"Behohl I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12. 
VOLUME 12. 
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FIFTH-DAY, MARCH 4, 1886. 
NUMBER 9. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, FOR THE 
dom, skill, or power, but in the strength of God, 
who had delivered him out of the paw of the 
lion and the bear when he was watching his 
father's flocks in the wilderness. 
I t 
t• 
1 T t 
d M" · 
S · t 
In obedience to the royal command, t~e 
ll .erna lOlla 
rae an 
lSSlOTiary OCleuy. king's armor was placed upon David; the heavy 
(For terms, etc., see last page.) 
Entered at the Post-Office in Oakland. 
A PRAYER O:B' TRUS'I'. 
FATHER, I thank thee that I cannot trace 
The path thou hast in love marked out for me; 
For every day I bless the wondrous grace 
That keeps my soul in sweet security. 
Resting in thee, there is no room for care; 
I know thy grace sufficient is, and free; 
I know thy love is with me everywhere, 
Thy strength alone supports my frailty. 
Though led in devious paths, all strange, unknown, 
Trusting I walk, nor fear though trials come; 
Since 'tis thy hand that guides me, thine alone, 
I know, whate'er betides, it leads me home. 
-Robert J. Holloway. 
~.entral $rti.cltz. 
The Sin of Presumption. 
BY 1\IRS. E. G. WHITE. 
helmet of brass was set on his head, and the 
sword of Saul was girded upon his thigh. But 
David could not go out with these; he bad not 
tried the king's armor, and was unaccustomed 
to the use of the sword. 
\Vith a staff in his 
band, and a sling for his only weapon, be went 
to meet the boastful champion of the Philistine 
host. 
When the proud giant saw his antago-
nist, he t><::ornfully and indignantly asked, "Am 
I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?" 
And he cursed David by his gods. 
After this 
outburst of passion, he exclaimed with lofty 
disdain to the youthful shepherd who had 
accepted his challenge, "Come to me, and I 
will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and 
to the beasts of the field." 
David's heart wa.s not in the least intimi-
dated; for be knew in >vbom was bis trust. 
"Thou comest to me," be said, "with a sword, 
and with a speat·, and with a shield; but I come 
to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the 
God of the armies of Israel, whom thou bast 
defied. 
This dav will the Lord deliver thee 
into mine hand,".," that all the earth may know 
that there is a God in Israel. 
And all this as-
sembly shall know that the I1ord saveth not 
WHEN the Christian worker is pressed by the with sword and spear; for the battle is the 
adversaries of God a11d his truth, and is thus Lord's, and he will give you into our bands." 
brought into difficult places, be should rcmem-
With what anxious interest do both armies 
ber the example of Oil rist, and learn from it not watch the unequal combat. 'l'he Philistines and 
to be presumptuous. Instead ofrnshly attempt-many of the Israelites think David fool-hardy; 
ing to make a providence for himself, he should but this is but for a moment. 
As be runs to 
patiently wait for God to deliver him. And meet Goliath, he adjusts a stone in the sling, 
none should reel that they have a right to ask and presently it bas sped to its mark, and 
for an interposition of divi11e power in their is imbedded in the forehead of the giant. 
A 
behalf, simply that they may be saved from dimness comes over his sight; be reels, and 
personal annoyance, or that they may not suf-falls heavily to the ground, like some mighty 
fer humiliation and anxiety. 
'rhe great ir1qniry onk overthrown by a lightning stroke. 
Con-
should be, How cau God be glorified, and Lis sternation seizes upon the Philistines, and they 
truth viudicatcd? 
make a confused aud hasty retreat. The war-
In their encounters with the enemies of the riors of Israel, with a shout of triumph, follow 
truth, Christians should move in the strength the flying hosts, and the victory is complete. 
and fear of God, as did David when be met 
Here 'vve have an exnmple of lofty courage, 
Goliath. 
There wore assembled the armies of of a bumble, but liviug faith. 
David's trust was 
Israel and PLilistia, and before them stood the not in bim!:lelf, neither was his motive a selfish 
giant, bi8 massive form towering high above one. 
But he was ready, in the strength of God, 
other men. 
He was armed with a spear like a to meet Israel's foe, to test Jehovah's might 
weavm·'s beam; upon his brow was a helmet of agaiw;t a heathen giant, that he might "take 
brass; his body was inclosed in a coat or mail; away tho reproach from Israel.'' 
'rbis was the 
gre[tves of brass were up0n his limbs; and a divine plan for distinguishing David, Israel's 
target was between his shoulders. And listen ! future king, and for bumblillg the adversaries 
From this mighty giant, this trained man of war, of the true God. 
comes the challenge, ringing out on the still 
Those who are loyal to God, keeping all of 
air, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give his commandments, will meet a spirit of opposi-
me a man. that we may fight together." 
tion similar to that which David encountered. 
The proud boaster struck terror to the hearts Learned men, proud and boastful in their sup-
of tbe men of Israel. 
But David asked, " Who posed superiority, will feel, as did Goliath, to 
is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should despise the little band who are loyal to God. 
defy the armies of the living God?" And Many of these never graduated from a college; 
David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail but, with the Bible in their bands, they stand 
because of him; thy servant will go and fight in defense of the truth of God, and vindicate his 
with this Philistine." 
Sabbath, which has been trodden beneath law-
Was it presumption that led David to think less feet. 
But the Lord can make his strength 
that be might be a match for Goliath? 
\Vas it perfect in man's weakness. 
If, like David, men 
a spirit of pride and self sufficiency that made I will forget self, and seek to honor God and to 
him dare to meet this mighty warrior who was: vindicate his name and his truth, he will work 
defying the Israel of God? David bad none of mightily with them, and crown their efforts 
this spirit. 
Modest and unassuming, be did not I with success. 
But· there are many who take 
make this declaration trusting in his own wis-·the glory to themselves if the work of God is 
prospered in their bands. They become proud 
and self-sufficient, and flatter themselves that 
their success is owing to their own superior 
abilities. 
Prosperity would often prove the 
rriin of the one thus honored of the Lord. 
Our 
compassionate Father in Heaven pities the 
weakness of our nature, and bears long with 
our follies. 
If this were not the case, be would 
not have given his Son to come to a fallen 
world and bear the buffctings and temptations 
of Satan, that be might show men bow to over-
come. 
The enemies oi' the truth will grow stronger 
and more bitter in their opposition to the law 
of God. 
They will resort to ridicule and insult; 
they will wrest and misinterpret the Scriptures, 
and will sustain their positions by h nman opin-
ions and arguments. 
They will present things 
in a false light, and thus pervert even honest 
minds. 
They will glory in their strength, as 
did the Philistine giant, and for a time they 
may appear to prosper. 
But their triumph will 
not always last; they will themselves fall into 
the pit which they Lave digged for others. 
When, in the providence of God, we are 
brought in contact with these revilers, and find 
ourselves in positions of peculiar trial, we should 
not allow ourselves to become irritated at their 
provoking taunts and insulting words, which 
are calculated to throw us off our guard, and 
lead us to reply in our own spirit. Neither 
should we make rash moves to free ourselves 
from these unpleasant positions, where we 
must suffer humiliation and defeat. 
In the presence of opposers of the truth, and 
while in conversation with them, Christians 
should be careful not to exalt self or to utter a 
word to provoke or irritate. Let them taunt 
and sneer if they will; but go straight forward 
as though you beard them not. 
Ofttimes the 
greatest viutories are gained through silence. 
Self may cLtmor for vindication; but silence 
gives t'ime for reflection and prayer, and for 
God to speak to the soul. 
Silence is an evi-
dence, not of weakness, but of strength, and is 
often more powerful than the strongest argu-
ments. 
rrhe people of Christ are his representatives 
upon the earth. 
They are to labor for the sal-
vation of souls. 
'!'his is the purpose for which 
our Saviour made his advent into the world, 
and he was ::;teadfast in .carrying out that pur-
pose. 
He did not allow himself to be diverted 
in the least from his great work. He was not 
swerved from his course by the opposition of 
his enemies, or the flattery and persuaRions of 
his friends. 
In this, as in all things, Christ is 
our example. 
We must be dilligent and faith-
ful in the work that has been committed to our 
bands. 
We must reach the people, not through 
the strength of argument merely, but through 
the mighty power of God working through our 
efforts. 
Especially should ministers feel their respon-
sibility in this matter. 
They are dealing with 
minds, and it is necessary that they should be 
as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. 
They should be ever ready to give a "reason of 
the hope that is in them,'' but" with meekness 
and fear," lest the words they utter shall be of 
a character to make an unfavorable impression, 
and balance minds in the wrong direction. 
The 
honor of God and the salvation of souls should 
be their ruling motive; then they will not mar 
the work by a rash, presumptuous spirit. 
130 [2] 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
VoL. 12, No. 9. 
Exa.mination of a Famous Falsehood. 
This shows at once that no proof can be ob-
tained from this quarter: either that the "stated 
CERTAIN doctors of divinity have made a spe-dn,y" of Pliny W[LS the first day of the week, or 
cial effort to show that the "stated day" of that the martyrs of the early church were 
Pliny's epistle is tho first day of the week. 
For tested by the question whether they bad ob-
tbis purpose, they adduce a fabnlons· narrative served it or not. It also Rhows the statement 
which the mOJ·e reliable historians of the church to be false that the martyrs of Pliny's time 
baYe not deemed worthy of record. 
The argu-called t)unday the Lord's day and kept it as 
ment is this: That in Pliny's time and after-suc:b. 
After quoting all the questions put to 
ward, that is, from the close of the first cent-ma.rtyrs in and before Pliny's time, and thus 
ury onward, whenever tbe Christians were proving that no suc~b question as is alleged was 
brought before their persecutors for examina-put to them, Domville says:-
tion, they were asked whether they bad kept 
"This much may suffice to sbow that Dom·in-
the Lord's day, this term being used to desig-
icurn se1·vasti? was no question in Pliny's time, 
nate the first dny of the week. And hence three as Mr. Gurney intends us to believe it was. 
I 
facts are asserted to be established: 1. That. have: however, still other proof of Mr. Gurne.r's 
when Pliny says thn,t the Christians who were unfair dealing with the subject; but I del'l:)r 
examined by him were accustomed to meet on stating it for the prm;ent, that I may proceed 
a stated day, that da.y wa::; undoubtedly the in the inquiry, vVhat may have been the au-
first day of' the week; 2. ~'hat the observance thority on wbicb Bikhop Andrews relied when 
of the first day of the week waR the grand test stating that Dominicurn servasti? was ever a 
by which Cbristi<tnS were known to their usnal question put by the b"H.then persecutors? 
heathen persecutors; 3. That Lord's day was I shall with this view pass o. or the martyrdoms 
the name by wbit·h the fin~t day of the week which intervened between .Pliny's time and the 
was !mown in tbu time of Pliny, a few years fourth century, as they eontain nothing to the 
after the death of John. 
To prove these points, purpose, and shall come at once to that martyr-
Dr. Edwards makes the following statement:-dom the nanative of wbieb was, I have no 
"Hence the fact that their persecutors, when doubt, the source hom which Bishop Andrews 
they wished to know whether men were Chris-derived his queRtion, Do,ninicurn servosti? 'Hold 
tians, were accnstom9d to put to them this q ues-you tbe l;ord's day?' This martyrdom bap-
tion, viz., 'Do'm,inicum seT·vasti 7 '-'Hast thou pened A. D. 304. The sufferers were DaLurninne 
kept the Lord's day?' If they had, they were and his four sons, and several other person::;. 
Christians. 
This was the bnd~e of· their Chris-They were taken to Carthage, and brought 
tianity, in distinc-tion from Jews and pagaus. before the proc:onsul Amulinus. In the account 
And if they snid they had, and would not re-
given of their examinations by him, the phrases, 
cant, they must be put to death. AnJ what, 'CELEBRARE Dorninicum,' and 'AGERE Dorn~:ni­
wben they continued steadfast, was their an-cum' frequently occur; but in no instance is the 
swor '? 
'ChTistianus sum j interrnittere non pos-verb : servaTe' used in reference to Dominicurn. 
surnj' 'I am a Cbri.stian; I cannot omit it.' It I mention this c:hiefly to show that when Bishop 
is a badge of my religion, and the man who Andrews, allnding, as no doubt he does, to the 
assumes it must of course keep the J;ord's day, narrative of this martyrdom, says the question 
because it is the will of his Lord; and should was, Dorninicurn servasti? it is very clear he 
be abandon it, be would be an npostate from bad not his author at band, and tllat in trustillg 
his religion." 
to his memory, be coined a phrase of his own." 
Mr. Gumey, an EngliRb first-day writer of 
Domville quotes at length the converRaLion 
some note, uses the same :tegument and for the between the proconsul and the martyrs: w hic:b 
same purpose. 
The importance attached to is quite similar in most respects to Gurney's 
Lbis statement, and the prominence given to and, J~dward's quotation from Andrews. He 
it by the advocates of first-day sacredness, then adds:-
r<mder it proper that its merits t:>bould be ex-
"The narrative of the martyrdom of Satur-
aminod. 
Dr. Edwards gives no authority for ninus being the only one wl1ich bas the appear-
his statement; but Mr. Gueney traces the stol'y ance of supporting the assertion of BiRhop 
to Dr. Andrews, Bishop of Winchester: who A11drews that, 'Hold you the Lord's dn.y?' 
claimed to bave taken it from the Acta Ma1·tv-was the usual question to t.be martyrs, what if 1 
1·mn, an anuieu t collection of tbe acts of the F\hould prove that even this narrative affords no 
martyrs. It wn,s in the early part of the Rev-
f'	 pport to that asserlion? Yet nothing is more 
enteenth century that ]3isbop Andrews first easy than this proof; for Bishop Andrews bas 
brougb t this forward in his speech in the court quite mistaken tbe meaning of the word Dom'in-
of Star Chamber, against Tbraske, who was 'tcum in translating it 'the l.Jord's <.lay.' It bas 
accused before that arbitrary tribunal of main-no such meaning. lt was a barbarous word, in 
taining the heretical opinion that Christin.ns are use among some of the ecclesiastical writers in, 
bot~nd to keep tbe Aeventb day as the Sabbath and subsequent to, the fourth century, to ex-
of tho Lord. 
'l'be story was first produeod, press sometimes a church, and at other times 
therefore, for the purpose of confounding an the Lord's supper, but NEVER the Lord's day. 
observer of the Sabbath when on trial by his My authorities on Lbis point al'e:-
enemies for keeping that day. Sir Wm. Dom-
"1. Ruinart, who, upon the word Dorninicum 
ville: an able anti-Sa.bbatarian writer, thus in the narrative oftbe martyrdom ofSaturninus, 
traces out the matter:-
bas a note, in which be says it is a word signi-
" Tbe bishop, as we have seen, refers w the 1ying the Lord's supper ('Dorninicurn vero desi-
Acta of the martyrs as justifying his at!sertion nat snc1·a myste1·ia '), and be quotes Tertullian 
re~Spoctin,g the question, Dominicum se1·vasti? and Cyprian in suj)port of this interpretation. 
but he does not cite a single instance from 
'' 2. The editors of the Benedictine edition of 
them in which that question was put. 
We are St. Augustine's works. 
TLey state that the 
left therefore to bunt out the instances for our-
word Dominicum has the two meanings ~f a 
selves, wherever, if anywhere, they are to be church and the Lord's supper. For the former 
found. 
The most complete collection of the they quote, among other authorities, a canon of 
me1noin:>. and legends still extant, relative to the council of N eo Cesarea. 
For the latter 
tbe lives and sufferin.gs of the Christian mar-meaning they quote Cyprian, and refer also to 
tyrs, is that by Ruimtrt, entitled, 'Acta pri-St. Augustine's account of his conference with 
?Jwrwm Afarty1·urn sincer·a et seler.tu .. ' 
I have the Don:ttists, in which allusion is made to the 
caret'ullv consulted that work, and l take upon narrative of the marLrydom of Saturninus. 
my~'elf to affirm that among the questions there 
"3. Gesner, who, in his Latin Thesaurus, pub-
state<.l to have been put to the martyrs in and lisbed in 1749, givet! both meanings to the 
on this point, and then pays his respects to ·Mr. 
Gurney as follows:-
" It thus appearing that the reference made 
by Bishop Andrews to the 'Acts of Martyrl:l' 
completely fails to establish his dictum respect-
ing the question nlleged to have been put to the 
martyrs, and it nlso appearing that there ex-
isted stron!2: and obvious reasons for not placing 
implicit reliance upon that diuLum, what are we 
to think of Mr. Gurney's regard for truth, wl-en 
we find he .does not scruple to toll his readers 
that the 'stated day' mentioned in Pliny'H let-
ter as that on which the Cbri.·t.ians held tbeie 
religious aF:semblies, was 'cle:1rly tbe fieRL day 
of the week,' is proved by the very question 
w h icb it was customary for the Ronw.n pcrse-
cu LOt'S to address to the marLy rs, Do11~inicurn 
lie?''Vrtsti ?-·Hast thou kept the Lord's dtty?' 
For this unqualified assertion, prefixed as it is 
by the word 'clearly,' in order to make it the 
more impressive, M_r. Gurney is without any 
excuse." 
_The justice of DomvillH's langunge cannot be 
questioned. when be obaracterizes this favorite 
first-day argument as-
" One of those daring misstatements of fac·ts 
so frequent in theological writings, and wbicb, 
from the confident tone so generally asB11med 
by the writers on such occasious, are usually 
received without examination, and allowed, in 
consequence, to paf'\s current for truth."-liis-
tory of the Sabbath, by J. N. And'rews. 
(To be continued.) 
Putting Mo11ey in a Hole. 
IN the time of Jeboasb, king of Judah, when 
money was needed for the Lord's bouse, be 
didn't arrange for a fair, or a concert, or an oys-
ter supper, or some other ingenious subterfuge 
in the na.Lnre of a pleasure-bait for a pions book. 
He simply had it announced Lbat they wanted 
money, and what they w~wted it for; and be 
put a chest right by tho door-a chest with a 
hole in the top,--so that tbi~ was the very fit·f'	 
thing that a worshiper encountered when he 
entered the house of God. 
He never came 
without being appealed to for money-not, in-
deed, by an expert agent, with Lis stereotyped 
stock of begging stories, but by the silent elo-
quence of that. ever-present chest. To give to 
the Lord was as much a part of wol'sbip as the 
offering of praise; and~ presently, Lbe chest was 
full, and provision was fully made for the long-
neglected work. 
There WfLS no ost.en tat.iouH pa-
rade of names and amounts, to the glol'ificntion 
of some and the mortifien.t.ion of others; bnt 
each one gave what his piety prompted and 
his ability allowed; and thus quietly and quie:kly 
all the money needed waR deposited in the treas-
ury. 
Oh, for radical reform in our methods of 
benevolence! 
While it is immeasurably impor-
tant thnt the children be brought to know tbe 
will of God, it is still more imporLant that they 
be trained to do the will of God; and no doing 
is of greater con seq nence to the glory of God's 
cause than thoughtful, prayerful, self-sacl'ificing 
giving for its furtherance.-The Baptist l'eache1·. 
MAN's use and function is to be the wltuel:ls of 
the glory of God, and to advance thnt glory by 
his reasonable obedience and result:lllt happi-
ness. 
Whatever enables us to fulfill this fnnc-
tion is in the pure and first sense of the word 
useful to us; pre-eminently, therefore, whatever 
sets the glory of God more brigb tly before ns. 
But things that only help us to exist are in a 
secondary and mean sense useful, or, rntber, if 
they be looked ±or alone, they are useless nnd 
worse; for it would be better that we should 
not exist than that we should guiltily disappoint 
the purposes of existence.-R'uskin. 
before the time of Pliny, and for nearly two word Domin:icurn. 
For that of the Lord'H sup-
THIS very sage advice was given by an aged 
hundred years afterwards, the question, LJomin-per be quote.s Cyprian; for .that of a church be 
1 
priest:_ "AI ways treitt an insult _like mu~ f:rom 
icwm se?'vasti? does not once occur; nor any quotes Cypnan and also Hillary." 
a paRsmg vehlCle-never brush It off untll It is 
equivalent question." 
Domville states other facts of interest bearing dry."-Sel. 
MARCH 4, 1886. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
[Sj131 
Romanis1u at Hmne. 
IN Mexico, where the Roman Catholic system 
11 ns long borne fruit, one is impresHed with the 
dPptb of ignorance respecting the word of God. 
The mnsses know nothing of it. 
One will 
stumble over its title as a name unknown, an-
other will ask about it half fearfully, a1-l if it were 
an instrument of di"Vination; another is incred-
ulottR on being assured that the "Volume contains 
le.LLers from Peter ahd Paul. Last week, a 
man from a distant pueblo, being here on busi-
ness, called, saying his brother wished him to 
come to me and get-a-book, but-what was 
it? He had utterly forgotten, nor could he 
gi"Ve any idea of its subject. By questioning 
and suggesting, I found that he wanted a testa-
ment. 
The idea of an upright, holy life as a neces-
sary evidence of H::t"itlg faith is not found. 
Sin 
and pardon are light matt.ers; the one easily 
condoned, the other as easily obtained. 
Rome 
counts nearly the entire population as of her 
communiot1, and certainly they "Very nearly all 
couut LhemseiYes there, and saved thereby. 
'l'here are thor:;e who have so lost faith in tLe 
church that, they would not call a priest at the 
bon r of death, but they are few. 
No matter 
what a man's habits of life are, be observes cer-
tain forms, and calls himHelf a good ChrisLian. 
Jn such a state of things, hov;r could there be 
any vivid sense of the need of a. Saviour, 
though all know f'Omething of God, and readily 
admit that Cbrit:lL died for them. They admiL 
iL Loo easily: in fact.; they ba"Ve no idea of that 
resistat1ce to sin which his death implietl. Their 
assurance of fit1al acceptance is universal, but 
it is not based upon confidence in Christ. 
They 
are the earnest devotees of one who is, to them, 
no less than a deity: "Mary, the Most Holy;" 
"Daugl1ter of God the Father, Mother of God 
the Son, Spmme of God the Holy Spirit;" "the 
Queen of Hea"Ven ;" "tl1e Morning Star." 
She 
is their "Ad vocate," "Refuge," "s~wionr." She 
is all-compassionate. Sue bas revealed herself 
especially to them-so they are taught and 
most firmly believe-and to her they come. 
They are earnest to defend the dogma of her 
utter sjnJesstlet:'S, Ulld would make it their bat-
_tle-cry; but that dogma works 110 desire for 
personal holiness in themselveB. 
They belie"Ve 
her to be their motl1er in a spe<.:ial sense, and, 
pmutically, if not in theory, Liley attribute to 
her both the dii'position and the power to sa"Ve 
them in their sins. 
In the worship of the 
c;l'uature, the Creator iR .~ ·,Jl-nigb lost sigl1t of. 
His infinite love, his holy will and redeeming 
t;n,c;rifice, are biddeu by :JJe forms of a system 
that. :1ppeals stron.gly to the natural man, and 
H> l•·lllpletely bidd, ;1 Ll1at exceedingly few dis-
l'Ovur tbem.-li~"'i'
'Y M. Bissell, in Advance. 
Vie tory of Silence. 
rro BE 
~ilenced is not always to ha"Ve the 
worst of an arg·ument. When Hananiah, in 
the name of Jehovah, by eloquent spee<.:b and 
no less eloquent, symbol, demonstrated that Jer-
emialJ'::; prophecies were all wrong, we read Lktt 
the J>l'OjliJet Jeremiah quieLiy ':went his way,'' 
IL·:t'itlg bis opponent to exult as a victor among 
the priests and the people who tbro11ged the 
temple. 
A man who klJew that he was on the 
Ijord's side, and that be bad spoken the truth 
of the Lord, could afford to do that. 
The bitter 
sequel showed \'bether Hananiab or Jeremiah 
vvus right. 
'l
1here are occasions when it is the 
part of a •vise man to follow this precedm1t of 
Jeremiah. 
Wi.un one is in the midst of scoffers 
wuo have demo1:strated to their own satisfac-
t.iOtl that there iti uo God, that the Bible is a fic-
tiou, and that immortaliLy is a dream, it is some-
times better, having once delivered one's te:-;ti-
mony, quietly to go one's way, rather than to 
SJ>Ulld pre<.:ions time in fruitless padeying. 
·whnt doeR it matter if' the enemieR ot· God's 
truth enjoy all ocuasional ehenp irinmph "? The 
truth itself is sure, beyond the reach of ar-1 
The apostles, too, were .few in number, and 
guments however brilliant, of sneers however were also reviled and persecuted and shame-
cutting, of gibes however witLy. 
Knowing fully handled; they learned, alas, too well! 
that, the ChrisLian can afford to go upon hii:i that all who would live godly in Christ J ut::us 
way, e"Ven though, for a time, it seems as if he should suffer persecution. They braved the 
were silenced, and to wait quietly for the time wrath of their enemies because they had been 
which will juf:ti(y all truth, and put to shame taught by the .Master that whosoeyer would be 
all falsehood.-Sel. 
the friend of the world was the enemy of God. 
THE DIVINE EXPUHG-ATOR. 
"And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things 
new." Rev. 21 : 5, 
THE day of true celestial liberty, 
The era of a liberated world, 
·Jf chains forever broken, has not come. 
The sword of truth with its mute edge hews down 
The falsehoods of the ag('s everywhere; 
Yet still they rise again. 
The old soil, still 
Fruitful in ill, retains its poison-roots, 
And yields a harvest of yet deadlier growth. 
And yet I know that ill shall ha.ve an end, 
And time's disorder into order rise. 
The deluge that has covered this fair globe 
With its disastrous waters shall ere long 
Be dried, rolled back from off a suffering soil, 
And pent up in the caverns whence it came. 
These sifting winds of earth shall sink in calm; 
The strife of nature shall at length be still, 
The storm·song sink into a dying fall, 
And the chafed air breathe only summer-peace, 
All life's entangled kuots unraveled then; 
The inky stains, in millions dropped upon 
The once fair page of this unblemished earth, 
Wiped out by Him who made it fair at first! 
-Dr. Bonar, in " My Old Letters." 
Tbey were not of the world, and therefore tl1e 
world hated them. 
Their persecuLors were 
met with the potent inquiry, "Whether it be 
right in the sight of God to Learken unto you 
more than unto God, judge ye." 
~l'o bear the 
cross of the Saviour and do his bidding was 
their only thought. In the way the masses 
went they could not go, for it wns the way of 
disobedience aud death. 
Their example is for 
us to follow; and these thi11gs are written for 
our learning that we may shun the way where 
the mnny go, and be among the little flock 
who choose the narrow way beeau8e it leads 
unto life. 
.E. R. JONES. 
John !(twx's Preaching·. 
HE began his diseourse most commonly with 
Biblical exposition, and spent a little time in 
calmly, dearly, and fully explaining the mean-
ing of the passage on which he was engaged. 
In this portion ot his sermon, if we. may judge 
from tLe published tracts which were appar-
ently founded on pulpit utterances, be was clear, 
simple, convincing; not making a parade of 
leaming, yet bringing out, withal, the true sig-
Convenience and Worldly Favor. 
nifican<.:e of the saered text. Then having 
WHEN tue duty to observe the fourth com-cleared away all doubt from that, be made it 
1uandment is )H'e8sed home upon the eOilsidera-the foundation of a battery, whereon be erected 
tion oJ the people, many say tllat if the seventb a swivel gun, and with that he t:;wept the whole 
day was generally regarded, they certainly horizon, firing at every evil w hic:h came within 
would keep it; for they are fully persuaded bis view. Nor were the shots mere random 
that it alone is the day the Scriptures enjoin. things. 
They were deliberately aimed, and 
But the great majority do 110t keep it, and they commonly did most effeutive work. No 
look with disfavor on tbo~e that do. lt is e"Vi-matter \u00b7vbo might be the e"Vil-doer, the expos-
dent at once that those who make sueh a plea, ure was sure to be made, and the exposlulation, 
regard their own convenience and the good u~unlly ending in denunciation unless the t:lin-
opinion of their fellow-men as of more im por-ner should repent, was sure to follow. 
W Lat-
tance than obedience to God. Ma.ny would ever be migbt do elsewhere, he could neither 
serve him if it ill\:olved no sacrifice of worldly shut l1is eyes llOr keep back his utterance when 
goods and uomforts and ol the favor of others. be wm;, as be called it, ;, in publi<.: plnee." 
He 
What vast multitudes would follow Christ if was "set as a watchman" to tlle people of 
there were no cross to bear in so doing! 
Few Sl'oLiand, and be would watc-h with wakeful 
indeed have bad an ear to bear from him, "And vigil:lnc;c, and give honest wnrning of every-
whosoe"Ver doLh not bear his cross, and come thiug wbi('h hu saw wrong; for the wrong with 
after me, cannot be my disci pie." 
W orldty bim vvas ai w ~Lys fl·augh t with dt1t1ger, and the 
con"Venience and favor are to them superior to wrong11ess was enough to e"Voke his earnest 
all other claims; and, like some in the days of protet:;t. 
old, tLey love the praise of men more than the 
He used no soft words. He was no maker of 
praise of God. "Tbou shalt not follow a mul-polite phrases. He spoke in order to be nndur-
titude to do evil," is the positive wor~~ of the stood, and therefore he "called a fig a fig, and 
Lord. A11d yet bow many look to the course a :-;pade a spade." 
He went into tho pulpit, not 
of the multitude as the highest authority by because be bad to say something, uut because 
whicb they are to be goyerned, in utter forget-there was sometbi11g in him wi.Jich was com-
fulnes~ or neglect of the Scripture declaration pelling itself to be said. 
He spoke beeause be 
that the way to destruction itl broad and many "coulu not but" speak. 
'l'hnt irrepres:>ibility 
walk therein; while the way to life is narrow, gaye volcanic energy to hi:-; manner and fiery 
and few find it. 
force to hil:l words, ~o that Lhe efl'ects produced 
The ancient worthies did not so lightly re-by his sermons were not merely superfi<.:ial. 
gard their duty to obey God. 
The world Like those modern miflsilef:\ which burst in the 
moc;ked and scourged them. 
'l'hey were bound wounds wuicb thoy l1nve made, hi::-; words ex-
and cast into prison; they were stoned, and ploded within the hearts of those who bnd re-
slain with the sword; they wandered in deserts cei"Ved them, twd set them on fire with convic-
and in mountains, in dens and caves of the tions that flamed 1ortb in tbeit· conduct. It 
earth; they wandered about in Aheep-skins and was apparentiy impo::;sible lor <llty one to listen 
goat-skins, and were destitute, afflicted, tor-to him wit.Lout bei11g deeply moved, either to 
mented; "of whom the world was not worthy." antagoniem, or to entbusial:'tic agreemeut, or-
'l'hese looked not to the world for their example, for he could be tender also-to te~1.rs. 
nor choRe itl:i paths of ease. 
They sought not 
It may bu said indeed that be allowed him-
its favori'i llOl' their own con"Venience and com-self too great liberty in commenting on public 
fort. 
By ::-;o doing, they could ha"Ve escaped all men and national affairs; and we readily ad-
thil:l uftlic:tion alld .sorrow; for the world will mit that in ordinary times, and especiallv in 
luve its own. 
Choosing rather to suffer the our altered circumstances, it would be unwise 
loss of home and ti.·iends, and all that this world in most prea<.:bers to use the pulpit precisely as 
holds dear, that they migLt gain the better and be did. 
But we hn'e to bear in mind that the 
enduring substance, they walked in the narrow cnsis through whieb his country was ptussing 
path, with its little company and many trials, at the time was al:i much poliLical as religiou~, 
because they knew it waR the way of God's and that the pulpit was the only organ at Lis 
own choosing. 
, (·nmmand.-
1'aylrw's Life of Knox. 
132 (4] 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
VoL. 12, No. 9. 
The Ostrogoths and the Visigoths. 
(Continued.) 
"THE scarcitv of facts and the uncertnintv 
of dates oppos~ our attempts to describe th~e 
circumstances of the first invasion of Italy by 
the arms of Alaric. His maruh, perhaps from 
Tbessalonica through the warlike and hostile 
country of Pannonia, as far as the foot of the 
Julian Alps [A. D. 400-403]; his passage of 
those mountains, which were strongly guarded 
by troops and intrenchments; the siege of 
Aquileia, and the conquest of the provinces of 
!stria and Venetia, appear to have employed 
a considerable time. 
Unless his operations 
were extremely cautious and slow, the length 
of the interval would suggeRt a probable sus-
picion that the Gothic king retreated towards 
the banks of the Danube, and re-ellforced hiH 
army with fresh swarms of barbarians before be 
again attempted to penetrate into tho heart of 
Italy. 
Since the public and important events 
escape the diligence of the historian, be may 
amuse bimRelf with contemplatingfor a moment 
the influence of the arms of Aluric on the fortunes 
of two obRcure individualR, a presbyter of Aqni-
leia and a huabandman of Verona. Tho learned 
Rufin.uR, who was Rumrnoned by hiR enemies to 
n ppear before a Roman 8ynod, wiRely preferred 
the dangers of a besieged city; and the barba.-
rians, who furiouRly shook the walls of Aqui-
leia, might save him from the cruel sentc11Ce of 
another heretic, vvho, at the request of the 
same bishops, was severely whipped, and con-
demned to perpetual exile on a deRert island. 
"The old man, who bad pasRed his Rimple 
and innocent life in the neighborhood of Verona, 
was a stranger to the quarrels bot.h of kings 
and of b~shops; his pleasures, his deRires, his 
knowledge, were confined within the little cir-
cle of his paternal farm; and a staff Rupported 
hiR ngod steps, on the Rame gl'ound '~rbere he 
bad Kport-ed in his infnncy. Yet even this 
bumble and rustic f'elicity (which Claudinn de-
scribes with so rnnch truth and feeling) was still 
exposed to the undisLinguisbing rage of war. 
His treeR, his old rontempora1·y t1·ees, must blaze 
in tho conflap:r;ttion of the whole country; a 
det:1cbment of Gothic cava1ry might Rwoep 
away hi:'< cottage and his fa.mily, and the power 
of Alaric conld destroy this happiness, which 
he was not able either to taste or to be8tow. 
'Fame,' says the poet, 'eneirclin.e: with terror 
her gloomy wings, proclaimed the march of 
tbe barbarian army, and filled Italy with con-
sternation;' the apprehen. ions of each indi-
vidual were increaf:'ed in just proportion to the 
measure of his fortune; and the most timid, 
who bad already embarked their valuable ef-
fectR, meditated their eRcape to the island of' 
Sicily or the African coast. rrhe public disteess 
was aggravated by the fears and reproaches of 
superRtition. Every hour produced some hor-
rid ta.le of strange and portentous accidents; 
the pagans deplored the neglect of omens and 
the interruption of sact'i-fic:es; bnL the Cbris-
tiiws still derived some comfort from the pow-
erful intercesRion of the saints and martyrs. 
"The Empe1·or Honorius was distinguished 
above his sn bjects by the preeminence of fear 
as well as of rank. The pride and luxury in 
which he was edur.ated, bad not allowed him 
to suRpect that there existed on the eaetb any 
po1;ver presumptuous enough to invade the re-
pose of the successor of A ugnstus. 
The arts 
of flattery concealed the impending danger till 
Alaric approached the palace of Milan_ 
But 
1vben the sound of war bad awakened the 
young emperor, instead of flying to arms with 
the spirit, or even the rashness, of his age, be 
eagerly listened to thoRe timid counselors who 
proposed to convey his sacred person an_d his 
faithful attendants to some secure and d1stant 
station in the provinces of Gaul [A. D. 403]. 
Stiliuho alone bad courage and authority to 
resist this disgraceful measure, which would 
have abandoned Rome and Italy to the barba-
rians; but as the troops of the pfilace had been 
lately detached to the Rbretian frontier, and 
as the resource of new levies waR slow and pre-
carious, the general of the West could only 
promise, that, if the court of Milan would main-
tain their ground during his 3,bsence, he would 
soon return with an army equal to the encoun-
ter of the Gothic king. 
" Without losing a moment (while each mo-
ment was so important to the public safety), 
~tilicho hastily embarked on -the Larian Lake, 
ascended the mountains of ice and snow, amidst 
the severity of a,n Alpine winter, and suddenly 
repressed, by his unexpected peesence, the en-
emy, who had disturbed the trfinq uillity of Rhre-
tia. 
The barbarians, perhaps some tribes of the 
Alemanni, respected the firmness of a chief 
who still assumed the language of command; 
and the choice which he condescended to make, 
of a select number of their bravest youth, was 
considered as a mark of his esteem and favor. 
'l'he cohorts who were delivered from the neigh-
boring foe, diligently repaired to the Imperial 
standard; and Stilicbo issued his orders to the 
most remote troops of the vVest, to advance, 
by rfipid marches, to the defense of Honorius 
and of Italy. Tue fortresses of the Rhine were 
abandoned; and tho safety of Gaul was pro-
tected only by the faith of the Germans and 
the ancient terror of the Roman name. 
Even 
the legion whiob bad been stationed to guard 
the wall. of Britain against the Caledonians of 
tlle North, was hastily recalled; and a numer-
ous body of the cavalry of the Alani was per-
suaded to engage in the service of the emperor, 
who anxiously expected the return of his gen-
eral. 
The prudenee and vigor of Stilicbo were 
conspicuous on this occasion, which revealed, 
at the same time, the weakness of the falling 
empire. 
The legions of Rome, which bad long 
since languished in the gradual decay of disci-
pline and courage, were exterminated by the 
Gothic and civil wars; and it was found impos-
sible, without exhausting and exposing the 
peo,·inces: to assemble an army for the defense 
of Italy. 
" Wilen Stilicbo seemed to abandon his sover-
eign in the U11guarded palace of Milan, be had 
probably calculated the te1·m of' hi::; absence, the 
distance of tho enemy, and the obstacles that. 
might retard thei l' march. He principally de-
pended on the rivers of Italy, the Adige, the 
Mincius, tho Oglio, and the Addua, which, in 
tho winter or· spriu.~, by tho fall of rains or by 
the melti11g of' snows, are commonly swelled into 
broad and impetuous torron ts. 
But the season 
happened to be remarkably dry; and the Goths 
could traverse, without impediment, the wide 
and stony bods, whose center was faintly marked 
by the coul'se of a shallow stream. 
The bridge 
and passage of the Add ua were seeured by a 
strong detachment of the Gothic army; and, as 
Alaric approached the walls, or· rather the sub-
urbs, of .Milan, he enjoyed the proud satis-
faction of seeing the emperor of the Romans 
fly before him. 
Honol'ius, accompanied by a 
feeble train of statesmen and eunuchs, hastily 
retreated towards the Alps, with a design of 
securing his person in the city of Aries, which 
bad often been the royal residence of his prede-
ces ·ors. 
"But Honorius· had scarcely passed the Po 
bef"ore be was overtaken by the speed of the 
Gothic cavalry; since the urgency of the danger 
compelled him to seek temporary shelter within 
the fortifications of Asta, a town of Liguria, or 
Piedmont, situate on the banks of rranarus. The 
capitulation, the Imperial captive was suddenly 
relieved by the fame, the approach, and at 
length, the presence, of the hero, whom he had 
so long expected. At the bead of a chosen and 
intrepid vanguard, Stilicho swam the stream of 
the Add ua to gain the time w bich be must have 
lost in the attack of the bridge; the passage of 
the Po was an enterprise of much less hazard 
and difficulty; and the successful action, in 
which be cnt his way through the Gothic camp 
under the walls of Asta, revived the hopes and 
vindicated the honor of Rome. 
"Instead of grasping the fruit of his victory, 
the bfirbarian was gradually invested on every 
side by the troops of the West, who successively 
issued through all the passes of the Alps; his 
quarters were straitened; his convoys were in-
tercepted; aud the vigilance of the Romans 
prepared to form a chain of fortifications, and 
to besiege the lines of the besiegers. 
A mili-
tary council was assembled of the long-haired 
chief's of the Gothic nation; of aged warriors, 
w bose bodies were wrapped in furs, and w bose 
stern countenances were marked with honorable 
wound~. They weighed the glory of persist-
ing in their attempt against the advantage of 
securing their plunder; and they recommended 
the prudent measure of a seasonable 1·etreat. 
In this important debate, Alaric displayed the 
spirit of the conqueror of Rome; and after he 
had reminded his countrymen of their achieve-
ments and of their designs, be cone! uded his 
animating speech by the solemn and positive 
assura.nce that he was resolved to find in Italy 
either a kingdom or a. grave."-Decline and Pall, 
chap. 30, pa1·. 5, 6, 7. 
A. T. J. 
(To be concluded next week.) 
'rhe Bible in India. 
IN India measures are in progress for giving 
to every one who passes an examination at any 
Indian university a copy of the Holy Scriptures, 
as one means of counteracting the infidel and 
impure literature so widely and systematically 
circulated there among the educated 
clat~ses. 
Prom many parts of India we bear what single 
copies of the word of God have done. 
One 
Hindoo who obtained a copy of' thoU rdu Bible,. 
and read it daily, expelled idolatry fi·om his vil-
lage altogether, and exhorts tho surrounding 
Yillages to leave off worshiping idols. A mis-
sionar,y, in moving from one bouse to another, 
accidentally left a New Testament behind him. 
A Mohammedan, who had strongly opposed tbe 
preaching of the gospel, came to live in the 
bouse, found tbe TeRtament, and read it first to 
himself, and then to his fl'iends. 
He became a 
Christian: and all ceased their opposition. 
A 
high official of the Nizam of H.yderabad: while 
in England on political busineRs, received a copy 
of the Bible. He read it and was converted. 
.Expecting to be dismissed by the Mohammedan 
Nizam if he owned himself a. Christian, he de-
termined to say nothing about his conve1·sion, 
when hif:l eye fell on the text: " Whosoever 
shall confess me before men, him will I confess 
before my Father which is in Heaven; but who-
soever shall deny me before men, him will I 
deny also before my Father which is in 
Heaven." 
He confessed Christ before the 
Nizam, and: contrary to his expectation, was 
retained in his service, and permitted not only 
to hold, but to propagate, his religion. A cb urcb 
with seven hundred adherents is now the result. 
-Christian Herald. 
s~ege of ~n obscure plac~, which contained so 
"OuR forefathers," says Tupper, "had clocks 
r~~h a pnz~: a.n_d ~eeme.d Incapable of a _long. r~-~ put on the o~tside o_f churches ~bat they might 
s1stance, "'as Instantly _formed, and mdefatJ-not be late m gett1ng to service; we put the 
gably pressed, by the krng of the Goths; and clocks inside of the churches, lest we be late in 
tbe bold declaration which the emperor might getting out." 
afterwards ma.ke that his breast bad never been 
susceptible of fear, did not probably obtain 
much credit, even in his own court. In the last 
and almost hopeless extremity, after the barba-
rians had already proposed the indignity of a 
. IF you cannot pray over a thing, and cannot 
ask God to blef:ls you in it: don't do that thing. 
A secret that you would keep from God is a se-
cret that you should keep from your own heart. 
MARCH 4, 1886. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
[5] 133 
Themselves Being Judges. 
A DISCUSSION is going on in the daily press in 
regard to the immorality of the stage which 
has a peculiar interest from the fact that the 
participants are ac·tors and stage managers. 
A 
leading manager recently denounced as vile and 
demoralizing the most popular dramatic enter-
tainment now given in the theaters of Broad-
way. His verdict was confirmed in the Herald 
of February 4 by an interview ·with "an actor 
of the old school," a man whose name has been 
a familiar one in public print for many years. 
of the Bible interfere with more earnest and 
thorough occasional Bible-reading. On the con-
trary, it makes that kind of reading all the more 
satisfactory when it is undertaken. It is a good 
thing to read a chapter in the Bible at the close 
of the day's work, even tbough its reading be 
somewhat irksome, and the temptation to sleep 
be a strong one for the hour. 
But that should 
not be one's only way of Bible-reading; nor is 
it likely to be.-Sel. 
The True Amulet. 
·His opinion of the theater we cannot quote in 
AN amulet is defined by Webster as" an or-
full. 
Speaking of a number of popular bur-nament, gem, scroll, or the like, worn as a rem-
lesques now UJ)On the New York stag_ e, he 
d 
· 
h 
d 
e y agamst evils or mischief, sue 
as iseases 
says: "They are disgustingly indecent, be-
and witchcraft, and generally inscribed with 
sides being absolute. trash. 
When 1 was dis-mystic forms or characters_" 
The same thitw 
engaged the last time, I went to see some · 
1 1 1 
h 
1
5 
f.·tl 
d 
tt d 't 
T b 
I 1 
h d 1ts popu ar y cnown as a c arm. 
Many peop e 
o ·1em an reaTe ·e 1 
o e sure 
auo-e 
h 
h d 
· · 
d .!' 
· 
h 
I' 
th ~ 
It · 
f 
t t' 
:::. b t 
ave a 
a superst1twus regnr 
10r a rmg or a 
""!".en 
was 
c~re. 
was unny .a 
Imes; 
u 
loeket, or some family hei~·loom, the wearing 
~tIS a .v~ry easy matter to turn thmgs and men or kce )in of which the have thouO'ht would 
mto rtdtcule, and that's all they do. 
1 bl ,. g 
h 
d .!'Y, 
W 
0
, · 
, 
Th 
d 
d. 
t 
f 
b 
t 
. 
t 
sure v ung t em goo 10I tune. 
ear m yom 
e 
egra mg na ure o sue 
en ertammen s b . 
~ th 
L 
•1 Lf' 
, t 
.-
d 
7']1 
h 
ld b 
· d d 
Th 
h'b't' 
osom -e pea1 o 
g1ea p11ce, an 
you '>'l 
s on 
e cne 
own. 
. ese ex 1 1 tons can surely have good fortune. 
Cherish with faith 
hav.e but. one effect-~ disastrous ~ne to the and love the sacred heritage of God's word, and 
m01als of the communtty, an encomclgement to no serious ill can befall our soul. 
lewdness. 
A great many people say, 
S 
h h 
h 
h 
.Y 
T 
• d · 
'Ob 
II 
ff th 
b f, 
f, 
uc 
t oug ts ave come to my mm 
m see-
t. h ' '1'dre 'wed~re nodwtorsbe 0 
an he obre; dor ing so mu<.:h display of the favor.ite charm, the 
eo 
come Ies use 
o every muc 
roa er h , 
h 
Th' 
. 
, . 
bl 
f 't · 
th 
ld t 
d 
, 
''Ih t-
t 
t 
11 
orse-s oe. 
IS, or some 1 esem ance o 1 , 1s 
an we wou 
s an now. 
a 1s no so a a . 
b 
1 
h 
b 
· 
h 
n1b 
1 t 
f' b 
d 
1 
. 
b to 
e seen a most everyw ere, 
angmg on t e 
_._ e mora 
one o · t e mo ern p ay IS as muc 
II 
1 -
h 
l 
h, 
L bl 
l 
· 
· th 
· t 
H 
dl 
b t wa , or ymg on t e mante or t e ta e, or 
ower as vwe IS 
an vn· ue. 
ar y one 
u 
th 
".. 
d 1 1 " 
Tb 
th t 
t II 
t 
· 
'h t 'f . 
b. 
1 
worn upon 
e person, 
10r goo 
uc c 
ere 
a 
e s s ortes ~ a 
1 1n 
oo rs, we · 
1 
1 · h ·r 
·t · 
tt 
· h 
ld 
1 t 
d 
ht 
' d 
Th 
IS an amu et, w ttc , 1 we wear 1 m 
ne rtg t 
w~u not e our 
aug 
er~ r~a · 
ey may place, will bring -us good luck indeed. lt is 
pomt a mural lesson, tell a pttymg tale; but the d . 'b d b D L -d 
h 
h 
"Th 
d 
f: 
· 
b 
· . d . . 
L
, 
1 
eacr1 e 
y 
avt w en 
e says: 
.. y wor 
act rematns t at 1t 1s one m an Immora way. h . I l'd · 
· 
b 
·t th t I 
· ht 
t ,· 
F 
th 
d 
f tb 
, Bl 1 C 
1 , 
ave 
11 
m mtne 
eat , 
a 
mig 
no sm 
"t h 
t
1rtd)?'l1 be 
aystt? 
e 
ac rd roo r 
agt~inst thee." 
.Men have always been seeking 
1 
as s ea 1 y 
een ge tng worse an 
wrrsa,. ·' · 
't 
t' 
·1 
. 
t· 
. 
bl 
d 
·1 
bl 
f' 
· 
· 
h 
d h 
b. 
Immum y rom evt , escape rom trou e an 
unLI a no e pro esswn 1s now s arne 
y 
e-
· f 
d d ]' 
f 
th 
f' 1 
· 
. d 
b 
1 
. 
. 
f' 
gne _, an 
e 1verance rom 
. e aw u 
conse-
mg a pan erer to t e owest passtons o men. q 
. 
f · 
. d .!' II. 
'rh B-bl, 1 
f . 
Tb 
t 
t 
d 
· 
1 if 
b t 
uenees o sm a,n 
10 } . 
e 
1 e a one m-
].ttl 
f. 
e ds age ob-tay m gbener~f 0
1 
~rst u 
nisbes the needed relief; we seek it elsewhere 
I· . eo pure ram a, u many eau ~~ u pw ures . 
. 
d . d 
. 
1 
h 
. 
m vam. 
an 
m ecent pwtnres, many p ays t at are Vl-
W 
ld 
· h 
· d t 
d ·1 
d 
cious and man 
that are mere rubbish. 
The 
?U 
you WlR.' am I s your 
n.I y cares. an 
Y 
. , 
. 
worl'les, and suduen and strong temptatwns, 
general result mu.'t be evil. 
He says, further, t 
fi d 
t' 
f' 
f: II' 
? 
y 
b 
h 
b 
,_ 
h · 
f p 
. 
o 
n 
a pt·even 1ve rom a mg. 
ou 
ave 
t at our t eaters are worse tl1an t ose o 
arts 't · 
B'bl 
G t 
1 
f 
· 't 
and l;ondon; for in those cities are some thea-1 
m your. 
1 t e.b 
e dRomde 
edsson 
rdorn 1 
., 
b' ·h 
'II 
d · 
b 
. 
..1.. , f' l· 
every mormng o e pon. ere an praye over 
teJHW tc WI notarrutte\Orstcassopays, th 
btb d 
d 
'llfidtl t't 
'II 
b-1 
h 
d' ·. 
· 
b 
·:! 
roug 
, e ay, an 
you wt 
n 
1a 1 wt 
w 1 e 
ere no· 
tStlllctwns seem to 
e mac e. 
t. 
1 
1-r·t· 
d -11 
· 
t 
~ 
. 
1 
N t 
"1:1 
't · 
ll 
-
d 
, 
W 
h 
t b 
s 1 ong y up II an 
1 umma e :y om sou . 
o 
ere I I8 a 
mtxe up. 
e 
ave no 
een 
1 
._ :11 't 
t · 
d-
-, 'f 
't 
· 
· 
d 
· 
f h 
h 
on y w1 
I aver 1mpen 1ng ev1 
I you use 1 · 
spanng m our con emnat10n o t e t eater as 
· ht b t 't 
·11 
· 
t 
d 
t 
1 
an age'ncy for tbe promotion of vice and immor-artgd 
''I'~ 1 WI 
secur:. pr~senB-~? 
~
1
frnat 
ality; but we have never arraigned it more se-goo ·. 
e mere o~ne~·s 
1~ 0 .a .. ~ 
~ WI 
n.~ 
I th 
d 
t--" 
t 
-
t 
" 
WI 
do thts, but the bcltevtng cLp]HOpuatiOn of Its 
vere y 
an 
oes nts 
ve eran ac or. 
1en 
h 
'll d · 
Th 
d 
f' ,, d h 
b 
tb 
1 
f th 
t 
b 
l t 
tb t d 
tru t s WI 
o 1 t. 
e wor o uo 
as een so 
e moras o 
e s age 
ave sun c o 
a 
e-
't, 
t 
· 
. 
d 
1 
-
tb 
h 
tl t 
h l 
, t 
d th b 
d , D 
wr1 ten as o g;1ve us great an g onous 
ong ts 
gree la men ~ 0 lave . ro 
e oar 8 
or I in few and simple but sublime words_ 
Some 
years revolt agatnst them, and declare the mod-
t 
t 
· 
t' 
1 
t 
t bl 
1 
d 
t 
b 
·r 
t d 
.1 
h t -ex s, m par ICU ar, are a once as por·a e anc 
em 
ran~a b 0 
-~'?anA ur~m\~g;a ~ 
~Vl
' ~ a 
as brilliant as diamonds, tbe brightest gems of 
ffiOI'ef?et-'be 
l te Sta1 . b S Of' m~ 
~t~ Oil S age, heaven COmpressed into the smallest Compass. 
one o 
e a es num ers o 
1 tW .L:I. 
,~enceurn re-Th 
h t 
t 
. 
J h 
3 16 
d 1 T' 
th 
· 
1 
h 
b 
d 
f 
f 
h 
us sue 
ex s-as 
o n 
: 
an 
1mo 
y 
v1ews a p ay now on t e 
oar s o one o t e 1 . 15 h 
b 
11 , 11 d "1-ttl B'bl 
" b 
] 
d. 
f: h' 
bl 
h 
d d 
-b 
· 
. 
ave een we 
ca e 
1 
e 
1 es 
e-
ea tng as wna e t eaters, an 
escrt es It n.s 
th 
t · 
h 
It· 
r ht 
surpassing th0 worst realism of the infamous cbausde 
~ey ct.ohn am so mttle · 
IS ahvebrJ: sf.Ig 
T"~ 
b 
'-h 
l f 
1 
· 
W 
b 
ur en 10r 
e memory ·o carry sue 
no pas-
_._1renc sc oo o nove wrtters. 
e ave never 
d tb 
:fl 
h 
I' ht · t th 
1 tl 
· 
h 
1 
'd 
d · 
d 
b 
sages, an 
ey as new 1g 
m o 
e sou . te 
m t ese co umns sa1 
one wor m regar to t e 
1 1 t tb 
Th 
t 
·· d-
tbeaters more severe than has freqt~ently been more we 0? c a 
em .. -
ey are~ once 111 IS-
-d b 
th 
t d' t' 
· b d 
t 
d 
pensable a1ds to devotiOn, and mighty guards 
~ai 
Y :\; m~ k 10sbtngms e 
ac ors an 
ac-against temptation. 'fbe old superstition was 
~resses.-.Lrew .L O't 
server. 
. 
. 
that a horse-shoe would keep off wttches; we 
S;rstematic Bible-Reading. 
THERE is a gain in systematic and thorough 
Bible study; there is a gain in intelligent Bible-
reading, topically or by a single book at a tim8; 
there is also a gain in the regular daily read-
ing of the Bible, chapter by chapter, in course, 
throughout the year. 
This latter reading may, 
at times, be perfunctory, but it bas its practical 
value even then. 
'l'hose men who are most 
familiar with the Bible in all its parts are com-
monly those who have been in the habit of 
reading the Bible through, in course: year after 
year, and who have thereby be<.:ome gradually 
familiar with portions of the Bible which they 
would not have looked up in ordinary topical 
reading or study. Nor does this formal reading 
know that the word of God is a weapon with 
which we may drive away the wicked one. 
Luther conceived that the devil once came to 
him in his chamber. l;utber threw his Bible 
at the foul fiend, and was at onoe rid of his 
baneful presence. Instead of the malign pres-
ence of Satan, the great enemy of the Bible, 
we may have the gracious presence of the Holy 
Spirit, the glorious author of the Bible. 
In 
order to have this, it is only necessary to plead 
the promises with a believing beart.-S. Cor-
nelius, D. D., in Baptist Flag. 
DoEs any man wonnd thee? Not only for-
give, but work into thy tbougbt intelligence of 
the kind of pain, that thou mayst never inflict 
it upon another spirit.-Margaret Fulle'r. 
One Royal Law. 
MANY persons claim that the teaching of 
the New Testament, is that Christians are un-
der no obligation to keep the ten command-
ments, but that they are under the law of faith 
(Rom. 3: 27),· which they call the "law of 
Ghrist" (Gal. 6: 2), "the royal law" (James 
2: 8), and ''the law of liberty" (James 2: 12). 
But let us briefly examine this ]JOSi tion. 
1. The new commandment of Christ is that 
his di8ciples should love Otle another. 
The 
bearing of one another's burdens fulfills this 
law; for it is the proof of real love. 
So also 
the proof of our loYe to God is that we keep 
his commandments. 
1 John 5: 3_ But the 
commandment to love our neighbor as ourself 
was not new in tLe days of Cb1·i8t. It was 
"an old commandment" bich had come down 
from the beginning. 
1 John 2: 7, 8. 
In Lev. 
19: 18 we read: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor 
as thyself." 
The most pious disciple of Christ 
could do no more than this. 
What, then, sus-
tains its character as new? 
'l'he example of 
Christ, which furnishes a new motive to obedi-
ence. 
Said he, "This is my commandment, 
that ye love one another, as I have loved you." 
John 15: 12. 
2_ The royal law-the law of liberty. A 
royal law proceeds from royalty; in other 
words, it is the law of a king. 
'l'bnt of which 
the apof'l.tle speaks is the law of the King eter-
nal. 
'l
1b is law is perfect. "But whoso looketh 
into the perfect Jaw of liberty." 
James l : 25. 
God's lnw in anoient times was pt~rfect. Said 
David~ "The law of the Lord is perfect." 
Ps. 
19: 7. 
A perfect law cannot be improved. 
The slightest change would make it imperfect. 
And there cannot be two perfect rules of moral 
action differing from ea(;h other. 
'rherefore the 
perfect law of David and that of James is the 
same law precisely. 
The apostle teaches bis brethren to "fulfill 
the royal law· according to the scripture, Thou 
shalt love thy. neighbor as thyself." 
Instead 
of writing a new law for tbis dispensat-ion, be 
goes back to tbe Scriptures of the Old 'l'esta-
ment for his authority. 
We have quoted the 
particular scripture to which he 1·efers,-
Lev. 
19: 18. It coutains the g-rand principle, or sum, 
of the last six comman.-lments of the ten. 
To 
have respect of persons violates this principle; 
and to violate this principle is to violate tbis 
portion of the law which teaches us ou1· duty 
to onr fellow-men. 
Therefore the apostle says, 
"But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit 
sin, and ar.e convinced of the law as transgress-
ors_" 
Tbis is harmoniouA. "Sin is the trans-
gression of the law "-the law convicts of sin. 
And -be teaches obedience to the whole law. 
Says be," For whosoever shall keep the ·whole 
law, and yet offend in one point, he is gnilty of 
all." Of what law is he speaking'? 'l'he next 
verse reveals it. 
He <.:ontiuueR: "For he that 
said [margin, that law which said], Do not 
commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.'' 
These 
two precepts are a part of the la'V of ten com-
mandments; and the apostle expressly incul-
cates the• keeping of the whole law of which 
these are a part. 
This is the royal law, the 
"perfect law of liberty." It is the only stand-
ard of morals. 
By this ln.w all men, both 
ancient and modern, are to be judged .. 
How strange that men can be so blinded, 
their reasoning powers so perverted, that t!Jey 
can refer to this text as proof that t be ten com-
mandments have been abolished and superseded 
by a vague, undefinable something which they 
call the law of liberty, which they vainly fancy-
gives them the liberty to break one of those 
precepts the "whole" of which the apostle so 
emphatically requires! How sad to be awak-
ened by the de<.:isions of the Judgment to the 
fact that they have taken unwarrantable liberty 
with the law of God, illstead of so spetdcing n.nd 
so doillg as they who are to be judged by it! 
R. F. Co'l'TRELL. 
134 [6) 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
VoL. 12, No. 9. 
OCQe ~igns Df tQe [imes. 
" Can ye not discern the signs of the times ? " 
J. H. wAGGONER, 
-
-
EDITOR. 
E. J. WAGGONER, l 
AssisTANT EDITORS. 
ALONZO T. Jr)NES, ) 
• 
URIAH SMITH, t 
s. N. HASKBLL, ) CORRESPONDING EDITORS. 
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, MARCH 4, 1886. 
The Law of Ten Commandments. 
ONE of our Oakland missionary workers has 
handed us a long letter which was received from 
a correspondent in an Eastern State. The writer 
intimates that it may be published; but we have no 
idea of giving it the room. 
We have no doubt that 
the writer believes that the letter contains strong 
and unanswerable arguments, while we are equally 
firm in the conviction that it is replete with unwar-
ranted assumptions. Only one, and a material 
point we hold it to be, we will notice. Thus it 
speaks:-
" But this instrument, document, code, decalogue, 
or whatever men please to designate it, is never· 
called law." 
This statement is made in order to deprive the 
ten commandments of the benefit of certain ex-
pressions in the Bible concerning the completeness, 
the perfection, and the perpetuity of the law. And 
when this statement is disproved, what a fund of 
inference is rendered unavailable. To prove that 
the word of God calls the ten commandments, not 
only law, but the law, is not a difficult matter. 
The w:dter suffe.rs himself to be needlessly misled 
by his idea of the word "covenant." It is very 
broad in its signification, embracing a variety of 
things. 
As used in Gen. 9, to Noah, it is a p1·omise 
only; in Gen. 21:22-32, by Abraham and Abime-
lech, it is a mutual ag1·eement,· in Ex. 19: 5-8, it is 
an agreement with conditions,-in Deut. 4:12, 13, 
referring to that which God spoke on Mount Sinai, 
it is a law,-a covenant which he commanded them 
to perform; and in 2 Kings 23:2, 3, it is both an 
ag1·eement and a law,-the people made a covenant 
(an ngreement) to keep the covenant. (the com. 
mandments and testimonies) written in the book. 
The reatler will please turn to this text and mark it 
well. ·The definition of the word "covenant," as 
given in the lexicons, covers all these. Hence, a 
law is always a covenant, while a covenant may be 
a law. "A htw" is one definition of covenant. 
Now we notice a few Scripture facts. 
1. God spoke the ten commandment-s with his own 
voice in the. hearing of all the people. Ex. 20 : 1-19; 
Deu t. 4 : 12, 13. 
2. He spoke only the ten commandments in their 
hearing. Deut. 4:12, 13; 5:22. 
3: He wrote the ten commandments in two tables 
of stone; and he wrote them o;tly on those tables. 
See texts given 'above, and Ex. 31: 18; 32:15, 16, 
etc. Bear in mind that the commandments which 
God spoke are specified as ten; Dent. 4: 13; called 
"the ten words," see margin of Ex. 34:28. From 
this·expression, ten words, comes the word decalogue. 
The word decalogue, as applied to the ten comm:tnd-
ments, is strictly Biblical. 
4. In Ex. 24:12, that which was written on the 
tables of stone is called "the law." Literally it 
reads as follows: "And the Lord said unto Moses, 
Come up to me-into the mount, and be there; and I 
will give thee tables of stone, and the law, and the 
commandment~'!, which I have written, that thou 
mayst teach' them." The Revision follows the 
Hebrew literally, and renders the text as above. 
Thus the position of the writer of the asst>rtion 
above quoted is abundantly disp11oved, and that by 
positive statements of the Bible. 
5. And our point is further proved as follows. rest are waven into the warp and woof of Scriplure, 
The Lord said to Israel, "For I spake not unto your it is now seen, as it is arlmitLed, that '"e must go to 
fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I later than apostolic time for the establishment of 
Sunday observance." 
-
brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning 
Very true; and we knew it before the Christian 
burnt offerings or sacrifices; but this thing eom-at Wo1·lc said it; for we have read the Bible. But 
manded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will· here is a point for consideration. "The Sabbalh 
be your God, and ye shall be my people." J er. 7: 
22, 23. 
This refers to Ex. 19 and 20, in the :first of and Sabbath rest are woven into the warp and woof 
of Scripture," we are t'o1'd. 
Now what day is it that 
which he used these words to them, through Moses, is thus identified in the Scriptures as the Sabbath'( 
and in the second they heard his voice, the ten com-It is the seventh day, and no other. This the Ohris-
mandments, and hence knew to what he referred tian at Wo1·lc admits when it says that "the church" 
when he said, Obey my voice. Thus again are the has taken the liberty of discarding the day desig-
ten words separated from other laws, such as those nated in the fourth commandment, and that this 
concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 
was done this side the time of the apostles. 
We 
6. And again he said: "Hear, 0 earth; behold, I would ask, then, how it is possible to reconcile Sun-
will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of day observance with reverence for the Bible. If 
their thoughts, because they have not hearkened a man takes the Bible, and thaL alone, as his guide, 
unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. To he must keep the seventh day of the week; and 
what purpose cometh there to me incense from (according to the above quotations with which we 
Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your agree), if he accept Sullday he must go directly 
burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifi-against the Bible. It ought not to take any can-
ces sweet unto me." Jer. 6:19, 20. 
Here is made did person long to decide what to do in this tmttter, 
precisely the same distinction that is made in chap. for it is evident that " their rock is not as our rock, 
7:22, 23. In that it was drawn between obeying even our enemies themselves being judges." And, 
his voice, and offering burnt offerings and sacrifices. besides, one who was foremost among the apostles 
Here the distinction is drawn between keeping his has said: "But though we, or an angel from Heaven, 
law, and offering burnt offerings and sacrifices· preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have 
They brought their sacrifices. and offerings, but re-received, let him be accursed." 
E. J. w. 
jected his law. Hence, .that which he calls' his 
law, that which he spoke with his voice, is distinct 
from offerings and sacrifices. His law was the ten 
commandments; the Jaw of sacrifices he did not 
speak to them, but gave it through Moses. 
., 
Considering how thoroughly people are indoctrin-
ated in human traditions, and how inferences ~re 
accepted as proof, and positive statements are over-
looked, we ought not to be surprised· that people 
will deny that the decalogue-the ten words or com-
mandments-is ever called "the law." But no one 
can po::.sibly deny it who examines the Scriptures' 
on the subject with auy re:lsonable degree of care. 
Why did the Lord so separate the ten command-
ments from all other laws as to declare them him-
self, in the hearing of all the people? Why did he 
write them, and them only, on the tables of stone 
which he had prepared ( 
Why did he put them, 
and them only, in the ark, and have them placed in 
the most holy place of the sanctuary? Why was 
the blood of the sin-offering sprinkled over the ten 
commandments which were deposited in the throne 
of God, and over no other laws? Will they who 
try to belittle and degrade God's holy, perfect law, 
and bring it down from its high position, consider 
these questions? · 
We might go on and prove the same distinction 
which we have here shown, in the-New Testament. 
Indeed: we have often done this in our paper arid 
other writings. But if in the mouth of two or three 
wi tness~s every word shall be established, we need 
offer no more proof than is given in this article. 
Throwing· the Bible Aside. 
A LITTLE over a year ago (Jan. 8, 1885) the Chri8-
tian at Work used the following language:-
" The selection of Sunday, thus changing the 
particular day designated in the fourth command-
ment, was brought about by the gradual concurrence 
of the early Christian church, and on this basis, and 
none other, does the Christian Sabbath, the first day 
of the week, rightly rest." 
· 
'fhis is not very definite; for the "early Christian 
church" covers quite a space of time, including the 
time of Christ and the apostles; and people might 
be led t.o think that the Ch1·istia.n at W01·lc claimed 
apostolic authority for Sunday observance. But 
that is not the case, as the following from the same 
paper, Feb. 18, 1886, shows:-
" We hear less than we used to about the apostolic 
origin of the present Sunday observance, and for 
the reason that while the Sabbath and Sabbath 
Perpetuity of the Law. 
IT is impossible to discu:;s one branch of this great 
su?ject of the law without touching more or Jess 
upon every other branch. So in considering the 
nature of the law and its relation to the gospel, we 
have. necessarily shown that it must endure forever. 
We shall now take up this branch more in detail. 
-'l'he law of God is the righteousness of God. It 
may not be amiss to review the proof on this point. 
David, in these words, bears witness to the fact that 
tile corn!l.landmen t.s are thernsel ves righ t.eousness: 
"My tongue shall speak of thy word; for all thy 
commandments are righteousness." 
Ps. 119:172. 
Si nee there is no righteousness but that of God, the 
commandments must be his righteousness; but we 
have still more direct evidence. The prophet Isaiah 
thus contrasts the things of earth with the right-
eousness of God: "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, 
and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens 
shall va·nish away like smoke, and the earth shall 
wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein 
shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be 
forever; and my righteousness shall not be aboL 
ished." Isa. 51:6. In the next verse he proceeds 
to tell what this righteousness i:-;: ''Hearken unto 
me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose 
heart is my law." 
B(•cause the Jaw is the righteous-
ness of God, it enables those who are instructed in 
it to "give judgment upon good or evil." 
The text says, "My righteousness shall not be 
abolished." Since there can be no question but that 
"righteousness" is here used with reference to the 
law of God, we may properly substitute "law" for 
'' righteousne!'ls," thus: "The earth shall wax old 
like a garment .. and they that dwell therein shall 
die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for-
ever, and my bw shall not be abolished." 
This 
gives the exact meaning, and is no more positive 
than we shall find stated elsewhere. 
God is from everlasting to everlasting. Ps. 90 :2. 
As he cannot exist separate from his nature, or, in 
other words, separate from himself, and the law is 
the transcript of his nature, it neces~arily follows 
that the Jnw exists from everlasting to everlasting. 
And si nee created beings, who are all subjects of 
God':;; Government, cann·ot obey an abst.ract prin-
ciple, but mu.st have that principle clearly defined, 
we know that at least from the time that God 
cren ted intelligent beings as subjects of his Govern-
lDC'!Jt, Lhe law must have existed in written form 
MARCH 4, 1886. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
[ 7] 135 
or must have been expressed in definite language. 
And from the beginning of his creation to everlast-
ing ages, it must continue so to exist. 
This is exactly what we are taught by the words 
of Christ in the sermon on the mount. Said he: 
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or 
the prophets; I am !lOt come to destroy, but to ful-
fill [to ratify, establish, or teach]. For verily I say 
unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one 
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be 
fulfilled." Matt. 5 : 17, 18. 
Here two things are 
mentioned, the law and the prophets. 
Christ did 
not come to destroy either one. He came in fulfill-
ment 0f prophecy, and also to tea~.:h the law, which 
he did in the sermon on the mount. 
He did not, 
however, fulfill all the prophecy; for some of it 
reacl1es far beyouJ his first advent. For instance• 
in Ps. 89:20-29 we read the following propyecy 
concerning the kingdom of DaviJ. over which Christ, 
as the Son of David, is to rule:-
" I have found David my servant; with my holy 
oil have I anointed him; with whom my hand shall 
be established; mine arm also shall strengthen him. 
The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son 
of wickedness affiict him. 
A11J I will beat down 
his foes before his face, and plague them that hate 
him. 
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be 
with him; and in my name shall his horn be ex-
alted. 
I will set his hand rdso in the sea, and his 
right hand in the rivers. 
He shall cry unt@ me, 
Tl.ou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my 
::;aJvation. 
Also I will make him my firstborn, 
higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will 
I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant shall 
stand fast with him. His :::~eed also will I make to 
endure forever, and his tlu·one as the. days of 
Heaven." 
In verses 35-37 we read further:-
"Once have I sworn by my l1oliness that I will 
not lie unto David. His seed ~hall endure lorever, 
and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be 
. established forever as the moon, and as a faithful 
-:4 ~ wituess in Heaven." 
Here is a prophecy that will be in process of ful-
fillment as long as the sun and moon endure, even 
to all the days of Heaven. Now the words of 
Christ are, that "one jot or one tittle shall in no 
wise pnss from the law till all be fulfilled." Till all 
what be fulfilled? Evidently till all the prophets be 
fulfilled, for be is speaking of the prophets, in connec-
tion with the law. 
Then, in view of the prophecy 
that we just n·acl, we know that not the slightest 
change can be made in the law so long as Christ 
reigns on the throne of David; and that will be 
throughout eternity. 
Nothing can add to the force of this testimony. 
We may quote other texts, as, "It is easier for 
heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law 
to fail" (Luke 16 : 17), or, "The works of his hands 
are verity and judgment; all his commandments 
are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are 
done in truth and uprightness" (Ps. 111 :7, 8), but, 
strong as they are, they do not go beyond what lias 
already been presented. To give all the texts which 
show the enduring nature of the law, would be to 
quote a large portion of the Bible. In our consider-
ation of other points connected with this subject, 
many additional proofs will necessarily be brought 
in. But ,right here we wish to introduce a few 
quotations from eminent authors of different denom-
inations, to show that they have used just as strong 
language as we have to set forth the holiness and 
perpetuity of the law. Bishop E. 0. Haven said:-
"Not only is every one of the ten commandments 
binding upon all men, [but] every one is often 
broken by persons who have received Christian 
i~struct~on. The ~ecalogue is God's grand compen-
diUm ol moral pl11lo.:;ophy. 
Whoever obeys it in 
letter and spirit is a perfect man."-"Pillar-s of 
T'ruth," p. 7. 
Again the the same author says:-
" This decalogue can never become obsolete. It 
was de:::~igned for all men, and, obeyed, would render 
all men noble, and worthy of immortal blessedness. 
It is a kind of concentration of the moral teachings 
of the Bible."-"Pillars of Tr·uth," p. 235. 
The "Speaker's Commentary," on Matt. 12:8 
says:-
" On what principle of legislation can it be main-
tained that, because Jaws are imposed by the ruler 
for the benefit of the subject, therefore they may be 
dispensed with at his own convenience r This is 
utterly untenable as regards the laws of man, still 
more so as regards the laws of God." 
ance to those people who teach that men are to be 
governed by principles instead of by precepts. 
No 
one ever obeyed an abstract principle. Love is an 
abstract principle. But it is only when embodied 
in the precepts, "Thou shalt Jove the Lord thy God 
with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself," 
that it becomes practical, and tends to shape char-
acter. And even these two commandments are too 
broad to be comprehended by finite minds, until 
they are expanded into the ten commandments, 
which tell us just how to manifest the proper meas-
ure of love to both God and man. 
Something about Writing. 
Rev. S. P. Sprecher, pastor of Calvary Presbyte-
rian Church, San Francisco, in a sermon delivered 
Feb. 18, 1883, and reported in the Occident of Feb. 
21, 1883, said:-
THIS is an age when people read; and when 
"When God gave the ten commandments on everybody reads, somebody must of necessity write. 
Sinai, he did not propose that men should obey Moreover, if those who read are benefited by their 
them if they comme11ded themselves to the natural reading, it must be because those who write have 
heart; but that they should obey because they were written something worth reading, and have written 
the voice of God. Truth is not alwavs seen and 
appreciated at first. It generally requi~es a certain 
~o plainly that the meaning cannot be rnisunder-
favorable state of the heart." 
stood. 
Now, since reading from which no benefit 
On the wo:·ds of our Lord in Matt. 5 :17, "I am is gained is a waste of time, it follows that a great 
not come to destroy, but to fulfill," we find the fol-responsibility rests upon all who write. We there-
lowing comment by Wesley, in the first volume of fore give a few practical hints for the benefit of 
his works, sermon 25:-
those who feel it to be their Juty to write, but do 
"Some have conceived our Lord to mean: I am not know just how to do so to the best advantage· 
come to fulfill this by my entire and perfect obedi-
The first thing necessary, if one would write, is to 
ence to it. And it cannot be doubted but he did, have something to say. Not only should you have 
in this sense, fulfill every part of it. But this does something which you think is worth telling, but 
not appear to be what he intends here, being-for-
eign to the scope of his present discourse. Without you must be fully persuaded that it is very neces-
question, his meaning in that place is (consistently sary that others should know it. You may be mis-
with all that goe:~ before and follows after), I am taken in your convictions, but that is another 
come to establish it ·in its fullness, in spite of all matter; the point is, if you wish others to be im-
the glosses of men; I am come to declare the true 
and full import of every part of it; to show the pressed by what you write, you must yourself first 
length and breadth, the entire extent, of every com-be impressed by it. 
mandment contaiued therein, and tl1e height and 
Have your subject well in hand before you begin 
depth, the inconceivable purity and spirituality of to write. Do not take your pen, dip it in the ink, 
it in all its branches." 
and then wait for the ideas to come and arrange 
Rev. W. A. Jarrel (Baptist), in "Old Testament thernselve8 in the proper order .. Thoughts are no,t 
Ethics Vindicated," pp. 25-27, speaks as follows con-so obedient as to do that. 'l'l1ey will not arrange 
cerning the law ef God:-
" The divine will must be what the divine nature tllernselves; you must do it. 
Before you begin to 
is. That the will must be what the nature i::;, is write, take a pencil and paper, and jot down the 
one of the fundamental truths of all true moral various points which you wish to make, the texts 
philosophy. . .. While the law is not the nature which you wiRh to use, etc. 
Tl1en arrange them, 
of God, it is the effect and likeness of that nature; and your work is half done. 
As you write, you can 
it is the perfect reflection of his infillite holiness 
and wisdom. It must, therefore, be as unchangeable Hlter your plan, adding or omitting thoughts as 
as the infinit~ holiness of the divine nature. Law seems best. 
is the positive enactment of this nature; it is the 
Express yourself in the.simplest and most direct 
expression of Gud's will." 
manner possible. The object of language is to con.-
,, Law, theu, beiug the expression of the holiness 
of the immutable, divine uature, it can never be vey thought; therefore the more plaiuly the thougltt 
relaxed or chauged. 
As God'::; nature must forever is expressed, the better is the language. Most 
will only moral right, his law can never be other young writers do not seem to understand this, and 
than the expression of moral right." 
some writers never learn ~t. Aim to· write so plainly 
This will suffice for quotations from religious that people not only may understand, ,but that they 
authors. These quotations show that the ideas here must understand. 
pres~nted are no new thing, so that no ~me need 
Do not try to be grand, or to soar. In short, do 
fear to accept them, lest he should be straying from not try to force yourself to write in some particular 
the old paths. 
They help to confirm the argument style. If you dq, your lameness will be .apparent. 
that the ten commandments are the "old paths," There are writers whose eloquent passage'!:! and well-
into which God calls all men to turn their steps. rounded periods are a constant delight. You may 
They are the way of holiness, the eternal way of write as they do, if, it is natural for you to do so. 
peace; and human tongue or human pen can never But do not sacrifice strength for ;beauty. A thing 
adequately express their purity and their unchang-
may be very pretty, and yet be utterly uReless. 
ing nature. 
E. J. w. 
Of course this ,.means that yo~ must not. imitat.e 
Disembodied Spil·its and Principles. 
IN a recent temperance article, Miss Frances E. 
Willard said: "Disembodied spirits and disembodied 
principles stand in an equally helpless relation to 
every-day affairs." 
Very good. 
Concerning d isem-
bodied spirits we have Scripture authority for say:-
ing that they can do nothing. The Bible says: ''Put 
not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in 
whom there is no help. 
His breath goeth forth, he 
returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts 
perish." Ps. 146 :3, 4. 
Disembodied spirits, then, 
can have no part to a~t in human affairs. 
The same thing may also be said of disembodied 
principles; and we commend Miss Willard's utter-
any one's style ,of expression. Be yourself. There 
is no more reason why you should imitate another's 
style of writing than there is that you should imi-
tate his manner of conversation. Saul's armor was 
uo doubt first class in every respect, but David 
could not fight in it. Because your neighbor's coa,t 
fits him well, you must not .conclude that it will. 
also become you. Your coat may be of an entirely 
different size and pattern, and yet it may fit you as 
well as his :fits him. So words which are very im .. 
pressi ve when uttered by one, may be commonplace 
when spoken by another.-· It is just as. nece:-;sary 
that the style of expression should fit the individ· 
ual as it is tl1at his coat should fit him. 
Above all, don't plagiarize. This is a wo:rd which 
136 [S] 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
VoL. 12, No. 9. 
has much the same meaning as embezzlement, de-
falcation, etc. In plain English, it means stealing. 
Now dou't steal. If somebody has written some-
thing which you think is good, don't try to get the 
credit of it by signing your name to it. If you 
quote it, give the author the credit. If you do not 
know the author's name, or do not wish to give it, 
at let~st indicate that the quoted pnssRge is not your 
own. This is the honest way. To do any other 
way is to be dishonest. The law does not punish a 
man for appropriating an article that has been 
written by another, unless that article has been 
copyrighted; but such an act is no less dishonorable 
on that account. "Thou shalt not steal." 
Besides the sin of plagiarism, there is another 
thing about it to be considered, and that is the loss 
of reputation which it brings. A man steals money 
because he has none, and does not like to work. It 
·is very natural to imagine that people steal ideas 
for the same reason. If your ideas are your own, 
and are expressed in your own style, they may be 
somewhat crude, but you will get credit for just 
what you are. But if you take the ideas and ex-
pre~Ssions of another and pass them off as your own, 
people will not give you credit for being able to 
produce anything yourself. 
Of course it is understood that there is very little 
absolute originality. 
We are all mutually depend-
ent. 
We know nothing that we have not learned; 
and what we have learned, somebody knew before 
we did. But we may haye combinations of ideas 
that no one else has, and we may be able to express 
ideas in a way that has occurred to no one else. 
This is originality. in the common acceptation of 
the term. If one has not this originality, if he 
cannot say anything that has not already been 
said, there is no occRsion for him to write. 
Don't attempt to write poetry if you can possibly 
keep from it. This rule should be written in capi-
tal letters, and kept constantly before every young 
writer. 
Hundreds of persons who might have been 
useful, have ruined themselves by Htarting in with 
poetry. Many people seem to think that poetry is 
the simplest and most natur~l kind of compositioh. 
That is a grave error. A composition is not neces-
sarily poetry because each line begins with a. capi-
tal letter; neither can all rhyme be called poetry. 
There are not so many poets in the world by a great 
many thousand as is sometimes supposed. Don't 
imagine that you are one of the few, just because 
you enjoy reading poetry. But if your though l;:; 
will present themselves in rhyme and meter, and 
you cannot rossibly express yourself except in versL', 
then go ahead. The result may be poetry, and it 
may not be; but it is more likely to be poetry than 
is a great part of the matter which is called by that 
"The Abicling Sabbath." 
"ORIGIN OF THE LORD'S D.AY." 
AFTER leading us through one hundred and 
eighty-six pages of fact and fiction, of truth and 
error, of contradiction and recon tradiction of Script-
ure, reason, and himself, the author of "The Abid-
ing Sabbath" arrives at the all-important concl u-
sion that "it is in the highest degree p1·obable that 
the Lord's day [Sunday] was instituted by the im-
mediate authority of t·he apostles;" and that "by 
the most natural revulsion oc· feeling all that was 
lost from the seventh day was transferred to the 
first day of the week." And so after all this he 
comes to the discussion of the "Origin of the Lord's 
clay.'' Speaking of the resurrection of Christ, thus 
he proceeds:-
"The idea of completion, symbolized by the num-
ber seven and embodied in the Sabbath HS the me-
morial of a finished creation, is transferred [by a 
"natur;d revulsion of feeling," we suppose, of 
coursel to the Lord's day, the 1110nument of a fin-
ished redemption." 
If redemption had been finished when the Saviour 
arose from the dead, or were it even yet fiuished, we 
should question the right. of !VIr. Elliott, or any other 
man, to erect in memory of it a monument whose 
only foundation is a high degree of probability, and 
whose only rites of dedication are performed by a 
·• natural revulsion of feeling.'' 
How much more 
may we question this right, when redemption, so far 
from being finished at the resurrection of Christ, 
will not be finished till the end of the world. The 
disciples asked the Saviour what should be the sign 
of his coming and of the end of the world, and he 
answered, "There shall be signs in the sun, and in 
the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth dis-
tress of nat.i"'ns, with perplexity; the sea and the 
waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, 
and for looking after those things which are coming 
on the earth; for the powers of hea•,ren shall be 
shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man 
coming in a cloud with power und great glory. 
And 
when these things begin to conJe to pass, then look 
up, and lift up your heads; for your 1·edemption 
draweth nigh.'' Luke 21:25-28. These things did 
not "begi u to come to pass," till 1780 .A. D.; for then 
it was tlutt the sun was turned to darkness, and the 
moon also. Therefore it is plain from these words 
of Christ, that instead of redemption being com-
pleted at the resurrection of Christ, it was not even 
'·nigh " for 17 49 years after that event. 
This is confirmed by .Paul. He says: "Ourselves 
also, which have received the firstfrui ts of the 
8pirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, 
waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of 
out: body.'' Rom. 8:23. Our bodiPs will he re-
deemed at the resurrection of the dead: "I will 
name. 
ransom them from the power of the grave; I will 
Finally, if you wish your manuscript to receive redeem them from death" (Hos. 13: 14); and the 
gpeedy attention from any editor, observe the fol-
resurrection of the dead is accomplished at the 
lowing simple items:-
second coming of the Lord. "For the Lord himself 
Write on ruled paper. 
shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the 
\Vrite only on one side of the sheet~ 
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; 
Use pen and ink. 
and the dead in Chl'ist shall rise first; then we 
Write as legib as you possibly can. Don't which a1·e alive aud remain shall be caught up to-
" dash off" your thoughts, and then a&k the editor gethe1· with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in 
to excuse poor writing, as you were in a hurry. the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 
The chances are that if you were in too great a 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. 
Therefore Paul, in telling of our 
hurry to write legibly, the editor will be in too redempLion, places its accomplishment exactly where 
great a hurry to attempt to read what you have Christ places it, that is, at the second coming of the 
written. Many valuable thoughts have perished in Lord, and not at his resurrection. 
the waste basket because of a failure to observe thi~ 
Again Paul writes: "In whom [in Christ] ye also 
last rule. Remember that to write poorly is solely trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the 
the editor's prerogative. 
I gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye 
These are by no means all the important points believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit or 
that might be noted; yet if only these are kept iu promise which is the earnest of our inheritance 
mind, and you write, no·t for fame, nor for any self-
until the redemption of the purchased possessi011." 
ish motive, but with the simple purpose to do good, Epli. 1: 13, 14. "Th.at Holy Spirit of promise" was 
you will be quite likely to write something worth uot given until the day of Pentecost, forty-nine 
reading. 
E. J. w. 
days after the resurrection of Christ; and this, says 
Paul, is the earnest of our inheritance until (not be-
cause of) the redemption of the purchased posses-
sion. 
By this Holy Spirit, says Paul, "ye are 
sealed until the day of redemption." Eph. 4: 30. 
Now as the Holy Spirit was given to be with those 
who trust in Christ "until the day of redemption," 
and as that Spirit was not so given till forty-nine 
days after the resurrection of Christ, this proves 
most positively that the day of the resurrection of 
Christ could not possibly be made "the monument 
of a finished redemption." 
And when Mr. Elliott, 
or anybody else, whether individually or by "a 
general consensus of the Christian Church," sets up 
'the first day of the week as the mqnument of a f:in-
ished redemption, it is simply to pervert the Script-
ure doctrine of redemption, to put darkness for !jgbt, 
and to trust in words of falsehood. 
4-gain he says of the first day of the week:-
"It is the abiding Sabbath. H was on the first 
day of the week that the Sa vi our rose. It is re-
mnrknble that this phrase, 'first day of the week,' 
mnrks the only case in whieh any day of the week 
is distinguished from the refo;t in Scripture by its 
number, excepting the seventh day, or .Jewish Sab-
bath. Eight. times the term is used in the New 
Testament, five of the instances occurring in con-
nection with the account of the Lord's resurrection. 
Other days l1ave no distinctive title, save only the 
sixth day, which is the 'SabbFLth eve,' or 'day of 
preparation.' The first day is therefore placed in 
such significant relations with the seventh day as 
to impress upon it a meaning which cannot be dis-
regarded.''-Pp. 189, 190. 
If the mention of the first day of the week eight 
times in the New Testament marks it so distinctively 
and impresses upon it so strong a meaning as Mr. 
Elliott imagines, how is it that the mention of the 
Sabbath jijty-n'ine times in t.he New Testament 
(with sol~ rererence to the seventh day) can impress 
upon it no meaning whatever? It would seem that 
if the mention of a day would give any distinction at 
all to a day, the day that is mentioned lllOSt would 
properly be entitled to the most distinction. But. 
behold, here it is just the reverse; the day that is 
mentioned eight times is entitled to all the disti'nc-·, 
t-
tion, while a day that is mentioned nwre than seven 
times as often is entitled to no disti11Ction at all! 
He remarks the "significant relations" in wl1ich 
the first day of the week is placed with the sevent!J, 
but in not one instance does he notice these rela-
Lions. We shall do it for him; for there is a relation 
there which is very "significant" indeed, in view 
of his· theory that the first day of the week is "the 
abiding Sabl>ath." 
The first mention of the first day of the week in 
theN ew Testament. is in Matt. 28 : 1: "In t.l1e end 
of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the Jirst 
day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the 
other Mary to see tlte sepulcher.'' There is a "sig-
nificant" relation between the Sabbath-the sev-
enth day-and the lirst day of the week; and that 
which is signified by it is that the Sabbath is ended 
before the first day of the week begins. 
'l'he next mention is in Mark 16 :1, 2: "And when 
the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, aud .'\iary 
the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet 
spices, that they might come and anoint him. And 
very early in the morning the first day of the week, 
they came unto the sepulcher at the ris: ng of the 
sun.'' Here aho is a very significant relation be-
tween the Sabbath and the first day of the week; 
and the significance of it is that the Sabb.tth is past 
before the fir~t day of the week comes. Notice, too, 
that these women came to the sepulcher ve1·y em·ly 
in tlle morning the first day of the week; yet as 
eatly as it was, "the Sabbath was past." And the 
significance of that is, that Mr. Elliott, or any one 
else, may arise very early in the morn'ing t.he first 
day of the week, just as early as he pleases in fad; 
but he will be too late for the Sabbath-he will 
find that the Sabbath is past; it will uot ''abide" on 
the first day of the week. 
}1AHCH 4, 1886. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TI:MES. 
[91 137 
The third mention is Luke 23: 54-56; 24:1: "And 
that day [the day of the crucifixion] was the prep-
aration, and the Sabbath drew on. 
And the women 
also, which came with him from Galilee, followed 
after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how }tis body 
was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices 
and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day ac-
cording to the commandment. 
Now upon the 
first day of the week, very early in the morning, 
they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices 
which they had prepared, and certain others with 
them." In this passage, the "relations" between 
the Sabbath and the first day of the week are doubly 
significant. For here it is not only shown that the 
Sabbath is past before the first day of the week 
comes; it is not only shown that although people 
may arise very early in 'the morning the first day of 
the week, they wm be too late for the Sabbath; but 
it is stated explicitly that the Sabbath that was 
past was "the Sabbath day according to the com-
mandment." Therefore it is by these texts proved 
as absolutely as the word of God can prove any-
thing, that Sunday, the firHt day of the week, the 
so-called Lord's day, is not the Sabbath according 
to the commandment of God; and that when people 
rest on Sunday, the first day of the week, they do 
not rest "according to the commandment." It is 
likewise proved that the Sabbath according to the 
commandment is-not a seventh part of time, nor 
simply one day in seven,. but-the definite seventh 
day of the week, the day before the one on which 
Christ rose from the dead. 
''Ve repeat.; the relations in which are placed the 
seventh day and the first, in the Scripture, is indeed 
most" significant,"-so significant that ft is utterly 
impossible to honestly or truthfully pnss off th0 
first day of the week as the Sabbath; and that it 
proves positively that the day before that upon 
which Christ arose from the dead, the day before 
the first day of the week, the seventh day of the 
week, is the Sabbath according to the command-
ment of God; and that therefo.re the seventh day, 
and not the first, is" the abiding Sabbath." 
Other supposed probabilities as to the origin of 
the so-called Lord's day will be noticed next week. 
.A. T. J. 
The Work in Melbourne, Australia. 
IT is now about eight months since we landed on 
the Australian shores. Tlten, we were strangers in 
a strange land, where there were none of like pre-
cious faith. It was in mid-winter, when we were 
havi~1g continual rains, and damp, chilly weather. 
The people were reserved in their habits, and they 
became suspicious of us when they learned of our 
views being so different from those held by others. 
The doctrine of Chri::;t's coming, taken by itself, is 
not unpopular here; but the view Wt:l hold of it and 
the Sabbath was sufficient to call forth warnings from 
the pulpit and the press, without giving us an op-
portunity to reply. Every Httempt to get our views 
before the public proved fruitless. Bn t we were 
backed up by thou:-;ands of sympathizing friends 
in America, and from these friends thousands of 
. prayers daily ascended to God, who has countless 
millions of angels at his command,-angels who are 
ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to those 
who sha11 be heirs of salvation; and how could we be 
homesick or discouraged? Angels of God went be-
fore us and prepared the way, although at times it 
seemed dark and dreary. 
Soon, however, some became interested in the 
truth, and a few took their stand with us. 
When 
the tent season arrived, we pitched the tent and 
commenced a public effort; and as the result of the 
Bible-readii1gs and the tent lahor, a church of 
twenty-eight members, including ourselves, was or-
ganized here Janu~ry 10, called the Melbourne 
chu.rch of SeventL-day Adventists. The following 
Sabbath seven more unite?, and others are waiting I Sabbath, the· first opportunity after we had organ-
baptism and expect to unite next Sabbath. The ized, and all, without an exception, participated in 
tent is now pitched for the third time, ·with a grow-this ordinance. 
ing interest, in South Melbourne, one of the suburbs 
The fact is, the Lord has gone before m; in prepar-
of this city. 
ing hearts for the reception of the truth; and if we 
Among those who have embraced the Sabbath are faithful in acting our part in presenting the 
there are teachers, mechanics of almost every class, truth, we shall find that many of tho:w who embrace 
contractors, printers, and day-laborers. Not one of it will go into the kingdom of God before those who 
them had the habit of using tobacco 0r ardent have had greater light and privileges. but haye not 
spirits; and yet the use of tob tr.co is as common lived in accordance with the light. The work is of 
here as in America, and that of ardent spirits is God, and he i.s leading in it. It is for us to fo11ow, 
much more common. In a few instances we have and keep near to him, and we shall see in h ·J work 
seen a fulfillment of Matt. 10:35, 36; but in most what we have never yet seen in the Third Angel's 
of these cases the truth has triumphed. Although Message. Our hearts are full of courage as to the 
on account. of the peculiar construction of society prosperity of the cause in this part of the world. 
there are apparently, greater difficulties in the way 
Since the above was written, ten more have 
of observing the seventh day here than in America, joined the church. Nine were baptized last Sab-
yet the real difficulties are no greater when men bnth. Last night I visited one who had been most 
actually commence its observance. 
bitter because his wife and mother had become 
It is the better class of people who have acknowl-interested. 
The warfare is over, and he expects to 
edged the truth. Although poor in this '"rorld's unite with us next 8abbath. 
s. N.H. 
goods, yet we trust that they are rich in faith, and 
heirs of the kingdom. Not only this, but the in-
fluence of the truth has ext0ncled into the country, 
and there are some who are observing the Sabbath 
from reading and correspondence. In not a few 
places quite an interest has been awakened, and 
there are to all outward appearances, many as good 
openings for the truth here as in any part of Amer-
ica. The prospect before us at the present time is 
better than i.n America, because there is not that 
prejudice in respect to at first coming out to hear. 
The general impression is that our arguments are 
so easily overthrown that there is no danger of any 
being convinced by them. This impression, how-
ever, is wearing off. 
What to do with us is a ques-
tion that has been discussed in councils of minis-
ters. Sometimes they have threatened to meet us 
in the open field; but after hearing, it has been de-
cided that this was not best. Doubtless, however, 
the time will come erelong that they will do tbis; 
for there are members of nearly all sects, as well as 
some who never made a profession of religion, who 
have taken their stand with us. This stirs the ire 
of the dragon. 
There seems to be a feeling here, as in other 
places, on the part of some who have good positions 
and a large flock, that they have the 1'ight to dis-
pense their views, that their methods should be 
adopted, and that others of a different persuasion are 
not needed at all in the country. One clergyman 
said to his flock, "They are not needed. They are 
no church. They have no business in the Colonies. 
They came from the obscure State of New England, 
from whence comes some good things, but many 
things that are bad." 
He of course warned his 
flock against hearing us or attending our Bible-
readings. Another said to his congregation, "You 
have no business to invite them to your houses 
without first asking us f officers of the church]. And 
if they were gentlemen, they would not go till they 
had first consulted us." And yet that denomina-
tion has made more aggressive moves among other 
sects than any other in this portion of the country 
At times we have felt thankful for anything to ad~ 
vertise us; and all of these things have helped us 
in the end. 
In New Zealand the cause is fairly plan ted, also 
among the better class of people. Only ene of the 
number there who have embraced the truth \~as in 
the habit of using tobacco, and he gave it up, although 
he was over sixty years old and had used it more 
than forty years. There is an anxiety manifested 
by many of them to learn all that is believed and 
practiced among Seventh-day Adventists in Amer-
ica. They manifest full confidence in the work. 
The Work in Australia. 
IN a private letter dated N ortb Fitzroy, Jan-
nary 25, Brother Henry Scott gives t~1e follow-
ing encouraging account of the work in that 
distnnt field:-
"The blessing of God is on the work here. 
It is movin~ forward: and we expect it will con-
tinue to advance until Australia shall reRound 
with the sound of tbe Third Angel's Message. 
'fwo weeks ago yeste!'day, the fil'st Seventh-
day Adventist church in Australia was organ-
ized, with twenty-eight charter members. Now 
there are forty-six members, and a Sabbath-
school of over fifty. 
In the Colonies there m·e 
about seventy-five Sabbath-keepers. It wonld 
do your heart good to see the zeal and earnest-
ness manifested by those who have newly re-
ceived the truth. 
They have united heartily 
in celebrating the ordinances, none stumbling 
over that brought to view in the thirteenth 
chaptet· of John. 
The health reform and t.be 
Testimonies are accepted with a readiness sel-
dom manifested. 
"A tract and missionary society was partially 
m·g-anized yesterday, and the brethren and sis-
ters are .going to 
ork in earnest to spread the 
'good tidings of great joy' to their friends and 
countrymen. 
A large club of the Bible Echo 
was spoken for; and from this time we shall 
expect to see this branch of the work develop 
and contribute its influence to the advancement 
of the great common cause. 
"We are grateful to God for the manner in 
which be has worked for his truth here, and 
we ask the prayers of our bt·ethren and sisters 
that we may so live as to have his blessing con-
tinually." . 
Honolulu, H. I. 
WE have been holding meetin.gs here in our 
tent for four weeks. 
'l'ho weather has bee11 
pleasant, with but little rain, the winter being 
unusually dry. 
'fhere has been no evening so 
cool as to be in the least uncomfo'rt able in tbc 
tent; while several have been so warm that 
we raised tbe tent walls for ventilation. 
Those who attend the meeti·ngs give the best~ 
of attention to the words spoken. 
At present' 
there are· fifteen adults keeping the Sabbath 
here, besides out· own eompn:ny. 
Otbers are 
"in the valley of deciRion." 
We are all in usual 
beaHh, and trying to do the will of the Lord. 
Ji'eln·uary 14, 1886. 
vV. M. HEALEY. 
We think it a great mistake to conclude that it is 
WHAT a man knows should find its expression 
not advisable to give all points of our faith, sueh as in whnt he does. 
The va.lue of supel'ior know]. 
the ordinance of John 13, because converts are edge is ehidly in that it leads to a performing 
young iu the faith. We had the ordinances last, munhood.-
Sel. 
· 
138 flO] 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
VoL. 12, No. 9. 
Reports of Prog·ress. 
KANSAS: Paler·mo.-
W. C. Morgan reports:-
" Bider G. H. Rogers came here January 21, 
and remained till February 2, holding meetings 
in the day-time and evening. 
Those in the 
day-time were designed especially for the bene-
fit_ of the church. 
The Spirit of the Lord 
moved upon outsiders with increasing interest 
to the close. At the last meeting~ eight persons 
covenanted with us to keep all the command-
ments of God." 
Yates Genter.-From this place Brethren R. 
F. Barton and G. W. Page report as follows, in 
Review of _February 16:-
" _Four weeks ago, we began meetings eight 
miles from this plaee. 'Nearly every night the 
bouse bas been full, and the best of attention 
given. 
We have seldom seen a better interest 
than tbe one here. 
About. twenty-five have 
embraced the Sabbath. 
Several of these are 
just beginning the ChrisLian life, and seeD? to 
be much in earnest. 
Two Sabbath mee,tmgs 
have been held, fifty or more being present 
each time." 
MICHIGAN: Qw:ncy.-Our interest here holds 
good. 
Though the congregation has changed 
considerably, the church is filled every night 
with attentive and intelligent hearers. 
Seven-
teen have now signed the covenant, thirteen of 
whom are adult:-;._ Others are about ready to 
do so who are already keeping the Sabbath. 
Our book sales amount to about $30. 
W. C. WALES. 
Februry 10. 
J. D. MoRTON. 
OHIO: Greenwich.-D. E. Lindsay writes, Feb-
ruary 8:-
,; 1 have spent the past two months at this 
place. 
Dut·ing the last summer, Bider Mason 
and 1 held a serieR of tent meetings here, but 
bnd little to eneourage us. 
Several signed the 
covenant at that time, but were not confirmed 
in the truth. Twelve new ones have now 
signed the covenant. 
There are some who are 
members of ch urcbes at a great distance, and 
atill others here who we hope will yet follow 
tbeit· convictions. 
I have made sixty-seven 
visits, preached forty-four sermons, given twen-
ty-three Bible-readings, and held six other 
meetings. 
Have sold $23 worth of publiea-
tions, and taken five subscriptions for our peri-
odicals." 
IowA.-December 20, I began meetings in 
a school-bouse six miles north of Sheldon, and 
continued them two weeks. The weather then 
became so bad that it was thought best to dis-
continue the work till a more favorable season. 
'J'he average attendance was only nbout twenty; 
but four persons have accepted the truth as far 
as presented, and aee now keeping the Sabbath. 
Obtained three subscriptions for periodicals, 
and sold a few books. 
IRA J. HANKINS. 
• 
PENNSYLVANIA.-! commenced a series of 
meetjngs near Shunk, Sullivan Co., Nov. 21. 
Gave thirty-three discourses and fifteen Bible-
readings, and visited one hundred and four 
families. 
Twenty-five decided to keep the Sab-
bath. 
This is the place where Bro. Craw did 
missiot1ary work last fall. 
'rwo were keeping 
the Sabbath when I went there. 
About the 
firRt of January I was absent a few days. 
Re-
turned Jan. 6 'in company with Elder J. W. Ray-
molld, who g-ave sixteen discourses, organized 
a Sabbath-school of thirty-eight members, and 
also a tract society. There are now thirty-four 
keeping the Sabbath, twenty-five of whom 
have signed the covenant. 
There are ten who 
take the Instructor and eight the REVIEW. 
J. L. BAKER. 
''AND this gospel of the kingdom shall be 
preached in all the world for a witness unto all 
nations; and then shall the end c:ome.': 
(Q0ht atnmmtntarJl. 
NOTES ON THE INTERNATIONAL LESSON. 
Esther's Petition. 
brought it to the king; the matter was discov-
ered; the two men were banged, and there was 
a record made of the whole matter in the chron-
icles of the kingdom. 
Next Xerxes peomoted 
Haman the Agu.gite to the chief place, "above 
all the princes that were with him." 
When 
the king promoted him, Raman exalted him-
self; and when all bowed and revereneed him as 
(March14.-Esther4:10-17;5:1--3.) 
he pasRed except Mordecai, it soon created a 
IN the connected story of the Bible, the place stir; for Mordecai ''had told them tbttt he was a 
of the book of Esther is between the sixth and Jew." 
B0ing a Jew who feared and worshiped 
seventh chapters of Ezra, between Darius and God, he would neither bow nor reverenee any 
Artaxerxes, kings of Persitt; for the Ahasue-one but God. 
Then Haman was ''full of wt·ath. 
rus of the book of .Esther was Xerxes, king of And be thought scorn to lay bands on Morde-
PeJ·::;ia. 
"The Hebrew Ahaskver·osh is the nat-cai alone; for they bad showed him the people of 
ural equivalent of the old Persian Khshayarsha, Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy 
the true name of the monarch called by the all the Jews that were tbroughout the whole 
Greeks Xerxes, as now read in his inscriptions." ki?~dom." Ham~n theref'ol'e sn~ceed~d in ob-
-Enc11c. Br·it. art. Ahasuerus. 
His rei()'n was tmnmg a decree for the destruci10n ot "a cer-
J 
' 
f', 
I 
• 
I " 
h 
I 
"d' 
f 
from 486-465 B. c. 
His father, Darius Hystas-Lam peop e .w ose aws were 
;ve;se 
t·o~ 
pes, bad left him the empire extended to its all people; neither· keep ~hey t~e kwg e laws. 
widest limit; and his reign marks the period So the decree was published throughout the 
of the greatest glory 0{ the Persian Empiee, 
eeal~. "And the ~rin~ and Haman sat dow~ 
and the beginning of its decline. 
In Dan. 11 : 2 to dnnk; but the e1ty Shushan was perplexed. 
is a prophecy spoken in the third year of Cyrus, 
B. c. 534, saying: ".Behold, there shall stand up 
yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth r:iball 
be far richer than they all; and by his strength 
through his riches he shall stir up all against 
the realm of Grecia." 
IT was in fulfillment of this prophecy that 
Xerxes invaded Greece, B. c. 480, with the 
largest army ever known, when, in resisting it, 
the three hundred Spartans under Leonidas 
immortalized themselves at Tbermopylre. It 
was in preparation for this invasion of Greece, 
that he gathered all the pl'inces and govern-
ors of his empire to Snsa, as recorded in Esther 
1 : 3-9. "In the third year of his reign, be 
made a feast unto all his princes and his serv-
ants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles 
and prinnes of the provinces, being before him." 
He called the governors and princes of the 
provinces to his c~~pital to deliberate upon the 
invasion of Greece, and to levy the tribute and 
the forces that should be furnished bv each 
province for the purpose. 'rhe royal entvertain-
ment continued six months. But it was no 
later than the seventh dtty of the feast when 
the king in his deunkenness commanded his 
chamberlains" to bring Vashti the queen before 
the king with the crown royal, to show th~ peo-
ple and the pt'inces her beauty." "But the queen 
Vashti ref'ut-~ed to come." 
Then the king in 
council decided to put her away, and to publish 
a decree in the language of every people, "that 
every man should bear rule in his own house." 
THEN in his Rixth year he led his army into 
Greece, suffered a teni ble defeat at Salamis, 
and at Platrea, and, like Sennacberib of old, 
returned with shame of face into his own land. 
And there be for the rest of his days sought to 
occupy himself in the exercise of arms of a very 
different nature from those with which he had 
been occupied in the in-vasion of Greece. 
rrhen 
"he remembered Vashti, and what she bad 
done, and what was decreed against her." It 
would seem that be remembered Vashti with 
the wish to call her to his side again; but the 
"decree" of the Persians and Medes bad been 
published against her, and it was impossible to 
alter or reverse that; so be was compelled to do 
withou-t Vashti, and seek: another in her place, 
and the choice fell upon Esther, the adopted 
daughter of her cout<in Mordecai. 
"And Lbe 
king lo-ved Bsther above all the women, and 
she obtained grace and favor in his t>ight more 
than all the virgins; so that be set the royal 
crown upon her head, and made her queen in-
stead of Vashti." 
SHORTLY after this~ two of the Iring's cham-
"WHEN Moedecai perceived all that was done, 
Mordec:ai rent his clothes, and put on sackeloth 
with ashes, and went out into tbo midst of the 
city, and cried with a loud and a bilter cry; and 
came even befoee the king's gate." "So ill'i'>the;r's 
maids and her chamberlains came and told it 
her. 
And she sent raiment Lo clothe 
Mordecai, and to take away his saekcloth from 
him; but be received it not." 
Then she sent 
her chamberlain "to know what it was and 
why it was;" and Moedecai told him all about 
it, and sent word to her to go to the king and 
"make a request before him for her people.'' 
But it was deu.th for any one to go to the king 
without being called, unless the king should 
bold out tile royal scepter; and as .Esther had 
not been called for thirty d:1ys, it wai'l a great 
risk indeed for her to go in Lo the preseuce of 
the capricious king without being called. 
But 
Mordecai told her that if the Jews were indeed 
destroyed, she would not escape any more than 
any of the rest of the Jews. He also told her 
a truth in which is embodied the principle that 
underlies all of God's calling and work. "H 
thou altogether boldest thy peace at this time, 
then shall there enla,l'gement and deliverance 
arise to the Jews from another place; but thou 
and thy father's house shall be de~troyed; and 
who knoweth whether thou al't come to the 
kingdom for such a time as this?" 
Gon's purposes in the affai1·s of men will 
surely be accomplished. 
They will be accom-
plished by the instrumunLality of men. 
And 
when he calls anybody to his work, wbethur 
directly or by putting him in a position of re-
sponsibility or influence by which men have a 
right to expect of him help in crises; if that 
person fai1s, then enlargement and deliverance 
will arise from another place, and he will be 
left in the place which be bas weakly chosen, 
and the cause of God will advance witbont him. 
We owe to God and to biR cause all out· influ-
ence of position, all our responsibility of place, 
wherever it may be; and when a crisis comes, 
we are, like the fair queen Bsthor, to show our 
faithfulness, trusting in God foe the result. It 
was for just such a time as thici thn,t she was 
brought t0 that place, and now if Hhe should 
fftil in her responsibility, she would show her-
self entirely nn worthy of the place. And so it is 
ever. 
God's gifts are not for nothing. 
He ex-
pects them to be used for his glory: anct "Them 
thu.t honor me 1 will honor; and they thnt de-
spise me shall be lightly esteemed," is his word 
to all. 
Esther nobly fulfilled het· calling; she 
found favor in the eyes of God and the king; 
and by her deliverance arose for her nation and 
people. 
berlains had laid a plot to assassinate him~ and I 
HAMAN, expecting to be honored above all by 
Mordecai learned of it. 
He told bJstber, who the king, pronounces the sentence of what he 
MARCH 4, 1886. 
TriE SIGNS OF TriE TIMES. 
[lll 139 
himself shall do in h0110r of Mordecai whom be 
abhors; ~aving erected a gn.llows u;lon which 
:11orde.cal sha~l be bangetl, Le himself is hanged 
upon It; havmg devoted to destruction Mor-
decai and his people, the evil which he intended 
came upon himself and upon his house. 
A. T. J. 
THE SANCTUARY, ITS SERVICE, ETC. 
The End of the 2300 Days. 
the cross. 
Paul says tl1at salvation "was con-
firmed unto ns _by them that beard Him" (Heb. 
2 : ~), and this was virtually the work or 
Chr1sti because he sent them personally, and 
was w1th them in an especial mnnner. 
What events marked the termination of the 
seventy weeks? 
(Lesson 10.-Sabbath, March 13.) 
WHAT were the first words uttered 
angul in explanation of tho 2300 days'? 
The termin~tion of this period is marked by 
the murder of Stephen and the conversion of 
Paul. 
'J1he 490 years began in 457, or 456 full 
years and a fraction, before the Christian era. 
':rhen at tbe beginning of the Christian era there 
~vould still remain of the 490 years, thirty-three 
by the full years and. a frnction of a year, which would 
make the perwd end in A. D .. 34. 
We learn that 
"Seventy weeks are determined [cut off] 
upon thy people." 
Dan. 9 : 24. 
. What event was to mark the beginning of 
th1s first part of the great prophetic period'? 
"The going forth of the commandment tore-
store and to butld Jerusalem." 
Verse 25. 
What decree completed this commandment? 
. The decre.e of Arlaxerxes Longimanus, which 
IS recol'ded m Ezra 7: 11-26. This deeree was 
isRued in the seve11 t.b year of the reign of Ar-
taxerxes (Ezra 7: 7, 8), which was in the year 
B. C. 457. 
How many weeks of prophetic time were to 
reach from tb is date to Messiah the Prince? 
"Know tb0refore and understand that from 
the going forth of the commandment to restore 
and to bui!d J et·usalem unto the Meseiah the 
Prince shall be seven weeks, and tbreese01·e and 
two. weeks." 
Dan .. 9: 25. 
Sixty-nine pro-
]:hettc week.s, or 483 hteral years, were to reach 
from the g01ng forth of the commandment con-
cerning Jerusalem in B. c. 457, to the Messiah 
the Prince. 
· 
What is the meaning of the word Messiah? 
"Messiah" is the Hebrew word for" anoiuted." 
~t correspondR to the word "Oilrist," whieh is 
from the Greek. 
See John 1:41, and margin. 
When was Ubrist anointed? 
P.eter says (Acts 10 : 37, 38) that God 
a,nomte~ Jesus of N azarotb with the Holy 
G-host; HI Matt. 3 : 16, 17; Mark 1 : ] 0; Luke 
3 : 21, 22, we are told that at the baptism of J 0-
sus the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove rested 
upon him, and he was publicly acknowledo-ed 
from Heaven as the beloved Son of God· e,we 
therefore contlude that the anointino-of Jesus 
wns at his baptism. 
':rhis conclusio~ is forti-
fied by Peter, w bo connects the anointirw of 
Jesus with the baptism which John preae~ed, 
and says that.be tbe~1 "went about doing good." 
At .the baptism of 
Je~:~us, therefore, be was 
n11~l n te~ by th.e Holy Spirit for his ministry; 
betore his bn ptlsm be could not be termed the 
Messiah, or the anointed one. 
When was J esu~ baptized? 
In the spring of A. D. 27. It was in the :fif-
teenth year of rriberius Cresar (Luke 1: 1)· and 
:riberius began to reign in A. D. 12. 
The' date 
m the margin. of the Bibles varies, being 26 in 
som.e aJ?d 27 m others. 
'l
1bis was just at the 
e~ptr?'twn of the 69 weeks, or 483 years begin-
m ng m B. c. 457. 
W by were the 69 weeks reaching from the 
?ommandmen t to the baptism of Christ divided 
mto two parts? 
Because the first seven weeks, o1· 49 years, were 
to be covered by the restorat·ion of Je1·v.salern. 
:rhe wall. of Jeru.salem was completed, accord-
mg to Prtdeaux, m the fifteenth year of Darius 
Notbus, just 49 years after the decree of Artax-
erxes Longimanus. 
·what was to be accomplished during the re-
maining week of the seventy? 
after Paul's conversion be went into Arabia, 
and "after three years" he went up to J ernsa-
le~. 
Gal. 1 : 15-18. 
"'J.1hen fourteen years 
~ft~r ~ . went up to Jerusalem." 
Gal. 2 : 1. 
rhis v1s1t was on the ocrasion of the couneil of 
the apostles and elders, which is recorded in the 
:filteenth ehapter of Ac~ts, and which was in A. 
D. 51. 
~s this was seven teen years after Paul'r:> 
conversiOn, we find that be was converted in 
A. D. 34. It is certainly more than a coim~i­
dence that at the termination of the 490 
years ~!lotted especially to the Jewish people, 
God ra1sed up the great apostle to the Get1Liles. 
How mn.y we be cet·tain tb,tt the seventy 
weeks .were the first part of the 2300 days? 
. Havmg shown that the angel's words in the 
mnth chapt.er of Daniel are an interpretation 
of .that. portiOn of .the vision. of the eigb th chap-
tel whiCh was left unexplamed, we know that 
whatever time is mentioned must be n, pnrt of 
the 2300 days, for that il':! all that was left un-
e:cplained. 
Now in the interpretation in the 
~1gh ~b cbaptet·, w hero did the angel begin? was 
1t w1th the goat? No; it was with the ram; 
for that-was the first thing seen. 
Would we ex-
pect him to. give the siinification of the ram, 
and then sktp to the httle born? Certai111y 
?ot; we would exJ?ect him t0 take everything 
m the order that 1t was seen. Otherwise the 
vision eould not be understood. And so we 
~11d be did .. Tile .angel explained the symbols 
lll the order m whte? they cnme; first the ram, 
then the goat and Its notable born then the 
four horns, next the little born. 
Then next 
comes the 2300 days, and, as a matter of course 
the first part of it would be the pa1·t first 
spoken of. 
Then s.ince the seventy weeks (490 years) 
are tbe first part of the 2300 days (years), it 
f~llo~s th~t the 2300 years begin with the be-
gmnmg of the 490 yen.rs, which was iu the year 
457 B. c. 
We have already seen that the 490 
years ended in the year 34 A. D. 
Four hundred 
and ninety from 2300 leaves 1810; that is. 
when the 490 years closed, there yet remained 
1810 years of the 2:100. 
And since the 490 
years ended in 34 A. D., the whole period of 
2300 years would end 1810 years later, or in 
1844 A. D. 
The result may be arrived at in a more direct 
way. !he_ 2300 years begin with the 490 
yea~·s,. m 4n7 B. c. 
At the beginning of the 
Christ1an era, therefore, sometbino-over 456 
years of this period had elapsed. 
0Tbere then 
remained. a fraction over 1843 years, w bich 
would bnng the close of the 2300 years in the 
year 1844 A. D. 
At .the clo e of the 2300 years, according to 
Da?. 8 : 14, the sanctuary was to be cleansed. 
This cleansing work bas therefore been goino-
on since 1844, or forty-two years. 
0 
Five P's. 
"And he [Messiah the Prince] shall confirm 
A GOOD Sabbath-school teacher ought at least 
the covenant with mn.ny lor one week· and in to have five p's in his mind. 
Let them stand 
the midst of the week be shall cause tbe'sacri:fice f'o1• 
t 
''t 
· 
punc ua1~ y, perseverr.mce, p~ety, and prayer. 
;:tnd tb~ oblation to cease." 
Dan. 7 : 27. 
By The teacher should find out the point in his Jes-
confin~mg the covenant is evidently meant the son: Every lesson bas n, point, and it is the 
preaching of the gospel by Christ, and those bnsmess of the teacher to find it, and put it 
wb.om be sent; but especially the ratification of sharp at the scholar, so that be will carry it 
the covenant by the shedding of Christ's blood on· home with bim.-S. s. Teache1·. 
Speech-Maldug· Superint.enclents. 
IT is not every Sabbath·-school superintendent 
who seems to understand the essential nature 
and w~rk of .the school, nor, as a conseqncnce, 
recogn1zes h1s own peculiar duties at the head 
of ~be school. 
Many a superintendent is not 
entn·ely clear in his mind as to the vital differ-
en~e
. between .a school and every other sort of 
rehg10us meetmg. 
This confusion of mind it is 
~bat causes such undue prominence to be given 
m ma.ny Sabbath-schools to preaching from the 
super1:1tendent's desk. 
A superintendent'R best 
v:ork 1s superintending; and if be gives his full 
t~me and strength to that work, he has neither 
t1me nor str~ngt? for the work of a preacher or 
an 
evn~l~ehst-t:nportant as preaching and 
evangebzmg are 111 their way . 
On ~any of the inland or ocean steamers, 
.you will see posted conspic-nousl.Y on the out-
Side of tbe pilot-bouse the notice: "Do n6t 
talk with the mat~ at ~be wheel." 
And if you 
could hear the directiOns which are given to 
t~e man ttt the wheel by those wbo set bim at 
h1s post, you would bear it said to him: "Do 
n~t talk with the passengers." 
Yet the regular 
tl'lps of LLat steamer are about the only times 
when the m.an a~ the wheel meets those passell-
ger::;; and 1t 1mght seem that a few loving 
W?rds, a. few 
~al'llest ~bougbts, on his part, 
mtgbt bnng bts heart m contact with theirs 
and tend to warm and quicken their hearts. It 
do.es not seem t.hn.t steering a vessel is every-
thmg. 
Yet, on the other hand steerino-is the 
l b . 
' 
b 
rea 
. ustuess of the mn,n nt the wheel, and 
warm1ng: and quickening the hearts of the pa~­
scngers IS not his mission; a11 d for him to at-
tom pt the warming and. quickening business is 
to endanger the steenng of the vessel-to 
which be 'is set. 
And so it is with tbe mnn at the Sabbath-
school wheel; steering is his business and de-
man.ds his whole attention. 
The superilltend-
ent 1s. ~et to oversee and guide the school in its 
pecultar work. He is to see that teachers and 
scholar:'-' are wisely classified, that tbe teachers 
are .tramed to, and are fai tbful in, their several 
?nt1es, and tbn.t th: separate classes are brougb t 
111 Lo snch barmomous co-operation as to carry 
the school along as an orgn.nized whole. 
He is 
to give unity to the general exercises of the 
school, and to lead in the service ot' common 
worship. 
An examination of the school on its 
lo:-:;.son f~r .the day, and an emphasis on the main 
pOLnt of tts teaching, is properly within the 
sphere of bis mission. 
But this is very different from talkino-or ex-
h 
. 
b) 
o~·tmg, or haranguing, from the desk. 
The 
•:riter of this note has bad occasion, for a se-
rtes of y~ars! to com P.aro tbe methods of many 
schools, m c1t;r an.d 111 couu try, at this point 
of sp~ech-makmg m .th.e superintendent's desk, 
and his present eonvwtwns arc based upon the 
result o.f these observations. 
A dozen years 
ago, w~1le even more tbn.n now in the general 
:fi~ld .of Sn.bbath-scbool method, he expressed 
?Is v1ews .on this subject, as follows: 
"Notb-
mg ~lse frttters. away so much time as speec.:b-
makmg. 
N othmg else so hinders or retards 
the work of teaching there. 
Some men are 
excell~nt superin ~en dents in everything else 
save m the bal)lt of long-winded addresses 
;:-~tddres. es on which they pride themselves. 
They have , good schools in spite of theie 
speeches. 
'I bey could have better schools with-
out them. 
Other superintendents have poor 
schools because of their lectures. 
They might 
hav~ ~o?d 
sc~ools if they would talk 
l~ss. 
!Vh1le .1t 1s admttted that a moderate indulgence 
m clos1~g address~s w?uld not necessarily ruin 
a supei mtendent for b1s appropriate and leo·iti-
mate work, the. tendency of the habit i~ so 
largely to.ward mtemperance that cautious and 
conservative men are urging total abstinence 
fro.m Sabbath-~cbool ~poecll-making as the only 
s.afe9,uarad agamst 
dt~astrous excesses in this 
lme. -0. S. :l'imes. 
140 [121 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
VoL. 12, No. 9. 
-w-HAT OF TI-I:ATP 
TIRED! well, and what of that? 
Didst fancy life was spent on beds of ease, 
Fluttering the rose-leaves scattered by the breeze? 
Come, rouse thee! work while it is called to-day; 
Coward, arise; go forth upon thy way! 
Lonely! and what of that? 
Some must be lonely; 'tis not given to all 
To feel a heart responsive rise and fall, 
To blend another life into its own. 
Work may be done in loneliness; work on! 
Dark! well, and what of that? 
Didst fondly dream the sun would never set ? 
Dost fear to lose thy way? Take courage yet! 
Learn thou to walk by faith and not by sight; 
'l'hy steps will guided be, and guided right. 
Hard! well, and what of that? 
Didst fancy life one summer holiday, 
With lessons none to learn and naught but play? 
Go, get thee to thy task! Conquer or die. 
It must be learned. 
Learn it, then, pati~ntly. 
No help! nay, 'tis not so; 
Though human help be far, thy God is nigh, 
Who feeds the ravens hears his children's cry. 
He's near thee wheresoe'er thy footsteps roam, 
And He will guide thee, light thee, help thee home. 
-Sel. 
The Mimetic Power of Insects. 
"\VHY, Cousin Helen I What do you menn 
by saying thnt loeust is a mimic'?" asked my 
little con~ins, John nnd l;incoln. 
"Yes, he is a vo1·y good mimic, and so are all 
the insects in tl1is case. 
Look at them, and l 
will tell you in what way I have seen them 
mimic. 
"In~cct.s have a power called 'mimetic,' 
which enables them to mimic, or imitate, the 
substances which nffonl them food and shelter. 
They are mimies all the way ft·om the larva 
Rtatc to the imago, wbetbee they are 'moths, 
but tediies, bcetleH, bugs, or locusts. 
In the 
larva stat<', some insects are easily distinguished 
from tbeil' food and shelter, but oftentimes they 
are not. 
Don't you remember bow, when we 
went bug-bunting np in grandpa's orchard, we 
chased some white cabbage butterflies over the 
tomato bed, and you, John, found a brownish 
caterpillar on one of the plants'? 'rhen we 
bnnted for more, and fonnd one so much like 
the leaf in color that 1 almoRt took it in my 
band before I saw what it really was. 
'' When tbe insect is in its pu.pa state, it is as 
great a mimic as before; for then tl1e cocoons 
and chrysalides, or aurelidro, are of the same 
eolor as their biding-places. 
The cocoons and 
chrysalides we find bidden under posts, fences, 
stones, banging from trees, etc., are of the same 
color a!:1 the stones, bnshes, etc. 
This ligb t 
brownish cecropia cocoon is tbe color of tbe 
bush or tree on which it bung. 
Perhaps it was 
a barberry bush.'' 
"This one isn't brown; it's white," said 
.Lineoln. 
"So it is. It came off the top of a white 
birch tree, and so it imitn ted the bark of that 
wood i11 color. 
l think that only in tb~ imago 
state is tbe insect a mimic in shape. 
Examples 
of this kind are walking sticks and walking 
leaves. 
"One day I was out on a specimen bnnt with 
a naturalist on the banks of Dnck Pond, in 
Farmingbam, Massachusetts. I was a short dis-
tance behind when I heard her call me; on my 
hastening to her she showed me what I thought 
was a little branch in a tin cup. 
Just as I was 
going to ask what there was curious or inter-
esting abont it, some little twigs on the Ride of 
tbe branch began to move, and I immediately 
thought it must be a walking stiulc, which I had 
read about, but never until then seen. 
I believe 
my friend ~aid there were but three varieties of 
this insect in North Am<.::rica. 
"Any warm day in summer, when you boys 
A True Story of Florence Nig-l1tingale. 
are playing in tho yard or orchard, you can see 
some very l::ltriking examples of this mimetic 
vVHEN the celebrates philanthropist Florence 
power; I mean locusts. 
These locusts on the Nightingale was a little girl living in Derby-
upper row have wing-cases of a dusty color. 
I shire, .Engln,nd, everybody was struck with her 
caught them one noon in the middle of N ortb thonghtful ness for people and animals. 
She 
Street. 
When they were resting I conld not even made friends with the shy squirrels. 
toll the difference between them nnd tbe road; Wbon persons were ill, sbe would help nurse 
but as soon as they spread their wings, l could them, saving nice things from her own meals 
see and catch them." 
for them. 
"Here's one rll .vellow." 
Tb 
1· 
d 
tb 
'II 
ld b 
b 
d 
•• 
·' 
. ere 1ve 
near 
e v1 age an o 
::; ep er 
"Yes; that one I found in a marsh down at named Roger, who bad a f~tvorite sheep-dog 
Ocean Parle where all the weeds and the soil called Cap. This dog was the old man's only 
were of n y~llowi::;h hue. Just look at the dif-companion, and he! ped him in looking after tbe 
ference between this and the first one. 
This floek by day and kept him company at night. 
one has white wings, with a black line across Cap was a very sensible dog, and kept tho sheep 
them; the body is white, and the ·wing-cases in sncb order that be saved his master a deal 
look as if sand bad been sprinkled over them. of trouble. 
':ebese came fl'om the boac~ be~wee~ Old Or-
One day Florence was riding out with a 
chard a.nd Oeean Parle !f tbe1r w1.ng_s w~re friend, and saw the shepherd giving the sbeep 
folded, It would be very. difficult to d1stwgu1sb their night feed; but Cap was not there, and 
them r~·om the dry, wh1~e sand. 
I watched a] tbe sheep knew it, for they wore senmpering 
long t1me one day to see 1f I could find any on about in all directions. 
11.,lorence and ber friend 
the sand, and fre_quontly I was astonisbe~ to stopped to ask Roger wby he was so sad, and 
have one fly np m my face when 1 bud .JUSt what had become of his doo-. 
looked _carefully over the place where it bad 
"0," be repiied, "Cap wUI never be of use to 
be~n ly111~. 
, 
. 
me; I'll have to har_1g him, poor fellow, as soon 
. 
H~re IS a Turners butterfly. If sometime as I go home to-night." 
m sprmg you should see on~ of these on the 
"Hang bim!" said Florence. "0 Roger! 
gro~nd, and not kno~ wb:lt It w.as: you would bow wieked ofyou! What has old Cap done?" 
be hkely to say, as 1 d1d the first ttme I saw one, 
"He bas do 
tl · 
, 
r d R 
.
.. "b t 
'Ob, what a pretty leaf with black lines on it!' be wi'll never· nbeenoof' )mg, rep 1e t ogei' dui. 
, d 
ld b 
. 
. h . 
, · ·h d 
. 
I 
hny more use o me, an 
.:tn 
you wou 
e very muc 
astoms e ' as 
carlllOt ".cvo ·d to l 
b. 
0 
f' tJ 
. 
·t fl 
< 
'"11' 1 
ceep 
1m. 
ne o 
)e m18. 
was, to see 1 
y away. 
1 · 
, ·b 
1 b 
1 • • 
• . h. 
, 'l'h · Pb'l d' 
b t 
fl 
· 
11 
th t 'f c )levous sc oo-oys t 11 ew a st.one .tt 
1m yes-
• ' 
IS 
1 o 
1~e n ter Y IS _so Y_e ow 
a 
1 
terday, and broke r>rle of his legs." And· the 
)' ou were to 8ee IL on a dalldelton } ou would be old sl e])hei d w· 
d 
tl 
t 
tb t fill d 
· 
d 
h 
h 
d 
d. 1· 
1 f. 
ff 
I 
. 
• 
1pe 
away . 1e ears 
a 
e 
pnzzle 
to k110w w ere t e 
an e 10n e t o 
111·s e''e"' 
,, Po . C 
1 ,· b 
, ·d "h 
d 
b 
b 
fl. 
b 
· 
If 
.1 
''· 
01 
ap. 
e sa1 , 
e was as 
an 
t e 
u~ter .Y 
egan, or mce ve?·sa. 
a know'ill<>' as a human boinfr." 
Vanessa An twpe butterfly was on an apple tree 
" B 
-~ . 
. 
. 
·~ . 
. 
, 
-' 
(I have noticed they ])l'efer russet aj)})le trees) 
u t .n e you Slll e his leg IS bt oken? 
asked 
. 
. 
. 
. 
' 
FloreiH~e 
w1th 1ts wmgs elosed, I could not tell whteh was 
" 
· 
. 
. . 
the bn!'k or which the under side of tbe butter-
0 yes, m~sR,_ It IS broken sure enough; l1e 
fly, were it nut for a slow, waving motion of the has not put his loot to tbo gronn? since." 
wino·s as if it were fannin()' itself. 
"We will go and see poot· Cap," said the 
"0~e day, when I was
0hurrying up North gentleman. 
':I d_on't belio_ve t.be leg is really 
Street, I saw, as I thought, a brown leaf drop bl'oken. It woula take.a b1g stone a~d a hard 
down at my side from one of the trees. 
'·what blow t~ .brenk the log of a_ gre:Lt dog ltkeCap." 
a pretty leaf; oh!' and, running after a very 
"0 If '~~ coni~ cure h1m, bow glad Roger 
pretty butterfly, I waited till it settled, put my would be! 
excla1med Plorence. 
bat ovet·, and so cangut it. 
I;ook at its under 
When they reached tb~ cot.l age, the poor dog 
side, boys, and you will see that it might easily lay there on th~ bare, briCk ~oor, ?is hair dis-
be mistaken for a leaf. 
heve.led, and b1s eyes spa.rklu1g w1tb anger at 
"These purplish 
clear-wtnO'ed 
day-flying t.he wtruders. But when the little girl called 
bumming-bird moths feed on nth~ big thistle him "poc!r Cap" h.e grew paeified, a._nd began 
beads, and it requires 'seeing eyes' to discover to wag h1s short tad; then he crept from under 
them. 
the table and lay dovvn at her feet. 
She took 
"Beetles have this mimetic power to a great hold of hiR paws, patted his bead, nnd talked 
extent, but I have only a few to show you. to him while the gentleman ex:1mined his in-
'J'his one looks like a little hall of dirt. 
Some-jnrod leg. It was badly swollen, and it ltnrt birn 
times this kind of beetle is mistaken for a ball very much to have it examined; bnt the doer 
of dirt, and sometimes the dirt for the beetle. 
knew it wns meant kindly, :t.nd Lhou!.!.-h 
h~ 
-"1 wondo1· if, when you have been eating moaned and winced -vvith pain, he licked the 
blackberries, you have suddenly noticed a sharp, bands that -vvere hurting bim. 
disagreeable taste in your mouth?" 
"It's 011lv a bad bl'uise; no bones arc broken" 
"I have," said J obn, "and a very disagree-said the g~~ntleman; "rest is all Cap needs; he 
able taste it was, too." 
will soon be well again." 
"So have I," said Lincoln. 
"I'm so glad!" exclaimed Florence. ''But 
"Well, perhaps you know, then, that you can we do n-othing for him? He seems in such 
have eaten a bluebe1Ty bug. 'l
1bis is about the pain." 
siz0, shape, and color of a green blueberry; and 
"Plenty of bot water to foment the part 
if you were eating your berries in the pasture, would both ease and help to cure him." 
nothing would be more likely than that you 
"Well, then," said the little girl," I will fo-
sbould eat some bugs too. 
ment Cap's leg." 
"I have only one more example of mimetic 
Florence lighted the fire, tore up an old flan-
beetles here, and this is the painted clytus, nel petticoat into strips, which she ·wrung out 
which lives on tbe golden-rod. It is marked in hot water and laid on the poor dog's bruise. 
with green and yellow, thus mimicking the It was not long before be began to feel the ben-
color of the flower. 
efit of the application, and to show his gratitude 
"Perhaps you are wondering why insects in looks and in wagging his tail. 
On their way 
have this power? 
I think that tbe Creator home they met the shepherd coming slowly 
gave it to them so they might escape from ene-along with a piece of rope in his bauds. 
mies that were not bright e11ougb to see through 
"0 Roger!" cried :Florence, "you are not to 
it."-Helen Montgomery, in Ch1·'istian Um:on. 
hang poor old Cap. 
We have found that his 
A MAN's pride ::;hall bring him low; but 
bono!' shall uphold the humble in spirit.-
Solomon. 
leg is not broken after all." 
''No, be will serve you yet," said the gentle-
man. 
"Well I am most glad to hear it," said the old 
MARCH 4, 1886. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
[ 13 I 141 
man," and m:tny thanks to you for going to see 
him." 
rrhe next morning Florence was up early to 
bathe Cap. 
On visiti11g the dog, she found the 
swelling much gone down. She bathed it again, 
and Cap was as grateful as before. 
Two or three days later, when Florence and 
her friend were riding together, they came up 
to Hoger and his sheep. 
Cap was there, too, 
watching the sheep. 
When he heard the voice 
of the little girl, his tail wagged and his eyes 
sparkled. 
"Do look at that dog, miss," said the shep-
herd, "be's so pleased to hear your voice. But 
for you, I would have banged the best dog I 
ever had in my life." 
This is quite a true story. It happened many 
years ago, and is now told with pleasure of 
that lady who in later years grew up to be the 
kind, brave woman who nur::;ed so many sol-
diers through the Crimean war, and bat:~ done 
so many things for the poor and suffering wher-
ever she conld.-Youth's Temperance Banner. 
The Loneliness of Age. 
THE loneliness of age! 
How few think of 
this and treat with due tenderness and consid-
e.ration thot:~e who have outlived their genera-
twn, and whose early companions and friends 
have been taken from them! Unable to engao-e 
in the activities of life, they are no long~r 
brought into contact and sympathy with those 
around them, and no tie of common interest 
and mutual dependence binds them together. 
'l'heir views and tastes have natUJ·ally .__grown 
apart. They share but little in common with 
others. The future of this life bas nothing to 
inspire their ambition or excite their hopes. 
What calls forth the energies of others has no 
inspimtion for them_ 
'fbey neuessarily, to a 
great extent, live in a world of their own, with 
which those around them are not familiar. The 
communings of their hearts are with the scenes 
of' the past and the companions of other years, 
that have long since passed away. Lover and 
friend have been taken from ·them, and their 
aequ:tintance bid in darkness. 
rrhe forms they 
admired and loved are gone, the eyes that 
looked into theirs with the tenderest affection 
are sightleRs, and the voices that cheered :lnd 
stirred their souls have long been silent. Their 
early world of hope and joy has become a deso-
lation, nnd they sit in silence, contemplating the 
ruin Lhnt, bas been wrought. 
They have but 
liLLie to interest them in this world. 
They are 
" Only waitiug till the shadows 
Are a little longer grown," 
to pass on to the reunion that awaits them. and 
the glad greetings of those they love. 
·who 
would not do vvbat he can to cheer tho lolleli-
uess of age, to smooth their pathway, and to 
comfol't them in their declining years !-J.l£eth-
odist Recorde'r. 
~ealth ann 
Physical Effects of Tobacco. 
No RESPECTABLE authoritv will dare assert 
that tobacco is not a poisor~, one of the most 
decided kinds. It is vain to quote cases of 
men who have used the weed for years, and 
still live and apparently enjoy a reasonable 
degree of health. 'fhe same is true, in excep-
tional cases, of any and all improper courses, 
all bad habits. 
'l'he most violent of the poi-
sons may be taken gl'adually, the system con-
forming to such a course, the penalty being less 
manifest than it would be were such poisons 
taken in large doses at first. It is because we 
are "feat·fully and wonderfully made" that we 
are able to resist a part of the effects of wrollg-
doing, or to postpone the penalty, rather. 
One 
may become accustomed to the most unnatural 
treatment, and, for a time, seem to escape the 
penalty; but the day of reckoning will come 
and the wt·ong-doer must suffer. 
Of the more prominent effects may be cited, 
in brief, those connected with the digestion of 
our food. 
The fact that we are supplied with 
five small glandR in the mouth, the salivary, is 
sufficient evidence that this saliva is an im-
portant aid to digestion, especially in the 
changes of starchy toods. 
Its waste in smok-
iug and chewing is inevitable, while our obser-
vations convince us of the natural results. 
One 
of these results is practically admitted by the 
fleshy man, who well knows that he can so far 
impair digestion by the use of this poison as to 
reduce the fat, and yet we have heard just this 
argument used by smokers, that they used 
tobacco to become less cot'pulen t; as if it were 
well to impair their digestion and become less 
healthy, when the same object might be gained 
far more philosophically by the whipping post, 
or by sawing wood, etc., or by eating only what 
the wants of the system will justify. 
It may be that alarge perce11tofthe sudden 
deaths from heart disease may be accounted 
for from the use of this poison. 
On this subject Dr. Yarshall Hall says:-
" The smoker cannot escape the poison of to-
bacco. It gets into his blood, travels the whole 
rounds of his system, interferes with his heal't's 
action and the general circulation, and affects 
every organ and f:ibl'e of the frame." 
In accordance with these views, Dt'. Brodie 
vvl'itt:ls: "It powerfully controls the actio11 of 
tbe heart and arteries, producing invariably a 
weak, tremulous pulse, with all the apparent 
symptoms of approaching death." 
Another says: "If we wi::;i1 at any time to 
prostrate the powers of life in the most ::mddeu 
and awful manllet', we have but to administer a 
dose of tobacco, and our object is ::tccomplisl1ed.'' 
Of course this dose is given to one not accus-
tomed to its use, the uniform effects of which 
AJ<'F'EC'I'A'I'ION is the aping of another, the is to nauseate and then depress, waste vital 
assuming to be what a person is not, and is force. 
always an evidence of we:dmess and vanity. 
Dr. \Villard Parsons, excellent authority, says: 
. It is a confession thtLt one is not what he de-"It is now many years since my attention was 
sires to be, and that be wishes to be esteemed called to the insidious but positively destructive 
above what be deserves. 
A person who is self-effects of tobacco on the human system. 
I have 
reliant, and willing to appear to be what he seen a great deal of its influence upon those 
really is, is always natural, a11d appears in his who use it and work in it, Cigar and snuff 
own trne character. 
Affectation cannot be con-manufacturers have come under my care in the 
cealed from persons of discernment, and always hospitals and in private practice, and such per-
lowers an individual in their eRtimation. If sons cannot recover soon and in a healthy 
one by real worth can lift himself to a higher manner from cases of injury or fever. · They 
intellectual and social level, then it becomes are more apt to die in epidemics, and more 
natural to him, and to act in harmony with his prone to apoplexy and paralysis. The same is 
true position is entirely proper. Every man true of those who smoke or chew much." 
should be true to himself, and should develop 
Many othe1· anthon; are equally explicit and 
and maintain his own individuality. 
God made decided in their opposition to its use, all regard-
men different; and he intends them to be differ-ing it as a poison. It is more potent than the 
ent. Instead, then, of aping others, every man average of those poisons on the shelves of the 
should endeavor to develop his own talent and I druggists, as may be abundantly proved. It is 
~ri n.g it to the hight;Jst possible degree of per-related of a child. that sbe picked up a. quid from 
fectwn.-Sel. 
the floor, supposmg that 1t was a ra1sm. Put-
ting it into her mouth, she died of the poison 
the R:tme day. 
According to a surgeon of the 
St. Jules Hospital, "leeches are instantly killed 
by the blood of smokers, immediately dropping 
dead when applied." lf this is trne, what cait 
be the condition of such blood, and the health 
of such poisoned victims ?-J. H. Hanaford, 
J-I. D. 
An Old Dodge. 
THA'I' veteran temperance worker, Rev. Dr. 
Cuyler, of Brooklyn, gives an account of a· 
visit to Portland, Me., made last summet·, from 
whiub we extract a small portion showing tlte 
devices to which liquor men resort in order to 
make it appear that legislation against the l"us-
iness is all a failure. It argues a weak cau8e 
when such means are employed to give it 
strength. 
Doctot· Cuyler says:-
" Last summer I went to M.aine. 
I remem-
ber the time when my beloved old friend, Gen-
eral Dow-who a few days ago reached his 
eighty-first birthday-and myself rode through 
the street.s of that beautiful city in which be 
rode as a conqueror. He said, 'My friend 
Cuyler, there is not an open dram-shop to-day 
in Portland; both distilleries are down.' 
That 
was thirty-four years ago. 
The world has been 
disputing ngain and again: 'Is the law a failure 
or a success in Portland?' 
'l'he first night I 
was in Portland Inst August, I went down into 
the most suspicious and ill-conditioned streets 
about the docks_ 
I kept my eyes open sharply 
and· looked in to every suspicious place, and I 
came hack without having found a solitary es-
tabli;.;bment in whic:h strong drink was visihle. 
There were lots ot bottles marked 'brandy' 
and 'gin,' and several such very intelligible 
mottoes, but every one was colored water. 
Do 
you suppose any one of those men would have 
been fool enough to have bottles marked in 
that way if he intended to sell intoxicating 
liquors'? 
I saw several of those bottles after-
wards at the sheriff's headquarters, and they 
were colored water put up for their own pur-
poses, part of thf-l ar12:ument being that strangers 
and verdant visitors such a.s myself might go 
away and say,' \Vby, the thing is as public and 
transparent as it is in New York.' ''-Sabbath 
Recorde'r. 
Food and Drinl{. 
IT is well establit:~hed that cholera and ty-
phoid fever are very frequently, and perhaps 
usually, transmitt,ed through the medium of 
infected water or artieles o(food, and especially 
milk. 
ForLunately we have a simple means at 
hand for disinfecting such infected fluids. 
This 
consists in the application of heat. 
The boiling 
temperature maintained for half an hour kills 
all known disease gel'ms. 
So far as the germs 
of cholera, yellow fever, and diphtheria are con-
cerned, there is good reason to believe that a 
temperature conRiderably below the boiling 
point of water will destroy them. But in order 
to keep on the s:tfe side, it is best not to trust 
anything short of tho boiling point (212 degrees 
F.) when the obJect is to disinfect food or drink 
which is open to the suspicion of containing the 
germs of any infectious disease. 
During the prevalence of an epidemic of chol-
era, it is well to boil all water for drinking pur-
poses. 
After boiling, the water may be filtered 
to remove sediment, and then cooled if desired. 
A sheet of filtering paper such as druggists use, 
and a funnel, furnishes the best means for filter-
ing water on a small scale. 
A fresh sheet of 
paper is to be used each day.-Sel. 
WEALTH does not necessarily bring happiness 
"Wm. H. Vanderbilt, the dead millionaire, used 
to say, when snrrounded by his princely mag-
nificence, that the happiest days of his lit'e 
were those spent at the plow in his fathe.r'a 
truck patch on Staten Island." 
142 114] 
THE 'SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
VoL. 12, No. 9. 
The Motller and Her Children. 
I AM sadly conscious that thousands of moth-
ers are so overburdened that the actual demands 
of life from day to day consume all their time 
and strength. But "of two evils choose the 
less;" and which would you call the less, an 
unpoliHbecl stove or an untaught boy? 
Dirty 
windows, or a uhild whose confidence you have 
failed to gain? 
Cobwebs in the corner, or a son 
over whose son! a ernst has formed so strong 
thn.t you despair of melting it with yonr hot 
tears and your fervent prayerR? 
I have seen a woman who was absolutely 
i~1orant of her children's habits of thought, 
who never felt that she could spare a half-hour 
to read or talk with them; l have seen this wo-
man spend ten minutes in ironing a sheet (there 
were Rix in the washing), one hour in fluting 
the ruffles and arranging the puffs of bet· little 
girl's" sweet white suit," thirty minutes in pol-
ishing tins that were already bright and clean, 
and forty minutes in frosting and decorating a 
cake fol' tea because" company was expected." 
When the mother, a good, Ol'tbodox Obristian, 
sha
 appear before the groat white throne, to 
be judged for "the deeds done in the body," 
and to give in her report of the Master's treas-
ures placed in her care, will there be questions 
and answers like theRe? 
"Where are the boys and girls I gave thee?" 
AnsweT.-" Lord, 1 was busy keeping my 
house dean and in ordm·, and my children wan-
dered away!" 
"Where wert thou while thy sons and daugh-
ters were learning lessons of dishonesty, malice, 
and impurity?" 
Ans.-" Lord, I was polishing furniture, ruf-
fling dresses, and mal<i ng beautiful rugs." 
"What hast thou to show for thy works'?" 
Ans.-" 'rhe tidieBt house, Lord, and the best 
starching and ironing i11 all our neighborhood." 
Oh, theRe children! theRe children! 
These 
reRtless, eager boys and girls whom we love 
more than our lives! 
Shall we devote our time 
and strength to that which peeisbetb, while the 
rich garden of our child's soul lies neglected, 
with fonl weeds choking out all worthy and 
beautiful growths? 
Shall we exalt the inciden-
tals of life to the rank of a purpose, to the sbut-
ting out of that work \lhose results reach beyond 
the stars? 
Fleeting, 0 mother, are t.be days of childhood! 
Speckless windows, snowy linen, the conscious-
ness that everything about the house is fault~ 
lessly bright and clean~ will be a poor comfort 
in that day wherein wo shall· discover that our 
poor boy's feet have chosen the path that shall 
take him out of the way to all eternity.-Chris-
tian Obse?'Ve?''. 
The God-Sent. 
a nil ~nteSl. 
RELIGIOUS. 
SEUULAR. 
-The annexation of Burmah to Great Britain 
has been confirmed by Parliament. 
-On the 27th inst., 63 tons of silk, valued at $1,-
500,000, was received in New York, from Japan. 
-Three young men from Turkey are students in 
-The McCormick Reaper \V"orks at Chicngo 
the Andover Theological Seminary. 
closed recently, throwing 1,400 men out of emplny-
-The cost of the cathedral erected at Garden men t. 
City, L. T., by the widow of A. T. Stewart, is esti-
-On the 21st inst., there was a fire in Wilming-
mated at $1,800,000. 
ton, Del., which destroyed property to the value of 
-The Church of England Temperance Society $1,500,000. 
now has 700,000 members, and large numbers who 
-Mining experts sent out by the Argentine Re-
have been in favor of the moderate use of stimu-public report that the newly discovered gold fields 
lants are taking the total-abstinence pledge. 
of Patagonia are fully equal to those of Brazil, Cali-
-Several of the infidel organs of free-thought in fornia, and Australia. 
France have disn ppeared, while those devoted to the 
-A horseshoe has been invented that comes on 
ndvocaev of evangelical trnth have greatly multi-and off like a man's shoe. A rim at the bottom and 
plied. 'l'his indicates improvement in French pub-a buckle at the back hold it in place. A pad pro-
lie opinion. 
tects the bottom of the hoof. 
-PIn ns have been forwarded from Cl-licago for 
-The curious fact is developed by the Broad way, 
the new Cathedral about to be erected in S:1n Fran-New York, railroad investig:ttion, that while the 
cisco by Arehbisltop RiordB.n. 
The cathedral will company expeuded only $160,000 in building the 
cost $250,000, and will be the finest church edifice road, legal advice cost them $349,000. 
on the Pacific Coast. 
-Greece has finally submitted to the demnnd of 
-According to the Indian TVitness, the head-the European powers in reference to disarmament; 
master of a Go1'ernment school in India has so far but she is preparing a protest stating that she only 
disregarded the religious restrictions placed upon yields to the force of circumstances. 
such :;chools by the Government as to permit a mis-
-'V"orthless certificates for lands in Texns have 
sionarv to address the scholars on the ten command-been sold quiLe extensively iu New York, Bo,;ton, 
ments.and on Christ as the end of the law. 
\V"e are PhilndeJphia, Chicago, and other places, and many 
glad that missionarie"' in India are old-fashioned people are being swindled by them. 
enough to believe in, and preach, the decalogue. 
-The severely cold weather in Georgia and Flor-
-In Germany, the Sunday question is attracting ida last January, while it caused much damage to 
a great de:tl of attention. "A conference of soap-fruit nncl fruit trees, also deslroyed wonltS and in-
boilers, leather-dressers, molders, porcelain and glass sects i.njurious to rruit and crops, an? so loosened 
makers, cignr makers. engravers, and h11tchers, was the soil as to prom1se unusual productiveness. 
recently held in Berlin u~der the auspices of ~he 
-Dispatches from New York, Buffalo, Boston, 
Government, and a. resolutiOn adopted condemmng' Washington, Baltimore, and other places in the 
Sunday w_o.rk." 
B1smarck opposes the movement; East, report a furious blizzanl along the Atlantic 
but the tnends of Sunday observance have sue-
Coa~t on the 26th in st. Houses were unroofed, tele-
ceedecl in getting the matter referred to a special graph poles broken down, aud much other damage 
commission, which is "collecting information from was done. 
all parts of .th~ German Empire, as t~, the nature, 
_When the recent ice gorge in the Mississippi 
extent, and mcJdence of Sunday labor. 
River gavP. way, there was a fleet of 68 bo<tts at 
-The Salvation Army is in trouble. General Carroll's Island, which had cost the Government 
Booth describes the year 1884-5 as having been $250,000. These boats were swept from their moor-
" one protracted, heavy struggle with persecutions, ings, and many of them sunk. It is believed that 
nffiictions, and trinls of every kind, not the least of the loss will not be less than $200,000. 
which has been the desperate effort made to utterly 
-An unseaworthy foreign steamer has been em-
destroy our public reputation, while from the ployecl by Postmaster-General Vilas to earry t.he 
Army's earliest days it hns had a ceaseless, weary-mails between New York, and the West Indies and 
ing fight with financial difficulties." The severest portions of South America. Aud now the uews 
persecutions of the past year were encountered in comes that the vessel has been wrecked, with the 
Switzerland; but even in this land of liberty, the Joss of the cargo, the mails, and six of the crew. 
Salvationists have not wholly escaped. In eleven 
-Mr. Chamberlain, President of the Local Gov-
different States their meetings have been suppressed ernment Board, stated to a deputation of the unem-
by law, and fifty arrests have bee1l made. 
ployed workingmen of London that he was opposeL1 
-According to a report that comes directly from to emigration as a means of relief, unless distre::;,; l'or 
Rome, Archbishop Gil>bons of Baltimore is this want of employment has become chronic. 
He 
month to be made a cardinal. The Independent thought the colonies would not welcome so large a 
sees nothing incot1sistent in American Protestants number of workingmen, as their presence would 
"taking a certain pride in the prompt recognition cheapen the labor market. He is in favor or finding 
which the holy see has given to the American employment for them at home. 
branch of the church of Rome." The Catholic 
-The Chinese Consul at New York is reported as 
Church, it says, "is here among us, apowe?fuljac-saying that American missionaries and merchants 
t01· in our religious and sociall~fe, and it is here to are well treated in China and protected by the Gov-
WHEN the Lord commanded Gideon to go stay; and it is better to welcome its liberal ideas ernment; but if Chinamen are driven out of Arne r-
and save Israel from the band of the Midian-than to fight it indiscriminately and uncompromis-ica, he can see no reason why Americans should not 
in<Yly." We may gain some idea of the strength of be driven out of China, and he thinks measures of 
ites, Gideon said, " Wherewith shall I save 
th~ Romish element in American society from the 
· 
M 
this kind will be taken by the Governmeu t. If 
Israel? behold my family is poor m 
anasseb, fact that the new cardinal will be the honorary nothing is done to protect Chinamen, the commerce 
and I am the least in my father's house." 
And head of a church of 12 archbishops, 62 bishops, 7,29.6 between the two countdes, amounting to $80,-
the Lord said, "Have I not sent thee? 
Surely priests, and a Catholic population of 7,000,000. 000,000 annually, will be Jestroyed. 
I will be with thee." 
Hero iQ a lesson to the Have Americans any reason to rejoice in the grow-
C 
• 
h 
d · fl 
f th C h 1· 
'1 
-Forty-one 
hinamen employed in thP. woolen 
bumble poor in the church of Christ; to those ing strengt an 
Ill uence 0 
e at 0 IC Church? mills of Oregon City, Oregon, were driven out by a 
who count themselves the least in the Father's 
-Spain has abolished the privileges of the Jes-company of from 30 to 50 white men, February 22. 
house. 
They are sometimes tempted, on this uits and the religious schools in that country, and Two men who publicly avowed themselves the lead-
ground, to beg off from doing some specified has restored to the State the supervision of educa-ers of the movement have been arrested under a 
work for the J.;ord, as Gideon did. If all such tion. "Spain, the most abject and submissive vas-·statute passed in 1874 to cover kuklux outrages. 
sal of the pope, has again learned that it is not safe The warrant was sworn out by a Chinese contractor. 
could be persuaded to l_ook away from and to confide the training of its youth to intriguino-On the 25th inst., masked men assaulted the Chinese 
above themselves, unto Htm who says," Rave I Jesuits, and dares to resist and reject their control.~ laborers on several ranches near Wheatland, Cal. 
not sent thee?" and go to work, bow precious 1 The United States of Colombia also has seen the Some buildings were burned, and other acts of vio-
to them would be the promise, realized in their expediency of checking Jesuitical influence. The lenc~ were committed. In contrast with this comes 
own experience, "Surely I will be with thee," ~resid_ent of that repu~li? has issued a proclamation a protest from the fruit-raisers of Vacaville and 
and what defeats the Midianites would suffer! m winch he says that 1t 1s the duty of the Govem-vicinity, who cultivate 5,551 acres of land in the 
-Intelligencer. 
ment t? ~mpede the ingress of persons who constitute vicinity of Vacaville. These fruit-raisers state that 
"TH:E toil of a brute tends to brutalize, while 
work that demands thought, character, and 
skill is a means of endowing the worker as 
well as of adding to his possessions. He not 
only has but he is more every day." 
a permc1ous element, and prove an obstacle to the the probable value of their crop is between $400,000 
liberty and progress of the country. This "perni-and $500,000; and should the Chinamen be driven 
cious element" is composed of Roman Catholic out, there are no laborers that could be dependeJ 
priests of other nationalities, who breed disorder in upon to meet the demands of this in~ustry, and 
the republic; nnd the President orders that such serious loss would result. The protest is also signed 
priests shall, on the discovery of their designs~ be 
1 by many of the leading business men and citizens 
expelled from the country. 
· 
of Vacaville. 
MARCH 4, 1886. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
[151 143 
-The commission appointed by Mr. Childers, the 
the Home Secretary, Lo investigate the recent riots 
in London, severely censure the course of the chief 
of the police force, and his resignation bas been ac-
cepted. 
-Prince Bismarck hopes to secure to the German 
Government an added revenue of $50,000,000 if his 
spirit-monopoly bill bec(1mes a law. 
By the terms 
of the bill, raw brandy remains in the hands of pri-
vate persons; but the State has the control of im-
ported spirits, the rectifying of spirits and their 
maufacture into alcoholic drinks, and the sale of 
brandy in every form. 
Spiritualism. 
"THE Nature and Tendency of Modern Spiritual-
ism," by Elder J. H, Waggoner, is a live book, on a 
live subject, and should be read 
by everybody. 
The author has carefu1ly studied the subject, and 
has given sue~ copious extracts from a large library 
of Spiritualist publications as to fully condemn 
them, in their teachings and in their practices, by 
their own testimony. It is also shown from the 
prophetic scriptures that Spiritualism is one of the 
most impressive signs of the times. 
184 pp. Price, 
20 cents. 
Address, 
SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal. 
"The Spirit of God." 
'tHIS is a brief but comprehensive argument on 
the solemn and important subject of the Spirit of 
God, its offices and manifestations to the end of tLe 
Christian age. 
Its chapters embrace the following 
heads: The Holy Spirit of Promise; The Power from 
on High; Circumcision of the Heart; The Unity of 
the Faith; The Law and the Testimony; Try the 
.Spirits; The Great Commission; Gifts in theRefor-
mation; In the Present Century; Spirit of Proph-
ecy Restored. 
These are subjects of vital impor-
tance to all, and especially to those who are looking 
or the return of their Lord. 
By Elder J. H. Wag-
goner. 
144 pp. 
Price, 15 cents. 
Addre~s, 
SIGNS OF THE 'l'IMES, Oakland, Cal. 
~p p nintnttntz. 
0AKLAND.-House of worship, northeast corner of 
Clay and Thirteenth Streets. 
8abbath-school every Sab-
bath at 9: 3o A. M. 
Preachi11g at ll : 30. 
Prayer and 
missionary meeting every Tuesday evening at 7 : 30. 
S(;n~ts free. 
SAN FRANCJSCO.-House of worship, 914 Lagnna Street, 
between McAllister and Tyler. 
Sabbath-school every 
Sabbath at 9:45 A. M. 
Classes in the English, German, 
and Scandinavian languages. 
Prayer and missionary 
meeting every Wednesday evening at 7 : 45. 
Mission 
Reading-rooms at the church. 
THE AMERICAN SENTINEL. 
AN EIGHT-PAGE MONTHI,Y JOURNAL, 
DEVOTED TO 
The defense of American Institutions, the preservation of 
the United States Constitution as it is, so far 
as regards religion or religious tests, and 
the maintenance of human rights, 
both civil and religious. 
It will ever he uncompromisin::rlr opposed to anything tending 
toward a union of Chun·h and State, either in name or in fact. 
'TERMS. 
Sr~GLlt CoPY, per yl"ar, 
50 cents. 
To foreign countries, single ·subscriptions, post-
p3.id 
Sa. 
AGENTS AND BOOK DI£POSITORI:B:S. 
Australia-International Traut ;:;u~I~Ly, "Burnam House." corn c. 
Rae and Scotchmer Sts., North Fitzroy, Victor!a. 
California Tract ::lociety-1067 Castro St. Oakland, Cal. 
Canada Tract Society-South Stukely, P: Q. 
Colvrado 'l'raet .:,ociety-83L CalifunJia St., Denver, Colo. 
Dakota Tract Society-Vilas, Miner On., Dale 
District of Columbia.-International Tract Society, 1831 Ver.11 '''t 
Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 
England-The ,Present Truth, 72 Heneage St., Grimsby, Eng. 
Florida Tract Society-Moultrie, St. John's Co., Fla. 
Hawaiian Jshtnds-L. A. Scott, Honolulu, H. I. 
Idaho-Carrie E. Mills, Walla Walla, W. 1'. 
lllinois Tract Society-No. 95 1'hirty-fifth 8t., Chicago, Ill. 
Indiana 1'ract Society-No. n2 Cherry St, Indin.11apolis, Ind. 
Iowa Tract Suciety-1315 E. Sycamore :;t., Des Moines, Iowa. 
Kansas Tract Society-Ottawa, Franklin Co., Kan. 
Kentucky Tract Society-West Clifty, Grayson Co., Ky. 
Louisana-International Tract Society, 732 M:1g-azine Street, Ne\' 
Orleans, La. 
Maine Tract Society-113 Pearl St., Portland, Me. 
Michigan Tract Society-Battle Creek, Mich. 
Minnesota 1'raet Society-2820 Nicollet Ave., MinneapoliB, Minn. 
Missouri Trar.t l:)ociety-321 Lamine St., Sedalia, Mo. 
Ncbra~;ka Tract Society-Fremont, Dndge Co., Neb. 
New Eng-land-N. E. 'l'ract Society, South L:1ncaster, Mass. 
New York Tract Society-Rome, N, Y. 
New Zealand-Edw:1rd Hare, Upper Queen Street (Turner Street). 
Auckland, N. Z. 
North Pacific-N. P. Tract Society, East Portland, Oregon. 
Norway-1'idernes Tegn, Christianitt, Norway. 
Ohio Tract Society-near Citizens• Savings Bank, Columbus, Ohill. 
Pennsylvania Traet Society-No. 5 Madison St., Welitiville, N. Y. 
South Ameri-::a-Joseph R. Brathwaite, 152 Church St., Gaurget JWil. 
Demerara, British Guiaua, S. A. 
Switzerland-Elder W. C. White, 48 Weiherweg, Basel, Switzerland, 
Tenuessee Tract Society-Springville, Henry Co., Tenn. 
Texas Tract Society-Denton, Tex. 
Upper Columbia--D. c. 'l'ract Society, Walla Walla, W. T. 
Vancouver fsland-Bermtrd Robll, Victoria, 13. C 
Vermont-Lizzie A. Stone, South Lancaster, Mass. 
Virginia Tract Society-New Market, Shellalldo[th On., Va. 
Wisconsin Tract Society-901 E. Gorham St., Madison, Wis. 
Wyoming-J. T. Trees, Tie fi'iding, Albany Co., Wyo. 
ALL of the above Agencies are authorized to receive subscripti:>n, 
to the SIGNS CF THE TIMES, American Sentinel, and Pacific llealtl• 
Journal &: TempeTance Advocate. Catalogues of our bookti, pa111 
phlets, aud tracts. in English and the various foreign hnguages, ca1; 
be obtained from them. Write to the agency nearest you. 
Something fm· Everybody. 
THE PACIFIC PRESS, Oakbmt, Cal., will send the A mu-
ican Sentinel, an 8-page monthly paper, one year, and ei-
ther of the following books, in cloth binding, post-paid, for 
$1.25 (to foreign countries, 5s.) viz: "The Atonement: in 
the Light of Nature and Revelation," by Elder J. H. 
Waggoner, 368pp.; "The Marvel of Nations: Our Conn 
try, its Past, Present, and Futm·e," by Elder Uriah Smith. 
~82 pp., overforty illustrations; " The Life and Words o: 
Christ," by Cunningham Geikie, D. D., over 800 pp. 
'l'he Temperance Advocate, a 24-page health and temper-
anee bi-monthly, one year, and either of the above-men-
tioned valuable books, post-paid, for $1.25 (5s. ). 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES one year, and your choice of 
any one of these books, post-paid, for $2. fiO (to foreigu 
countries, 12s. ), or the SIGNS one year and the illustrated 
"Great Controversy," post-pairl, for $3.00; foreign, l4s. 
RECEIPTS. 
CALIFORNIA CoNFJmENCE FuND.-Gilroy church $10, 
J C Reddin (tithe) $1. 
CHURCH DEBT Fu,-m.-Louisa Loubecker $5. 
AUSTRALIAN MISSION.-A friend $20. 
RECIEYED ON AccouNT.-Maine 1' and M Society $175, 
CALIFOH.NIA 1' AND M SociE'.rY . .:_District No 4, per R 
S Owen $40.25. 
S TIMME DER W AHRHEIT. 
AN EIGHT-PAGE GERMAN SEMI-MON'l'HLY PAPER. 
Devoted to the furtherance of practical Christianity and Bible er 
ligion. Bold and outspoken in its explanation of the prophetic por-
tions of the Scriptures; a firm defender and advocate of the doc 
trines of the Soon Coming of our Saviour, and the binding obligation 
of the Law of God ; a thorou1<h expounder of the Bible doctrine of 
the Soul; also a wann friend of true Temperance. 
'rERMS-PAYABLE STRICTLY IN ADVANCE. 
Single copy, per year, 
$1.00 
Five or more copies, for missionary purposes, each 
75 
tar'On foreign subscriptions an additional 10 cents will be charged 
to defruy the extra postage. 
The choice between two channing· premium pictures is offered to 
every new subscriber, one of which he may have free upon receipt of 
t.he subscription price. Old subscribers may have either prtmium by 
p3.ying 25 cents additional. Price of either picture alone, 50 cents. 
Address, 
AM ERICA N SENTINEL, 
Should subscribers prefer we offer them the" United States in Proph-
1059 Castro Street, Oakland, Cal. 
ecy," in the German language, 224 pp., handsomely bound, and the 
-
--------------------------
paper one year, for only $1.25. Write for special terms to agents. 
AGE TO COME: 
A REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE. 
JIT ELD. J. JJ. WAGGONER. 
Embracing a. critical examination of the Temporal Millennium-The 
Returu of the Jews--Time and Manner of the Establish men~ of the 
Rin~dom of God-The Day of the Lord, and the Promises to Israel 
Seeon<l -::dition 1·evised. 168 pages; price, post-paid, 20 cents. 
AdJres~. 
SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal.; 
Or l'tEVIEW AND lllli:R.t\l:.!D~ Battle Cr~~k Mich. 
Address, REVIEW AND HERALD, or 
STIMME DER WAHRHEIT, Battle Creek, Mich. 
WHO CHANGED THE SABBATH? 
A tract of 24 pages, which iully answers this question, and shows 
bow Sunday displaced the Bible Sabbath. Extracts given fl'om Uath-
olic writers. Price, 3 cts. 
.Address, 
SJ.GNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal. 
HEALTH and TEMPERANCE PUBLICATIONS 
Good Health. A monthly J onrnal of Hygiene, devoted 
to the subjects of Health, Temperance, Popular Science, 
General Literature, Sanitary Science, and Public and Domes 
tic Hygiene. 
40 pp. 
$x.oo a year. 
Bound volumes o 
this Journal, each, 
$I. 50 
Temperance and Gospel Songs. A new and popula 
work, greatly in ad vance of ordinary temperance song books. 
The music is not only new but varied, including Anthems, 
Glel:)s, and Quartettes, and also a variety of rousing congre-
gational pieces. 
IOO pp. 
30 cts. 
The Practical Manual of Hygiene and Temperanc;e. 
A book that everybody wants. It is brim full of information 
on a hundred useful topics. 
It tells how to treat most com-
mon diseases successfully with simple remedies, how to dis-
infect and ventilate, what to do in case of accidents, how to 
resuscitate the drowned, and gives much other important 
information. 
172 pp. 
75 cts. 
Diphtheria. 
A concise account of the nature, cause, 
modes of prevention, and most successful modes of treat-
ment of this prevalent and fatal malady. 
It should be in 
every household, as its instructions, if faithfully carried out, 
will save many a precious life. 
In boards, 
25 cts. 
Digestion and Dyspepsia. A popular treatise on the 
subject, giving a very thorough account of the causes, symp-
toms, prevention, and treatment of this common malady. 
Especially valuable is that portion of the book devoted to 
the cure of the disease. 
The instructions concerning diet, 
the general habits, and the special methods of treatment are 
rat£onal and pract£cal, and if faithfully observed, will, in 
nearly all cases, result in a cure, 
176 pp. 
75 cts. 
Uses of Water in Health and Disease. 
A book for 
every physician and every family. 
Careful explanations and 
instructions are given respecting the uses of water as a pre-
ventive of disease, and as a valuable remedy in nearly all 
classes of maladies. 
166 pp. 
6o cts. 
BOOKS IN PAPER COVERS. 
Alcoholic Poisons; or, The Physical, Moral, and So-;;ial 
Effects of Alcohol as a Beverage, and as a Medicine. 
This 
pamphlet is the best compendium of the temperance question 
published. The scientific part of the argument is particularly 
full. 
Its statements are brief, concise, and to the point. 
Every temperance worker ought to have it. 
128 pp. 25 cts. 
Dyspepsia. A concise account of the nature and causes 
of this almost universal disease, with directions for its cure. 
Thousands have been cured by attention to the suggestions 
contained in this little work. 
8o pp. 
25 cts. 
Proper Diet for Man. 
A scientific discussion of the 
question of vegetable versus animal food, together with a 
consideration of thL: rel::tt: 1 of salt to the human system. 
Ultra notions are •avo.ided, and the subjects treated are 
handled with candor. 48 pp. 
15 cts. 
The Evils of Fashionable Dress, and How to Dress 
Healthfully. 
48 pp. 
15 cts. 
Address, 
PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland Cal. 
soUTH LANCAST_E~ ACADEMY. 
AN EDUCATIONAL INSTI1'UTION OF IN-
CREASING POPULARI1'Y. 
This school is located at South Lancaster, Worcester County, Mass , 
thirty-five mile'l from Boston, and was founded in 1882. 
It is prosperons because operated on correct edueational principles. 
Thorough instruction is gi' en in all the eommon branches, and those 
of the usn[tl hig-h-school and academic courses. There is also a well-
sustain ell Biblical Department. 
ITS SPECIAL FEATURES AR.E 
1. A judicious discipline for the dovelopment of moral character. 
It is a safe place for the young·. 
2. MethoJs 0f teaching-that aim at mental culture of a high type. 
3. Instruction and pra.ctke in various kinds of manual labor and 
the use of tools. 
4. Astnnishillgly low expenses. Fourteen dollars per school month 
pay8 all expense of tuition, bon.rd, lodging-, washing, lights, fuel, etc. 
For catalogue or further information address, 
CJ:I.AS. C. RAJI.SEY, A.M., Principal. 
EARLY WRITINGS O.F MRS. WHITE. 
COMPRISING "Experience and Views" and" Spiritual Gifts, Volume 
One," bound in one volume. This makes a neat and attractive book 
of nearly 200 pages, and sho1.1ld ~be read by old and young. The 
matter and the style in which it is presented are so interesting that 
:10 one who has read one chapter will forego the pleasure and profH 
o:· reading the remainder. Price, 75 cents. 
Address, 
SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, C&l. 
, 
144 
[16] 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
-VoL. 12, No. 9. 
ocge !igns rtf t[e [im:es. 
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, MARCH 4, 1886. 
~We 
send no papers from this office without pay in 
advance, unless by special arrangement. vVhen 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 copies of the SIGNS are not indebted 
to the office, and will not be called upon for pay. 
Please 
read the papers and hand them to your friends to read. 
To T. W. S., Eustis, Fla.-The poetry, "Widch 
often prevented by the act of the Governor. Vv e 
hope the laws may be so changed that convicted 
villains cannot be turned loose to prey upon society. 
Their pardon emboldens them in their future career 
of crime. 
The spirit of lawlessness and of disregard of 
rights is almost all-prevailing; and we fear lor the 
future, for to-day California rests under the disgrace 
of having a muzzled pTess. The "freedom of the 
press" has been our national boast,-a, boast which 
the great State of California can no longer make. 
Lost Time. 
Loved Best (" was published in the SIGNS, Vol. 6, 
"Is THERE any mention in the Bible of where 
page 365. Do not think we ever published the there were three months of time lost that there was 
no account ofr If so, where is it? 
G. A." 
other piece, though we have seen it. 
No; such a thing is a self-evident impossibility. 
THERE is at present going through the SIGNS a We can hardly conceive of mention being made of 
review of a five-hundred-dollar-prize book on the a thing of which there is no account; and if there 
Sunday question. As our readers have doubtless was anywhere a record of a time when three ~:nonths 
already concluded, its title should be "Inconsist-were lost, that record would in itself be proof that 
ency." But now comes the announcement that one no time had been lost. As a matter of fact, the 
A. E. Waffie, M.A., has written a book on "The Lord's, only time "lost" since creation has been that which 
Day" which has taken n. thousand-dollar premium I people have squandered in worse than useless occu-
which was offered for "the best book" on that sub-pat.ions, and in vain efforts to evade the plain truths 
ject; Judging from the past, we should suppose this of God's word. 
to be at least twice as inconsistent as the one writ-
----------
ten by Mr. Elliott. We imagine that it would be a 
good book to use in showing people that the Sunday 
sabbath has no shadow of support in the Bible. 
THE Missionary Department will be found very 
interesting this week. Besides the encouraging 
news from Australia, where already a church of 
forty-six members has been organized, the "Reports 
of Progre~s" show no less than ninety-one new ac-
cessions to the ranks of commandment-keepers. 
And this is only a small part of the work that has 
been done during the time covered by the report. 
Scores of other laborers have been working at the 
same time, but have not yet reported. Even if we 
had their reports, a tithe of tbe work that is being 
clone would not be known; for the SIGNS OF THE 
TIM:ES, as it does its work, makes no report, and it, 
with kindred periodicals, preaches every week to a 
congregation of not les~ than one hundred thousand 
people. The truth is being rapidly spread by these 
agencies, and thus the coming of the Lord is hast-
ened. 
THE Oakland T?"ibune s~~-· :-
"Nothing is too sncrecl for the eorrupt hands of 
public thieves in this age of irreverence and low-
grade morals. What the next generation will be, 
with the loose and irreligious training of the young, 
is a subject sad to contemplate." 
A secular paper may talk in that manner, and no 
one will find any fault; but let a religious paper 
quote the third chapter of Second Timothy: "In 
the last days perilous times shall come; because 
men shall be lovers of their own selves;" and "evil 
men and seducers shall wax worae and worse," and 
apply it to the present generation, aud these same 
secular papers will cry out "fanaticism." Men are 
already "despisers of those that are good;'' and if 
the earth were allowed to stand in its present con-
dition for another generation, good men, if any 
existed, would not be tolerated by the men of that 
generation. "But the end of all things is at hand.'' 
Increase of Crime. 
SINCE our perso·nal knowledge of California, no 
other year has opened with such a fearfnl list of 
high crimes as the present. 
And we notice that a 
large number of the worst crimes are committed by 
criminals who have been pardoned for similar of-
fenses by the Governor. This abuse of the pardon-
ing power is fast making our criminal courts a farce; 
for there is little use to spend time and money to 
convict, when the execution of the sentence is so 
"Boycotting·." 
WE are glad to see that a few journals dare to 
speak in plain terms against this terrible evil that 
is threatening our country. It is a foreign product 
that ought never to be allowed to take root in the 
United States. The Golden Gate says:-
" In Eugla.nd boycotting is to become a penal of-
fen~e. and so it should be in every country where 
n ttempt is made to practice it. It is the meanest 
ki!ld of tyranny; and if allowed lo go unchecked 
will find its way into politics, when its devilish 
spirit will bring a terror to the l:Ountry, beside 
which despotism would be a blessing." 
As R matter of fact, boycotting is the worst kind 
of despotism. It is more to be dreaded than any 
absolute monarchy, because it may have a hundred 
heads. 
And because it is so despicable in its na-
Lure, we hope that llO olle who calls llimself a Chris_ 
tian will be deceived or badgered in to giving it the-
slightest sympathy or encouragement. "Whatso-
ever ye would that men should do to you, do ye 
even so to them; for this is the law aud the p:·oph-
ets." 
Boycotting, socialism, and nihilism are all 
branches of a single stock, and that is, supreme 
selfishness and contempt for law. 
Christ Our Life. 
"A REPLY to Rev. J. H. Brookes, D. D., on 'Anni-
hilation,'" has been sent to us by the author, Pro· 
fessor J. H. Pettengell. The pamphlet is a rejoinder 
to an n.ttack by Dr. Brookes on Professor Petteugell's 
work, "The Life Everlasting," and clearly shows 
both the absurdity and the wickedness of the posi-
tion which would rob Christ of his chief title, that 
of Life-giver. In closing, Professor Pettengell thus 
clearly and vigorously states the point at issue, and 
the position taken by those who oppose the claims 
of Christ:-
" I am not specially anxious to defend myself or 
my writings from false representation. It is for the 
truth that I am concerned. I would be glad, if 
possible, to ignore all personal considerations, and 
all matters of mere opinion on doubtful points, and 
all side issues, and hold you to the real ceutral 
question in dispute, viz.: Whe1·e do we get the ete1·-
nal l-ife for which we hope ( 
Is it the gift of God 
t!J rough Jesus Christ, and only to. be received by a 
new birth, as the Scriptures so emphatically, and 
in so many ways declare, or is it the natural inher-
itance of all men by birLh from Adam, who for-
feited it for himself and his posterity, as we are 
explicitly told r Does etemal life mean simply pu-
rity and happiness engrafted upon an immortality 
which is common to all men, or does it mean the 
divine life of the eternal God communicated to man 
in regeneration? Does death mean a state of mis-
erable separation of immortal sinners from God, or 
does it mean the loss of life itself, which only is 
actual death? These, or rather this, is the real 
question between us. The Bible, not tradition, not 
philosophy, not seutiment, not Plato, not Satan. 
must be our authority in this matter; and to this 
I appeal. If you can find any authority in God's 
word which justifies you in disputing the claim of 
our Lord to be our only source of eternal life, and 
which sustains your abominable doctrine of endless 
sin and misery, a doctrine which reflects so terribly 
upon the justice, goodness, and mercy of our heav-
enly Father, which is so at war with every instinct 
of humanity, you ought to be able to produce it. 
If you and those of your school had any solid 
ground under your feet, any satisfying confidence of 
the strength of your position, you would not, I am 
sure, seek to avoid and to evade the main question, 
and try to beguile those who look to you for in-
struction into these various by-paLhs that lead away 
from it; nor would you waste your strength in petty 
skirmishing, in discussing irrelevant topics, in mak-
ing fabe issues, in setting up men o straw only to 
knock them down, in misrepresentations and un-
worthy flin~s, and in expressions of con tempt for 
those who differ from you only in their supreme 
loyalty to the word of God." 
An Abominable, Foolish Fashion. 
WHAT is it that merits such strong language? 
Nothing leRs than the fashion which is quite prev-
alent, of using birds as hat decorations. Not con-
tent with a few feathers, nor even with a wing, 
which, we have been informed, is torn from a living 
bird, fashion has decreed that a whole bird must be 
worn. A correspondent of the 
Cong1·egationali~:d 
writes to that paper as follows:-
"A week or two since I received a letter from a 
lady, a stranger to me, begging to know whether 
something could not be done to prevent the destruc-
tion of song birds for millinery purpo . .,;es. She had 
been reading a newspaper article upon Lhe subject. 
which, as she said, had filled her eyes with tears and 
her heart with anguish. A few day~:> afterwards the 
January number of 'the Auk reached me, and in 
that I found some extremely vigorous remarks upon 
the same th'eme. The magazine is a strictly scien-
tific one, into which goes nothing popular or senti-
mental; but the editor writes, in his own way, quite 
as strongly as my feminine carrespondent, not hes-
itating at such adjectives as 'terrible' and 'ap-
palling.' And to-day comes a circular from a 
eommittee of the American Ornithologists' Union, 
in the same strain. The Christian women [Heaven 
save the mark] of the United StatPs, it appea.rs, have 
so encourc1gecl (or demanded) the killing of our na-
tive birds for use in decorating(?) hats and bonnets 
that the men of science, who are thought to be none 
too tender-hearted themselves, have felt obliged to 
interpose, lest certain species should be ab:;olutely 
exterminated.'' 
Could those who adopt this fashion know how they 
are regarded, they would certainly abandon it, un-
less their sensibilities have become so blunted by 
continued concentration on -themselves, and by 
blindly following cruel fashion, that they are inca-
pable of appreciating honest scorn. We sincerely 
wish tha.t a stop may be pnt to this foolish and 
wicked fashion; uut have no~ much hope, for '' fash-
ion" is as inexorable in its demands as it is sense-
less. 
"THE seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy 
God; in IT thou shalt not do any work.'' 
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 Health 
and Temperance, the Home Circle, the Missionary Work, and the 
Sabbath-school. 
:Price Per Year, post-paid, 
$2.00 
In clubs of five or more copies to one name and addres3, to be 
used in Missionary work, each, 
1.50 
To foreig-n countries, single subscriptions, post· paid, 
103 
Address, 
SIGNS OF THE TUlE3, 
Twelfth and Castro Streets, OAKLAND, CAL., U. S. A.