Father's 
Steps 
xQi ...... 
�
4, .1 sOa..asz•Ons.6"14.0. 
Vol. XXVI �
Editor, ROBERT BRUCE THURBER �
Circulation Manager, C. M. CRAWFORD 
‘01,-01c4x.0-440•R+9,4 
APRIL, 1946 �
No. 4 
The EDITOR suggests 
the CURE for 
JUVENILE 
DELINQUENCY 
J
UVENILE delinquency is a mild term 
for boy and girl crime. And it is sweep-
ing the country in a wave of alarming 
magnitude. Teen-agers are showing the 
world that they, too, can get in on the 
questionable rewards of lawlessness. 
They didn't learn their toughness in 
the war, where toughness was at a pre-
mium, but they learned it chiefly because 
of the war. For father went off to the 
services, mother took a war job of some 
kind, and the home restraints were let 
down. The children ran the streets, 
often stole money to see the movies, and 
there found how to point a pistol and 
yell, "Stick 'em up!" 
The backwash of war has rendered our 
communities crime-ridden. Inexperienced 
youth are the main offenders, and they 
are committing and getting away with 
some of the boldest and most fiendish 
crimes of all time. Here are some of the 
facts that are being blazoned in the news 
and comments: 
Major crimes have descended to youth 
below twenty. Juvenile delinquents have 
increased twenty to one in three years. 
Youthful criminals are hard beyond be-
lief and seem indifferent to punishment. 
Adolescents appear to know everything 
there is to know about the seamy side 
of life. They want excitement and sensa-
tion regardless of all consequences. 
And we do not have to seek far to find 
the causes. Hasty marriages and quick 
divorces are the order of the day. Movies 
depicting, and glorifying, crime have 
stolen practically all interest from the 
church and Sunday School. There are 
more barmaids than there are girls in 
college. Sex magazines by the million 
are giving youth a false and degenerating 
view of life. Venereal disease is spread-
ing appallingly, and tens of thousands of 
girls are caught away into white slavery 
every year. 
Abortions do to death an increasing 
number of infant lives, and illigitimate 
children have become common. Drink-
ing and smoking mothers are seen on 
every hand, and are popular. The ciga-
rette and liquor account for thousands 
of youth drifting into criminality. The 
dance and beer halls and the night clubs 
are crowded to the doors. Alleged music, 
of the swing variety, stirs the worst pas-
sions of its addicts. 
Divine prophecy thunders over the 
scene of wild revelry, crime, and moral 
filth in these "perilous times" of the 
"last days." "For men shall be lovers of 
their own selves, covetous, boasters, 
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to par-
ents, unthankful, unholy, without nat-
ural affection, trucebreakers, false ac- 
cusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of 
those that are good, traitors, heady, high-
minded, lovers of pleasures more than 
lovers of God." 2 Timothy 3:1-4. 
Nor are all the causes to be attributed 
to human weakness. The "heady, high-
minded" teachers of youth inculcate ideas 
of "self expression" in their minds, and 
decry "inhibitions on self-development" 
till minors rebel vigorously at any curb-
ing of their whims and desires. And the 
"barnyard morality" which is the logical 
outgrowth of the theory of the animal 
origin of the race is letting loose upon 
the world a spawn of educated degener-
ates. 
What is the cure for all this? One would 
think that the first and most reasonable 
thing to do would be to remove all the 
causes which have been named. The 
drawback about that is that some adults 
will not agree that all these causes are 
pertinent; and too many who do believe 
that our list of causes is responsible for 
juvenile delinquency are not ready to 
deprive themselves of these indulgences 
in order to save the youth. And the im-
plication of the prophecy is that the ma-
jority of parents will continue to go 
their headlong way, regardless of the 
consequences to their children. 
Of course the parents are most to 
blame for the crimes of youth. Their 
precepts and examples are far stronger 
than any to the contrary which society 
may bring to bear. They direct the child 
ideals to the church or the movie, the 
supervised playground or the streets, the 
"soap opera" or the finer music, the 
"gang" or the school. In view of the es-
tablished fact that a child's life pattern is 
set by the time he is six years old, it is 
evident that parents are the chief ar-
biters of his future. As our cover shows, 
the little one follows the footsteps of his 
parents. 
While we cannot expect, because of the 
tendency of the times, that juvenile de-
linquency will be materially curbed, we 
can point out how individual parents 
can eliminate it entirely from their own 
families. The remedy lies in careful 
home training in early childhood, with 
the mother's constant attention, and with 
ideals set by Bible stories and morals. 
From babyhood the child should be 
taken (not sent) to appropriate church 
services, with special instruction in the 
school of the church. Guidance through 
• 
Bible religion is the prime essential in 
guarding against waywardness. "Train 
up a child in the way he should go: and 
when he is old, he will not depart from �
• 
it." Proverbs 22:6. 
juvenile delinquency by swallowing such 
statements as the following from Canada's 
We are not going to stem the tide of 
Deputy Minister of Health. He is re- 
ported to have said: 
"Parents who never show annoyance or 
irritation give the child a totally untrue �
• 
picture of life. They should even take 
a sock at him sometimes—but they should 
be sure to say, 'I took a swing at you be-
cause I got mad. I did it because I'm 
bigger than you. If you were bigger, I 
wouldn't have done it.' " 
This inference that all parents do and 
should punish their children only when 
they get angry, and because they are �
• 
stronger, is far from the right way to 
teach children self-control and to impress 
upon them that might does not make 
right. Such pernicious views of discipline 
are undermining wise parental control to 
the mind of the child. 
And this from the same source: "Faith 
is of vastly inferior quality of intellect. 
The people capable of having faith are 
of the type of the Australian bushman—
the lowest type of human being. Any 
moron can believe anything, and can 
maintain faith most steadfastly. An in-
telligent person cannot, except by distort-
ing his ability to think--in most cases 
that has already been done for them as 
small children." 
This is the philosophical mixture of 
good and evil that is destroying our 
youth. It is true that blind belief in the 
superstitions of false religions and the 
vagaries of the theory of evolution are 
of the low type mentioned. To believe 
that we are ascended from animals is 
to make us brother to the intellect of 
the brute. But faith in the inspired 
Word of God requires such high intelli-
gence that few self-made philosophers of 
our day attain to it. We are compelled 
to conclude that General Chisholm has 
no experimental knowledge of Christian 
faith, and therefore is not in a position 
to judge. "For he that cometh to God 
must believe." 
The Bible has abundantly proved it-
self to be the cure for juvenile delin-
quency. 
• .. 
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2 �
SIGNS OF THE TIMES 
The critics would now be crunching on the 
last bone of the prophecy of Daniel if 
archaeology had not proved them wrong. 
nent archaeologists assert that its narrative 
is so vivid, minute, and real that it must 
have been written at the time of Baby-
lon's greatness—not two or three hun-
dred years later. The charge that it was 
the product of an after generation is 
not new. More than seventeen hundred 
years ago the same accusation was made 
by such skeptics as Philo and Porphyry; 
but every succeeding century has given 
cumulative evidence to its divine and 
unerring truthfulness. 
To beautify proud Babylon, armies 
of workmen performed the seemingly 
incredible task of transporting huge 
granite and marble blocks, and giant 
cedars from the Mediterranean coast, 
across seven hundred miles of desert 
waste. An inscription of Nebuchadnezzar 
reads: 
"I cut a road for the cedars, I brought 
massive, strong cedars of wondrous 
beauty, whose appearance was impressive, 
the mighty product of the Lebanon." 
It is little wonder that the self-satis- 
• 
- ARCHAEOLOGY Liberates DANIEL from 
74 CRITIC'S DEN 
By Roy F. Cottrell 
"VIEWING the ruins of old Babylon, 
V Sir Austen Layard, the celebrated ex-
plorer of dead cities, wrote: 
"The traveller visits with no common 
emotion the scene of so many great and 
solemn events. Here Nebuchadnezzar 
boasted of his glories and was punished 
for his pride. To those deserted halls 
were brought the captives of Judea. In 
them Daniel, undazzled by the glories 
round him, remained steadfast to his 
faith, rose to be a governor amongst 
his rulers, and prophesied the downfall 
of the kingdom. There was held Bel-
shazzar's feast and was seen the writing 
on the wall. Between those crumbling 
mounds Cyrus entered the neglected 
gates. Those massive ruins cover the 
spot where Alexander died."—"Wonders 
of the Past," �
135. 
History, romance, and tradition have 
enshrined ancient Babylon with a pic-
turesque and fascinating charm possessed 
by no other city of antiquity. Likewise 
the Bible story elevates Daniel the lion-
hearted to heights of spiritual greatness 
rarely attained by mortals. He is men-
tioned as a man of outstanding piety 
(Ezekiel 14:14); while Josephus states 
that during his later years, the venerable 
prophet was regarded with an esteem and 
reverence almost akin to worship. 
In the latter part of the nineteenth 
APRIL, 1946 
century, numerous Biblical critics trained 
their heavy artillery upon the records 
of the past, to shatter beliefs and con-
victions not in accord with modern 
evolutionary thought. They asserted that 
the greatness and glories of Babylon had 
been grossly exaggerated, that such 
names as Belshazzar and Darius the Mede 
were doubtless fictitious, that Daniel, if 
he ever existed, was not the author of the 
book that bears his name, and that this 
asserted prophetic volume must have 
been written at a later date, after the 
events predicted had taken place. 
But during this age of scholarly unbe-
lief, how remarkable and providential 
that archeology, "the handmaiden of 
history," should arise to vindicate and 
authenticate the Bible story! We now 
know that Babylon was indeed a mighty 
city, even when judged by modern 
standards, that the hanging gardens, ris-
ing terrace upon terrace, existed in all 
the unmatched grandeur with which 
legend has invested them, that its palaces 
were majestic—one three and a half, and 
the other eight miles in circumference—
that its temples, mansions, and pleasure 
grounds were magnificent, and that this 
queenly metropolis was indeed a "golden 
city," "the beauty of the Chaldee's ex-
cellency." 
Regarding the book of Daniel, emi- 
fied monarch should exclaim, "Is not this 
great Babylon that I have built?" For in 
the words of the historian, "No other 
city built by man reached such towering 
heights of greatness." 
Yet, the eyes of the prophets Isaiah 
and Jeremiah, surveying the unborn 
centuries, declared that the "golden city" 
would become "heaps," "without an in-
habitant." (Isaiah 13:19, w; Jeremiah 
51:37.) Thus it lay for many centuries, 
its very site almost forgotten, until the 
German Oriental Society began in 1899 
to unearth its ancient mounds. 
Figures of lions, executed in brilliantly 
enamelled titles, were dug from the ruins, 
many as bright and perfect as when they 
glistened on the walls of Babylon twenty-
five hundred years ago. Thousands of in-
scriptions on brick and tile were re-
covered; and with one voice they concur 
with the Bible story that Nebuchadnezzar 
was a very religious man. On one of 
these tablets, a royal prayer is preserved: 
"Lord of the gods, my divine Creator, 
before Thee may my deeds be pious, may 
they endure forever. Life for many gen-
erations, abundance of posterity, a se-
cure throne, and a long reign, grant as 
thy gift. Truly Thou art my deliverer 
and my help." 
Many critics of the Word have ridi-
culed the story of Nebuchadnezzar's mad- 
3 
The world is sick and tired of the woe of men's bodies shattered by war. 
Is PEACE a VAIN HOPE? 
By Herbert R. Thurber 
ness, but the linguists have now deci-
phered an ancient document which men-
tions a time when the illustrious monarch 
transacted no business. It states: 
"In all my dominions I did not build 
a high place of power. In Babylon build-
ings for the honour of my kingdom I did 
not lay out. I did not sing the praises of 
my Lord, I did not furnish His altars 
with victims, nor did I clear out the 
canals." 
For centuries the infidel historian 
pointed to Belshazzar as a non-existent 
creature of fancy; but to-day he is known 
to have been a very real and actual 
sovereign. His name appears on com-
mercial contracts and state documents, 
some of which ascribe to him royal 
powers and dual rulership with his 
father Nabonadius. On a prayer tablet 
of the latter are these words: 
"As for Belshazzar my first-born son, 
place in his heart fear of Thy great 
divinity, let him not turn to sinning; 
let him be satisfied with the fullness of 
life." Evidently the old king was defi-
nitely worried over his wayward son. 
The records reveal that Nabonadius 
and his brilliant daughter Belshalti, es-
tablished schools and a famous museum 
of antiquities in Babylon. The speci-
mens were labelled, classified, and 
mounted. On one clay cylinder that was 
already tryoo years old in the days of 
Daniel, is this most intriguing label: 
"Copies of bricks of Ur, the work of 
Bur-Sin. . . . The Priest of Ur has singled 
them out and copied them for men's ad-
miration." He little realized how long 
that admiration would last! 
The excavators have also unearthed 
the royal banquet hall, its foundations 
56 x 168 feet, where Belshazzar drank "to 
a thousand of his lords," and where the 
"bloodless hand from the sleeve of dark-
ness" traced those fateful words on the 
palace wall. 
Again, "Darius the Median" has been 
a favourite target for the arrows of in-
fidelity. History was silent concerning 
him, but from the crumbling ruins, im-
perial records have been recovered which 
state that on the 16th day of Tammuz, 
Gobryus (evidently Darius), "entered 
Babylon without a battle;" while Cyrus 
did not arrive until three and a halt 
months later. The inscriptions also re-
veal that for several years Gobryus (Da-
rius) continued as ruler of Babylon. 
Archaeology has indeed provided us 
with a new book of Daniel. It is no long-
er in the critics' den. Its characters appear 
as very real men. Its historicity is fully 
established; while its critics are stunned 
and speechless. 
Ezekiel, a contemporary of Daniel, com-
mended the hero of Babylon as a man of 
unimpeachable character. The angel 
Gabriel eulogized him as a "man greatly 
beloved;" while Christ voiced approval 
of the study of the book of Daniel, say-
ing, "Whoso readeth let him under-
stand." One young man who listened 
treasured those words; and in later years 
when he penned the book of Revelation, 
used over forty quotations from Daniel. 
We too, should be inspired to dili-
gently peruse and explore the book of 
Daniel, for it contains a vital message for 
the men and women of this modern age. 
4 
N JUNE 18, 1940, Prime Minister 
O 
 
Winston Churchill said: 
"What 
General Weygand called the Battle of 
France is over. The Battle of Britain is 
about to begin. On this battle depends 
the survival of Christian civilization. 
Upon it depends our own British life and 
the long continuity of our institutions 
and our empire. The whole fury and 
might of the enemy must very soon be 
turned upon us. Hitler knows he will 
have to break us in this island or lose 
the war. 
"If we can stand up to him all Europe 
may be freed, and the life of the world 
may move forward into broad sunlit up-
lands; but if we fail, the whole world, 
including the United States and all that 
we have known and cared for, will sink 
into the abyss of a new Dark Age made 
more sinister and perhaps more pro-
longed by the lights of a perverted 
science. 
"Let us therefore brace ourselves to 
our duty and so bear ourselves that if 
the British Commonwealth and Empire 
last for a thousand years, men will still 
say, 'This was their finest hour.' " 
Painfully has the world waited and 
worked for the hour of peace in Europe. 
The time has come. Well is tribute paid 
to the indomitable people in England 
and on the Continent of Europe who 
would not quit; but rallied to the forces 
of resistance, and to-day see their ef-
forts honoured in victory! 
Time goes on, and the gallant victors 
must meet other things. 
"We call him strong who stands un-
moved, 
Calm as some tempest-beaten rock, 
When some great trouble hurls its 
shock; 
We say of him, 'His strength is 
proved;' 
But when the spent storm folds its 
wings; 
How bears he then life's little things?" 
When it is attempted to displace or-
ganized destruction with organized peace, 
what will be offered to satisfy the world's 
hunger for progress and change? Can the 
supreme efforts for long-lasting tran-
quillity so occupy our attention that any 
excessive desire that may soon arise will 
be satisfied? How long can a nation oc-
cupy itself with internal rehabilitation 
and development, and friendly assist-
ance to other nations as they heal the 
SIGNS OF THE TIMES 
scars of war, before it turns to accom-
plishments outside the realm of peace? 
▪ 
Will the nations soon feel that they are 
circumscribed by the machinery they 
have set up to preserve the peace? When 
these times come, present peace arrange- 
.' 
�
�
ments will be tested to the limit. They 
will not stand the strain unless held by 
some strong cohesive force. We ask these 
questions because the answers must be 
found, and included, in any enduring 
• 
peace. 
No statesman to-day believes that any 
plan in itself is a guarantee of peace. 
Said the late Franklin D. Roosevelt in 
his report to the United States Congress 
on the Crimea Conference: "No plan is 
perfect. Whatever is adopted at San 
Francisco will doubtless have to be 
amended time and again over the years. 
. . . No one can say exactly how long 
any plan will last. Peace can endure only 
so long as humanity really insists upon 
it and is willing to work for it—and 
• 
sacrifice for it." 
While the United Nations seek for 
the best peace organization possible, 
their success depends upon the spirit 
of peace among all free and truth-loving 
people on earth. Without the spirit of 
peace any peace plan is merely a skeleton 
minus flesh and blood to give it life. 
Where is the power to give life to the 
peace? 
It has been said the answer to this 
question lies in the will of the people. 
It does; but the answer may be disap-
pointing. Public opinion and the state 
of mind to-day is shifty, like the wind. 
Notice how it has changed within the 
last few years. While hostilities were 
brewing in Europe and Japan, the west-
ern world took the attitude that "It can't 
happen here." When the forces of totali-
tarianism invaded Europe and threatened 
America this attitude quickly changed. 
After Pearl Harbour and the "dimout" 
on our coasts, opinion was rife that any- 
thing could happen. A few years of 
bloody war, and "Let us have an endur-
ing peace at all costs" is the opinion of 
the greater part of the world to-day. 
This is an all-out bid for peace that 
was not known in the "back to normalcy" 
period following World War I. Now it 
is agreed that peace will not come to 
stay unless it has the machinery of force 
behind it. Paradoxically an appeal to 
religion is made: "Represent the churches 
at the peace table," is the cry. Churches 
and government must unite to make 
"a kingdom of God on earth." That is 
public opinion to-day. Therein is a ful 
filment of Christ's words concerning His 
return to this earth the second time. 
Much is written in the Bible about the 
return of Jesus Christ to this earth with 
power and great glory to give every man 
an eternal reward. Many warnings prove 
this great event is coming soon. Taking 
• 
time to read and consider the signs point- 
ing to the return of Christ causes the 
observer to ponder the startling exact- 
• 
ness of modern occurrences to the Bible 
description of events before Christ's 
second coming. 
These are some of the things happen- 
- 
ing to-day that parallel the forecast—
wars and rumours of wars, capital and 
APRIL, 1 9 4 6 
labour differences, an endless flow of 
modern inventions, an increase of speed 
in transportation and communication, 
a revival of eastern and far eastern mili-
tarism, decline of spiritual power, and 
many others. As a result of these oc-
currences there arises in the minds of 
the people who have part in them a 
philosophy of thinking that is as change-
able as the times. Without a true under-
standing of these things our opinions 
are apt to he warped and twisted. In-
cluded in the possibilities of wrong 
thinking are our views concerning world 
peace. 
The warning Christ gave us is: "Take 
heed that no man deceive you." Mat-
thew 24:4. The world is not easily 
fooled. If it were we would not be striv-
ing so urgently to avert the moves we 
considered faulty in our attempts to 
better the peace of 1918 and 1919. The 
world will never again be fooled into 
thinking that peace comes only by con-
quering the aggressor. We now believe 
that peace will come to stay by foster-
ing an organization to keep peace while 
we have it. "This," say many peace-
makers, "will be realized by a kingdom 
of God on earth." Part of an address 
by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. before the 
Protestant Council of Churches of New 
York City, expresses the mind of many 
to-day. 
"I see all denominational emphasis set 
aside. I see co-operation, not competi-
tion. 
"In the large cities I see great religious 
centres, strongly supported, ably led, in-
spiring their members to participate in 
all community matters. In smaller places, 
instead of half-a-dozen dying churches 
competing with each other, I see one or 
two strong churches, uniting the Chris-
tian life of the town. 
"I see the churCh through its members 
moulding the thought of the world and 
leading in all great movements. I see it 
literally establishing the Kingdom of 
God on earth." 
That progress, in making a religious 
peace, has been made none can deny. 
Evidently the "kingdom of God" which 
men would have on earth is beginning to 
form. The attempt to form it will be 
made in the great desire to have lasting 
and durable peace. A united front 
against the forces of evil is believed neces-
sary. 
God has promised peace. It is also His 
desire that men should live together 
peaceably. Yet He expressly states that 
peace on earth will come in only one 
way—by accepting the Prince of Peace. 
Because men have not done this, peace 
will come with the arrival of the Prince 
of Peace in the clouds of heaven with 
all His holy angels to bring peace by 
destroying evil. To combat this truth 
Satan has deceived men into thinking 
they can make peace in another way. 
Thus the world is promised, from earth, 
what God has declared will come from 
heaven. Why be startled into believing 
this sinful earth will come to a disastrous 
end? This is the sensible state of mind 
if men refuse •to believe what God has 
warned. "Why should we look for Jesus 
to come?" they think. "Is not all that 
heaven can offer soon to take place on 
earth—peace, good will, financial secu-
rity, a united church?" 
Christ's warning to be not deceived 
was very reasonable, for He said further, 
"Behold, I have told you before." Mat-
thew 24:25. Those trusting God's Word 
will not be mislead. "But of the times 
and the seasons brethren, ye have no 
need that I write unto you. For your-
selves know perfectly that the day of the 
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 
For when they shall say, Peace and 
safety; then sudden destruction cometh 
upon them, as travail upon a woman 
with child; and they shall not escape." 
i Thessalonians 5:1-3. 
What we might call the preliminaries 
to the last great struggle between truth 
and error, are finished. The supreme 
battle of the last great conflict for our 
souls is about to begin. Jesus is soon 
coming. Courageously the righteous of 
all ages have played their part in prep-
aration for this last mighty combat. 
Through the long years of earth's history 
men have worked and waited for final 
victory over Satan and his evil forces. 
The time is come. Well will tribute be 
paid to the indomitable soul who trusts 
in God and rallies to the forces of resist-
ance against sin. His efforts will be 
honoured with complete victory. 
"And to you who are troubled rest 
with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be 
revealed from heaven with his mighty 
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance 
on them that know not God, and that 
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ: who shall be punished with 
everlasting destruction from the presence 
of the Lord, and from the glory of His 
power." 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. 
Satan and his armies are entrenched. 
He knows the hour of assault is near. 
Here is his plan; we will offer these en-
emy-allies the very thing they hope to 
receive in victory over us—peace. This 
is what they want. This is what we will 
give them for a time just before Christ 
comes. Their minds will be diverted 
from His coming. They will not look for 
future peace when they think they have 
it already. They will not be prepared. 
Thus we will win them to our side. 
But the watchful warriors remember 
the words of warning—"Take heed that 
no man deceive you." "Behold I have 
told you before." "When they shall say, 
Peace and safety, then sudden destruc-
tion cometh upon them." 
Take courage, dear heart; the General 
of our salvation has forseen all this. He 
is wise and unconquerable. "For yet a 
little while, and He that shall come will 
come, and will not tarry." Hebrews 10:37. 
5 
.• 
Sunset outlines the buildings on Parliament Hill, Ottawa. 
MAJORITY RULE 
HAS ITS LIMITS 
By Eric A. Beavon 
must we obey in this era of overlapping, 
and frequently conflicting jurisdictions? 
"Servants, be subject to your masters with 
all fear," wrote the apostle Peter. (I 
Peter 2:18.) But to-day we have so many 
masters. Shall we recognize ultimate 
authority as vested in the trade unions, 
or the straw boss, or the chief of police, 
or decide to obey only His Excellency, 
the Governor General? 
If ultimate authority is to be vested in 
men, then we must decide whether the • 
masses or the classes shall rule. It will 
have to be decided which group of peo-
ple shall be the dominant factor in the 
government of the country—the masters 
of industry, the trade unions, the tech-
nicians, the bankers, the clerics, the army, 
a select group of politicians, or one man. 
Can any of them adequately represent all 
the people? No, but all these various 
groups, together with smaller groups too 
numerous to mention, have representa-
tion in the laws of the land. 
The laws of the land define the breadth 
of our liberties, and they will, of course, 
be a reflection of the character of the 
people inhabiting our country, just as 
divine law reflects the character of God, 
the Supreme Lawgiver. 
There is no law higher than the Law 
of God, as expressed in the Ten Com-
mandments, and exemplified in the life 
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Under 
divine law there is perfect liberty for all. 
"God is no respecter of persons." Acts 
10:34. There is no oppression of mi-
norities, nor catering to a particular class, 
in the Law of Ten Commandments, nor 
vagueness about any of its precepts. 
Sometimes, particularly where a govern-
ment foolishly endeavours to order the 
religious life of its subjects, human law 
conflicts with divine law. Supposing 
we cannot harmonize a civil law with our 
conception of God's law and love to 
God and our fellowmen? There indeed 
we need to step carefully, praying for 
• 
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T
HE question of where individual lib-
erty ends, and rebellion against con-
stituted human authority begins, has 
been a live issue ever since the first estab-
lishment of courts of law. Many insist 
that, in a democracy, the will of the ma-
jority must always be obeyed. 
The Bible generally enjoins obedience 
to constituted authority, drawing no dis-
tinction between democratic and auto-
cratic governments. Without referring to 
the type of government in control, the 
apostle Peter urges, "Submit yourselves 
to every ordinance of man for the Lord's 
sake." i Peter 2:13. And Paul commands, 
"Let every soul be subject to the higher 
powers. For . . . the powers that be are 
ordained of God. Whosoever ... resisteth 
the power, resisteth the ordinance of 
God: and they that resist shall receive to 
themselves damnation." Romans 13:1, 2. 
As if answering the objection, But I 
can't conscientiously do what the govern-
ment demands, Paul declares, "Ye must 
needs be subject . . . for conscience sake." 
Romans 13:5. Yet Peter and Paul both 
disobeyed the government of their day, 
and were put in gaol. Are there then 
exceptions to the apostles' admonitions? 
Are there circumstances when we must 
refuse obedience to government decrees? 
The oft-quoted second paragraph of 
the American Declaration of Independ-
ence, begins: "We hold these truths to be 
self-evident, that all men are, created 
equal, that they are endowed by their 
Creator with certain inalienable Rights, 
that among these are Life, Liberty, and 
the pursuit of Happiness." Arthur Twin-
ing Hadley, president emeritus of Yale 
University, has pointed out in his book, 
"The Conflict Between Liberty and 
Equality," that "the right to liberty is 
not inalienable, but may be forfeited by 
misconduct." (p. 2.) Who is to decide 
what constitutes misconduct? Is working 
on the Sabbath day misconduct? We say, 
Yes. Then should not the liberties of 
those who work on the Sabbath be for-
feited, or at least curtailed? 
Seventh-day Adventists have a simple, 
straightforward answer to that last ques-
tion. They say, "The first four com-
mandments have to do with our relation-
ship to God, and are therefore not sub-
ject to human jurisdiction. The last six 
commandments have to do with our rela-
tionship with our fellowmen, and may 
therefore be interpreted and enforced by 
our fellowmen." 
Suppose we concede that "the powers 
that he are ordained of God" (Romans 
13:1), and are established "for the pun-
ishment of evildoers, and for the praise 
of them that do well." 1 Peter 2:14. 
Suppose we also concede that a good 
citizen will not willingly, deliberately 
transgress laws enacted to govern the re-
lationship of man to his brother. 
How much liberty of action then may 
we claim, and how much freedom in the 
pursuit of happiness? Only as much as 
we can enjoy without threatening an-
other's equal rights. And who shall de-
cide the limitations of our liberties? Who 
constitute "the powers that be"? Whom 
"Our God whom we serve is able to de-
liver us from the burning fiery furnace." 
6 �
SIGNS OF THE TIMES 
of comfort 
for sore 
hearts... 
, — 
A message 
, 
"40'peAfigge,W3IttE17%..,;.., 
WHEN IT SEEMS THAT GOD IS UNJUST TO YOU, 
AS COMPARED WITH OTHERS 
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• 
• 
to the Fascist 
form of government, according to Vissert' 
Hooft, is that "it creates a new idol, a 
new God, the deified state." We have 
an example of a "deified state" recorded 
in the book of Daniel, and also a record 
of how it was met by three fearless He-
brew exiles. 
The head of one of the greatest em-
pires the world has ever known—Nebu-
chadnezzar of Babylon—had had a dream. 
The downfall of his empire, and the rise 
and fall of many civilizations had been 
illustrated by the vision of an image. 
whose head was of gold, whose breast 
and shoulders were of silver, whose thighs 
were of brass, whose legs were of iron, 
and whose feet were part of iron and 
part of clay. "Thou art this head of 
gold," the prophet Daniel had told the 
king; "and after thee shall arise another 
kingdom." Daniel 2:38, 39. 
The idea of his empire's ever going 
down to defeat and coming to an end 
was so repugnant to Nebuchadnezzar 
that he determined to force from his 
subjects an acknowledgement that Baby-
lon would never be destroyed. He had 
the pyramids to remind him how other 
empires had crumbled to dust, but his 
empire was to be the exception. 
He arranged for a great carnival. 
Governors and princes from faraway 
territories under his rule were called in. 
Army captains and justices of the peace 
were summoned, with counsellors, and 
sheriffs, and rulers of the provinces. 
On the plain of Dura he had a great 
image erected like the one he had seen 
in his dream, but entirely of gold, to 
symbolize the perpetuity of his empire. 
Plans were laid to make the occasion of 
the dedication of the image one the 
people would never forget. Military 
bands were to play patriotic airs, and at 
the first crash of martial music on their 
ears, all the people were to fall flat on 
their faces before the symbol of an em-
pire on which the sun was never to set. 
To insure the success of his scheme, 
the king-dictator had a great furnace 
built, and publicized a decree that any 
who failed to fall down promptly and do 
obeisance to the image would be thrown 
alive into the furnace. Suddenly the 
cymbals crashed; drums beat; and a myr- 
iad of cornets split the air with a mighty 
challenge. The people shouted and fell 
flat on their faces—all except three Jews! 
The martial tempo of the bands slack-
ens, and flutes, harps, and psalteries 
wooingly tell the story of the beauty 
and culture of Babylon. The three Jews 
still stand erect among the grovelling 
thousands. Nebuchadnezzar himself de- 
scends from his throne and strides 
through the prostrate multitudes, and 
personally appeals to the three Hebrews 
not to be obdurate. But the answer 
was unequivocal and final. The third 
commandment forbade such idolatry. "0 
Nebuchadnezzar," they cried, "We are 
not careful to answer thee in this mat-
ter. Our God whom we serve is able 
to deliver us from the burning, fiery 
furnace, and He will deliver us out of 
thine hand, 0 King. But if not, be it 
known unto thee, 0 King, that we will 
not serve thy gods, nor worship the gold-
en image which thou hast set up." 
Socrates emphasized the importance of 
the State having "some men who followed 
unswervingly their own inner light." 
Jesus, the Son of God, commanded: 
"Render unto Caesar the things that are 
Caesar's, and unto God the things that 
are God's." 
Where then does the authority of the 
state end, and the authority of God 
Almighty begin? The authority of the 
state ends, and God's authority begins, 
where a man's conscience forbids him to 
go one step further. 
There is the parable of the king who be-
came disgusted because his subjects were 
alwnys complaining about their hard lots. 
So he told each one to put his troubles in 
a basket and bring them to the palace. 
There each could look over all the full 
baskets and would be given the privilege 
of leaving his own and taking that of 
anyone else he chose. 
They did as commanded, and took time 
to survey the assorted troubles, little and 
big. And at the close of the day, each de-
cided to take his own troubles back home 
with him. 
At least we know all our own troubles, 
and have had some experience in bearing 
with them after a fashion. And while some 
of the troubles of other people are very 
evident to us, how little we can be sure of 
knowing about all they have to bear. There 
are some things that are not told, ever. to 
anyone. There are hidden sores and heart-
aches that only the sufferer dare ever 
know. 
How futile, then, to make comparisons, 
expecting them to be just and fair! And, 
since we cannot know all about God's 
dealings with others, as compared with His 
dealings with us, we will do well to ac-
cept what He says about the matter. 
And He says, "No temptation [trial} has 
you in its power but such as is common to 
human nature." 1 Corinthians 10:13, Wey-
mouth. Most of our trials and hardships 
are like those of others. Those not like 
theirs may be like theirs sometime if not 
now. And if some of our troubles are quite 
Speaking in London to the National 
Liberal Club on August 27th, 1944, Mr. 
Winston Churchill of England said: "In 
the days to come, much more exact defin-
itions have to be established about the 
rights of the individual and the relation 
of the individual to the great frame-
work of the state. There will be great tasks 
of building to do." Then he added, care-
fully choosing his words, "No one has 
a right to abstain except on grounds 
of intellectual or moral scruple . . . " 
By avoiding the expression "religious 
scruple," so often used, Mr. Churchill ex-
tended the principle of religious liberty 
to all classes of men, whether religiously 
inclined or not. 
A good citizen may at all times, and 
should, as a Christian, strive earnestly 
for the repeal of wicked and unjust laws, 
but he may not deliberately disobey them 
except as they invade the realm of his 
conscience. In the domain of conscience 
the Spirit of God must rule supreme. 
different from those of others, theirs are 
just as hard to bear as ours. So we are 
assured by the One, the only One, who 
knows, that He is just with everyone, in 
the long run. 
We must ever remember, also, that God's 
accounts are not settled with us when 
this life ends. The books will be balanced 
in eternity, and only then can we see that 
we have been given fair treatment. 
It may be that we do not deserve as 
much good as someone else with whom we 
compare ourselves. We reap what we sow; 
and mayhap we have sowed more tares 
than someone else. And sometimes the 
harvest comes early. 
"I made the cross myself whose weight 
Was later laid on me. 
This thought is torture as I toil 
Up life's steep Calvary. 
"To think mine own hands drove the nails! 
I sang a merry song, 
And chose the heaviest wood I had 
To build it firm and strong. 
"If I had guessed—if I had dreamed 
Its weight was meant for me, 
I should have made a lighter cross 
To bear up Calvary!" 
—Anne Reeve Aldrich. 
Our finite minds and feeble judgments 
are in no wise able to decide whether 
or not God is equitable in His dealings with 
men. He says He is; and the happiest way 
is to trust Him. 
Divine guidance that we may neither mis-
construe God's will, nor the intent and 
effect of the civil law confronting us. 
The Scripture says, "As much as lieth in 
you, live at peace with all men." 
We have seen how the apostles, faced 
with this perplexing alternative, chose 
to obey God rather than man. We have 
another outstanding example of loyalty 
to God under similar circumstances in the 
Old Testament. 
The chief objection 
APRIL, 1 9 4 6 �
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W
HEN the earth came forth from the 
hand of the Creator, it bore the im-
print of divine perfection and loveliness. 
All nature joined in one glad song of 
praise. No fading flower or falling leaf 
marred its beauty. 
In the midst of this paradise of delight 
God placed man, the crowning work of 
His creation. There, man and nature, un-
marred by sin, rejoiced in the light of 
God's benignant smile. That was the be-
ginning of a perfect day on which God 
intended the sun should never set. In 
this lovely home the Creator purposed 
that man's life should measure with His. 
As children were born and the human 
family multiplied in number. the Garden 
of Eden was to grow until the entire 
world should become a glorious paradise. 
But we behold a change, sudden, cold 
and devastating as an Arctic storm. 
The ugly, venomous head of sin pro-
trudes itself and in consequence the 
words, "In the day that thou eatest there-
of thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2: 17), 
begin to bear fruit. The flowers fade, 
leaves and grass wither as sorrowing na-
ture weeps for the sin of man.. On every 
side are beheld the first traces of death, 
"By one man sin entered into the world, 
and death by sin; and so death passed up-
on all men, for that all have sinned." 
Romans 5:12. 
With uncontrollable fear the guilty 
pair appear before the searching eyes 
of Him in whose presence they had 
once found fondest delight. With awful 
distinctness they now realize that the 
"wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. 
Helplessly they prostrate themselves be-
fore Him whose love they have spurned, 
and tremblingly await the sentence of 
condemnation. 
Finite helplessness and despair find 
their counterpart in infinite love and 
tenderness. Finite misery excites infinite 
mercy. Infinite love finds a ,way out of 
the darkness, and into the scene is in-
jected a ray of hope. 
To Satan, the one responsible for 
man's desperate plight, the Creator 
speaks, "I will put enmity between thee 
and the woman, between thy seed and 
her seed; it shall bruise thy head and 
thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15. 
The unhappy pair grasp the pledge of 
deliverance. Hope takes the place of 
despair. In deep repentance and shame, 
yet with holy joy, they stake their all 
upon the promised Seed, who as their 
Substitute, will die; and in doing so 
forever destroy the serpent's power. With 
bowed heads they accept their lot of 
sorrow and death in full assurance that 
in the Seed of the woman ultimate de-
liverance from death is certain. 
One by one death claims members of 
the human family. One by one it locks 
them securely within its gloomy prison 
house. Centuries pass and the sentence, 
"Thou shalt surely die," hangs heavily 
over the guilty race. 
Yet, in spite of numberless heartbreak-
ing experiences with death, many of 
the sons of Adam still cling to the first 
deception, "Thou shalt not surely die." 
They refuse to accept the Word of God 
which describes man as mortal and death 
as an unconscious sleep. (See Ecclesiastes 
9:5; i Cor. 15:51-56; and Job 4:17.) 
In contrast with these, however, the 
faithful, sensing their condition, most 
ardently long for the promised Redeemer. 
That this might soon be realized they 
cease not to pray. It is this burning de-
sire and the weary years of waiting that 
leads the Psalmist mournfully to exclaim, 
"Oh, that the salvation of Israel were 
come out of Zion." And many an Israel-
itish woman, secretly, if not openly, 
cherished the hope that she might be 
privileged to mother the Messiah. 
Then, one day He came, and the scene 
changes. 
A great procession is sweeping along a 
dusty road on the brow of Olivet above 
old Jerusalem where for so many cen-
turies have passed the maimed, the halt, 
and the blind; each seeking in the city 
of David relief from physical and spirit-
ual suffering—and many hopelessly pray-
ing for the end of the journey of life 
and its welcome release from pain. In 
striking contrast with the procession of 
former years, the pilgrims now seem 
animated and joyful. In the multitude 
are those whose bodies have been racked 
with pain and suffering; but whose 
countenances now reflect the light of 
health and joy. There are those whose 
eyes have been opened, whose ears have 
been unstopped, and whose tongues have 
been unloosed. Not a trace of disease 
can be found. All eyes are fixed upon 
Him who has, by the simple touch of 
His hand, wrought so mightily in their 
deliverance. 
The crowd reverently gives way as He 
passes, remembering the words, "Behold 
thy King cometh unto thee ... riding ... 
upon a colt the foal of an ass." Harkl 
the children are singing—the great multi-
tude catch up the strain. "Hosanna! 
A grim record 
found on the wall 
of Stanley Prison 
Camp, Hong Kong. 
To those who 
count the days till 
death, the sure 
promise of the 
resurrection �
can 
be an inexpress-
ible consolation. 
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of 
the Lord." Mid waving 'of palm branches 
and with shouts of praise the joyful com-
pany reach a turn in the road where 
the city below comes into view. 
The golden tints of setting sun re-
flect from the city and temple buildings 
a picture of sublime loveliness. Before 
the scene the multitude stands as if trans-
fixed. Their Benefactor gazes long and 
tenderly upon the panorama, then bows 
His head and weeps. 
Below and in full view is the sheep 
gate—the gate through which for centu-
ries sheep have been led to the altar of 
sacrifice. He knows that in a few days 
type will meet antitype. Through that 
very gate He must pass en route to Cal-
vary. He knows, too, that the voices now 
so loud with exultant praise will, in a 
few short hours, be just as loud to cry, 
"Crucify Him, crucify Him!" 
In swift succession events transpire. 
Up Calvary's hill we see Him struggling 
beneath a rough-hewn cross. The deed 
is done. 
"0 heavens, weap for shame and loss; 
0 Sun, hide now thy troubled face. 
Thy Maker hangs upon a cross 
And dies to. save a guilty race." 
Satan's hellish joy knows no bounds, 
for at last in his prison house of death 
the promised Seed lies bruised and 
crushed. With fiendish triumph the 
forces of darkness contrive to make the 
tomb forever secure. A weighty stone, 
sealed at the governor's decree, closes 
its entrance. A band of Roman soldiers 
is detailed to guard the hallowed spot. 
Throughout the sacred moments of 
the Sabbath the Saviour rests in peace. 
Hours pass slowly into eternity. It is 
night. Heaven is waiting the appointed 
8 �
SIGNS OF THE TIMES 
"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen." 
time, and is about to blast open forever 
the prison house of death. A mighty 
angel with divine commission quickly 
leaves the courts of heaven. Suddenly, 
approaching from above, a dazzling light 
pierces the darkness. While the angel 
unseals the tomb, rolling the stone aside 
as if it were a trifling pebble, the earth 
• 
quakes, and the guard falls powerless 
to the ground. 
The majestic angel lifts his voice and 
solemnly cries, "Son of God, Thy Father 
calls Thee." The triumphant shout 
pierces the cars of death, and the Son 
APRIL, 1946 
of God, a mighty Conqueror, responds, 
proclaiming, "0 death, where is thy 
sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory?" 
Again the scene changes. Men are grop-
ing to-day as in the blackness of night. 
The query of an ancient patriarch finds 
its echo in the heart of modern man. 
"If a man die shall he live again?" Job 
14:14. Is death a plunge into uncertain-
ty? Is there no hope beyond the grave? 
Is the future always to be dark and un-
known? 
Into this dismal picture is also injected 
a ray of hope—the same hope proffered 
By 
E. A. Crane 
our first parents so many centuries be-
fore, yet now forever settled and ren-
dered gloriously certain by the Saviatn's 
victory over the tomb. The answer is 
the same to-day as then, "As in Adam all 
die, even so in Christ shall all be made 
alive." i Corinthians 15:22. Job an-
swers his own question as in holy con-
fidence he addresses God, "All the days 
of my appointed time will I wait, till my 
change come. Thou shalt call, and I will 
answer thee." Job 14:14, 15. 
Of this change the great apostle also 
speaks, "We shall not all sleep, but we 
shall all be changed, in a moment, in 
the twinkling of an eye, at the last 
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and 
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, 
and we shall be changed. For this cor-
ruptible must put on incorruption, and 
this mortal must put on immortality. 
Corinthians 15:51-53. 
Revealing that the time for the sound-
ing of the trumpet is at the Saviour's sec-
ond advent, he declares, "For the Lord 
Himself shall descend from heaven with 
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 
and with the trump of God: and the 
dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we 
which are alive and remain shall be 
caught up together with them in the 
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and 
so shall we ever be with the Lord. 
Wherefore comfort one another with 
these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. 
Comforting indeed is the hope en-
abling the follower of Jesus to say with 
confidence, "I know that my Redeemer 
liveth, and that he shall stand in the 
latter day upon the earth: and . . . in 
my flesh shall I see God." Job 19:25, 26. 
To-day He speaks as on the glorious 
morn of His resurrection, "I am He that 
liveth, and was dead; and, behold I am 
alive forevermore, Amen; and have the 
keys of hell and of death." Revelation 
1:18. 
The grave could not hold Him. He 
burst asunder the tomb: and His resur-
rection is heaven's unimpeachable pledge 
that those whose lives are hid with Him 
in God will not be forever left in the 
prison house of death. 
The old world, weary with death's dark 
and dismal design, obligingly blankets 
the bones of countless millions from the 
sorrowing gaze of souls still living, yet 
sadly expectant of death's unfriendly call. 
All creation groaningly awaits the return 
of Him whose promise brought to the 
guilty pair in the Garden of Eden such 
unspeakable joy and hope. 
Soon He will speak again. Even the 
dead will hear His voice, and the right-
eous will come forth from their dusty 
beds clothed with radiant health and 
immortality. "The last enemy that shall 
be destroyed is death." 1 Cor. 15:26. 
Then will Eden be restored more 
glorious and lovely than ever before, 
and there again, forever beyond death's 
unhappy domain, the redeemed of the 
Lord from all ages will bask in the ef-
fulgent glory of God's eternal smile. 
9 
yTODAY and 
TOMORROW 
• 
The Atomic Complex 
SOMETHING has happened to humanity 
when everything men think about is 
shadowed by the release of atomic en-
ergy. The public mind has taken on an 
inferiority complex with reference to 
our ability to preserve ourselves. Every 
 
plan for the future has "the bomb" in-
jected into it. 
Scrap or revise drastically the United 
Nations charter, say the gloom mongers. 
Revolutionize military methods of at-
tack and defense. Scatter industries and 
populations. Abandon former methods 
of education. Throw international treat-
ies into the fire. In short, turn the 
world up-side-down. "Nothing will ever 
be the same again." 
It is simply amazing what a stupen-
dous manifestation of physical power 
will do to men's minds, and hearts. And 
when that power seems to be beyond 
harnessing by the men who let it loose, 
when that power could be button-pressed 
by some irresponsible person to obliter-
ate the human race, the bare thought 
of it raises goose pimples. 
The men in the "know-how" are not 
only "scared stiff"; they are scared stark. 
They don't know what to do. We hear 
a whistle once in a while from some 
"cheerful idiot" who is trying to keep 
up courage; but it soon trails off into a 
wail in the darkness. 
The primary reason for the almost 
universal despair is that men had come 
to believe in their own supreme ability 
to preserve and perpetuate civilization 
by physical power. For instance, by 
steam, electricity, gas combustion, fight-
ing strength of armies and navies and 
planes and, greatest of all, by world gov-
ernment. But the bomb has dropped, 
and all these as stabilizing elements are 
made obsolete over night. Physical might 
won't save us. It will destroy us. Dev-
astating thought! 
But the child of God has no fear for 
his future. He has been trusting in the 
spiritual power of God, not in his 
physical power which He has allowed 
men to tap in the form of atomic energy. 
No bombs can destroy the world without 
Divine permission. God loves those who 
love and obey Him. 
A foreview of the present crisis has 
been given by that inimitable prophet of 
our times, Peter the Apostle. In this 
we place our .faith: "Blessed be the God 
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 
By His great mercy we have been born 
anew to a life of hope through the resur-
rection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 
born to an unscathed, inviolate, unfading 
10 
All over the world the lights are being 
made ready to "come on again." 
inheritance; it is kept in heaven for you, 
and the power of God protects you by 
faith till you do inherit the salvation 
which is already to be revealed at the 
last hour." 1 Peter 1:3-5. (Moffatt). 
"IL 
Evolution to the Rear 
HAVE you heard anything about the 
evolution theory from the scientific guess-
ers since the atom bombs fell? Hereto-
fore, you know, they were loud in their 
assertions that nothing catastrophic had, 
or would, or could occur in the steady 
and gradual development of life on the 
earth. 
There could not have been a six-day 
creation, the evolutionists announced. It 
took millions, if not billions, of years for 
nature to arrive at the stage where it is 
now. And there could not have been a 
Deluge, at least not within a year's time, 
for Nature doesn't work that way. 
So they flatly denied the Bible ac-
count of history and natural develop-
ment, called God a liar, and turned mil-
lions of youth to scoffing at Divine in-
spiration. It was a tragic apostacy in the 
ranks of the Christian church. 
And now these same scientists are 
shouting warnings to high heaven that 
within three or five years the whole 
world could be completely blown to 
pieces. And they are sure of it. Whether 
it will be or not is not to the point. If 
it can be, then their evolutionary theo-
ries went up in thin air with the first 
atomic explosion last summer. 
Was Darwinism the first casualty of the 
Atomic Age? We are waiting for an an-
nouncement of its demise—or an expla-
nation of the sombre silence of "science 
falsely so called." 
God's Answer to the 
Atomic Bomb 
THERE is an amazingly vivid and ac-
curate description of an atomic explo-
sion in the Word of God. It is found in 
Joel 2:3o. Writing of great and spectacu-
lar events as the "day of the Lord com-
eth," (Verse 1) "in the last days," (Verse 
28 and Acts 2:17), the seer of our times 
says, "I will show wonders in the heavens 
and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pil-
lars of smoke." 
How strikingly this forecast fits the 
momentous occurrences of our recent 
past! Never before in history has blood 
flowed in torrents as it has in the latest 
war, with an estimated thirty million 
people dying by violence. Never have 
greater fires been kindled and burned 
over vast city areas. And such fires! They 
reached the magnitude of a tremendous 
furnace, sucking up the very air and suf-
focating tens of thousands of human vic-
tims. 
The maximum of demolition, however, 
was reached in the atomic bomb, when 
"pillars of smoke" rose sixty thousand 
feet into the air. Read the descriptions 
of eye-witnesses and look at the pictures 
of these terrific upheavals. Pillars of 
smoke they were, their towering sides 
clearly outlined against the sky, and their 
immensity seeming to support the 
arches of the atmospheric heavens. They 
were a preview of the massive architec-
ture of the age to come. 
But hold your amazement and ad-
miration! These wonders are only in-
cidents compared with the momentous 
outpouring of the Spirit of God nar-
rated in the preceding verses, "It shall 
come to pass in the last days [reading 
Peter's translation] that I will pour out 
My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons 
and your daughters shall prophesy, your 
old men shall dream dreams, your young 
men shall see visions." Joel 2:28. 
God is saying to those who know and 
trust Him that in the days of the won-
ders He predicts there will come such 
an outpouring of the power of the Spirit 
of God on men as never was before—
as if the super power of atomic fission 
were but a symbolic forecast of the great-
er power to accompany the pouring out 
of the Divine Spirit in the days just 
ahead. 
It is said that men's morals are five 
hundred years behind their scientific 
knowledge. The scientists discovered nu-
clear energy half a millennium before 
they were ready industrially and mor-
ally to control it for man's benefit in- 
SIGNS OF THE TIMES 
"The largest man-made structure ever conceived"—the Grand Coulee Dam, Washington 
State, is now complete; but it represents an age of power now eclipsed by the Atomic Age. 
stead of for his destruction. Being un-
ready, their knowledge threatens to an-
nihilate them. 
What about the children of God being 
ready for the outpouring of the spiritual 
dynamic? Undoubtedly that deluge of 
power will obliterate those who are un-
ready, for "our God is a consuming fire" 
to those who deny His rule. Apparently 
the Spirit of God will be poured out 
upon "all flesh" to give man one last 
• 
chance to turn to his Creator in sorrow 
for sin. For those who refuse the loving 
invitation (and according to prophecy 
the vast majority will refuse) there is 
nothing left but total destruction; for 
God must finally have a clean universe. 
• 
However, there is still time now for 
"whosoever will" to get ready to be en-
ergized and saved by that rain of power. 
Now is the accepted time to think se-
riously about this readiness, for decisions 
cannot be made suddenly when the last 
hour arrives. 
III �
III 
Why Protestant Union ? 
PROTESTANTS and irreligious people 
alike are growing more vehement in 
their protests against Protestant disun-
ion, and more urgent in their pleas for 
Protestants to get together. One would 
think that the gravest fault of the varied 
denominations is that they are not one 
church organization. 
Roman Catholicism is taken as an ex-
ample of unity. However, it must be 
pointed out that Catholics are widely 
divergent in their views on some vital is-
sues, such as temperance. They do hold 
together, though rather by dictatorial 
rule than by democratic preference. 
APRIL, 1946 
In this magazine, supported by the 
Bible, we make a difference between true 
and apostate Protestantism. The first 
Protestants never did come out far 
enough from the doctrines and policies 
of Rome; and since then many of them 
have ceased to protest very strongly on 
the vital truths which inspired Luther 
to nail his theses to the door of Witten-
berg. 
We believe we are true Protestants—
and, we are still protesting. True Prot-
estants do not favour Protestant union, 
at least not by the present methods which 
are being used to accomplish it. Here are 
some of our reasons: 
1. Its chief objective appears to be 
political pressure. Get Protestants to-
gether so that they can exert stronger 
influence on governments to legislate in 
favour of Protestant viewpoints. Get 
Protestants together to oppose politi-
cally dominating Catholicism. Get Prot-
estants together to save the country 
from this or that political or social 
scheme. Recently a Protestant clergyman 
is reported to have said that all that is 
needed to solve the problem of a "united 
Canada" is that Roman Catholics get 
"a knowledge of the word of God." Is po-
litical unity the aim of God's church in 
the world?—We ask. 
Regardless of the right or wrong of 
the objectives of church pressure on gov-
ernment, religious bodies (as organiza-
tions) dipping into state affairs is in-
compatible with the true function of re-
ligion, and always has been dangerous 
to both religion and government. Let 
the individual church member contend 
and vote for.his political ideas, but the 
church as a church had better keep free 
from political affairs. It is just as danger- 
ous for Protestantism as for Catholicism 
to dictate to legislators. 
2. We would not want to join in a 
Protestant federation, however loosely 
bound, and be held jointly responsible 
for every move which the majority of the 
member organizations might make. Be-
sides being opposed to meddling in poli-
tics, a resort to which too many church 
leaders are prone, we cannot subscribe 
to such commonly held beliefs as the 
evolution theory and its outgrowth of 
Modernism, with their denial of the in-
spiration of the Bible, the virgin birth, 
miracles, literal creation, and the death of 
Christ as the sinner's Substitute. 
It has been suggested that union need 
not necessitate unity of belief in all doc-
trines held by the member organizations; 
but that we may be in concord on such 
common ground as "the Fatherhood of 
God and the brotherhood of man." That 
overworked expression now means to 
most people the belief in a superhuman 
power and giving your fellowmen a 
square deal. Good as far as it goes, but 
not comprehensive enough to form the 
basis of an effective union to save hu-
manity, from atomic destruction for in-
stance. 
What is absolutely essential now to 
stave off global suicide is a complete 
transformation of human hearts. For un-
regenerate men are more unpredictable 
and sinister than the atomic bombs which 
they control. And that change of heart 
will never be accomplished by church 
union, but only by the preaching of the 
saving gospel of Jesus Christ. 
S. Every indication points to the fact 
that Protestant union will make easier a 
drift back into the Catholic church. 
Rome is making unprecedented efforts 
to belittle the Protestant Reformation, 
and misses no opportunity to invite 
Protestants back to the "mother church." 
No matter how much Protestants may 
affirm that they want to unite to oppose 
Catholicism more effectively, they are in 
reality getting together to present to the 
hierarchy one enemy instead of many. 
And the very fact that they find it com-
paratively easy to bury their differences 
with one another proves that they will 
find it just about as easy to bury their dif-
ferences with the papacy. 
To show that the foregoing statements 
of ours are not pure fancy or unbased 
fear, we quote from the (Protestant) 
Presbyterian of Nov. 15, 1945: "Protes-
tants are taught, we believe, and Roman 
Catholics are led to conceive, that there 
cannot by any possibility of circum- 
stance ever be concord between Re- 
formed (Protestantism) and Old Chris-
tianity (Catholicism). We believe that 
such is not the case, and that in this con- 
cord lies the great hope for the kingdom 
of Christ and perhaps the necessary fac- 
tor against the onrushing tide of secular-
ism, sin, and disorder which may other-
wise engulf the world." 
Voices are sounding everywhere to urge 
that Catholics and Protestants unite to 
bring about a new world order. Common 
ground between the two is being extend-
ed to doctrinal beliefs. And be sure the 
Protestants are making all the conces-
sions. "Rome never changes." 
11 
WHENCE 
EASTER 
By R. H. Pierson 
M
ANY times during my seven-year 
stay in India I was challenged by 
non-Christians with certain institutions 
generally accepted by the Christian 
church, whose foundations quite evi-
dently did not rest upon the "Rock" of 
Corinthians 3:11. Such inconsistencies 
were, of course, very definite stumbling 
blocks to those seeking to find their way 
from heathen darkness into the light of 
the gospel. If the Christian religion con-
tains something vital that is missing from 
Hinduism and paganism, why, they rea-
son, should Christianity imbibe from the 
cup of heathenism such dregs of false 
doctrine? 
In one of India's popular magazines. 
"The Kaiser-I-Hind," there appeared an 
interesting and thought-provoking article 
from the pen of an ardent Theosophist, 
Sophia Wadia, entitled, "The Meaning 
of Easter." The opening paragraphs are 
particularly challenging to the student of 
God's Word: 
"To-day is Easter Sunday, a Christian 
festival. Orthodox churches preach. and 
orthodox Christians believe, that it was 
on a Friday that their Prophet was cruci-
fied, and that He rose again from the 
dead on a Sunday, which event is cele-
brated at this festival." 
Miss Wadia then ridicules the Chris-
tian practice of celebrating Easter as the 
memorial of this sacred event. She re-
fers her readers to the authoritative 
words of The Encyclopaedia Britannica 
to show that Easter originally had no 
connection whatsoever with the crucifix-
ion and resurrection of our Lord, but is 
of purely pagan origin. 
"The Council of Nicaea, held in A.D. 
325, decided that Easter should be cele-
brated on a Sunday, but we are left with 
a method of fixing the date of Easter by 
which it can vary from year to year by no 
less than thirty-five days, between March 
22 and April 25. The date is fixed in ac-
cordance with the tables prepared by 
Clavius for Pope Gregory XIII, when he 
reformed the Calendar on February 24, 
1582, and is an attempt to reconcile the 
solar with the lunar year, on the Metonic 
system, with all the complications of the 
week, the month, the exact and inexact 
calendar. The tables occasionally pro-
duce strange results. In 1923 the full 
moon of the heavens fell on the Sunday 
given by the tables for the celebration of 
Easter; and the resurrection, going by the 
real moon, was being celebrated before 
the crucifixion!" (Vol. 7, p. 859.) 
Then our theosophist authoress con-
tinues to challenge the validity of Chris-
tian practice in the observance of Easter: 
"The Easter Festival did not originate 
in Christianity. Its equivalent was cele-
brated by the Jews who themselves bor-
rowed it from the pagans. We may men-
tion a few scholars who prove this be-
yond the shadow of a doubt. Landseer 
in his 'Sabaen Researches' describes 
Easter as the modern version of the old 
names—Ishtar, Ashtoreth, and Astarte. 
The well-known English historian, Green, 
suggests that Eostre, the goddess of Dawn 
and of the Spring, is the root of the 
word, Easter. The great philologist, Max 
Muller, traces the words to the Sanskrit 
root 'vas' or 'us', which means light." 
That the authoress of the above article 
is correct in her assertion that Easter is 
of pagan origin few informed people to-
day will attempt to gainsay. 
What the Encyclopxdia Britannica de-
clares is substantiated over and over 
again by many other reliable authorities. 
It is indeed unfortunate that one of the 
most sacred of Christian events should be-
come confused with the relics of pagan-
ism! It is even more regrettable that the 
Christian world should continue to make 
such a show over an admittedly pagan 
festival when it is well aware of its un-
savoury origin. 
The death, burial and resurrection of 
our Lord constitute such a vital part of 
the Christian's faith that never should it 
be allowed to be so associated. 
Says the inspired Word, "He is not 
here: for He is risen." Matthew 28:6. 
Couched in this simple announcement is 
Heaven's report of Christ's victory over 
death. In these words lie the hope of 
the human race in a life beyond the 
tomb. 
The historian likewise acknowledges 
the divine Sonship of Christ and the 
reality of His resurrection when he says, 
Great crowds worship 
facing the sun on Easter jitp 
morning. 
"For He appeared to them alive again 
the third day."—Josephus, "Antiquity of 
the Jews," Book XVIII. Little did this 
recorder of profane history realize that 
he was quoting words which would thrill 
millions of hearts in every corner of the 
globe, words that would convict sinner, 
comfort saint, encourage martyr and con-
demn the unrepentant. 
Only eternity will reveal the fruitage 
of this supreme sacrifice which Jesus was 
willing to make in order to reconcile the 
repentant sinner with heaven. This 
great truth, long cherished by the child 
of God, stands corroborated by the words 
of the eminent Jewish historian, Jose-
phus. 
If Easter, then, is not of Christian 
origin, has God given us no memorial of 
His resurrection? Most certainly He has 
—and a most fitting and beautiful one! 
Listen to the words of Paul, the mighty 
preacher of the resurrection! 
"Know ye not, that so many of us as 
were baptized into Jesus Christ were bap-
tized into his death? Therefore we are 
buried with Him by baptism into death: 
that like as Christ was raised up from 
the dead by the glory of the Father, 
even so we also should walk in newness 
of life. For if we have been planted to-
gether in the likeness of His death, we 
shall be also in the likeness of His resur-
rection." Romans 6:3-5. 
Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus one star-
light night nearly two thousand years ago, 
emphasized the importance of the ex-
perience: 
"Jesus answered and said unto him, 
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a 
man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto 
him, How can a man be born when he is 
4 
It 
4. 
12 �
SIGNS OF THE TIMES 
BIBLE QUERIES ANSWERED 
There is a God-given memorial of the 
resurrection of Christ. 
serve all things whatsoever I have com-
manded you." Matthew 28:18-20. 
What God has commanded us is ably 
summed up in the Ten Commandments. 
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole 
matter: Fear God, and keep His com-
mandments: for this is the whole duty 
of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13. Then in the 
words of the Saviour Himself: "If ye 
keep My commandments, ye shall abide 
in My love; even as I have kept My 
Father's commandments, and abide in 
His love." John 15: to. 
When the candidate rises from the wa-
tery grave of baptism he comes forth as a 
newborn babe. His old life has not 
merely been made over and patched up 
in spots where weakness had prevailed. 
Oh no! He starts life afresh.. "Therefore 
if any man be in Christ, he is a new 
creature: old things are passed away; be-
hold, all things are become new." 2 Cor-
inthians 5:17. 
Then, Paul instructs, that same beauti-
ful sin-free purity should be maintained 
Question: You seem to be worried 
about "that troublesome fourth com-
mandment." What did our Saviour say 
about the commandments? I can't find 
where He mentions anything about Sun-
day or the seventh or any other day of 
the week. He went around doing the 
same good on every day alike. 
Answer: We are not at all worried 
about it, because we are keeping it just 
the way it reads. We are very happy in 
its observance, for we are conscious that 
we are keeping the same day Jesus kept; 
and who isn't blessed when he walks "in 
His steps?" The Saviour did not men-
tion days of the week by the names we 
have now, for they were not thus known 
then. Yon will find many references to 
the "Sabbath" (our Saturday, or the 
seventh day of the week, which had been 
kept by God's chosen ones since crea-
tion) and a few references to the "first 
day of the week" (our Sunday). 
The seventh-day Sabbath was so com-
monly kept by the Jews, who surrounded 
Jesus when He was on earth, that there 
was no need to tell them to keep it; but 
He kept it Himself very carefully (See 
Mark 1:21; 6:2; Luke 4:16; 6:6; 
13:10; John 15:10), and he instructed 
His disciples how to keep it. (See Mark 
2:27, 28; Matthew 12:1.8; 24:20.) 
This last reference proves that Christ 
made provision for His disciples to keep 
the seventh-day Sabbath at the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem, which occurred thirty-
seven years after His crucifixion. The 
with the help of Christ. "As ye have there-
fore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so 
walk ye in Him." Colossians 2:6. The 
same Holy Spirit which called us out 
from a world of sin will continue to guide 
us step by step, if our ears are but con-
tinuously open to His direction. 
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek 
those things which are above, where Christ 
sitteth on the right hand of God. Set 
your affection on things above, not on 
things on the earth. For ye are dead, 
and your life is hid with Christ in God." 
Colossians 3:1-3. 
What a beautiful relationship exists 
between the soul and its Saviour after 
baptism. How sad to think that this im-
pressive ceremony has been eclipsed by a 
pagan festival of unholy origin whose 
greatest claim to a place in the Chris-
tian's life is frilly dresses and new hats, 
Easter eggs and bunny rabbits. 
Shall we not in sincerity cast off the 
spurious and rather hold fast to the in-
fallible, "Thus saith the Lord"? 
seventh day of the week is mentioned 
fifty-nine times in the New Testament as 
the day for worship. 
Much of Christ's instruction con-
cerning the Sabbath was included in 
His statements on the Ten Command-
ments, the fourth command of which 
(and the most explicit of all ten) teaches 
the observance of the seventh-day Sab-
bath. He referred to them as "My com-
mandments," or "the law." He said, "If 
thou wilt enter into life, keep the com-
mandments." Matthew 19:17. "If ye 
love Me, keep My commandments." 
John 14:15, 21. He came not to de-
stroy the law, but to fulfil it. (Mat-
thew 5:17, 18.) "It is easier for heaven 
and earth to pass than for one tittle of 
the law to fail." Luke 16:17. And He 
identified what commandments He 
meant by summing them in the words, 
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
all thy heart" and "Thou shalt love thy 
neighbour as thyself." The first four of 
the ten command love to God, and the 
last six love to roan. 
True, Jesus "went about doing good," 
but His healing and teaching were sec-
ondary to His one great purpose of sav-
ing believing followers from sin now, 
and paving the way for the final and 
total ridding of the whole world of sin 
and its results. He came "preaching the 
Kingdom." Luke 8:1. The foundation of 
that Kingdom is His law of Ten Com-
mandments. And the entrance to it is 
secured by keeping every one of those 
Ten Commandments. (Revelation 22:14.) 
13 
old? Can he enter the second time into 
his mother's womb and be born? Jesus 
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 
except a man be born of water and of 
the Spirit he cannot enter into the king-
dom of God." John 3:3-5. 
Paul, in writing to the Galatians, de-
clares that in the rite of baptism one 
buries the old life of sin and—but let 
Paul tell us: "For as many of you as 
have been baptized into Christ have put 
on Christ." Galatians 3:27. 
The word baptize, in its various forms, 
appears some ninety-five times in the 
New Testament, and finds its root in the 
Greek word which means to immerse or 
plunge. So when we speak of baptism we 
refer to the baptism received by Jesus, 
immersion, "And Jesus, when He was 
baptized [Greek "immersed"] went up 
4 �
straightway out of the water," inferring 
clearly that He and John had gone down 
into the water for the sacred rite. 
The Word of God clearly sets forth 
three prerequisites to baptism: (1) belief 
in Jesus, (2) repentance of sin, (3) in- 
, �
struction in the Christian way of living. 
Referring to the experience of Philip 
and the eunuch just before the scene of 
the eunuch's baptism, we note this con-
versation between the two: "Then Philip 
opened his mouth, and began at the 
same scripture, and preached unto him 
Jesus. And as they went on their way, 
they came unto a certain water: and the 
eunuch said, See, here is water; what 
doth hinder me to be baptized? And 
• 
Philip said, If thou believest with all 
thine heart, thou mayest. And he an-
swered and said, I believe that Jesus 
-•Christ is the Son of God." Acts 8:35-37. 
Jesus also declared that belief should pre-
cede baptism. "He that believeth and is 
baptized shall be saved." Mark 16:16. 
Not only must we nominally profess 
our belief in Christ, but also we must 
repent and turn away from the sin that 
has been in our life; in the words of 
Peter. "Repent, and be baptized every 
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ 
for the remission of sins." Acts 2:38. 
That the babe in Christ needs instruc-
tion in the principles of Christian living 
• 
is plainly set forth in the parting words 
of the Saviour as He was about to leave 
His disciples to ascend to heaven. "And 
• 
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 
• 
all power is given unto Me in heaven 
and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach 
all nations, baptizing them in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to cob- 
APRIL, 1946 
T
HE newborn babe begins life as the 
weakest and most helpless animal. 
With but few instincts. he has everything 
to learn. His environment, home life 
and associations count much in giving 
him a good start. Wise and tactful pa-
rental training from the day of birth will 
modify and neutralize undesirable traits 
and tendencies. It will aid also in de-
veloping a pleasing personality and a 
good character. The counsel of the Wise 
Man, "Train up a child in the way he 
should go; and when he is old he will 
not depart from it" is sound, and should 
govern the education of all children. 
It is believed that the pattern is made 
and the foundation laid for life during 
the first three to five years. Dr. Alfred 
Adler said, "At five the style of life is 
fixed." These early years determine the 
grade of health, happiness and success 
that will characterize the future man or 
woman. Most people have some under-
standing of the proper care and training 
of the body, but mental health, although 
of prime importance, is a different prob-
lem which few comprehend. The seeds 
of future emotional troubles and mental 
disorder are often unwittingly planted in 
childhood by ignorant, careless parents 
and nurses. 
Early indications of developing mental 
mischief are not readily recognized by the 
laity, nor even by some doctors, until 
the manifestations become more pro-
nounced. Temporary minor peculiarities 
The pattern of life 
is set during the 
first years. 
and digressions from the normal may 
not be of serious significance. However, 
if they persist, a visit to a specialist is ad-
vised. Much of the strange talk and 
queer doings have their source in some 
type of fear with a mild mental confu-
sion. According to Dr. F. A. Willius of 
the Mayo Clinic, "Fear is probably the 
most primitive, prevailing, and forceful 
of human emotions." This applies par-
ticularly to infants and children, many 
of whom are very susceptible to frights. 
Baby is fearless until he has been 
alarmed. From the first day he must be 
protected from the common fear of dark-
ness by letting him sleep in the dark at 
night, which is natural. Children should 
never be frightened, by threatening, to 
get them to obey. Kindly persuasion and 
patient, simple explanation are better 
discipline. Punishment that frightens a 
sensitive child, such as confinement in a 
dark closet or attic, is most unwise, and 
may be productive of great or even per-
manent harm. Avoid inflicting auto-
cratic or unfair penalties when excited 
or angry. The Golden Rule also applies 
to children. 
Shy and timid children are easily 
frightened. Thoughtless nurses and 
others often intimidate them and in-
stil fear into their minds. The discipline 
of fear is reprehensible, and must not be 
permitted. The child is entitled to a 
life free from fear or threats. The1e are 
frequently the earliest causes of feelings 
of unsafety and danger. Never frighten 
him because of mistakes or temper tan-
trums. Remember that petulance and 
tantrums are often the result of fear and 
fatigue. 
All children require wise, kind, gentle 
training. Most can be led by love and 
patient entreaty. Tell them why it is 
safer and better to obey. These little folk 
have their own thoughts and always need 
understanding rather than mandatory 
commands and punishment. The same 
is true of many adults. Old and young 
are often not as perverse and obstinate 
as they seem to be. The best time for 
discipline, which all greatly need, is in 
the early years of life when the child is 
most teachable and easily led. Then the 
brain is plastic, and there is strong desire 
to learn and grow up. 
For their protection children must be 
taught the danger of falling, of fire, of 
drowning, or of wandering away from 
home. This will aid in preventing bad 
frights and injury. It is necessary to 
teach them the consequences of physical 
hurts. 
With fear goes anticipation of trouble, 
evil forebodings, and a heavy weight of 
worry, almost as bad as the things im-
agined. The mind is in a state of com-
motion which prevents refreshing sleep, 
and may cause loss of appetite and 
weight. Such symptoms starting in child-
hood or youth may persist for years. Few 
realize the blighting influence upon daily 
life and the evil effects that result. Fear 
is always a generous consumer of energy 
with accompanying exhausting fatigue 
which is overwhelming at times. There 
can be little or no joy of life, to which 
all are entitled, while the mind is ob-
sessed with corroding fear. 
Too often fear of losing the mind in-
tensifies the suffering and agony of these 
nervous individuals. Daily reassurance 
that these neurotic symptoms are func-
tional and not organic, and therefore 
curable, is necessary. Proper treatment, 
which should not be delayed, brings re-
lief and return of the patient's normal 
health. 
The BEGINNINGS of 
NERVOUS 
DISORDERS. 
 
By A. B. Olsen, M.D. 
• 
14 �
SIGNS OF THE TIMES 
Simple, childlike trust 
in God drives away 
fear and worry. 
• 
The brain, with some three trillion 
nerve cells, is the most complicated as 
well as the most important organ of the 
body. Without a normal brain function-
ing orderly, there can be no useful serv-
ice of the mind or body. Definite physi-
cal pain is a red light, a signal to stop 
and take notice that some part of the 
body requires medical attention. A 
healthy man is not conscious of the cir-
culation of his blood or the digestion of 
• 
his food, and cannot directly control 
these important functions. 
The mind controls and directs the use 
of the skeletal muscles, and is aware of 
their activities. It is obvious that without 
the activity and direction of the mind 
the body would be useless for work, and 
spiritual life would be absent. Mental 
distress, whether it is pain or worry, also 
gives warning, which often demands the 
service of a physician who can deal 
with illness of the mind. Such a pa-
tient may require treatment in an insti-
tution. 
Among innumerable early warnings of 
possible impending functional nervous 
and mental troubles are restlessness, im-
patience, intolerance, irritability, petu-
lance, ill-temper, distrust, indecision, 
strange talk and doings, irregular hours, 
unusual carelessness, disorderliness, neg-
lect of duties and work, the wander 
spirit, etc. These nervous symptoms grad-
ually become more noticeable and un-
bearable. The patient is often change-
able and self-willed. A dear old lady got 
tired of the farm and country life, and 
demanded a sale and removal into a 
near-by town. But such a sudden and big 
change was too great a shock for a coun-
try-bred septuagenarian. Although com-
fortably settled in a good new home 
which she selected, a serious mental de-
pression developed, necessitating hospital-
ization. Her despondency was centred 
on the mistake of selling and leaving the 
farm she loved from her earliest child-
hood. After a few weeks of sanitarium 
treatment, including the new electric 
shock, she enjoyed a good recovery and 
left contented and happy, a fine example 
of God's healing power. 
Another annoying symptom is indeci-
sion, to do or not to do. They don't 
know what they want. Usually there is 
little difference in choice and this ex-
plains why it is so difficult to decide. It 
is better to make a poor choice occasion-
ally than to delay and stew about it. 
Impatience, with increasing irritability, 
puts a heavy strain on the mind and may 
lead to strife. All internal friction burns 
the nerves. It is liable to excite temper 
and lead to hot words and possible con-
flict. This is followed by sorrow, regrets, 
and despondency. A spirit of good will 
and patient tolerance is the best lubri-
cant. 
To avoid nervous tension and main-
tain mental health, it is necessary to 
work, play and do everything at ease. 
Further, the best success is obtained 
when the mind is wholly concentrated on 
Picture Credits 
Pages 1, 9, 16. H. Armstrong Roberts. 
Pages 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14. Miller Services. 
APRIL, 1946 
Many 
pople 
imagine 
disor-
ders 
that do 
not ex-
ist. 
the task at hand, without a time limit. 
Labour within reasonable hours is nor-
mal and beneficial for all healthy peo-
ple. It is the load of fear, anxiety, and 
misgiving which does the mischief. Work-
ing under feelings of compulsion and 
pressure brings much strain and tension 
with a heavy draft on the brain, all of 
which is more tiring than the labour it-
self. "Haste makes waste," and it is 
equally true that worry doubles the load. 
"Ease does—not force." An effort well 
done leaves a feeling of comfort and 
satisfaction. Piece work is not recom-
mended for nervous people. 
There is a strong tendency among 
many to become body-minded and im-
agine disorders that do not exist. Too 
much attention is given to trivial dis-
comforts and annoyances which should 
be promptly ignored. A feeling of full-
ness or swelling in the abdominal region 
becomes an ulcer or cancer. A passing 
twinge of pain in the chest is evidence 
of heart disease. While these symptoms 
are a product of the mind they are none 
the less real to the victim. Even a little 
palpitation of the heart strikes terror in-
to some worried minds. One lady was 
told by a drug clerk that palpitation in-
dicated a weak heart and she might drop 
dead any moment. That statement start-
ed a mental illness which landed her in 
a sanitarium. 
Exercise, excitement, pain, or worry 
stimulates the heart to beat faster, a com-
mon condition called palpitation. Such 
reaction is normal and should not be 
noticed. A worrisome person is inclined 
to have a more rapid pulse than normal. 
Disappointed and discontented minds 
furnish excellent soil for developing and 
growing imaginary aches, pains, and 
nervous disorders. Thinking and talk-
ing about symptoms is good fertilizer. It 
magnifies all fears and pains and in-
creases their hold on the mind. It makes 
them seem more real and destructive. 
We read, "What a man concentrates his 
mind on, that he is." King Solomon 
said the same s000 years ago: "As a man 
thinketh in his heart, so is he." To main-
tain and enjoy mental health it is neces-
sary to adopt a positive attitude of hope, 
faith, courage and good cheer. 
Fretting about imaginary future 
troubles and trials, which rarely if ever 
happen, aggravates a mind already over-
burdened with present duties and respon-
sibilities. "Enough for each day are 
its own troubles." (Weymouth) Any state 
of apprehension and foreboding is more 
exhausting and causes more profound 
fatigue and distress than the actual ex-
perience, because of the uncertainty. Even 
though he gets a little sleep,_ he is still 
more tired and depressed on waking in 
the morning. Life becomes a daily load 
of misery too heavy to carry, a constant 
"pain in the neck." 
Those who have lost the zest of life 
and find themselves confused and inade-
quate for the daily task should seek com-
petent medical help without delay. They 
need wise counsel and guidance to pre-
vent a complete nervous breakdown or 
chronic invalidism. There are millions of 
nervous or neurotic people in Canada 
and the United States. Some unwisely 
turn to narcotic drugs, such as alcohol, 
tobacco, or sedatives, all of which are 
habit forming. They attempt to drown 
themselves in whiskey, but wake in 
greater misery to go on a drunken spree 
for days or weeks. Others seek to drown 
themselves in tobacco smoke almost con-
tinually day and night. Many resort to 
sedative medication which prolongs the 
illness without curative effect. Some of 
these patients need institutional care, 
and treatment by a psychiatrist, or nerve 
specialist, which is uniformly successful. 
Most of these disorders can be pre-
vented by wise hygiene, including ample 
rest and sleep, regular hours, good hab-
its, and freedom from anxiety. A quiet, 
calm, serene life with little or no excite-
ment is necessary. 
Every effort should be made to develop 
confidence and faith to replace the ham-
pering burden of discouragement and fear. 
All need to learn the lesson of complete 
trust in God which drives fear away. 
"Fear not" is repeated one hundred times 
in the Bible. "If I worry I am not trust-
ing God. If I trust God I have no worry." 
"Rejoice" occurs more than two hun-
dred times in God's Book. 
15 
4 
.• 
• 
As the soft strains of devotional music steal over your senses, 
let your thoughts turn to these— 
Mt dilations On Prayer 
4 
if 
Prayer is the opening of the heart to 
God as to a friend. 
Prayer is the key in the hand of faith 
to unlock Heaven's storehouse, where are 
treasured the boundless resources of Om-
nipotence. 
Prayer does not bring God down to 
us, but brings us up to God. 
We do not pray any too much, but we 
are too sparing of giving thanks. 
Our heavenly Father waits to bestow 
upon us the fulness of His blessing. 
God is ready and willing to hear the 
sincere prayer of the humblest of His 
children. 
We are so erring and shortsighted that 
we sometimes ask for things that would 
not be a blessing to us, and our heavenly 
Father in love answers our prayers by 
giving us that which will be for our high-
est good—that which we ourselves 
would desire if with vision divinely en-
lightened we could see all things as they 
really are. 
God is too wise to err, and too good to 
withhold any good thing from them that 
walk uprightly. 
How can we pray, "Forgive us our 
debts as we forgive our debtors," and yet 
indulge an unforgiving spirit? 
We may keep so near to God that in 
every unexpected trial our thoughts will 
turn to Him as naturally as the flower 
turns to the sun. 
—Ellen Gould White