grant at Grant's Falls, N. H., for which crime  
his father is now awaiting sentence.  
—The Nevada Live-stock Association, recently  
organized at Winnemucca, is to embrace Nevada, 
California, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah.  
—A bill has passed the Senate providing that any  
West Point cadet who has once been dismissed for 
hazing shall be ineligible to reappointment.  
—One hundred and fifty miners have been dis- 
charged from the mines at Cole City, Ga., to make  
room for a large invoice of convicts received.  
—A recent affray in Roumelia, between railroad  
laborers and citizens of Presbe, resulted in the kill- 
ing of eight and the wounding of fourteen persons.  
—A negro named John Barnes, at Spartanburg,  
S. C., on the 28th ult., tied up his seven-year-old  
nephew and whipped him to death, because he did  
not get up when called.  
—It is estimated that 369.000 people in the river  
counties of West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana  
and Illinois are more or less dependent upon charity  
for every necessity of life.  
The Senate has passed the bill appropriating  
\000 for a new post-office building in San Fran- 
cisco. A city daily estimates that this sum will buy  
a site and lay the foundation.  
—Govenor Stoneman has issued a proclamation  
convening an extra session of the Legislature on the  
24th inst. The subjects to be considered pertain to  
railroads and the public revenue.  
—The German newspapers, referring to the dyna- 
mite outrages in London, say that England is "now 
reaping the fruits of her hospitality to anarchists and  
cut-throats from all parts of the world.  
—Cornwallis West, in a letter to the London Times,  
says: "The time has come for England to demand of 
friendly Governments protection from the attempts 
of O'Donovan Rossa and his bloodthirsty crew.  
—Foote, the editor of the London Freethinker,  
has completed his year's imprisonment for blas-
phemy. Mr. Bradlaugh, with 2,000 sympathizers, 
met him at the gates of the prison as he came forth.  
—The German Ministerial organs associate the  
alliance of Russia, Germany, and Austria with a  
coming league of Continental Powers against the 
maratime and commercial preponderance of' Eng-
land.


MARCH 13, 1884.  THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.  175  
—J. G. Kennedy, Superintendent of schools at  
San Jose, Cal., shot and seriously wounded a noted 
capitalist named Daniel Bohen. The affair grew out  
of charges of corruption in the management of school  
affairs.  
—American wine merchants and large hotels an- 
nually import 5,000,000 gallons of foreign wines,  
and sell 20,000,000 gallons. The balance is native  
wine under foreign labels, or manufactured out of 
something a great deal worse.  
—The United States Government is pressing its  
claim against Spain for $493,000, balance of awards  
due on account of American losses during the rebel-
lion in Cuba, and also for $6,000,000 for estates em-
bargoed at the same period, and not restored to their 
American owners.  
—The latest phase of legislation is a bill in the  
U. S. Senate to relieve the Judge-Aclyocate and 
members of the Fitz-John Porter Court-martial 
from the secresy imposed by their oath as to the  
vote of the court. It is some consolation to know  
that there are yet a few public men whose integrity 
requires such a law.  
—The floods continue to devastate the overland  
railroads. In the Sierra Nevada, and at Blue Creek,  
near Ogden, there are extensive washouts on the Cen-
tral Pacific. The Southern Pacific line is in a still  
worse condition. On Mohave Desert, at Soledad  
Pass, and various other places along the route, there 
are disastrous breaches, which will delay regular 
travel and traffic for some time.  
—HALIFAX, March 2.—The steamer Juliet from  
Newcastle, Eng., reports fearful storms and seas, re- 
volving hurricanes, heavy fields of ice and innumer- 
able icebergs. She sighted a two-masted steamer ap- 
parently hard and fast between two bergs, but could  
not make out her name. Later she passed an oil-cake  
or petroleum ship afire. The crew are believed to  
have been rescued by a passing ship.  
—The new wharf of the San Francisco and Ala- 
meda ferry, on the Alameda side is a great work. 
It is two and a half miles from the shore at China 
Point, with which it is connected by a trestle-work  
on which is a double railroad track, a wagon road 
twenty feet wide, and a sidewalk for footmen. In  
the construction of the whole there were used 10,-
000 piles and 60,000,000 feet of lumber. The depot  
buildings are very substantial and commodious.  
The most wonderful feature is the fresh water sup-
ply. The immense tanks (60,000 gallons) are sup-
plied from an artesian well sunk to a depth of 300  
feet underneath sixteen feet of salt water, and flows 
at the rate of 100,000 gallons daily. The entire cost  
of the improvement was $700,000.  
—A special to the Star from New London, Conn.,  
of March 3d, says: E. D. Thrall, General Agent of  
the State Humane Society, has found at East Lynne 
a family, consisting of a man, wife and five children,  
the latter ranging from seven to thirteen years of age, 
the father beastly drunk and all the children in the 
same condition, one child being in the last stage of  
delirium tremens. A gray-headed old man of the  
same neighborhood was found to be forcing his thir- 
teen-year-old boy to do the work of a grown man,  
denying him school privileges, and brutally beating 
him for the most trivial neglect of duty. A few  
days ago. for a trivial offense, the father had hand- 
cuffs forged for the boy's wrists and manacled him  
with a chain to a cow's horn. He then drove the cow 
and boy to a bleak hillside and left them together all  
day in the face of a cutting wintry gale.  
ABBOTT.—Died in Newcastle, Placer Co., Cal.,  
March 2, 1884, of spinal meningitus, Louis, son of A. 
G. and Martha E. Abbott, a native of Lodi, Wis.,  
aged 16 years and 19 days.  
Louis signed the covenant when "present truth "  
was preached in Newcastle; and though circum- 
stances prevented his uniting with the church, he  
never lost his  regard for the truth, and we hope to  
meet him in the resurrection of the just.  
We unexpectedly found in Sister Abbott a mem- 
ber of an extensive circle of old friends in Wiscon- 
sin, some of whom are in the faith. We pray that  
this affliction may be sanctified to the good of them  
all, both here and there.  
The funeral was largely attended, on Tuesday,  
March 4. Good Templars' Hall being filled with 
sympathizing friends and neighbors, who listened  
attentively to a sermon from 2 Sam. 14 :14.  
The children of the school which Louis attended  
when he was taken sick, marched in procession to  
the grave where they sang the piece, " Shall we  
gather at the river ? " J. H. WAGGONER.  

Deep Ploughing1.  
DEEP ploughing for a crop. Deep ploughing  
for a soul. He who makes light of sin will  
never amount to anything in the church or in 
the world. If a man speaks of sin as though it  
were an inaccuracy or mistake, instead of the  
loathsome, abominable, consuming and damn-
ing things that God hates, that man will never  
yield a harvest of usefulness.  
When I was a boy I ploughed a field with a  
team of spirited horses. I ploughed it very  
quickly. Once in a while I passed over some 
of the sod without turning it, but I did not jerk  
back the plough with its rattling devices. I 
thought it made no difference. After a while 
my father came along and said: "Why, this  
will never do; this isn't ploughed deep enough;  
there, you have missed this and you have 
missed that." And he ploughed jt over again.  
The difficulty with a great many people is that  
they are only scratched with conviction when 
the subsoil plough of God's truth ought to be 
put in up to the beam.  
My word is to all the Sabbath-school teachers,  
to ail parents, to all Christian workers—Plough  
deep ! plough deep ! And if in your own per- 
sonal experience you are apt to take a lenient  
view of the sinfnl side of your nature, put down  
into your soul the ten commandments which re-
veal the holiness of God, and that sharp and  
glittering coulter will turn up your soul to the  
deepest depth. If a man preaches to you that  
you are only a little out of order by reason of  
sin, and that you need only a little fixing up, 
he deceives you ! You have suffered an appalling  
injury by reason of sin. There are quick poisons  
and slow poisons, but the druggist could give  
you one drop that would kill the body. And  
sin is like that drug; so virulent, so poisonous, so  
fatal that one drop is enough to kill the soul.  
Deep ploughin g' for a crop. Deep ploughin g  
for a soul. Broken heart or no religion. Broken  
soil or no harvest. Why was it that David and 
the jailer and the publican and Paul made such  
ado about their sins? Had they lost their 
senses? No. The ploughshare struck them.  
Conviction turned up a great many things that 
were forgotten. As a farmer ploughing some- 
times turns up the skeleton of a man or the  
anatomy of a monster long ages buried, so the  
ploughshare of conviction turns up the ghostly  
skeletons of sins long ages entombed.—Dr. Tai- 
nt age.  
International Tract and Missionary  
Society.  
TUB International Tract and Missionary Society was organized Aug.  
13,"1874. It has furnished health and religious publications to co-op- 
erative missions and individuals in every State and Territory in the 
United States, and to every civilized nation on the globe. During  
1883 it placed in free public libraries in this country over 6,000 vol-
umes of standard religious books, at a cost of over S?6,000, two-thirds  
of which was donated by other funds and the publishers. It has 
also placed valuable books in many libraries in England, and sup-
plied reading-rooms with health and religious periodicals.  
It has a free reading-room, No. 371 Third Avenue, New York City,  
where it will keep constantly on hand Health and Temperance publi-
cations to furnish co-operating missions and branch offices on the 
Atlantic Coast and in Europe. William J. Boynton, 200 East 27th  
Street, manager and city missionary.  
Free reading and lecture-room, 316 Fremont Street, San Francisco,  
Cal., from which place all ships are visited which enter that harbor.  
Andrew Brorsen and H. C. Palmer, city missionaries.  
Free reading-room on L Street, near corner of Fifth, East  
Portland, Oregon.  
Boston, Mass., J. R. Israel, residence Rowley, Mass. New Bedford.  
Mass., Mrs. Anna H. Bradford, residence, Acushnet, Mass.  
The ship work at Liverpool, England, is under the charge of Geo.  
R. Drew, 16 Rodney Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire, Eng. Eld. A. A. 
John, 151 Willingham Street, Great Grimsby, Eng.  
Free reading and lecture-rooms at 13 West Haron Street, Buffalo  
N. Y., open from 2:30 to 9 p. m. Alex. Gleason, Superintendent.  
Free reading-room at 215 West Madison Street, Chicago; Room 2,  
second floor. James Sawyer, Superintendent.  
At the above-mentioned places the public are cordially invited.  
The society is sustained by the liberalities of friends of missions.  
Donations by draft or otherwise will be thankfully received and grate- 
fully acknowledged by any of the above-mentioned agents, or Miss M.  
IJ. Huntley, Secretary, South Lancaster, Mass., U. S. A.  
S. N. HASKELL. President.  

rjlHB YOUTH'l3 INSTEUCTOR  
AN ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY PAPER FOR YOUTH AND  
CHILDREN, DEVOTED TO MORAL, MENTAL,  
AND RELIGIOUS CULTURE.  
THIS paper is not devoted to insipid stories and religious fiction,  
but is filled with a great variety of that kind of reading whicli tends 
to the healthful development of the youthful  mind. Its pages are  
made bright by the choicest illustrative pictures, and its columns  
are always full of useful information.  
As a Sabbath-school and Lesson paper, it is suited to the wants of  
scholars and teachers, and is calculated to increase the interest of 
all who read it, in thorough Bible study.  
The Sabbath-school Department contains two series of lessons, one  
for children and one for youth.  
TERMS, ALWAYS  IN ADVANCE.—Single copy, 75 cents a year; Five  
copies to one address, 60 cents each; Ten or more copies to one ad- 
dress, 50 cents each.  
SPECIAL PREMIUM OFFER—THE SUNSHINE SERIES.  
For every new subscription, accompanied with 85 cents, we will  
give "The Sunshine Series," consisting of a package of ten beautiful 
pamphlets of 32 pages each. These comprise a choice collection of 
sketches, stories, poems, etc., a iapted to the wants of children, and 
contain more reading matter than can be found in many dollar books. 
Remember, the whole series, 320 pas.es, and the INSTRUCTOR for a  
year, for 85 cents.  
Address, YOUTH'S INSTRUCTOR, Battle Creek, Mich.  
Or, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.  
gABBATH-SCHOOL HELPS.  
Clarke's Commentary, 6 vols $24 00 
Barnes' Notes, 14 vols 21 00 
Smith's Comp. Dictionary, sheep 6 10  
clot.i 5 00  
History of Reformation 5 00  
" " " (condensed) 1 50  
" " Romanism, cloth, 4 < 0  
Young's Concordance 3 00 
Cruden's " .... 2 00  
Whiston's Josephus, large  3 00  
" small 1 75  
Hand Book of Bible Geography ... 2 50  
" " " Manners, etc 2 50  
Dictionary of Bible I 75  
Smith's New Testament History 1 75  
Geikie's Life of Christ, large 1  75  
' " " " small 75  
Blunt's Coincidences 1 50 
Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress 1 50  
Sketches of Jewish Social Life 1 25  
The Temple and its Services 125  
From Exile to Overthrow 1 25  
Life of Apostle Paul (C. and H.) 1 00  
Sketches from the Life of Paul (Mrs. White) 80  
Giant Cities of Bashan 1 00  
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.  
YANG'S ANALYTICAL CONCORD- 
ANCE TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.  
THE latest and most complete work of the kind ever published is  
now offered at a price within the reach of every Bible student. This 
book places in the hands of everybody knowledge heretofore lim- 
ited to a very few.  
It contains one hundred and eighteen thousand more words than  
Cruden's Unabridged Concordance. It gives every English word,  
also the Hebrew and Greek original words, with their pronunciation  
and literal meaning. The Greek and Hebrew words are transliterated  
so that they are intelligible to any English reader.  
A complete index of the original words is added, referring them  
to the English words under which they are found.  
Price, post-paid, $3.2-i.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
pACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING HOUSE,  
PUBLISHERS "SIGNS OF THE TIMES," ETC.  
GENERAL BOOK AND JOE PRINTING,  
In the Best and Latest Stales, at Satisfactory Rates.  
BOOKBINDING,  
In all its Various Branches, Promptly Executed in the Most Sub- 
stantial Manner.  
STEREOTYPING AND ELECTROTYPING,  
By the Latest Improved Methods.  
ENGRAVING,  
In the Finest Styles of the Art.  
Orders for anything in our line, by mail or express, will re- 
ceiv e prompt attention.  
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, 
12th and Castro Streets, Oakland ;  
Or, 529 Commercial Street, San Francisco.


176  THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.  VOL. 10, No. 11  
Cj)t digits 0f  tjie Cimts  
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, MARCH 13, 1884.  
Various Matters.  
THE camp-meeting in Los Angeles will be held  
May 15 to 25.  
IN a note in the Review of Feb. 26, Eld. Lough- 
borough announces that himself and family intend  
to start for California, April 1. He will receive a  
hearty welcome.  
THE difficulty in the telegram noticed last week  
was occasioned by an error in transmission.  Instead  
of "third" the original copy read "13th." The 
meeting in Fresno was appointed for March 13. We  
trust there may be no disappointment,  as steps were  
taken to correct the notice.  
B. D. A. You can procure a pamphlet at this  
office, or at the office in Battle Creek, entitled, " Vindi-
cation of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the 
Unjust." Your query, and all others of like intent 
you will find answered there.  
To E. A. D., and others: the relation of the seventy  
weeks of Daniel 9 to the two thousand three hun- 
dred days of chapter 8, you will find fully explained 
in the book entitled, "The Sanctuary and Twenty-
three Hundred Days," and "Thoughts  on Daniel,"  
and in "Life Sketches," and in the tract on the  
Sanctuary, and in places " too numerous to mention "  
in our papers and other works.  
THE record of creation in Gen. 1 and 2 :1-3, is com- 
plete in itself—a synopsis of the whole work. The  
division, chapter two, should have been between  
verses 3 and 4 of the chapter as it now stands.  
With verse 4 a new and more extended account be- 
gins, in which are noted many points, especially re- 
lating to man, which were not noticed in the first  
brief account. Read it in this manner and your  
difficulties  will vanish.  
T. B. C. Eph. 1 :13 and Rev. 7 :2 do not refer to  
the same thing. We can only express our surprise  
that any one should assume that they do. A little  
study of the subjects presented in the two texts  
must convince all that they differ. " The earnest of  
the Spirit" is the seal of the new covenant, without  
which no one is recognized as a servant of God.  
The sealing in Rev. 7 :1-4, is a special work, at the 
very close of the dispensation, the same as in Eze. 
9 :1-4, and is placed only upon those who have fully  
proved themselves  servants of God by rejecting the  
worship of the beast and his image and his mark.  
One is in the forehead; the other in the heart. One  
is in a prophecy with symbols; the other is not. See  
" Thoughts on the Revelation," remarks on chapter  
7 :1-3.  
CALIFORNIA'S dreaded dry season is greatly dis- 
appointing the people. As we close our paper it is 
still storming, after a long storm of unusual severity. 
The rain is accompanied with much hard wind- 
The rainfall in the southern counties is almost with-
out precedent in amount, and the damage to rail-
road and other property runs up into the millions.  
Just enough to caution Californians against boasting  
over the East!  
Honor Due to God.  
THIS pamphlet (64 pages) on tithes and offerings  
will be ready to mail by the time the orders can  
reach us. Before any steps were taken to print it 
in this form we received requests that it might be  
done. And within the last week we have received 
questions on the subject of tithing, every one of  
which is fully answered here. Ministers cannot do 
a better service to the churches than to see that  
they are well supplied, and that they give it a care- 
ful, studious reading. Send in your orders. Price,  
ten cents per copy.  

WITH the change of the State T. and M. Secretary  
for Texas, there is a change in the location of the  
Repository. The address will now be, Clement  
Eldridge, Denton, Texas.  
Old Testament Etliics Vindicated.  
THIS is the title of a book of 288 (large) pages, writ- 
ten by Rev. W. A. Jarrell, of the Baptist church.  
When we first saw a notice of this book the title  
attracted our attention, and we had a desire to ob- 
tain it. A few days since we were pleased to re-
ceive a call from the author, from whom we received 
a copy. We have not had time to read it; but have 
examined the plan and contents, and can speak  
only favorably of it. We have read some portions  
of it, and feel assured that it is calculated to do 
much good in this age when many are so greatly  
undervaluing  tke Old Testament. We shall speak  
of it again, and give an outline of its contents, and 
make some selections from it for our paper.  
It is receiving strong commendations  from prom- 
inent men of different denominations.  Bishop  
Hurst recommends it, and Bishop Wilson, of Balti- 
more, says he shall use its facts and arguments,  
which is the best evidence of his appreciation.  
Eld. Jarrell has come to California for his health,  
and is now in this city. Those who wish to obtain 
a copy of the book can address him at Oakland, Cal.  
The price is $1.50.  
Conscientious Observance of Sunday.  
THE Railroad Commisioners of Massachusetts  gave  
a hearing to a discussion of the question of running 
railroad trains on Sunday, when a Mr. Merriam of  
Greenfield spoke in opposition to Sunday trains. An  
exchange quotes him as stating that when he was  
postmaster he had been many times solicited by citi- 
zens to open the office for an hour on Sunday morn-
ing, so that they could obtain their letters. He how-
ever uniformly refused to do so; but finally an order  
for the opening came from Washington.  He reflected  
upon it, and almost concluded to resign his position 
rather than comply with what he deemed a wrong 
action. Finally he consulted his good friend, Gov- 
ernor Washburn, "a consistent Christian," and the  
Governor advised him to get his clerk to open the  
office on that day and attend to the distribution  of  
the letters instead. Mr. Merriam said that he took  
Governor Washburn's advice, and had thus never 
been guilty of working on the Sabbath! Now the 
question arises, If a postmaster may have his busi- 
ness attended to on Sunday by an employe, without 
violating his conscience, why may not a railroad  
company be  allowed the same elasticity?  
$25,000 Wanted!  
WE, the undersigned, hereby give the sums set to our  
names, to raise the sum of $25,000 to be placed under the  
control of trustees chosen at the annual session of the Cali- 
fornia Conference. Said stim to be loaned to some of our 
Institutions at 5 per cent, the proceeds of which shall be  
used to assist those who are seeking an education at the  
Healdsburg College, to fill positions in the cause of God.  
Said individuals must be recommended by the Conference  
Committee and the College Faculty.  
William Butcher $5,000 
Joseph Leininger 5 000  
John Morrison 1,000  
F. H. Adams 500  
Mrs. Mary Scott 500  
A Friend to the Cause 800  
"Who'll be the next?"  
RPHOUGHTS ON REVELATION.  
CRITICAL AND PRACTICAL.  
BY ELD. U. SMITH  
THIS work presents every verse in the book of Revelation, with  
such remarks as serve to illustrate or explain the meaning of the 
text. It is a new and harmonious exposition of that important book, 
and is designed to create an interest in its study.  
416 pp. Price, $1.25.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  

B  IBLE SANCTIFIC ATION :  
A CONTRAST OF  
TRUE AND FALSE THEORIES.  
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.  
THIS is a pamphlet of only 84 pages, but its value is not to be  
judged by its size. It is just what its title indicates : a faithful pre-
sentation of Bible truth on this important subject, and an exposure  
of the false theories prevailing in regard to it. Every believer in 
Bible truth should read it. Buy it, read it, and lend it to your  
neighbor. Price, 10 cents.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
M  
ATTER AND SPIRIT  
OR,  
THE PROBLEM OF HUMAN THOUGHT.  
BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.  
A PHILOSOPHICAL argument on an important theme, indicated by  
its title. 66 pp. Pridb, 10 cents.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
JJ1STORY OF THE REFORMATION.  
BY J. H. MERLE D'AUBIGNB.  
THIS book is indeed a standard in evangelical literature, and is so  
well and favorably known as to need no description; it is the most 
complete and impartial history of the Reformation extant; an 1 cer-
tainly no one should need to be urged to seek all the information  
possible concerning the history of one of the greatest revolutions  
ever effected in human affairs.  
Bound in cloth, 5 vols, in one $1.50 
Larger edition, illustrated 4.00  
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, Cal.  
RPHE SEVENTH PART OF TIME.  
BY W. H. LITTLEJOHN.  
THIS is a refutation of the theory that God sanguined simply a sev- 
enth part of time as the Sabbath, without fixing that time to any 
definite day. The necessity for a  
UNIFORM DAY OF REST,  
Is admitted by nearly all, and is advocated in this book. The author  
also shows that the Creator understood and anticipated this neces-
sity, and proves by five different processes of reasoning that the 
seventh or last day of the week, and no other, was in the beginning,  
and is now, the Sabbath of the Lord.  
32 pp. Price, 4 cents ; liberal discount by the hundred.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland,  Cal.  
T  
HE TRUTH FOUND.  
THE NATURE AND OBLIGATION OF THE  
SABBATH OF THE FOURTH  
COMMAND MENT.  
BY ELD. J. H. WAGGONER.  
THE title of this little book sufficiently explains its character, It  
contains more Scriptural information in regard to the Sabbath than  
any other book of twice the size, and yet it is so simplified as to be  
easily comprehended. The author quotes the opinions of many  
learned men concerning the Sabbath, and their conflicting theories 
are strongly contrasted with the clear, straightforward teaching of 
the Bible. 64 pp. Price, 10 cents.  
Address, SIGNS OF  THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
RPHE MINISTRATION OF ANGELS.  
BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.  
ALSO  giving an exposition of the origin, history, and destiny of  
Satan. 144 pp. Price, £0 cents.  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.  
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES,  
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT OAKLAND, CAL., FOR THE  
International Tract and Missionary Society.  
A sixteen-page Religious Family Paper, devoted to a discussion of  
the Prophecies, Signs of the Times, Second Coming of Christ, Har-
mony of the Law and Gospel: with Departments devoted to Tem- 
perance, The Home  Circle, the Missionary Work, and the Sabbath- 
school.  
Price Per Year, 00  
In Clubs of five or more copies to one address, to bs used in Mis- 
sionary Work, gQ  
Address, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.