Mrs. L. D. Avery Stuttle
Those Bible Readings
 By
Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle
Author of “Making Home Happy” and “Making Home Peaceful”
Pacific Press Publishing Company
Mountain View, California
Portland, Ore.,	Regina, Sask., Canada,	Kansas City, Mo.
JAMES WHITE LIBRARY
ANDREWS UNIVERj^j^s WHITE LIBRARY
8ERRIEN SPRINGS,	UNIVERSITY
RCRRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN
HERITAGE room
Entered According to Act of Congress, in the Year 1907: by the PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C.
284355
PREFACE
N presenting this book, which is a compilation of a series of articles which first appeared in the Signs of the Times, it is not intended to advocate the theory that home teaching is to supplant or to do away with the parochial school, but rather to supplement it.
There are very many isolated families, for whom it is practically impossible to avail themselves of anything better than the state schools. To such, this book may be a valuable aid.
It should also be a help to the study of the Bible lessons in the schools of the church.
It is hardly necessary to say that while the example of Brother Hartman’s family is worthy of imitation, still the conditions and circumstances of no family circle are identical; and no one should attempt to follow the exact program herein outlined too closely, but, rather, to adapt the lessons tc the individual needs.
Neither are these lessons exhaustive. The scope of the work does not admit of this; but they must be used simply as a basis and a suggestion for much broader and deeper research. God’s Word is an exhaustless mine—a treasure-house of such sublime
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PREFACE
height and such boundless depth that the more we study it, the more our minds are expanded, and the more astonished we become as we contemplate the mystery of godliness.
The Bible, as an educator, is absolutely without rival; and should this little book lead any to a closer study of those sacred pages which were given by our loving Father as a light to our feet, my utmost intention and desire as its writer will be realized.
Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle.
CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER X
Home Study .................................  9
CHAPTER II
Inspiration op the Bible .................. 13
CHAPTER III
Christ’s Second Coming ..................... 18
CHAPTER IV
Signs op Christ’s Second Coming ........... 23
CHAPTER Y
A King’s Dream ............................. 28
CHAPTER VI
The Fourth Commandment ..................... 36
CHAPTER VII
The Fourth Commandment (Continued) ........ 44
CHAPTER VIII
Planning for Their Neighbors ............... 55
CHAPTER IX
The Sabbath Changed .......................  61
CHAPTER X
The Memorial op Christ’s Resurrection ...... 72
CHAPTER XI
Some Objections Answered ................... 77
CHAPTER XII
Grandma Hartman’s Story ...................  82
CHAPTER XIII
A Home Talk on the Sabbath ................ 92
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER XIV
The Voice of Conscience .................... 101
CHAPTER XV
Is the Soul of Man Immortal?................ 106
CHAPTER XVI
Soul, Spirit, and Breath ................... 116
CHAPTER XVII
Are the Dead Asleep?....................... 127
CHAPTER XVIII
Spiritualism .............................  133
CHAPTER XIX
The Witch of Endor ........................ 144
CHAPTER XX
An After Talk ............................. 154
CHAPTER XXI
The Wages of Sin .......................... 165
CHAPTER XXII
Tithing ................................... 172
CHAPTER XXIII
The Spirit of Prophecy .................... 180
CHAPTER XXIV
Justification by Faith ............,........ 188
CHAPTER XXV
Concluded ..............................    199
Those Bible Readings
CHAPTER I
HOME STUDY
ESTLING among the hills, amid a thrifty orchard of apples and peaches and plums,
just outside the little village of D-----,
lived Brother and Sister Hartman and their family. An old-fashioned home, you would pronounce it at once, even before you noticed the quaint well with its lofty sweep, and the broad veranda, over which climbed a wild grape-vine. Yes, it was an old-fashioned home, and old-fashioned people lived in it, from dear old grandma, with her neat, white-lace cap, to little Beth, with her sweet baby face. All the members of the household were very old-fashioned.
Now, do not imagine for a moment that they wore ridiculous clothes, or that the children were ignorant and ill-mannered, or the house shabbily furnished and unpleasant—nothing of the kind.
I’ll tell you why I call them old-fashioned: It is because they believe in an old-fashioned Book. They believe in it all,—from cover to cover,—many wise men and much “higher criticism” to the contrary, notwithstanding.
The children are taught to revere it, and to follow its wonderful teachings. Every day a portion of this
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
much-beloved Boole is read, and fervent prayer ascends to the great Author for grace to understand and obey His sacred Guide-Book.
One day Brother and Sister Hartman had an earnest conversation together. The children were growing up: Elsie was almost sixteen; John was fourteen; Mattie was twelve; and little Beth was seven. It seemed to them that something especial must be done to instil into the hearts of their children a love for the truths that they themselves believed and held precious. To be sure, they had always taught the children to believe in the Bible, and they were all members of the little Sabbath-school, yet the parents were not satisfied.
“I’ll tell you, mother,” began Brother Hartman, “I’d like to send the children to church-school, and I know you would, but that’s impossible, with none nearer than fifty miles. I am sorry that I can not induce the other brethren of our little church to give their support to a parochial school; but they object very strongly, as there are only three children besides ours.”
“I know they say so; but I think it might be made very profitable indeed. But since it can not be helped, why may we not teach our children the reasons for our faith and hope right here at home? Of course, you and I could never teach them grammar and arithmetic, they can learn those at the village
HOME STUDY
11
school, and they must, for neither yon nor I had many advantages when we were young.”
‘‘That’s so, mother; but while we may be a little shabby in grammar and physiology, we need not feel so bad about that; but there is no excuse for us to be ignorant concerning the great truths which we love, or to neglect to teach them to our children.” “Yes, and we must not depend wholly on what the Sabbath-school teacher can do one hour each week. How can our children love that which they know nothing about?”
“I have felt for some time that we were not giving even the attention to the Sabbath-school lessons that we ought to. What do you say to having a Bible study with the children at least twice every week?” “Why, I think it a grand plan; and we will see what the children will say about it to-night, when they come home from school.”
At last four o’clock came, and the old house again resounded with childish voices.
“0 mother!” began Elsie, “the teacher said today that only a part of the Bible was inspired, and
_______? J
“Yes,” interrupted John, “and she didn’t take the trouble to tell a fellow which part was all right and which wasn’t.”
“She said it was foolishness to believe the story about Jonah and the whale,” said Mattie.
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
“Yes,” added Elsie, “and she teaches the class in geology that the world wasn’t made in six days at all—that it took many millions of years—and, 0 mother! she doesn’t believe the Bible account of the creation of Adam and Eve.”
“Well, children,” said grandma, “I suppose you don’t belong to the class in geology, do you?”
‘ ‘ 0 no, grandma, I just happened to hear it while the class was reciting.”
“How would you like the idea, my children,” said their mother, “of having a little Bible class two or three evenings in every week? Your father and I have been talking it over, and, if you all agree, we will choose our subject, and begin Friday evening. You shall all ‘take turns’ in answering the questions and reading the verses if you want to, and we will see how interesting we can make it, and how much we can learn.”
"0, that would be lovely!" said Elsie. "I would like it ever so much, wouldn’t you, John?”
“Yes, only sometimes some of the boys come in to see me, and then what could we do?”
“Why, invite them to join our society,” said grandma,
“0, O!” cried Beth, delightedly, “if grandma’s going to help us, we’re just sure of having such a good time.”
And so it was decided that the next Friday evening the home studies were to begin.
CHAPTER II
INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE
T precisely seven o’clock Friday evening, the pleasant sitting-room at Brother Hartman’s was ablaze with light. The large table had been drawn into the center of the room, and around it every member of the family was gathered. Beth, the youngest, curled up close to grandma who sat with her large, coarse-printed Bible on her knees. John sat by his father, who had, since the lad’s earliest memory, been his ideal of manly excellence. Mattie chose her seat as near to mama’s side as possible, while Elsie, as though feeling the full importance of her sixteen years, sat a little apart from the rest, with the Bible she had already learned to love in her hand.
“Our little flock seems to be all present,” began Brother Hartman smiling, “and I am more glad than I can tell, that all my children seem so willing to join with grandma, mother, and me in a closer study of the Book of books. We are going to try, with God’s help, to make this hour of study the sweetest and pleasantest in the whole week. Can you tell me, John, why it becomes more and more necessary to study the Bible, as the years pass by?” (13)
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
“Well, father, I suppose we ought to be able to tell the reason why we believe as we do, because people seem to be more anxious to know than they used to be.”
“Yes, my son, you have given a good answer. And then, you know, we have the great work to do of warning the world that the coming of Christ is near. You know the captain of a ship consults his guide-book more often, the nearer he approaches to danger. Can you give some other reason, Elsie?” “We should study it more, I think, for our own safety and benefit, because we are surrounded by so many perils. I think this is especially the case, father, with young people.”
“Well said, my daughter; your ideas are good. Now, grandma, what do you think about it? Suppose you give us your reasons for joining this little circle in the study of the good Book.” “I think we need a double portion of God’s Word now, because the times are becoming very perilous, and if we do not learn now to place our feet upon the firm platform of God’s Word, the time is near when we shall fall into the snares of the enemy, and be led to deny our faith.”
‘ ‘ But how can we be sure that we are not building our hope on a mere fable ? How can we have any real proof that the Bible is the sure Wcx-d of God?”
INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE
15
“I think God’s Word is its own best defender,” replied Sister Hartman.
“Indeed, mother, you are right, and we will allow the Book to speak for itself to-night. Now, then, Mattie, my girl, if you were going to a strange city, and your guide-book gave you certain plain directions, telling you what you would meet and what buildings you would pass on the road, after you had passed a few of these landmarks just as they were described in your guide-book, would you begin to doubt the truth of the book, and declare that, while some of it might be true, you could not depend on the entire book?”
“No, father, I think I should believe it all, after I had proved that the directions were all right.”
“Good. Now, my little Beth, I want you to give us the best reason you have for believing that the Bible is the Word of God,” and Brother Hartman reached over, and patted the curly head laid on grandma’s knee.
“Why, papa, I think the Bible must be God’s Book, because—well, because there’s so much love in it.”
“That’s all true, my child; your answer is as good as that of the older ones. Now, I wonder if any one can quote a verse from memory to prove that there is a great deal of love in the Bible.”
Grandma’s eyes grew misty at once, as she re-
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
peated her favorite verse: “ ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ”
“ ‘But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ Rom. 5:8,” quoted Sister Hartman.
“I think,” said John, slowly, “that there is a verse somewhere that says, ‘God is love.’ ”
“Here it is,” said Elsie, quickly turning the leaves of her Bible, “I just happened to know, because I read that very verse to-day; it is 1 John 4:8.”
“That is all good. I think I heard you say that your teacher at school does not believe the whole Bible—only a part. John, you may turn to 2 Tim. 3:15-17, and read. ’ ’
7	*v..
“ ‘And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’ ”
“Well, then; all Scripture must include the story of Jonah and the whale, about which many people seem to be skeptical,” said Brother Hartman, smiling. “But I think there is nothing better than the
INSPIRATION OP THE BIBLE
17
great chains of prophecy in the books of Daniel and the Revelation to prove the inspiration of the Bible; for we find that those great kingdoms which are there prophesied of, have arisen and fallen in the exact order of the prophecy. I think it will pay us well to become intelligent students of these lines of prophecy; for, although Mattie and Beth may be a little young to understand it all, still there is much good that even the very young can get from such study. ’ ’
“Now, father,” said Sister Hartman, “our study hour is up; we must not allow our lessons to become tedious for the children. But I will suggest that, for our next study, we consider the signs of Christ’s second coming.”
2
CHAPTER III
Christ’s second coming
HE next Wednesday evening was decided upon as most convenient for the family study; and that evening found all the members of the little flock assembled once more with their Bibles in hand.
“Last Friday evening,” began Brother Hartman, “I believe we found proof enough from the Bible itself to establish its claim as being the inspired Word of the great Jehovah. Then, my dear children, let us take it as such, and obey as well as believe. The world is full of people who are trying to destroy confidence in this holy Book. You are, in fact, meeting this very thing at school every day. Skepticism and infidelity are being talked to you. But there is no need of giving way to these things. ‘If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ We know you are surrounded by evil associates, but can you think of any examples of godly people who had the same temptations and evil surroundings that you have, and even greater, and yet they held fast to their integrity? John, can you give me an example?”	
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Christ’s second coming
19
“I think, father, that Joseph was a pretty good example. ’ ’
“Yes, and so was Job,” said Elsie, “and Moses, and Daniel; and-------”
“And Noah and Abraham,” added Mattie.-
“And little Samuel,” smiled Beth, who never tired of hearing about the youthful prophet.
“I think you are missing the greatest and best Example of all,” said grandma, softly.
“ ‘And thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins,’ ” quoted mama.
“Well, my children, if such illustrious characters as these lived holy lives in the midst of evil and worldly associates, dp you not think it possible for us so to hedge our souls about with prayer and a knowledge of God’s Word that we shall be able to escape—not temptation, for God’s own Son was tempted; but we need not give way to temptation, and be led into sin. Moses had for his teacher a godly mother; and, altho surrounded by the glitter and show of the court of a heathen king, he never forgot the lessons learned at his mother’s knee. And so, as it seems quite impossible for us to change our present conditions, we can only make the best of matters by learning from God’s Book at home; so that we may be ready to give to every man that asketh
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
us a ‘reason of the hope’ that is in us, ‘with meekness and fear.’ ”
“0 mother!” interrupted Mattie, “Josie Wilbur said to-day that she would like to join our circle, if you and father have no objection.”
“Surely, we have not; and you may tell her we shall be glad of her company,” said Sister Hartman.
“Yes,” added grandma, “we may be able to get mutual good in this way,—so we shall look for her next Friday evening.”
“But now,” said Brother Hartman, “we must begin our study. Elsie, my daughter, why do you believe in the soon coming of Christ ? ’ ’
“Because the Bible has given us certain signs of it, and I can plainly see those signs fulfilling every day. ’ ’
“John, if any one should ask you what you consider a sign of the soon coming of Christ, what would you answer him?”
“That is just what Mr. Bradshaw did ask me today; I had been looking up some references in my Bible for this evening’s study, and I told him I thought that disobedience to parents was one of the signs. I had my Testament in my pocket, and so I read to him the first two verses of second Timothy, third chapter. He told me that children had always been disobedient, but I asked him if they were quite so much that way when he was a boy. He smiled,
Christ’s second coming
21
and said, ‘No, that’s so, young man.’ So I told him to read the whole chapter, and he would find a great many more signs.”
‘‘You see we can already begin to see good coming from our studies, my dear children, and I fully believe, if every family would put the same in practise, more good might be done than by almost any other means. Now, Mattie, you may turn to 2 Peter 3, and read the third and fourth verses.”
“ ‘There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?’ ”
“Have you ever met any one, my child, to whom this verse might be said to apply?”
“I don’t know, father, whether it would mean any one but grown-up people; but Mamie Brown laughed at me because I wouldn’t go to her party on the Sabbath, and said that it was quite silly to believe as we do, for the world would not come to an end in a thousand years.”
“My dear children,” interrupted Mrs. Hartman, “it is these very things that make it hard for you to attend school: but you must be fortified against them. But, always, you. must be kind and forgiving to those who are unkind to you. ’ ’
“In what manner will the day of the Lord come? Elsie, you may read 2 Peter 3:10.”
“ ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief
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in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, .	.	. the earth also and
the works that are therein shall be burned up. ’ ’7 “Grandma, do you think there is any danger of being deceived regarding the coming of Christ?” “Malt. 24:24 answers your question exactly;” ; and grandma quoted, earnestly:
“ ‘For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. ’ ’ ’
CHAPTER IV
SIGNS OF CHRIST’S SECOND COMING
UST as grandma had finished quoting her verse, the door-bell rang. “Good evening, Neighbor Jones; we were just about in the midst of our family Bible study. I suppose you will join us for a few moments. Elsie, please hand Mr. Jones a Bible.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude, Mr. Hartman, but I hardly think a little Bible study will hurt me any. I’m almost ashamed to say that I don’t know very much about the Book, though I’ve been a church-member for a good many years.”
“The truth is,” said Sister Hartman, “there are none of us any too well posted. I tell you, Mr. Jones, the Bible is a very large book, and it will bear much study, for it is our guide to a better country, even an heavenly.”
“We were studying the signs of the second coming of Christ as you came in,” said Brother Hartman. “We have instituted this study chiefly for the benefit of our children that they might be able to give an answer to those who should ask them the reason for their faith.”
“Then you don’t think it is enough for them to (23)
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say that they believe as they do because father and mother do?”
“No, no, indeed; we should all have a ‘thus saith the Lord.’ Beth, will you read Matt. 24:3? You can
read pretty well for a little girl, so you need not be afraid of Mr. Jones.”
“ ‘Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?’ ” read Beth slowly.
‘ ‘ What was Christ’s answer, John ? ’ ’
“Christ first cautioned His disciples about being deceived about it. I dare say He thought there was danger; afterward He named some of the signs of His coming.”
“Mr. Jones, will you please read some of the list of signs given in the twenty-ninth verse of this same chapter ? ’ ’
“ ‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.’ ”
“Now,” said Brother Hartman, “you may turn and read Mark’s version of the Saviour’s words. Mark 13:24.”
Elsie had found the place in a moment, and she quietly handed the open book to Mr. Jones, who read:
“ ‘Immediately after the tribulation of those days
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the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.’ I would like to ask, Mr. Hartman, what tribulation is here meant?”
“There has been but one ‘tribulation’ mentioned, and that clearly begins with the time when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army. The tribulation must have begun in some sense then, when God’s chosen people were obliged to dee to the mountains from the power of Rome; and from that time on, until the year 1773 the Roman power has pursued the church of God, and caused her to endure such tribulation as torture and fire and the rack, dungeons, misery, and death. But, Mattie, you have a pretty good memory, can you tell us at what time Papal Rome was fully established and began to hold unlimited power?”
‘ ‘ My ancient history says it was a. d. 538, ’ ’ replied Mattie.
Grandma turned rapidly to Daniel 7: 25 and read: “ ‘And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.’ ”
“Well, now,” said Mr. Jones, “we are getting into deep water. I never could understand that.” “Perhaps Elsie could explain it.”
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“It is a trifle hard for me, father. I am sure mother can do better than I.”
“By comparing the sixth and the fourteenth verses of the twelfth chapter of Revelation, ’ ’ said Mrs. Hartman, “we find that ‘a time and times and the dividing of time’ is equivalent to 1260 prophetic days, or literal years.”
“Very well, Elsie, if you add 538 to 1260, what result have you ? ’ ’
“1798, father, and then my French history says that Berthier, a French general, took possession of Rome, and the pope was taken prisoner and carried out of Italy.”
“That is good, my daughter, I see you have been studying. But verse twenty-two declares that those days were shortened for the sake of the elect. So we find that in 1776 the Austrian Government issued a decree of toleration for all sects, and the same year this country—a refuge for the oppressed—began its career as a nation, just twenty-two years before the 1,260 years allotted them were up. Verse twenty-nine declares that the sun and moon shall be darkened immediately after this tribulation ends. Grandma, can you tell us whether this came to pass or not?” “It certainly did occur, May 19, 1780—just four years after the persecution ceased. I have often heard my father, who witnessed the wonderful phenomenon, tell all about it.”
signs of Christ's second coming
27
‘ ‘ I have heard about this before, ’ ’ smiled Mr. Jones, “but I rather guess it must have been caused by an eclipse. ’ ’
“But, my friend, astronomers will tell you that it is impossible for an eclipse of the sun to occur when the moon is in her full, as it was then.”
‘ ‘ I had not thought of that; it is very mysterious; but what do you make of the expression, ‘and the stars shall fall from heaven’1?”
“Of course, the stars themselves never fell; but on the night of Nov. 13, 1833, the heavens certainly did have the appearance of being full of falling stars. This is also a matter of history, and can be verified by many people still living.
‘ ‘ Then, little Beth, what sign is there still remaining to be fulfilled? Read the last clause of Matt. 24:29.
“ ‘And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.’ ”
“Now, neighbor, if you will read verse thirty, we will close our reading for to-night.”
“ ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.’ ”
CHAPTER Y
a king’s dream
TELL you, wife,” said Neighbor Jones that night, when he reached home, “they are having very interesting Bible studies over at Mr. Hartman’s; I learned a great deal to-night, for I joined their circle at their invitation. They hold the next on Friday evening, and have invited us both. Let’s go; what do you say?”
“What is the subject to be considered? Perhaps we might go.”
“A continuation of the subject of to-night, which was concerning the second coming of Christ.”
“'Well, these Adventists are queer people. They are forever harping about the end of the world, or
the old Jewish Sabbath, or---------”
“But hold; they were only having a Bible study with their own children, which surely they have a right to do; and surely, wife, if the church of Christ loves her Leader, she will be happiest when talking about His coming again. And then, really, when one comes to look the matter up, it is surprising how much there is said in the Bible about it. Really, I hope you will decide to go.”
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a king’s dream
29
So it came to pass that the next Friday evening found Neighbor Jones and his wife at Brother Hartman’s, Bible in hand; and, among the rest, seated close by Mattie’s side, was the young friend, Josie Wilbur, who had not forgotten the appointment.
“I think it is needless to say,” began Brother Hartman, “that we are all much pleased to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and you, Miss Josie, here tonight. I trust you will all be free to ask any questions, if you do not understand the points made.
“Our subject is still the Coming of Christ and the Signs Preceding It. We have already touched upon one line of prophecy, and to-night will spend a little time upon another; for it is not our purpose to exhaust the subject, but only to prepare our minds for further investigation and personal study. Elsie, will you please turn to the second chapter of Daniel, and read the thirty-first verse?”
11 ‘ Thou, 0 king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.’ ” “Beth, who is this speaking to the king?”
“It is the prophet Daniel, papa.”
“And the king’s name?”
“Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel is telling the king the strange dream that he had one night.”
“That is good. Can you tell us, Miss Josie, how it was that the king asked Daniel for help?”

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“Please, Mr. Hartman, I’d rather Beth would tell the story.”
“Why, papa, it was because he could not find any one else who could tell him. God showed it to Daniel, and then Daniel told the king, and afterward explained what it meant. If he couldn’t have done all this, I suppose that both he and the ‘wise men’ would have been killed.”
“Well done! The book of Daniel is a wonderfully interesting one, and the interest is greatly increased by the fact that we know it to be the truth of God; and not only that, but it is especially necessary that this truth should be understood just now.
“Of what was the head of the image, which the king saw in his dream, composed, Mr. Jones?—verse thirty-two. ’ ’
“ ‘This image’s head was of fine gold.’ ”
“Of what material was the rest of the image composed, Mattie?”
“His breast and arms were of silver, and his sides and thighs were of brass, while the legs and feet were part of iron and part of clay. ’ ’
“Finally, Mrs. Jones, what became of this strange image? Please read the thirty-fifth verse.”
“ ‘Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer thrashing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no
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31
place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.’ ”
“Now we would be completely in the dark concerning this vision,” said Brother Hartman, “were it not for the fact that the full explanation is given; so we are not left in the dark. For, since the Lord has taken such pains to tell us in His Word what is going to come to pass, isn’t it a pity to be ignorant regarding it ? ”
“I believe the Lord says,” commented Sister Hartman, “that ‘The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.’ ”
“That is true,” remarked Mr. Jones, “and I am quite anxious to read the explanation of this strange dream. Of course I must have read it some time before now, but, the fact is, I have not studied the Bible as I ought to have done,” he continued, sadly.
“The head of gold represents the kingdom of Babylon, according to verse thirty-eight: ‘Thou art this head of gold.’ Verse thirty-nine declares that, another inferior kingdom shall succeed this, which did occur b. c. 538. ’ ’
“Will Elsie tell us the name of this successor to the Babylonish kingdom?”
“History says that the reign of the Medes and Persians began then. And these ruled over the
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known earth until, as it says in verse thirty-nine, still another kingdom of brass succeeded this.”
‘‘When did this third universal kingdom succeed Medo-Persia, and what was its name? Grandma, you may answer if you please.”
“The name of the kingdom was Greece, the first king being the reckless Alexander the Great. But I can not remember dates as well as I once could, so I will ask Mattie to give the date of his conquest,” said grandma, as she laid her hand lovingly on Mattie’s brown curls.
“I think it was in 331 b. c.,” replied Mattie quickly.
“What particular characteristic did the fourth kingdom have? Josie, you may answer by reading the fortieth verse of Daniel 2.”
“ ‘And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and sub-dueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.’ ”
“What was the name of this fourth universal kingdom? Will you please tell us, Mr. Jones?”
“If I remember rightly, Rome was the fourth and last universal kingdom. ’ ’
“You are correct; but what is said about the feet and the toes? Will you please read the forty-first and forty-second verses of Daniel 2, Miss Josie?” “ ‘And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part
A king’s deeam
33
of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.’ ”
“Now,” said Brother Hartman, “there will happen a very great event in the days of these kings— the setting up of the eternal kingdom of Christ at His second coming.”
“Allow me to ask you what kings are meant by :these kings’?” asked Mr. Jones.
“They must be the kings last mentioned,—those represented by the feet and toes of the image,—or the fragments of the Roman kingdom, which exist to-day. But lest we mistake in any particular these most important events, we are not left with this single line of prophecy. It is as though the Almighty, knowing the liability of man to put his own interpretation upon the inspired Word, gave us several other complete lines of prophecy, covering the same events. The seventh and eighth chapters of Daniel are but repetitions of what we have already gone over, and serve, by explanations, to make assurance doubly sure. I shall be glad to lend you a book I have, neighbor, entitled, ‘Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation,’ that I dare say will interest you.” “I thank you, I shall be glad of the book. I 3
34	THOSE BIBLE READINGS
have been much interested already, and shall surely continue my studies at home.’ ’
‘‘Perhaps now it would be well to take a brief survey of the points we have considered in these lessons.	Our first evening’s study proved what,
Elsie ? ’ ’
“That the Bible is the inspired Word of the Almighty, and this from the Book itself.”
“What next have we learned, mother?”
“We have found that the signs of the coming Christ are abundant; that evil men and seducers are waxing worse and worse; that disobedience to parents forms one sign of the last days; and that, from a study of only one of the lines of prophecy in the book of Daniel, we find we are living in the time represented by the feet and toes of the image of Nebuchadnezzar. Now, in the days of these kings, what is to happen, John?”
“ ‘The God of heaven’ shall ‘set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed,’ ” quoted the lad.
“God grant that we all be ready for a place in that kingdom,” said grandma, earnestly.
“Remember that we have only considered a few of the signs of the coming King. The good old Book is full of them. But perhaps it would be well next Wednesday evening to consider a few of the reasons why we observe the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath.”
a king’s dream
35
“Yes,” said Sister Hartman; “I am more than anxious that our dear children should be well posted on this most important subject. And we cordially invite our friends again.”
“Well, Mrs. Hartman,” said Mrs. Jones, “of all the subjects under the sun that I would like to hear considered from a Bible standpoint, this is the one, and so I think you may count on Mr. Jones and me for your next reading.”
“I think my papa and mama would like to come, too,” said Josie.
“Good; you are all more than welcome. And now, Elsie, will you play the organ while we sing together:
“ ‘Are you ready for the Bridegroom When He comes, when He comes?’ ”
CHAPTER VI
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
ELL, children,” said Brother Hartman after their guests had gone, “how do you enjoy the readings ? Do you feel like giving them up?”
“Why, father,” replied Elsie, “I would not give them up for anything; and I think John feels as I do.”
“I surely do,” said John. “I find that the more I study the Bible the more interesting it grows.”
“We like it, don’t we, Beth?” chimed in Mattie, “and Josie said she had learned lots to-night.”
“I’d like it ever so much better,” said little Beth, “if I could read more of the verses; but I s’pose I’m too little,” she sighed.
“Why, you dear child,” said grandma, “I’ll tell you what you can do; you may learn a few verses and repeat them at the next lesson; that will be ever so nice.”
“Why, yes,” agreed papa; “Beth shall learn the fourth commandment and repeat it at the very beginning of the reading. It’s pretty long, but I think my little girl can do it, and I suppose there are many (36)
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
37
ministers of the Gospel who are unable to quote it correctly. ’ ’
It was very gratifying to see with what interest Beth studied her “commandment,” as she called it; so that she had it perfectly learned in time for the next study.
With the lighting of the lamps on Wednesday evening, we are pleased to see an increase in the little circle which surrounds the table in the pleasant sitting-room at Brother Hartman’s. True to her promise, Miss Josie, Mattie’s close friend, has brought her father and mother, while Mr. and Mrs. Jones are in their places, Bibles in hand.
“Our subject to-night,” began Brother Hartman, “is the Fourth Commandment of the Decalogue, as you will remember. Beth, my girl, are you prepared to repeat it now?”
“Yes, papa, with grandma’s help I have learned it, ’ ’ said little Beth, as she rose and stood by her father’s side, while she repeated slowly and distinctly :
“ ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven
38
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and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ ”
“Well done. Where do we find this command, Beth?”
“In Ex. 20:8-11.”
“Yes, it was placed in the heart of the moral law by the great Jehovah. But it is often said that this law has been abolished. What have you to say to this, John?”
‘‘ I have this to say, father: If the Ten Commandments are done away, then it is not possible for men to sin by breaking one of them; hence we may steal, or rob, or commit murder.”
“How do you prove this, my son?”
Turning to Romans 5, John read the last part of the thirteenth verse, “ ‘But sin is not imputed when there is no law.’ ”
“Good; will Mr. Wilbur please read Rom. 4:15; for in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word is established. ’ ’
“ ‘For where no law is, there is no transgression,’ ” read Mr. Wilbur. “I rather think that’s plain enough, Mr. Hartman; it seems to me that the moral law is just as necessary to-day as it ever was.”
“Perhaps so,” observed Mrs. Wilbur. “I suppose the moral law is considered the standard of morality, and yet it seems to me that that fourth command-
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
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merit somehow has been destroyed, or perhaps changed by Christ or His apostles.”
“Well, we will see if we can find something that Christ Himself has said upon the subject. Josie, will you please turn to the fifth chapter of Matthew, and read, beginning with the seventeenth verse?”
‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.’ Here, mama, you read the next verse,” said Josie, and Mrs. Wilbur read slowly and thoughtfully :
‘For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.’ ”
“Why, mama, that’s plain enough for even a little girl to understand. It doesn’t sound much as if the fourth commandment was done away, does it?” Mrs. Wilbur did not reply, and Brother Hartman continued:
“What is said of those who teach people to break even the very least of these precepts? Elsie, will you read the next verse?”
“ ‘Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.’ ” Josie gave her mother a quick glance, and Mrs. Wilbur said earnestly, “I have read those verses
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many times, and yet I never thought of their real meaning. ’ ’
‘‘ It is quite natural, my friend, ’ ’ said Sister Hartman, “to do as we are taught to do in childhood; and this is one great reason why we are holding these studies with our children.”
“Now,” continued Brother Hartman, “I would like Mr. Jones to turn to Psalms 119, and read verse six. ’ ’
“ ‘Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments.’ ”
“Just read that once more, please, Mr. Jones. Are you sure the psalmist doesn’t say nine of the commandments ? ’ ’
“ ‘Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy commandments.’ I suppose that means all ten of them, Mr. Hartman,” smiled Mr. Jones.
“Well, but,” objected Mrs. Wilbur, “I am quite sure that the apostle Paul must have made the change, being instructed to do so by Christ.”
“Perhaps it would be well for you to take time to look this up, Mrs. Wilbur,” smiled Brother Hartman, “and report at our next meeting. We may be sure if there was any change in the Sabbath, Paul has mentioned it, because he assures us that he has ‘not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.’ ”
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41
“I am willing to try,” said Mrs. Wilbur, “and I shall certainly tell you what I find. ’ ’
‘ ‘ But I would like to know if there is anything in favor of keeping the old Jewish Sabbath in the New Testament,” said Mr. Jones.
“Maybe you can answer the question, Elsie, you or John.”
“Brother and I were studying that point this afternoon together, and we found that the last verse of Luke 23, and the first verse of the next chapter, are pretty plain on that point. John will read them.” “It is speaking of the burial of Christ. The holy women wanted to prepare the body of their Lord for the tomb according to the custom of the times. 'And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according 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. ’ ’ ’ “Where did you say that was found?” asked Mrs. Wilbur. “Queer I don’t remember reading that verse. ’’
“Luke 23:56 and 24:1,” responded John. “They 'rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment,’ ” repeated Brother Hartman. “Now, Beth, you will have to repeat the commandment again, I guess, to tell us which day the commandment says is the Sabbath.”
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And little Beth, glad of another opportunity to answer some of the questions, repeated the sacred command which the Almighty has placed in the very heart of His holy law, solemnly and with great emphasis.
“So it was the seventh day that the holy women observed so carefully that they would not even prepare the body of their Lord for burial. What day comes ‘in the morning’ after the seventh day, or the Sabbath? Josie, will you answer?”
“Why the first day, or Sunday,” smiled Josie. “What day comes just before the first day, Beth?” “Saturday, papa, or the seventh.”
“Well, then, it is very evident, is it not, that the day before the first day is the one observed by the holy women, even after the death of Christ? What is your opinion, Mr. Wilbur?”
“Well, to be candid, neighbor, I should suppose Christ would have told them before His death that He was about to change the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day, because He would arise on that day, and that they were to observe it ever after.” “Your idea is reasonable, quite so,” said Sister Hartman; while Mrs. Wilbur exchanged glances with Mrs. Jones, who seemed somewhat troubled.
“The first day of the week is mentioned barely eight times in the New Testament, ’ ’ continued Brother Hartman, “and if there is any sacredness attached
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
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to it, I suppose it will be mentioned in connection somewhere. But I think we will find that in not one of these instances is it spoken of as a holy day. Josie, will you please turn to Matt. 28:1, because this is the first time the day is mentioned in the New Testament. ’ ’
Josie turned to the passage, and read:
“ ‘In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.’ ” “Why, mother,” exclaimed Josie, “don’t you see by this verse that instead of finding anything for Sun-day-keeping, it plainly says that the day before the first day of the week is the Sabbath?”
“Let me read that verse again; it’s strange I never noticed it before,” and Mrs. Wilbur read once again the Word of inspiration.
“Now, Mr. Wilbur, you will please read the next instance in which the first day is mentioned. Turn to Mark 16:2.”
“ ‘And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher, at the rising of the sun. ’ ”
“Well, Neighbor Jones, I see nothing so far for Sunday observance, can you?”
CHAPTER VII
the fourth commandment (Continued)
0,” replied Mr. Jones; “I am frank to admit that I have read the Bible all my life without noticing these important texts.”
“ We are all more or less careless in reading the Holy Word,” replied grandma, “we often fail to apply to it the search-light of the Holy Spirit, and, still oftener, fail to apply its great truth in our own lives. ’ ’
“True, indeed; now Mrs. Wilbur will read, please, the ninth verse of the same chapter (Mark 16), as this is the next and third time that the first day of the week is mentioned.”
“ ‘Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.’ ”
“Do we find any mention of Sunday sacredness in this text, Mrs. Wilbur?” asked Brother Hartman.
“Well, no; I don’t seem to see the text I’m looking for as yet, but I may find it later. ’ ’
“At least, Mrs. Wilbur,” declared Mi's. Jones, ‘ ‘ it can do no harm to look for it. ’ ’
“Certainly not,” agreed Brother Hartman, “only
(44)
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I hope you will kindly read it to me after you discover it; for really I have spent days looking for one single text which would warrant me in regarding the Sunday as a holy day—of course that was a number of years ago.”
“But, father, would I better read the next instance in which the day is mentioned?” interrupted Elsie, fearing an argument, and tactfully continuing the subject.
“Yes, daughter, you may read Luke 24:1.”
“ ‘Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher.’ ” “We can readily see that all this verse does is simply to reiterate the fact that Christ arose on the morning of the first day,” said Brother Hartman.
“Now, John, we will listen while you read the next text, which is the fifth mention of the day. Every one please turn to John 20:1, and watch closely lest a mistake be made in the reading.”
“ ‘The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. ’ ’ ’ “No mention is made of first-day saeredness yet, surely—not so much as a hint of it. But there are still remaining three other texts in which the day is mentioned. We will read them all.”
“Yes,” sighed Mrs. Wilbur, “Mrs. Jones and I will be glad to listen to the reading and considera-
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
tion of the remaining three texts, will we not, Mrs. Jones? for somehow I feel qnite certain that somewhere we must find a text favoring, if not commanding, first-day observance.”
“Very well; I am glad to notice your anxiety, Mrs. Wilbur; I remember how certain of the same thing 1 once felt. Your daughter Josie will please read John 20:19.” And Josie read slowly and carefully :
“ ‘Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them------’ ”
“What did He say unto them? Quick, read it, child, read it; let me see the text!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur, who had neglected to turn to it herself, “let me read it, Josie. I believe that is the place where Christ commanded the observance of the first day,” and Mrs. Wilbur eagerly bent over the open volume which her daughter held.
“Why, mama, you interrupted me; see, let me finish my verse—‘came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.’ ”
A shade of disappointment fell over Mrs. Wilbur’s face, while Josie continued eagerly:
“It isn’t there yet, mama; but never mind, there are two texts more to read. ’ ’
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT	47
“Yes, but I’m not ready to give this text up quite yet,” declared Mrs. Wilbur, whose eyes had been constantly upon the verse. “These disciples met together on the first day of the week. Now please tell me, Mr. Hartman, what they met together for unless for religious worship.”
“Maybe you can give us some explanation, John,” said his father, observing a look of eager interest on his son’s face.
“Why, father, the same verse tells plainly enough what they were there for. It was for ‘fear of the Jews.’ I dare say they were frightened, and fearful lest the same people who cruelly put their Lord to death might seek them out and kill them also.” “Yes,” added Elsie, “or quite likely this room was their home, where Christ appeared unto them, at least they were all making their home together in an upper room directly after the ascension of their Lord,” and Elsie turned quickly to Acts, first chapter, and read the thirteenth verse:
‘And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.’ ” “But,” protested Mrs. Wilbur, “at all events they were holding a meeting on the Sunday. ’ ’
“But the mere fact that there was a meeting held
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THOSE BIBLE READING! S
on any clay of the week would not be a good and sufficient reason, surely, for making a Sabbath of it,” remarked Mr. Jones, with a smile, “else we should have a sabbath every time Christ or His disciples spoke to the people, which seems to me to be quite erroneous. ’ ’
“Truly,” said Brother Hartman, “and besides, there is no intimation given that they had assembled for religious meeting. But now we will turn to our next text. Mattie, will you kindly read Acts 20:7?” “ ‘And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber.’ ”
“There!” said Mrs. Wilbur. “They celebrated the Lord’s Supper on Sunday; doesn’t that prove the day a sacred Sabbath?”
“No, Sister Wilbur,” replied Mr. Jones, “not necessarily, because if it did, that day upon which Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper would surely have been a sabbath, and that occurred, I believe, on what vTe now call Thursday eve. 0, I can’t see any proof in that text, whatever, tho I’ll admit I’d be glad to if I could; but I’m in conscience bound to be honest in heart, Sister Wilbur.”
‘ ‘ That is very good reasoning, ’ ’ said Brother Hartman. ‘ ‘ While it is without doubt true that this meet-
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT
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ing did occur on the Sunday, this fact alone could not sanctify or Sabbatize the day. But I think Elsie has something on her mind to say, judging by her looks. YvThat is it, my daughter?”
“I was just thinking,” said Elsie, “that if it be correct to begin Sunday at midnight, as people nowadays do, I make out by carefully comparing verses seven and eleven of this same chapter, that this breaking of bread occurred on the first hours of Monday, because it was after midnight, hence not on the Sunday of to-day at all. So, Sunday observers who begin the keeping of the day at midnight, must either give up this text, or begin keeping Monday. ’ ’
“Do you see, Mrs. Wilbur?”
“I do,” interrupted Mrs. Jones, “I see that in order to be consistent, we must begin the day at evening, or give up this text; truly I can see no consistency in claiming the sacredness of any day merely because of the Lord’s Supper being eaten on that day. But there in one text yet—I think you said that there are eight in which the first day is mentioned; let us hear that one, Mr. Hartman.” “Very well; Mattie, you may read 1 Cor. 16:2.” “We have just one more prop, mama,” interrupted Josie, glancing archly at Mrs. Wilbur, “what will you do if that breaks?”
Mrs. Wilbur did not reply, but listened intently while Mattie read:
4
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
“ 'Upon the first day of the week let every one of yon lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.’ ”
"Well, now I thought I’d find the text I was looking for; doesn’t this prove that they held meetings every Sunday, and took up their collections just exactly as we do—doesn’t it, Mr. Hartman?” questioned Mrs. Wilbur with a gratified nod in the direction of Mrs. Jones.
"Well, what is your opinion, Mr. Wilbur? You haven’t had much to say so far; what do you find in this text to prove that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh day, which God originally sanctified at Creation, to the first day of the week?” "Let me read this text myself; I think I can get a better understanding of it that way;” and Mr. Wilbur read from the Book which his wife was holding, carefully and slowly.
"Well, to be honest, neighbor, I don’t see anything much in it, only I had always thought that very likely this language referred to the Sunday collection plate, but somehow it doesn’t seem quite so clear as I thought it did. In fact, I never noticed those little words 'lay by him’ before. It would indicate quite plainly, I think, that they were to put aside at their own homes as much as they could spare for the relief of the poor brethren, and then
_______J 7
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51
“Then they would all give their offerings to him, of course,” interrupted Josie. “I believe, mama, that our last prop is gone.”
“But,” smiled grandma, “even in case there were some meetings held on the first day, I think it has been conclusively proved that this would not make it a holy Sabbath.”
“Well, this all seems very strange to me indeed, I admit, I can’t understand it,” sighed Mrs. Wilbur. “But this I know: My good old father was one of the most godly men who ever lived; and he always kept Sunday very strictly, and brought me up to do the same. If it was wrong, it’s strange he didn’t see it.”
“I don’t consider it strange one bit, Mrs. Wilbur,” said Mrs. Hartman. “You know Martin Luther’s father was a good man, and yet he brought his son up to be a strict papist. But Luther did not see all the light there is in God’s Book. Not one of the reformers could God entrust with all His truth. Some of that which was hidden from Luther was revealed by the Spirit to subsequent reformers,—like Knox and Calvin and Wliitefield and the Wesleys,'— and we need not plume ourselves even yet as having ‘attained,’ but simply following on to know the Lord.”
While her mother was speaking, Elsie was rapidly turning the leaves of her well-thumbed Bible. “I
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THOSE BIBLE READINGS
think I have a passage here, father, if I may read it, which is right to the point. It is Acts 17: 30. ”
“To be sure, Elsie. I am more than glad to see the interest shown by our dear children in these readings, and not only this, but that our neighbors here have been so kind as to come in to study God’s Book with us. But read the verse, if you please.” “It is simply proof that God does not give all the light to any one people, but that when the light does come, they will be held responsible for it. It is a part of Paul’s discourse on Mars Hill. They objected that Paul seemed to be a setter forth of strange gods because he preached Jesus unto them—a God whom neither they nor their learned fathers had worshiped or even known. But Paul says, ‘The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.’ ”
“I dare say,” said John, “that these fellows thought it very strange that their fathers had never heard of these things. ”
“You see, wife,” said Mr. Wilbur, “these folks have a verse of Scripture to read on every occasion.” “Well, I can’t say anything against that, I’m sure; it’s a very good habit. But there is one verse I remember of reading somewhere—I think St. John said something about being in the Spirit on the Lord’s day; what day was that if not Sunday, the day of our Lord’s resurrection?”
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“I think Beth can tell us, can’t you, dear, which day the Lord’s day is?” said grandma; to which Beth, glad of an occasional chance to join in the conversation, replied promptly:
‘ ‘ ‘ For the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.’ ”
“Good, Beth; then which day does the Lord Himself call His day?”
“The seventh, or Saturday, grandma.”
“0, father,” said Mattie, “to-day at school our teacher spoke something about our being so particular about keeping Saturday, and said she wondered how you would explain the verse that says everybody may keep the day for Sabbath that he is persuaded in his own mind is right. I told her I didn’t know there was sueh a verse; is there, father ? ’ ’
“Yes,” interrupted Mrs. Jones, with a sidewise glance at Mrs. Wilbur; “Yes, yes; there is such a verse somewhere. I’ve often heard my mother quote it.”
“Well, it is to be hoped that she quoted it more correctly than our Mattie has,” said Brother Hartman. “Let us turn to the fifth verse of Romans 14, and see what Paul really does say. Elsie, you may read.”
“ ‘One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.’ ”
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“Not a word is said here about the Sabbath of the Lord. The apostle could not have referred to it, because in another place he declares that the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. But by studying the context, we see that evidently some members of the early church who had been brought up by strict Jewish parents could scarcely understand that the ceremonial law, with its new moons and feast-days, its passovers, its rites, and ceremonies, had been nailed to the cross of the great Antitype, Christ our Saviour; and it was this truth that the apostle was trying to make plain. ’ ’
“Well,” said Mr. Jones, “I for one am very deeply interested in these subjects, and we shall certainly continue to attend these meetings—my wife and I.” “Yes,” said Mrs. Wilbur, as they rose to go after a brief but earnest prayer by Brother Hartman; “yes, we will come, but I tell you, Mr. Hartman, I am going to do as I said I should, and find that text commanding the observance of the first day—it must be there!” and with a hearty good-night, the family of Brother and Sister Hartman vrere once more left alone to talk over the events of the evening by themselves.
CHAPTER VIII
PLANNING FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS
ELL, mother,” said Brother Hartman, after their guests had departed, “it is quite evident to me that our good neighbors are deeply interested. My only regret is that we have been so tardy about beginning these readings.” “Yes, that is true; we should have begun them long ago,” replied Sister Hartman. “The studies seem really to be doing as much good to our neighbors as to our children. Of course we planned them especially for our own, but it seems to me that the Holy Spirit is already watering the seed sown, and I fully expect to see a goodly harvest.”
“Mrs. Wilbur seems to be in earnest, at least,” observed Mattie. “Why, just as they were ready to go home, Josie whispered to me that her mama seemed awfully worried because she couldn’t find the text she’s looking for; and Josie is going to ask her ma if she can’t go to Sabbath-school with me next Sabbath. ’ ’
“That would be nice,” said grandma; “but of course our Sabbath-school is very small compared
to the Sunday-school which she is used to attend-(55)
w
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ing, so we must try to make the lessons and the exercises doubly interesting.”
“But, my children, how do you all like these home readings? Do you feel, any of you, as if you would care to discontinue them?”
“0, no,” said John, heartily, “it is almost as good as a church school, I believe. ’ ’
“Yes,” agreed Mattie; “I love to have my own father and mother teach me the Bible.”
“I like to have grandma teach me,” said little Betli. “Grandma knows the Bible better’n lots of preachers. She taught me the fourth commandment and the Lord’s Prayer, and now she’s teaching me the ninety-first psalm, and when I learn that, she’s going to teach me the other nine commandments.”
“I will ask you to repeat the ninety-first psalm at our next reading, dear child,” said papa. “It’s too bad that you should not have some part in our meetings.”
“I’ve been thinking, John,” said Elsie, “that it’s about time some of your chums came in to spend the evening. There’s Walter Gray, for instance; he’s not been here for some time.”
“But he’s coming; I forgot to mention it before; but I told him about our studies, and was afraid he wouldn’t like to have our old-time chats in my room broken up, but actually he said he would be glad to
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57
come and join our circle. By the way, he surprised me by saying that he hoped some day to be a preacher. Whew! just think of it? Walt Gray to be a preacher!” and John clapped his hands enthusiastically. ’ ’
“That’s all right, John,” said Sister Hartman. “Bring him along to our studies; they are just what he needs if ever he intends to preach the Word. He needs to study it while he’s young. {My father j used to say that as we are all in an evil world, we I could not always keep out of evil, but we could, byf \ God’s help, keep evil out of us I”
That’s true; and while it seems to be necessary for you, my dear children, to attend school here in the village, where you meet many temptations, still if you all remember that Christ was tempted also, but never yielded thereto, and that He always met these temptations with a verse of Holy Scripture, these things need only serve to add strength to your faith. (Christ’s prayer is a very fitting one: c I pray / not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
“You know,” said grandma, with a tremble in her kind voice, “that the more the wind blows on a tree, the deeper the root grows and the stronger it becomes. But, John, I was just wondering what had ever become of poor Billy Black, whose father died
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a drunkard, a year ago. Does he live alone with his grandmother still?”
“Billy Black? why, he goes to school every day when he doesn’t play the truant,” answered John. ‘ ‘ Why do you ask, grandma ? ’ ’
“Because, don’t you think it would be a good plan to invite him, too, to attend our studies?”
“First-rate plan; I’ll do it, grandma, if father doesn’t mind.”
“Indeed, I should be glad, my son; it would be good missionary work. We will help the poor lad all we can.”
“But we haven’t decided upon the subject for our next meeting, have we, father?” questioned Elsie.
“I think we are not yet done with the Fourth Commandment, are we, children? That one seems to cause very much trouble and discussion in the religious world, and I want you to be well fortified—rooted and grounded in the truth, your feet planted on the broad platform of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
“Well, for one thing at our next meeting, Mrs. Wilbur is going to bring in that text which she feels so sure she can find, that enjoins Sundav-keeping. We would be willing to promise her five hundred dollars for every one she could find, wouldn’t we, father?” smiled Sister Hartman.
“We certainly would—or five thousand for that
planning for their neighbors
59
matter. But the keeping of God’s Sabbath alone, important as it is, is not all we have to do, don’t forget that. There are nine other commands, which the apostle James says must each be kept, or we become guilty of breaking the whole. Then we must not forget that Christ is our salvation; without Him, we could never overcome. At our next study I will tell you a little story of my life, if you will remind me, that will illustrate this great truth so well expressed by the apostle James.”
“There is no fear of our letting you forget to tell the story, father,” said Mattie, delightedly; for she knew her father’s ability to tell a story and to tell it well. “We’ll not let you forget, father.”
“O grandma!” exclaimed Beth, “you know Emma McLane’s parents are Catholics; she told me to-day at school that she had a great secret to tell me if I’d never tell any one.”
“I hope, my dear, that you didn’t promise her,” said mama. “I would not like my little girl to listen to anything which she might not tell her mother,” said Sister Hartman, anxiously.
“Why, no; I told her I must tell my ma and my grandma---------”
“And all the rest of us?” questioned John, roguishly,
“No, but finally she did tell, and she said she did not care a bit if I told any one. She said she
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knew how it happened that everybody keeps Sunday. She says it was in her last week’s lesson in her catechism. I asked her how it was, and she said their church had changed the day from Saturday to Sunday—did they, ma?”
“I am thinking your little friend made you acquainted with a tremendous fact, my child; and I am inclined to think it was providential in bringing it up just at this time. Do you suppose you could borrow Emma’s book, so that we might have it at our next study?” questioned her father, eagerly.
"I guess so; I ’ll ask her, anyway; ’ ’ and little Beth crept off to bed, wondering what her papa could possibly want to do with Emma McLane’s Sunday-school catechism.
CHAPTER IX
THE SABBATH CHANGED
HE next “study evening,” as Beth calls it, has come once more; and, as usual, it finds Brother Hartman’s family and their guests all ready for study. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are again on hand, accompanied by their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur, the latter looking very serious, as she nervously turns the leaves of her Bible. We notice, also, that there are two faces here that we have not seen before. One is that of a lad of about sixteen, whose well-brushed locks and neat clothes incline us at once to the belief that this must be Walter Gray, of whom Elsie spoke after the last study—John’s friend and companion. The dark eyes, that so frankly and squarely look into ours, are mild and earnest, and the crisp, brown curls cluster over a brow broad and white that tells of an intelligence above the average. The other lad is shy and awkward, the eyes are constantly studying the pattern of the carpet, and the heavy boots are much too large for the owner. Poor Billy Black! a friend to nobody, and nobody a friend to him! Nobody?—Grandma Hartman watches the quiet, shy lad with moist eyes, and, if we listen (61)
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closely, we can hear her whisper softly to herself, “Motherless, fatherless.” After this evening, Billy Black might feel perfectly safe in counting Grandma Hartman his firm friend. Was that all?—Ah, He who has said, “Ye are of more value than many sparrows,” has His eye upon this poor son of a drunkard, and regards him in tender love and pity.
Just as the company begin to open their Bibles, little Beth whispers: “Come, papa; I’ve not forgotten that you promised a story this evening—please tell it.”
“0, yes, father, do; Beth never forgets a promised story,” said John.
Billy Black’s dull eyes at once shone with interest. Billy was beginning to feel more at home already.
“But, Beth,” said the father, tenderly stroking the fair curls, “you know you were going to repeat the ninety-first psalm this evening you said grandma taught you.”
“All right, papa, if you’ll tell the story afterward;” and then, in a clear, soft voice, the little girl repeated that most wonderful psalm, so filled with comfort and strength and hope and courage: “ ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.’ ”
Grandma wiped her glasses long before the child had finished, while the sad-eyed lad, sitting apart
THE SABBATH CHANGED
63
from the rest, unconsciously felt a longing after something better, nobler, than he had ever yet known. Poor Billy! it was probably the first psalm he had ever heard, and it is destined to make a lasting impression upon him. The pleasant, well-lighted room, the earnest faces of the little company, the strange, wonderful words of the psalm, and the soft, gentle tones of the little speaker—all make an impression upon his heart, never to fade away.
“Well, now,” said Brother Hartman, after Beth had sat down, “since I promised a story, I will begin at once, that we may hasten on with our study. By this little story I hope to illustrate the fact that the apostle James tells the truth when he says that if we break one—only one commandment—we are guilty of breaking the whole; that is, we have broken the law.
“When I was a young man, I became acquainted with a steeple-climber. This man’s precarious business possessed a strange fascination for me, and I loved to listen to the thrilling stories he used to tell of his adventures. At last it was my privilege to watch him make an ascent. The place about the steeple which needed repair was at least two hundred feet above the ground. My friend took the rope which was to sustain his weight in mid air, and carefully felt every foot of it, as was his custom. The rope bore the test of his examination, and he pro-
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ceeded to attach it firmly. But by some means his delicate touch had failed to notice just one weak point at the very end of the rope. It was perfect, except one flaw. Very soon I saw my friend swinging in mid air, with only that little rope between himself and death. Suddenly I saw the slender line sway and part, and my friend shot downward. 0, the horror of it! But by a miracle he caught a projecting timber, and his life was spared. The rope had only broken once, but that was enough almost to have cost him his life.
“Now, my dear children and friends, I have often thought of this incident since that day. God’s law is like the rope. The breaking of one link is dangerous. We may carefully observe to do all the commandments save one; but if we deliberately break that one, we separate our souls from God, and run a fearful risk. We have been trying to restore the fourth commandment to its rightful place in the heart of God’s law. Who shall tear it from thence? A broken law is like a broken chain, a defective rope. But, Mrs. Wilbur, I must ask if you have yet found the text of scripture commanding the change of the Sabbath ? ’ ’
Mrs. Wilbur smiled and shook her head. “I don’t believe there is any, Mr. Hartman.”
“I think,” interrupted Mr. Wilbur, “that my wife would have found it, had there been any; because
THE SABBATH CHANGED
65
she has hardly ceased studying the Bible and concordance since the last meeting here. I told her she wouldn’t find it, and she didn’t.”
“I’ll tell you what I did find,” said Mrs. Wilbur; ‘‘I found a verse in which Paul says that he has not shunned to declare all the counsel of God,” and Mrs. Wilbur turned to Acts 20:27. “So I reasoned at once that, if it had been in the counsel of God to change His law, and institute another day of rest, Paul must certainly have spoken of it. But I have carefully read every word written by this great apostle, and—well, to say the least, I can not find it.”
“But,” said Mrs. Jones, willing to help her friend, if possible, “the day has certainly been changed by some one; at least the Christian world mostly believe that it has? Now, the question is, Who has changed it? Who has presumed to do such a thing, Mr. Hartman ? ’ ’
Mrs. Jones spoke rapidly and earnestly, and her face expressed deep anxiety.
With a swift prayer to Heaven for help to make plain the Scriptures of truth, Brother Hartman replied :
“Mrs. Jones, will you kindly turn to Dan. 7:25, R. V., and read.”
‘ ‘ ‘ And he shall speak words against the • Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law;
5
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and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.’ ”
“I think this verse answers your question very fully.” Then, turning to little Beth, he asked:
“Did you remember to borrow the catechism of your friend, my child?”
“Yes, papa, I borrowed it yesterday; Emma said she could lend it a few days, because she has learned her lesson for next Sunday. I will fetch it; I left it up-stairs;” and away the little girl hurried after the catechism.
‘ ‘ A catechism! of all things! ’ ’ mused Mrs. Wilbur, “I wonder what Mr. Hartman wants of a Catholic catechism. ’ ’
Presently Beth returned, holding in her hands a copy of ‘ ‘ The Catholic Christian Instructed. ” “ Now, friends,” began Brother Hartman, “having found in the prophetic Word of God that there will surely arise a certain power which should wear out the saints of the Most High and tamper with His law, and having found that they—the times and the law— would be given into the hand of this power for a certain period, we look about us to see if there has arisen any power which has persecuted God’s saints and sought to change His law. Walter Gray, you are somewhat of a student of history, I believe; do you remember of ever reading from any reliable historian that there has ever arisen a persecuting power
THE SABBATH CHANGED
67
which persecuted and hunted Christ’s church until thousands upon thousands were slain?”
“I presume you refer to the bloody persecution of the church by the Roman power,” replied the lad.
Certainly, I do; well, we find by a study of Dan. 7: 25, that it was the very power that wore out the saints of the Most High that should also tamper with the holy law of the Almighty. Now, we boldly
affirm this to have been the Papacy; and if--------”
“But,” smiled Mrs. Jones, “suppose they deny this charge—it’s a pretty serious one, you know— ought we not to give them the benefit of the doubt, Mr. Hartman?”
For reply, Brother Hartman rapidly turned the leaves of the catechism which Beth had borrowed, until he had found the place he had in mind.
“But, instead of denying these charges,” said he, “they not only admit them, but are proud and bold in testifying that the Church of Rome is responsible for the change in God’s law; and that she actually boasts of her power to do this very thing. This little book is a work I have been anxious to see for a long time, knowing that it contains the confession and boast of the Catholic Church. But it never fell into my hands until just the other day.”
All this time Mrs. Wilbur sat earnestly watching the speaker, and curiously regarding the little brown-covered book.
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“Come, father,” smiled Elsie, “please don’t keep us in suspense any longer; we are all anxious to hear the testimony of the book.”
“Very well, I will read from page 252, chapter 23: “ ‘ Question: What are the days which the Church commands to be kept holy?
“ ‘Answer: First, the Sunday, or the Lord’s day, which we observe by apostolic tradition, instead of the Sabbath. .	. .
“ ‘Question: What warrant have you for keeping the Sunday, preferable to the ancient Sabbath, which was the Saturday?
“ ‘Answer: We have for it the authority of the Catholic Church and apostolic tradition.
“ ‘Question: Does the Scripture anywhere command the Sunday to be kept for the Sabbath?
“ ‘Answer: The Scripture commands us to hear the Church; . . . but the Scripture does not in particular mention this change of the Sabbath.’ ” “Well, wife,” interrupted Mr. Wilbur, “it rather strikes me, now, that this is pretty clear testimony. These people seem to acknowledge without hesitation or shame that they are the guilty parties.”
“Yes,” said John, “I believe that in almost any court of justice such testimony would be admitted. If a sum of money had been stolen, and some one pointed out the thief, and then this thief readily pleaded guilty, and displayed the stolen property, no
THE SABBATH CHANGED
69
one would think of doubting who the culprit was, would they, Josie, do you think ? ’ ’
“Why, John! you’re quite a lawyer. I’d no idea you could argue so well,” smiled Josie.
‘ ‘ I think John would make a better preacher than he would a lawyer,” declared Walter Gray. John blushed a little, while Mrs. Wilbur said earnestly: “Just let me see that little book; I can hardly believe my ears. Let me see if my own eyes will tell the same story; ’ ’ and Mrs. Wilbur reached for the little volume which had created such interest.
“Why! here is more on the subject—dear me! shall I read it? shall I ? I’m afraid I’m very foolish to be so agitated; indeed, I almost find myself wishing I had not attended these readings at all; then I would have known nothing about it, and so quite escaped any responsibility.”
“But, my friend,” said dear grandma, quietly, “you will remember that the Lord especially speaks of a class of people who are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. It would be.a pity to be among them, don’t you think so?”
“0 my,” exclaimed Billy Black, shuffling his feet uneasily, “I ain’t got much knowledge—I don’t want to be destroyed—s’pose I will be, Mr. Hartman?” “Certainly not,” responded Mrs. Wilbur quickly, while her kind, motherly eyes filled with tears, “certainly not, you poor boy. But of course one must
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understand liow one feels. But 0, just hear this!” she continued, still fixing her eyes inten~lv upon the little book. “I am more surprised than I can express! Shall I read, Mr. Hartman?”
“Certainly,” replied Brother and Sister Hartman in chorus.
“Well, I’ll just continue where you left off, on page 252; ’ ’ and Mrs. Wilbur read in a clear, though somewhat tremulous voice:
“ ‘St. John speaks of the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:10), but he does not tell us what day of the week this was, much less does he tell us that this day was to take the place of the Sabbath ordained in the commandments. St. Luke also speaks of 'he disciples meeting together to break bread, on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), and St. Paul (1 Cor. 16:2) orders that on the first day of the week, the Corinthians should lay by in store what they designed to bestow in charity; .	.	. but neither the one
nor the other tells us that this first day of the week was to be henceforward the day of worship and the Christian Sabbath. So that, truly, the best authority we have for this, is the testimony and ordinance of the Church.’ ”
“Hm—m! if that isn’t a most astonishing admission, then I don’t know!” interrupted Mr. Wilbur.
‘ ‘ But wait until I’m through, ’ ’ protested his wife; “Just hear this;” and she read rapidly:
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“ ‘And therefore those who pretend to be such religious observers of the Sunday, whilst they take no notice of other festivals ordained by the same Church authority, show that they act by humor, and not by reason and religion; since Sundays and holidays all stand upon the same foundation, viz., the ordinance of the Church.’ ”
Mrs. Wilbur ceased reading; handed the book to Brother Hartman, buried her face in her hands, and seemed lost in thought.
CHAPTER X
THE MEMORIAL OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION
OW, to sum up;” began Brother Hartman. “We find a certain power which the prophet Daniel declares shall arise, which shall arrogate to itself wonderful power—a power which shall ‘speak great words against the Most High,’ and even go so far in its blasphemous assmnption as tq tamper with His holy law—for to do this is the most daring form of blasphemy. We then trace the history of the nations down the stream of time, and find that just such a power has arisen; the inspired description fits the case exactly. The law has been changed—the Sabbath of Jehovah has been dragged from the honorable position accorded it by its divine Author, and a counterfeit sabbath been forced into its place. Finding that the inspired description of the culprit exactly fits the apostate Church of Rome, we have had the courage to lay the crime to her charge.”
“Yes,” responded Sister Hartman, “and she acknowledges the charge boldly and even boastfully.” “And so we are doubly certain that the crime lies at her door,” declared Brother Hartman; “and the (72)
THE MEMORIAL OF CHRIST’s RESURRECTION 73
question remains for us each to decide, after having once been enlightened: Shall we heed and obey the lying words of the man of sin? or Shall we yield obedience to Him who has said: ‘If ye love Me, keep My commandments;’ and ‘To obey is better than sacrifice’? ”
‘‘It may be that some one is wondering how the resurrection of Christ is commemorated, if not by making a sabbath of the resurrection day,” ventured Elsie.
“That’s just exactly what I was wondering,” said Walter Gray, fixing his dark, questioning eyes upon the speaker.
“And I, too,” declared Mrs. Wilbur.
“I wonder if John has any ideas that will help us out?” suggested his father.
“I believe he has,” declared Mattie, who had great respect for her brother’s opinions. “John always has ideas.”
“Well,” said John, with a wise shake of his head, “it seems strange that the resurrection should be kept in memory by resting on any day—seems inappropriate like.”
“Yes,” chimed in Walter Gray, “and it does seem too bad to forget all about the rest day that God ordained at creation—even if Sunday is a sacred day, seems as if the seventh day ought to have some honor yet.”
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“Well said, my lad,” said Brother Hartman; “but let us see what the Word of God says about commemorating the death, burial, and resurrection of our divine Redeemer. We are not left without a memorial, I assure you, my children, and one which bears upon it the stamp of divinity. We first find that the death of our Lord is kept in mind by partaking of the bread and wine at communion.”
“Have you Scripture to prove this, Mr. Hartman?” inquired Mr. Jones.
44 Certainly. Beth, will you read 1 Cor. 11:26? Grandma will find the place for you. ’ ’
4 4 4 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come.’ ” 44But I would like to read,” said Mrs. Wilbur, 4 4 of a divinely appointed memorial of the resurrection- of Christ, if there is any such thing other than the observance of Sunday.”
Sister Hartman hastily turned to the sixth chapter of Romans, and handed the book to Mattie who read the fourth and fifth verses slowly and thoughtfully, while Josie looked over her shoulder.
44 ‘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 together in the likeness of His death; we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.’ ”
“It seems plain to my mind,” said Brother Hart-
THE MEMORIAL OF CHRIST JS RESURRECTION 75
man, “that this scripture teaches us that even as Christ died on the cross, we are also to die to sin; and as He was buried in Joseph’s new tomb, we also should be buried beneath the watery grave in baptism (not by sprinkling, which is no burial), and that as Christ was raised from the dead, even so we are raised from the watery grave of baptism, that we may henceforth walk in newness of life, having thus publicly acknowledged our faith in a buried and risen Lord. This seems to me wonderfully appropriate and beautiful. How could it please the Lord to give us a day of rest to commemorate the most wonderful work in all the plan of redemption? Can a day of rest be an appropriate reminder of a day of most intense activity, both among the heavenly hosts and amid the church of Christ on earth?”
“Well, wife,” said Mr. Jones, “I, for one, must acknowledge that this appears to me exceedingly reasonable; I never thought there was so much on the subject.”
‘ ‘ I think there is another text in Col. 2:12,” said grandma, “which seems to prove conclusively that instead of our being commanded to observe the resurrection day as a sabbath, the ordinance of baptism was given to us, that we might, by properly observing this ceremony, prove before the world our faith in a risen Redeemer. ’ ’
Elsie had turned to the text, before grandma had
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done speaking. ‘ ‘ Why, grandma, I never noticed that text before; really, father, it’s a good one; I will read it:
“ ‘Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.’ ”
“I think I can see in this text,” said Walter Gray, “a very close connection between baptism and the resurrection of Christ.”
Mrs. Wilbur said nothing; but Grandma Hartman believed she could see in her eyes the dawning of a new light.
CHAPTER XI
SOME OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
E had thought to resume our readings on the Sabbath question to-night, ’ ’ continued Brother Hartman, “for there is much more which might be brought forward in proof of the immutability of God’s law and the sacredness of His holy Sabbath; still we must give room for individual Study and research. So, if there are any questions in the minds of those present, please speak of them, and we will try to answer; and if we find ourselves unable to do this, we will study them with Bible in hand, until, with the Lord’s help, we are able to make them plain.”
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur looked hard at each other, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones only smiled and nodded, but no one spoke a word for some time. Finally Walter Gray said earnestly:
“I’m nothing but a boy, Mr. Hartman, but there is one more thing I’d like to have studied, and that is the objection that I’ve often heard my father make; that the entire Ten Commandments were abolished at the cross of Christ.”
“I am glad, my lad, that you have sufficient interest in these readings to bring up questions like this,
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which you would like better to understand. There was, of a truth, a law which was abolished at the cross; but that law was done away because it only commanded the observance of those ceremonies which pointed forward to Christ. So that when type met antitype at the cross, of course there was no longer any need of the continuance of the type, or shadow. Walter, will you please read Eph. 2:15?”
“ ‘Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances” “You see,” continued Brother Hartman, “that this verse makes it plain that it was not the moral law which perished at the death of Christ.”
“Can you give us an example of any ordinance, or ceremony, which was done away?” questioned Mr. Jones.
“Certainly; circumcision is one example. The great trouble between the Jew and Gentile was regarding this rite. Then, the eating of the Passover was another ceremony which was done away when the true Passover, Christ, was crucified. Gal. 6:15 is quite plain with reference to circumcision; will you kindly read the text, Mr. Jones?”
“ ‘For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avail-eth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.’ ”
“There is another text,” said grandma, “that is to
SOME OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
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the point, in 1 Cor. 7:19. I would like to hear Mrs. Wilbur read the verse.”
“ ‘Circumcision is nothing, and uncireumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.’ ”
“But just think, Walter,” said John, “what a fearful condition we would all be in, if the moral law were not now in force. Why! what a world it would be!”
“That’s true,” replied Walter. “I suppose it is very necessary to have a law, or even theft and murder would call for no punishment, and must be tolerated ; somehow I never thought of it in just that way before. ’ ’
“How long did God declare that His holy law’ should endure ? Beth, you may read Matt. 5:18. Grandma will find the place for you.”
“ ‘For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowdse pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.’ ”
“Walter, will you please read Rom. 5:13?” and the lad smiled as he read the text:
“ ‘For until the law' sin w7as in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.’ ”
“As much as to say,” interrupted Sister Hartman, “that even before the giving of the law upon Mount Sinai, there must have been a knowledge of God’s holy law in the earth; indeed, there can be no
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such thing as sin, without a law which forbids that sin. ’ ’
“Elsie, do you believe that the ancient Sabbath of Jehovah will be observed in the redeemed state?”
“I believe it will, father.”
“You do!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur. 4‘Well, surely, this is a new idea to me. Where do you find the Bible for that, Elsie, may I ask?”
‘ ‘ I learned it by reading the last chapter of Isaiah, verses 22 and 23. Please turn and read them, Mrs. Wilbur, ’ ’ replied Elsie; and as Mrs. Wilbur turned to the text in question, she could not help wondering how she had closed her eyes so long to one of God’s com* mandments.
“ ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord. ’ ’ ’
Tears were in Mrs. Wilbur’s eyes before she had done reading. ‘ ‘ How can we expect to have the privilege of keeping God’s Sabbath above, if we have refused to keep it upon earth?” she said.
“I am afraid we can not,” replied Sister Hartman, “after we have once seen and acknowledged the claims of the Sabbath, and been fully enlightened.”
SOME OBJECTIONS ANSWERED
81
“Now,” said Brother Hartman, “if there are no more questions on this subject, we shall proceed to the consideration of others. But I have been thinking that it would be a fitting close for this portion of our study to ask grandma to tell us about the first Sabbath she ever kept, and how she came to keep it. I have often heard her repeat the story, and it never loses its interest to me.”
At mention of a story, Billy Black leaned eagerly forward and fixed his questioning eyes upon Grandma Hartman, who smiled upon the lad kindly as she said, “Would you like to hear a tale of olden times, my boy?”
And Billy, to whom a story possessed as much interest as a song, answered promptly, “If you please, ma ’am. ’ ’
“Very well; though even after so long a lapse of years my cheeks burn at the remembrance of my own wilfulness and hardness of heart.”
“0, Grandma Hartman!” exclaimed Beth, “you were never hard-hearted, was she, papa?”
“I have never thought her so, dear; but at the time of which your grandma speaks, I was a very little boy; so that I have no remembrance of the incident she will relate.”
6
CHAPTER XII
GRANDMA HARTMAN’S STORY
ITTLE Beth crept a bit closer to grandma’s side, and laid her curly head lovingly in her lap, while Josie and Mattie settled themselves comfortably among the cushions on the couch, in anticipation of a real treat.
“It all happened many years ago—more than half a century, in fact,” began grandma, while her soft blue eyes took on a dreamy look. “We were very young then,—your grandpa and I,—and lived in a cozy log cabin in the Michigan woods. Pour
little children had come to gladden our home-----”
“Was papa one of them, grandma?” asked Beth. “Yes, dear, the youngest. We did not belong to any church at the time, though we read our Bible and tried to persuade ourselves that we were sure of heaven; because we accounted ourselves as good as many of our friends who were church-members. About this time there came to our neighborhood a very young man—a minister—and his wife, who gave out word that they would hold a series of meetings in the old log schoolhouse about a mile from our home, through the woods. This man began preaching the second coming of Christ,—the visible, personal (82)
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83
advent of our Lord,—and declared that if His people
were to be ready to meet Him, they must keep the true Sabbath, which he affirmed to be the seventh day. I did not pay much attention to these reports for some time, but was very bitterly prejudiced against the young couple and their silly doctrine—as I called it—which I had somehow come to believe was very similar to the Mormon, and fully as pernicious. My husband had gone on several occasions, when, one evening on his return from meeting, as he sat by the little fireplace warming his hands over the embers, he said very earnestly:
‘ ‘ £ I tell you, wife, I have listened to most wonderful words to-night; these people are preaching truths that cut me to the very heart.’ Then he asked me if I would not go with him the next evening. Instantly my heart seemed filled with a hatred and venom such as I had never felt before, and I answered hotly:
“ ‘No; I will none of it. Because you choose to belittle yourself by attending the services of these fanatics, is certainly no sign why I should do so, and I warn you, don’t bring that proselyting couple home with you—I will not have them in the house! ’
“It seemed that the more I gave way to my unreasoning anger, the more angry I became; until I had almost closed my heart to the divine pleading of the Holy Spirit, and for the time being, allowed
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my will to be dominated by the powers of darkness. All this time my husband answered me mildly, and kindly insisted that I should attend services with him the next evening.
“ ‘I see what you are intending,’ I cried, ‘you are going to become a convert of this Saturday man, are you? But I warn you,’ I continued, in unreasoning anger, ‘I warn you, I will make life unendurable for you on that day; I shall bake and mop and cook and brew and wash!—0, I warn you! Why do you ask me to go with you? You well know it is impossible for me to leave our little ones,’ I said.
“ ‘But we can put them to bed, and I am sure they will be safe,’ he argued. And so, not because I desired to learn more truth, but because I wished to fill my mouth with arguments against him, I went with my husband.”
‘ ‘ It does not seem a bit like you, ma ’am, ’ ’ ventured Walter Gray.
“Really, I don’t understand what can have possessed grandma,” declared Elsie.
“Why, grandmother!” protested John, “you never scold a fellow even when he needs it. I guess it made grandfather astonished enough.”
“I presume it did, and that it made his dear heart very sad indeed. But he offered not a single word of censure. How well I remember the quiet walk
GRANDMA HARTMAN *S STORY	85
through the woods over the winding path to the old log schoolhouse. The children had been laid, carefully, crosswise of the bed in the little, two-roomed log cabin, and bidden not to get up until we returned, and, above all, not to touch the fire, which was left smoldering in the open fireplace.”
“Did they mind what you bade them, grandma?” asked Beth.
“0 yes, dear, for ours were obedient children. But never can I forget my impressions as I entered the little building where already were assembled many of our neighbors and friends. There, in the rude pulpit sat the offending minister and his young wife, and it seemed to me, in my blind prejudice and folly, that I had never seen so inferior and unpolished people in my life. I regarded them in bitter, contemptuous silence. May the Lord forgive me! Well,” continued grandma, as she carefully wiped her glasses, “in a few moments, the minister and his wife arose and began singing a hymn. Instantly I was spell-bound. Such singing I had never heard, as, to the sad, sweet old tune, ‘Jamie’s on the Stormy Sea,’ they sang such beautiful words! To this day I can never hear them sung without feelings of deep emotion, nor without seeing, in fancy, the same old log schoolhouse, and the same familiar faces of yore;” and grandma sang in a tremulous voice:
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“Mark that pilgrim, lowly bending At the shrine of prayer, ascending Praise and sighs' together blending Prom his lips in mournful strain.
Glowing with sincere contrition,
And with childlike, vast submission,
Ever riseth this petition:
‘ Jesus, come, O come to reign!’ ”
“And as they sang on and on,” continued grandma, “such a revulsion of feeling surged over me, as I can not describe.”
Grandma’s listeners were deeply interested by this time, and as the dear old lady paused for a moment, they begged her to go on. Mrs. Wilbur leaned forward in her chair, with a rapt expression on her face, as if fearful of losing a single word, while Billy Black had risen softly and taken a seat close to grandma’s side.
“Yes,” she continued, “I thought, ‘How can it be possible that people who can sing like that, with so much of the Spirit of the Lord, can be bad people? I have certainly been mistaken; and I have grossly misjudged and maligned the anointed of the Lord.’
“Then, the sermon that night wras a revelation. 0, how plain the Sabbath truth shone from God’s Book! I wondered that all my life I could have overlooked such unanswerable texts of scripture as Matt. 28:1 and Luke 23: 56 and 24:1 and kindred passages. Suffice it to say, that before the close of
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that night’s sermon, I had fully decided that, with God’s help, I had broken my last Sabbath
Again grandma’s feelings overcame her, and she paused for a moment.
“But how did you fix it up with grandfather?” asked John roguishly.
“Yes,” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur, “pray how did you fix it up with your husband ? ’ ’
For a moment Grandma Hartman did not reply. A dreamy look came into her dear, blue eyes, which had become misty with tears. It was quiet in the room, and the ticking of the clock on the mantel was the only sound to be heard.
“ ‘How did I fix it up with my husband?’ repeated grandma, at last. “Well, to tell you the truth, I was sorely ashamed, as indeed I ought to have been; so that, when meeting closed, and we again set out over the snowy, winding foot-path through the woods for home and children, I had not courage to speak of my newly-formed resolution.”
“But what did grandpa have to say to you?” queried Mattie.
“Not a single word, Mattie, not a single word. He dare not, you see, for fear of rousing my wrath, which he feared was only slumbering, ready to break out anew and with greater vengeance. So the journey home was made in silence, save for an occasional commonplace remark, he from fear, and I from
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shame, not daring to venture a word to express to the other the true state of our feelings.”
“Did you find the children all right when you got back ? ’ ’ interrupted Beth.
“0 yes, dear,” smiled grandma; “we found four little forms fast asleep under the blankets, crosswise of the bed, just as I had placed them. But as I bent to kiss the innocent little sleepers, I could not but think how different were my feelings now than when I had kissed them good-night at parting. Well, this was Tuesday evening. Wednesday and Thursday passed, and, tho I still attended the meetings, I had spoken no word of my decision to my husband. I was very weak and foolish, and I realized it perfectly. But I could not summon courage to speak. Indeed, I was afraid that in my cruel and senseless anger, I had driven quite away those good impressions which the Spirit of God had placed in his heart. He would very likely oppose me bitterly, I reasoned, even as I had threatened to do by him; and keenly did I realize that I deserved it all.
“At last, Friday evening came. Never shall I forget the red-eye of the winter’s sun as it shone through the bare branches of the trees, and then sunk behind the old barn. All day long that Friday had been to me indeed a preparation day. My baking and mending were done, and everything was in readiness for the holy Sabbath so far as I could make it so.
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I also noticed that your grandpa was earlier with his chores and his milking, and I wondered why. Still I lacked the courage to confess my wrong and bravely admit that I was preparing to rest from my labor as God did from His. At last, I took the youngest child in my lap and sat down in the one rocking-chair of which our cabin could boast.
‘‘I then noticed that my husband was also seated, quietly reading the Bible. This was unusual with us, for we were busy people, and did not ordinarily sit down until much later. I stared at my husband in silence for a moment, and he at me; finally he spoke:
“ ‘Wife, what are you doing?’
“ ‘What are you doing, my husband?’ I echoed. “ ‘0 grandma! what did he say?” asked Elsie. “Say? why, of course our secret was out at last, and we could only clasp each other’s hands in the gathering twilight, and weep tears of gratitude and thanksgiving to God, and thus we began keeping our first Sabbath—on Christmas eve, 1852.”
Grandma’s voice grew husky, and she bent and kissed the upturned face of little Beth, who, as usual, was ready with a question:
“Did papa keep the Sabbath, too, with you, grandma?”
“Your papa was a mere babe, but Aunt Jennie,
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the oldest, was a little girl younger than you—not more than seven years old.”
“Did this little girl understand or notice the change?” asked Mrs. Jones. “I am curious to know how you managed the children. Still, I suppose if they were all so young, they did not realize the change. Had they been older, you might have had some trouble. ’ ’
“It is my one regret and sorrow,” sighed grandma, “that I did not explain to little Jennie the Bible reasons for the change we had made. Though I then considered her too young to understand, I now fully believe that she would have comprehended the plain Scripture perfectly. She was a very conscientious child, and would never work at her knitting, or even play, on Sunday, and so, when I asked her to perform her accustomed tasks on what she had regarded sacred time, she protested vigorously.”
“Could auntie knit stockings when she was littler than I?” queried Beth.
“0 yes; children were brought up in those days to be busy, almost from babyhood.”
“But how did you finally manage her?” queried Mrs. Wilbur.
“I regret to say that I simply insisted upon her doing her usual tasks, without giving her a good and sufficient reason for so doing. The child had great reverence for the Bible, even then, and I could
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and should have made everything plain to her. I firmly believe that even very young children can comprehend a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ ”
“I would like to ask if many others who attended those meetings began the observance of the seventh day ? ’ ’ said Mrs. Wilbur.
“Yes; there was quite a large company. But time is a great tester of sincerity; and so, after a while, there were not so many. Some Avere ready to declare that we would give up, because we were in such a hurry. But Ave told them that Ave had decided to do as the psalmist did, when he says, ‘I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments.’ ”
Mrs. Wilbur seemed nervous and ill at ease at grandma’s reply, but said nothing.
‘ ‘ I imagine it must take much true courage, does it not, Mr. Hartman, to begin the keeping of a day AArhich almost the entire Christian world antagonize?” said Mr. Jones.
“Yes, it does,” replied Brother Hartman, “but A\rhen Ave know what is truth and duty, we may rely on the grace of Cod, Avhich is always sufficient.”
“But now it is best to close our study for this evening, which we will do Avith a word of prayer, and by singing the hymn grandma told us about tonight, which is her favorite:
“ ‘Mark that pilgrim, lowly bending.’ ”
CHAPTER XIII
A HOME TALK ON THE SABBATH
OOD evening, neighbors, all of you. I see you have come in a body to-night. It is no surprise party, however, because we were expecting you all,—every one of you,” said Brother Hartman, as he ushered his guests into the pleasant sitting-room.
“I was so tired to-night,” said Mr. Wilbur, “that I am afraid if it had not been for my wife, I should have excused myself from coming. But she said we were not quite done with the Sabbath question yet, and she’s anxious to hear all there is in the Bible on the subject.”
“But,” replied Brother Hartman, turning to his guest, “I am not at all sure that we shall touch every text in the Bible relating to the observance bf God’s Sabbath, for the Bible is a large Book, and God has said much about His sacred day. But we can at least find out our duty in regard to it. We will begin our study to-night by reading one of God’s glorious promises to the Sabbath-keeper. Josie, will you read Isa. 58; 13, 14 ? ”
“Read carefully, child,” interrupted grandma, (92)
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“for you are about to read one of the most blessed promises in all God’s Book;” and in a soft, subdued voice, the young girl read:
“ ‘If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable ; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ ”
There were tears in Mrs. Wilbur’s eyes before her daughter had done reading, and, when she had finished, the mother said earnestly:
“lam perfectly willing to confess to-night that this subject has brought many surprises to me,—in fact, a constant succession of them,—one of the greatest of which was to read in one of our studies the confession and boast of the Catholic Church. Still there are a few points which remain unsettled.”
“If you feel free to mention these objections, we will be glad to examine them by the great searchlight pf God’s Word,” replied Brother Hartman.
While Mrs. Wilbur hesitated a moment to collect her thoughts, Mattie exclaimed, her bright eyes sparkling with enthusiasm:
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“0 father! to-day, as Beth and I were going to school, we met Mr. Davis, the gardener, and his hired man. ‘Good morning, Miss Sabbatarian,’ he said; this made the other man laugh. I said, ‘Good morning, sir,’ and was passing on, when he called after me: ‘Say, Missie, God does not care which day you keep, if you only keep one,’ ‘Please, sir,’ I said, ‘He says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work;” and don’t you believe Gbd means what He saysV Then he told me he was going to begin picking his berries next Sabbath, and wanted me to help. I told him that I supposed God was just as much in earnest when He gave men the fourth commandment as He was when He said ‘Thou shalt not steal,’ or ‘kill.’ Then he looked pretty sober, and said: ‘You’ve been well taught, Miss Mattie, I hope you’ll always stick to your principles.’ ”
“Well, to tell you the truth,” said Mrs. Wilbur, “this very thing was one of the unsettled points in
my own mind,—but now--------”
“And mine, too,” interrupted Mr. Jones, “but 1 fully believe now that the Almighty means just what He says.”
All this time John was busy turning the leaves of his Bible.
“What is it, my son? Have you something to th« point?” asked his mother.
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“Yes, mother; Christ must have thought that the observance of any day would not answer, or He would never have commanded His disciples to pray to be delivered from the necessity of escaping out of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Father says that Jerusalem was not destroyed until about forty years after this, so the ancient Sabbath must have been in full force as long as this, at least. If any day, or a seventh part of time, will answer, why did the Lord command His disciples to pray in this way? Why did He not say: Pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on any day in particular!”
“It would have been very foolish indeed!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur. “But please tell me how one is to observe the seventh day in going north or south to the poles where there are six months day and six months night.”
“Why, wife,” said Mr. Wilbur, “I suppose it would be as easy to keep the seventh day there, as it would the first, would it not ? ’ ’
“You aren’t intending to go there, are you, my friend?” chimed in Mrs. Jones, mischievously.
“But to be serious, Mrs. Wilbur,” exclaimed Brother Hartman, “those who have been very far north declare that the revolution of the earth upon its axis is quite plainly discernible; and I am sure the Almighty would never command us to keep His
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Sabbath upon a world on which it was impossible to do so. ’ ’
“The verse Mattie read is a little hard to understand, I think,” said Josie. “What does the Lord mean by the expression, ‘If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath’?”
“It means that He does not want us to trample upon His holy day any longer. See here,” continued Brother Hartman, placing his large Bible upon the carpet, and then putting his foot upon it, “see; my foot is upon this Book. I have it underfoot. See; now I have taken my foot from it, and I place it in an honorable position upon the table. In like manner, God would have His children stop trampling upon His holy day, and restore it to its rightful place in the bosom of His everlasting law; and 0 my dear friends and children, shall we not all of us join with the psalmist David in saying from the heart:
“ ‘Then shall I not be ashamed,
When I have respect unto all Thy commandments.’ ”
All this time the young lad, Billy Black, seeing that the conversation had drifted somewhat beyond his understanding, had been looking wistfully over in the direction of the large parlor organ, standing in the corner of the sitting-room. Billy was very fond of music, and, withal, had an exceptionally fine voice. But his extreme diffidence generally prevented him from improving his one
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talent, as his good old grandmother often expressed it. But to-night he felt an uncontrollable desire to hear some music; so when at last he saw the happy company breaking up, he remarked shyly, ‘c I thought they always closed meetin’s with a song.”
“So they do, my lad, so they do,” smiled Brother Hartman.
“0,” cried Beth, “please ask Billy to sing, papa; he can sing so pretty.”
“I believe Billy has a fine voice,” agreed John. ‘41 often hear him and his grandmother singing when I pass the house.”
And so it came to pass that poor Billy forgot his embarrassment and joined with the others in singing that matchless song:
“Kock of Ages, cleft for me;
Let me hide myself in Thee.”
“I find something very interesting in that poor boy,” said grandma, wiping her eyes, after their guests had again departed.
“Yes,” said John, “so do I; he asked me to-night if I’d mind his coming to the next reading; of course I gave him a hearty welcome—poor fellow. Walter and I are going to do all we can in every way for him.”
“That’g a good resolution, my children,” said Brother Hartman. “We must all be home missionaries 7
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and try to be self-sacrificing and generous toward
those not as fortunate as ourselves. And, my little Beth, I want you to learn this verse before you sleep, ‘For even Christ pleased not Himself.’ ”
“By the way, father,” said John, “it seemed to me that the Sabbath never looked so plain before as since we have begun these readings.”
“Nor so beautiful!” echoed Elsie.
“I am very glad,” declared grandma, “that the Holy Spirit put it into your hearts, my dear son and daughter, to take this method of instructing your children in the glorious truths of God’s Word. Ah! if all the living church of Christ would heed the command to teach their children God’s law, when they go out and when they come in, when they sit down and when they rise up, there would be fewer apostasies among the young, and fewer backsliders among the older ones. 0, there is keeping power in God’s Word.”
“That’s true, grandma,” said Mrs. Hartman, “and it seems to me that our little church school, if we may so call it, is going to do great good, not only to our own, but to others.”
“Josie Wilbur told me to-night,” said Mattie, “that her ma hasn’t studied the Bible so much in all her life, and Josie said she wouldn’t miss coming for anything.”
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‘‘Did yon decide finally upon the subject for the next meeting, papa?” asked Mattie.
“I think it would be well to bind off our study of the Sabbath. Of course, it will not be possible or practical to make these studies exhaustive on any subject. Yet, on the important and fundamental principles of our faith, I wish you, my children, not to remain in ignorance for a single day longer than it is necessary to become perfectly enlightened regarding them. Every day you are in danger of being led into temptation and deception, and if you are not rooted and grounded in the love of the truth, I fear lest your mother and I be held guilty in the last day; and in order to be guiltless, we must leave no stone unturned in your spiritual education.” “What does ‘rooted and grounded’ mean, papa?” queried Beth.
“Just read the verse, little girl, and grandma’ll explain it to you;” and Brother Hartman turned in Beth’s Bible to Ephesians, third chapter, while she read verses 17 to 19:
‘ ‘ ‘ That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of Cod.’ ”
“Now, dear,” said grandma, “had not that great
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oak by the gate been rooted and grounded deep into the earth, it must have been overturned in the fierce 'storm of last night. And so, unless we are firmly established in the truth, we shall surely be overthrown-by the winds of persecution and the floods of apostasy which will soon sweep over the world.”
“Grandma’s ideas are good. But while it is highly commendable to be well informed upon all points of doctrine, we must not forget that our salvation depends upon the merits of Christ, our crucified and risen Lord, and not upon our own good deeds. Though we may be able to repeat the entire Bible from memory, still if we do not live out its great truths, or if we trust in our own puny strength instead of in Christ, we shall fail of victory at last.”
CHAPTER XIV
THE VOICE OF CONSCIENCE
HE night which followed this Bible-reading —which concluded the studies concerning the Sabbath—was one long to be remembered by Mrs. Wilbur. Every one of her objections had been answered candidly and Scripturally, and long before the conclusion of grandma’s story, Mrs. Wilbur saw the Sabbath of Jehovah as never before, occupying its rightful place in the heart of God’s great moral code—the “law” by which we are to be judged. Will she have the courage to obey? Over and over again she asks herself: “How can I ?ive up my own will ? How can I sunder the ties vhich bind me to my church—the church to which t have belonged ever since my girlhood, and whose teachings were as sacred to my mother as the very Word of God, and in the firm belief of which she died? How can I unite with a few humble men and women whom the world ridicules, and upon whom I have been accustomed to look with pity, if not with scorn? And then, there is our daughter; I have great hopes for Josie. She must make her 'nark in the world. How can I for her sake?”
Mr. Wilbur is silent and thoughtful; and for some
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reason, they, like Grandpa and Grandma Hartman, did not speak to each other of the subject which on this night was being driven home to the heart of each by the convincing Spirit of God. Before Mrs. Wilbur slept, she had almost decided to obey— almost. But alas! that little word, “almost,” has been the ruin of many a soul since the days of the proud Festus, who tremblingly declared while the wonderful pleading of the great apostle to the Gentiles rang in his ears, “Almost thou persuadest me.” Almost; but pride is not yet conquered. The enemy never lets go his hold upon a human soul without a mighty struggle. And while we leave Mrs. Wilbur and her husband to visit the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, we can only pray that the pitying Christ may not take away from them His Spirit.
Unlike Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur, Mr. and Mrs. Jones talk the matter over freely together.
“Beally, I am surprised,” said Mrs. Jones, “at the amount of plain Scripture which has been read in favor of the seventh-day Sabbath. Aren’t you, my dear?”
“Well, yes; I’m quite willing to acknowledge that it’s plain enough. But, you see, it’s impossible, absolutely impossible, for us to keep it. I would lose my position at the mills the first thing, and then what would become of us? We have no children to whom we can turn like most people, and you know
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what the Bible says about providing for your own
“Yes, I know,” replied Mrs. Jones, quietly. “But there is another passage that reads: £He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’ ”
“0 well, of course I don’t say I shall never obey; and I hope I am candid enough to admit that I see the point. If you care to attend these readings hereafter, I shall certainly go with you, and we will learn all we can.”
“I am so glad,” replied Mrs. Jones. “I feared you would decide that we must give them up. I wonder if the Wilburs will be there next reading, which is to be on the nature of the soul, I believe, isn’t it? I think Mrs. Wilbur, at least, is deeply impressed. ’ ’
“She certainly is; but not more so than her husband. Mr. Wilbur is more quiet, perhaps, but I think he is deeply interested for all that. But as for me, l don’t think it’s best to run the risk of losing my position. ’ ’
Mrs. Jones only sighed as she answered, “I am sure it must take a deal of moral courage and much of God’s good grace to unite with a company whose views are so different from other peoples—so unpopular. ’ ’
But as Mrs. Jones sought her pillow and tried to
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sleep that night, certain words from the good Book kept repeating themselves over and over in her dreams:
“Come out from among them, and be ye separate. ’ ’
Nor were the older members of Brother and Sister Hartman’s reading-eircle the only ones who were deeply impressed with the beautiful and harmonious truths to which they had listened.
Walter Gray had decided more fully than ever that he would study the Word more earnestly, so that some day he might be able to explain it to others. The next morning, at the breakfast-table, he repeated Grandma Hartman’s story to a group of interested listeners, and closed by saying:
“I hope, father, you will not object to my attending these readings; I am learning so much, and really, father, I wish you and mother would go. The next reading we are going to settle the question by the Bible, ‘What is the condition of man in death; and is the soul immortal?’ and we are each going to tell a Bible story about some one whom Christ or His apostles or some holy prophet raised to life from the dead. I’m thinking it will be very interesting.”
“Well, my son,” replied Mr. Gray, a kindly, intellectual-looking man, “if that is to be your study, I think we will try to attend, will we not, mother?”
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And so, much to Walter’s delight, it was settled that his parents would accompany him to Brother Hartman’s on the occasion of the next reading.
Nor must we forget a word about Billy Black. Over in the humble cottage where lived the blind old woman and her grandson, and which once sheltered the poor, drunken father when he was not at the saloon, a young lad with a very serious face sought his bed that night. He had heard strange things at Brother Hartman’s—things of which he had never thought before. He had learned that the great God in heaven loves and cares for the humblest of His children; and ever since the recitation of that beautiful psalm of David, by the sweet-faced, innocent child, little Beth Hartman, the lad could not forget the first verse, which had so impressed him, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” And all unconscious to himself his heart was growing purer and tenderer, and more susceptible to the influences of the purifying Spirit of Christ.
CHAPTER XV
IS THE SOUL OF MAN IMMORTAL?
HE family of Brother Hartman was more than surprised and gratified as they seafed themselves for their next study, to see that instead of their number decreasing, as they had almost feared, their little circle was increasing in membership. Very glad were they to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Gray, whom Walter gallantly introduced to his friends.
“We are happy to study the Bible together with you all on this most important topic,” began Brother Hartman. “Beth, my child, what is the subject of our lesson to-night?”
“We are going to try to find out by the Bible, papa, what becomes of us when we die.”
Brother Hartman smiled, and grandma drew the little form that as usual nestled by her side, a little closer, as she said: “That is good, my dear. Your statement of the subject is all right, and perfectly understandable, I am sure.”
“I think,” said Brother Hartman, “that Job answers the question as plainly as any one can. Elsie, will you turn to Job 14, and read the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth verses?”
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“ ‘But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?’ ”
“You see,” interrupted Sister Hartman, “that Job asks the very question we would have asked.” “Yes,” continued Elsie, “he both asks and answers it. ‘As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: so man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.’ ”
“What!” exclaimed Mrs. Gray. “You don’t believe, do you, that death ends everything—that it is an eternal sleep?”
“Why, no, Mrs. Gray,” smiled John. “Job says they will not awake until something happens; what is that which must happen first, Walter? See here; read this line once more, won’t you?”
“ ‘Till the heavens be no more,’ ” repeated the lad, wondering what would come next.
“I should think that was almost equivalent to saying they would never awake,” volunteered Mr. Jones, gloomily.
“0 no, my friend, not so fast. Please turn to 2 Peter 3:10, and we will see if there does not come a time when the very heavens shall pass away.” “Do you think the heaven where God dwells is ever going to pass awray?” queried Walter, more mystified than ever.
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“Certainly not; you know the Bible speaks of three heavens. Paul says he was caught up into the third heaven. But the heavens which pass away must mean the atmospheric heavens which surround this earth. Please read the verse, Mr. Jones—it will explain everything. ’ ’
“ ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ’ ”
“The twelfth verse also speaks of a time when the heavens shall be on fire and be dissolved,” continued Brother Hartman, “and the tenth verse says this will be when the day of the Lord comes. So we suppose Job refers to the resurrection at the last day, when he affirms that the dead shall not awake till the heavens pass away—or be no more.”
“Rev. 21:1 is quite to the point right here; shall I read father?” asked Elsie.
“ ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.’ ”
“This, then, seems very plain that man lies in the grave after death, until the resurrection. Where did Job expect to go at death? Mrs. Wilbur, please read Job 14:13.”
“ ‘0 that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave,’
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Well, we suppose, of course, that the body rests in the grave, but is not the immortal soul conscious and happy in heaven—is it not, Mr. Hartman?” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur excitedly.
'‘Many of us have been taught so to believe, but _______>>
“Pardon the interruption, father,” said John, but please let me ask Mrs. Wilbur a question. If the soul is conscious and in heaven, would it not be perfectly aware of everything which happens on earth ?’ ’
“Why, I suppose so, of course; I think it very likely and entirely reasonable.”
“Well, then, let us see,” replied John, smiling. “Please read Job 14:20, 21.”
“ ‘Thou prevailest forever against him, and he passeth; thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. Ilis sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.’ ”
“Well,” said Mr. Gray, “I was not aware that such a text of Scripture existed. It certainly does appear that the dead must be asleep—unconscious. Still it seems to me there are other texts on the subject, which------”
“0, there are, Mr. Gray, there are; here is another. Let us read what the psalmist David says about
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the condition of dead men. Will Mrs. Gray please read Ps. 6:5?”
‘c * For in death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks ? ’ ”
Mrs. Gray looked up with flushed cheeks; and grandma remarked: “Without doubt David was praying to be healed from sickness; for in the second verse he prays, ‘0 Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.’ And as one great reason for his desire to be healed, he urges the plea which Mrs. Gray has just read. He wishes to live because he can not give God praise after he is laid low by death.”
“Yes, grandma,” interrupted Mattie, “but that isn’t all David has said about the condition we are in when we are dead. Josie and I just found another verse by the reference. Please let Josie read it, father; ’ ’ and the little girl read:
“ ‘The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.’ ”
“Death, then, is a condition of silence—a condition of unconscious inactivity,” said Brother Hartman.
All this time Billy Black had been an attentive listener, and his usually dull eyes shone with interest.
“Well, Billy, what is your opinion?” asked John.
“What is my opinion,” repeated Billy slowly. “Maybe my opinion ain’t worth anything; but it seems to me that a body don’t need the Bible to tell
IS THE SOUL OF MAN IMMORTAL ?	Ill
him that dead folks don’t know anything any more— I should suppose they ought to know that without telling! ’ ’
It was a long speech for poor Billy to make— awkward, bashful, uneducated Billy; and, by the time he had ceased speaking, his face was very red, and he glanced appealingly first at Brother Hartman and then at grandma—whom he instinctively recognized as a friend.
Mrs. Wilbur’s eyes were blazing indignantly. “Why,” she exclaimed hastily; “the lad would have us believe that when we die, we must die like the brutes!’ ’
Grandma Hartman was a very tactful woman, and this most happy faculty stood her in good stead now. While she had seen and noted poor Billy’s appealing glance, it would never do to allow their pleasant, cozy study to be marred by a shadow of ill-feeling on the part of any. Already Sister Hartman was looking uneasy, and Elsie was fidgeting with her handkerchief. Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Jones exchanged glances, and Brother Hartman did not forget to send up a silent prayer to heaven.
“Why, Billy!” exclaimed grandma, “Surely you are too intelligent a boy to believe that God cares no more for us than for the brutes, when He made us in His own blessed image. And still, my friend,”— turning to Mrs. Wilbur, whose expressive eyes had
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already lost their fire, “we can hardly blame the poor boy for forgetting to say anything about the glorious resurrection. It all depends on that, you know. If it were not for the resurrection, I’m afraid Billy’s diagnosis of the state of the dead would be correct to all eternity. Thank God, thank God for a certain hope of a resurrection from the dead; ’ ’ and grandma’s mild, blue eyes shone with happy tears.
“Have you any scripture to prove that particular point?” asked Mrs. Gray anxiously.
“0 certainly; Elsie,' can’t you find the verse you and I were studying to-day?”
‘ ‘ Here it is, grandma, and it’s right to the point. I am sure it will answer Mrs. Gray’s question; it is the thirty-second verse of 1 Corinthians 15. Maybe Mrs. Gray would like to read it herself. You see,” continued Elsie, as Mrs. Gray turned to find the place indicated, “you see, Paul had a pretty serious time of it, because he tried to follow Christ, and he says plainly that were it not for the resurrection, he would not be profited at all; and he couldn’t say that, if he expected to get his reward at death, —now could he, Mrs. Gray?”
But Mrs. Gray made no reply, and began to read: “ ‘If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die.’ ”
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‘‘Here is another text equally strong,” said John. ‘‘It is Luke 14:13, 14. I would ask Billy to read, but he made me promise long ago that I would not. But Walter will read the verse.”
“ ‘But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed; for they can not recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.’ ” “Are you sure it does not say at death, Walter?” asked Mattie, roguishly.
“ ‘At the resurrection of the just,’ ” repeated Walter, solemnly. Mr. Gray, who had said nothing for some time, now exclaimed earnestly:
“Yes, yes, my son; I believe, myself, on evidence which has already been produced, that people do not receive either their reward or their punishment at death. But I think,” he continued, “our friend Mrs. Wilbur said something about our dying like the beasts. Now I believe there is something said somewhere in the Book to the effect that as one dieth so dieth the
other. I don’t remember just where it is-----”
‘ ‘ Here is the text, Mr. Gray, ’ ’ said John. ‘ ‘ Let me read Eccl. 3:19, 20: ‘ For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing bef alleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; . . . All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.’ ” Mrs. Wilbur looked very serious as John read the S
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words of Inspiration slowly and deliberately. “I never supposed there were such words in the Bible. I am much surprised, to say the least,” and the good lady looked fully into Sister Hartman’s eyes, questioningly.
“I understand somewhat how yon feel, my friend,” said Sister Hartman. “But we must not forget that it is only in death that we lie as low as the animal creation. Of course, we as well as they, must turn to dust. But as the prophet Isaiah exclaimed victoriously, even so may we:
“ ‘Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust.’ Now, Mrs. Jones, I would like you to turn to Job 19:25, 26, and read what Job says about his hope. ’ ’
“ ‘For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. ’ ’ ’
“Now, Mrs. Jones,” said Mrs. Gray, “what would you truly think was the writer’s hope, from this language ? ’ ’
Mrs. Wilbur awaited the reply of Mrs. Jones with great eagerness.
“Why, it actually seems to me that his hope is in the fact that he expects in his flesh to see God, and not in his disembodied spirit.”
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“Well, then, that looks as if it must be brought about by a resurrection from the dead,” said Mrs. Wilbur musingly.
Mr. Gray smiled, while Brother Hartman said quietly:
“It is the only way he can ever see his God—and it is the only way any of us will ever see Him, except those who are translated at Christ’s coming. When we see Him, it will be in our flesh, purified and immortalized, and made like our Redeemer after His resurrection. ’ ’
“All this sounds very strange to me, Mr. Hartman,” said Mrs. Gray, “but I must say it looks reasonable, only--------”
“But I’d like to ask Mr. Hartman how he knows we are to be like Christ, in the resurrection,” interrupted Mrs. Wilbur.
“If you will turn to Ps. 17:15, I think you will see very plainly that we have good reason for our hope. Josie, will you read the verse?”
“ ‘As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.’ ”
“Yes, yes, praise the Lord,” murmured grandma, “yes, I shall be satisfied then.”
CHAPTER XVI
SOUL, SPIRIT, AND BREATH
HERE is one text I would like to study with you, if you have no objection,” suggested Mr. Gray, “but I don’t know exactly where to look for it—but something is said about the spirit going to God—now, what is the spirit?”
“Yes, Mr. Hartman, what is the spirit?” asked Mrs. Wilbur. “What is the spirit?” she repeated eagerly.
‘ ‘ First, let us read the text of scripture mentioned by Mr. Gray. Walter, will you please turn to Eccl. 12: 7, and read?”
“ ‘Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.’ ”
“Now, Mrs. Wilbur asks, ‘What is the spirit?’ We are sometimes assured that, when our friends die, they are not in their graves, but that they are in heaven. Let me read Eccl. 9:10: ‘For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ So that makes it certain that ive lie in the grave when death comes, instead of going at once to heaven, and that then we are utterly unconscious. So that whatever it is which (116)
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returns to God, it can have neither wisdom nor knowledge; hence knowing positively nothing whatever, it must be unconscious after the death of the man. ’ ’
“ Perhaps you believe that the spirit is merely the breath, do you?” queried Mrs. Gray.
'£I will read Job 12:9, 10: ‘ Who knoweth not in ' all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this; in whose hand is the soul [margin, “life”] of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.’ Again, please turn to Ps. 146:4. Elsie, will you read ? ’ ’
“ ‘His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. ’ ’ ’
“Perhaps, then,” said Brother Hartman, “it is the breath (the life) of man which goes forth and returns to God wrho gave it. This view harmonizes completely with the Scriptures. Now, when the spirit is separated from the body, what occurs? Billy Black, what happens then?”
“We die, sir,” replied Billy, with great emphasis. “What else, then, besides spirit does Inspiration name the thing that God takes at death ? Mrs. Wilbur, please read Ps. 104: 29. ”
“ ‘Thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust.’ ”
“Then that which returns to the Almighty is that which He gave—the spirit of life, or the breath of life-—no more conscious than before it entered the
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human body. Further: When the spirit is separated from the body, and death occurs, what does Inspiration say is the condition of the mental faculties? Josie, please read Eccl. 9:5, first clause.”
‘ ‘ ‘ For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything”
“So it must take the combination of spirit and body to be conscious; and even then, under certain conditions, such as deep sleep, or when under the influence of deadening drugs, man becomes unconscious. Is this true, Mr. Jones?”
“It certainly must be.”
“Then it must logically follow that, when this combination no longer exists, there is utter unconsciousness. Josie, is it possible for a dead man to love anybody or anything?”
“Humph! that's a queer question,” interrupted Billy.
“Why is it a queer question, my lad? If people are conscious after death, they can surely love, and hate, and envy, just as much as ever, don’t you agree with me, Miss Josie?”
“I suppose they could, Mr. Hartman,” replied Josie, *glancing at her mother, who appeared deeply absorbed in thought. “I suppose so—only—it does not seem to me that they do. It isn’t reasonable, is
it?”
“You are right, entirely so; but please read a
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little further, for I assure you God has not left us in the dark on this most absorbing question. Will Mr. Wilbur read Eccl. 9:4-7?”
“ ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.’ ” “Now, I must ask, Is this plain to you? Mrs. Wilbur, have we made it plain?”
“I am surprised, Mr. Hartman; I thought I knew
the Bible a little myself—but-----”
“Well,” said Mrs. Jones, “I feel the same way. Really I had no idea there was anything of this sort in the whole Book. ’ ’
“There is much in the blessed Volume for all of us,” said grandma; “it is like a mine of gold or hidden diamonds; but we must search for the gems of truth as for hid treasure. ’ ’
“You won’t forget to ask some one to read that text where the word ‘immortal’ is used, will you, father?” asked Elsie.
“Thank you, daughter; I had quite forgotten it. The word immortal is used but once in the Bible, and so it is very interesting in this connection to
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note that it is not applied even to the mighty angels —much less to poor, mortal man. Will grandma read the text? 1 Tim. 1:17.”
“Yes,” repeated grandma, “the term immortal is only applied to the great Jehovah—the Creator of all things: 'Now unto the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.’ ”
“I had supposed,” said Mrs. Gray, “that this word was used very frequently in the Bible.”
‘'Only once; and the word ‘immortality’ is used but four times; and in not a single instance is it applied to the soul or the spirit of man. ’ ’
“Let us find these four texts,” proposed Mrs. Gray, “and read them.”
“Certainly; it will be very profitable. Mattie, can you tell us where one of these texts may be found? What? you have forgotten? John can tell us, I think, can’t you, my son?”
“Rom. 2:7 is one text, father. Let Walter read it, please; ’ ’ and the lad read slowly and thoughtfully :
“ ‘To them who by patient continuance in welldoing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.’ ”
“Well, Walter, if you already have anything, would it not be very foolish to expect you to seek for it?”
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“In other words/’ interrupted John, “if your soul was naturally immortal, do you think this expression would occur in God’s Book?”
“Sure enough,” admitted Walter, “it would be quite absurd to expect one to 1seek’ for immortality if he already possessed it.”
“But this is only one text containing the word immortality,’' said Mr. Wilbur, “please let us hear the others—this study is growing intensely interesting to me, at least.”
“The Bible is a deeply interesting book as well as an instructive one,” was the reply, “and the only wonder is that it is studied so little. But, Mrs. Gray, if you will turn to 1 Cor. 15: 53, 54, you will find another instance of the use of this rare word.”
‘For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mo-rial must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ”
The word is used twice in this instance, but as it is in the same verse and used in the same connection, we count it but once; but is there anything, Mrs. Gray, do you think, in this scripture, to indicate that the soul or spirit of man is now immortal?”
“0, no, indeed; there is everything to indicate exactly the opposite.”
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‘ ‘ Certainly, ’ ’ chimed in Mr. Gray. ‘ ‘ Man is called mortal twice in this scripture.”
“Mr. Wilbur, I will ask you to read the next instance in which the word is found, and let us watch closely to see if we can not find some mention of an immortal soul or spirit in man,” smiled Brother Hartman, ‘ ‘ I think Elsie can give you the reference. ’ ’ “I must ask if you look these texts up beforehand, Mr. Hartman. I have often been surprised at the readiness with which your family find the texts,” queried Mr. Wilbur, as Elsie paused a moment before giving him the reference.
“I think,” she replied, “that you will find the word immortality in 1 Tim. 6:15, 16 also; and—well, yes, Mrs. Wilbur, we certainly do study our lesson. We think it worth our while. Don’t you think so?” “It seems to pay you, really, it does,” interrupted Mrs. Gray.
“Yes, yes, Miss Elsie, it pays you well; in fact, I suppose an earnest study of God’s Word is a pretty paying business. But I will read the text: ‘Which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.’ ”
“Well,” said Billy Black, with a twinkle in his eye, “I’m sure that’s plain enough; it says that nobody but just God is immortal.”
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“Yes, Billy,” assented Walter Gray, “yes, but what about the angels? I didn’t suppose any of them ever could die. ’ ’
Billy looked a little put out at this turn in the argument, and turned appealingly to John, while he wondered if his friend could help him out of the tangle.
“I think Billy wants me to answer your question, Walter, but I will refer it to father,” said John modestly.
Mrs. Wilbur turned her dark eyes questioningly upon Brother Hartman, and Mrs. Jones interrupted eagerly; “I think this is leading us into pretty deep water, isn’t it, Mr. Hartman ? ’ ’
“Perhaps; but there is not a single subject in the Word of God but that is as deep as the deepest depth, and high as the measureless heaven. Mrs. Wilbur, will you kindly read Jude 6?”
“ ‘And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.’ ”
“But that doesn’t say that even bad angels are not immortal, does it, now—honestly, Mr. Hartman?” queried Walter.
“Wait a moment, Walter. Will you read John 3:16?”
“With pleasure. Indeed, I believe I can repeat
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that text from memory. ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not 'perish, but have everlasting life.’ ”
“Now, Walter, don’t you think this is equivalent to saying that all who do not believe in Christ shall perish? And surely if we must believe in Christ or perish, evil angels who, with Satan as their leader, are constantly fighting against Christ must perish. But now, I would like Mrs. Gray to read Eze. 28:18, 19.”
While Mrs. Gray turned to the text, Sister Hartman remarked: “This entire chapter refers unmistakably to Satan, for verse 16 calls him ‘the covering cherub.’ ”
“ ‘Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities; .	.	. therefore will I
bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth. . . . Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any moreV ”
‘ ‘ Thus we see, ’ ’ continued Brother Hartman, ‘ ‘ that not only evil angels, but Satan as well, will finally be destroyed,—which, of course, they could not be if they were immortal. Is this plain to you, Walter?”
“Much plainer than before, Mr. Hartman, but I think it would be a good plan to have an entire reading just upon that subject.”
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I am sure it would be of great interest,” interrupted Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Wilbur together.
“Very well; we will try to do so, for it is a subject which will bear much study. But there is just one more text which contains the word immortality. It is found in 2 Tim. 1:10. Will Mr. Gray please read ? ’ ’
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.’ ”
“Ah! through the Gospel!” repeated grandma.
Immortality is only possible through Christ our Lord.”
“Is this the last text, father?” asked Mattie.
“Yes, and we have found that in not a single instance does the word ‘immortality’ refer to the soul or spirit of man.”
Isn t it most time we told our stories about dead men, papa? ’ asked little Beth anxiously, at which every one smiled, while Brother Hartman added by way of explanation:
“The children were each to have told a Bible story to-night of some person who had died and been raised to life again by the power of God, so that we might see if anything is said in that connection about being conscious after death. But we must wait until
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the next reading for this, as it is now rather late. Let us sing to close:
‘1 1 Only in Christ we have life immortal 1 ’ ”
And as the beautiful strains rang out, more than one in that little company at Brother Hartman’s felt a deeper desire for true holiness, without which eternal life is impossible.
CHAPTER XVII
ARE THE DEAD ASLEEP?
ELL, Beth, little girl, we will begin the evening’s study with your Bible story. Can you tell us about some one who has had that most wonderful experience—a resurrection from the dead?”
“Yes, papa; I have chosen the story of the little girl whose father was a rich Jewish ruler. Grandma said it would be nice for me to tell that story because this was the only little girl who ever died and was raised to life again, that the Bible tells us about. ’ ’
“This is true, my child; and now we shall watch you very closely as you proceed with the story, so that we may notice any reference made to the conscious condition of the little maiden while in the embrace of death.”
“The story is found in all of the first three books of the New Testament,” began Beth. “I wish I knew the little girl’s name, but I have to be contented with knowing that her father was called Jairus, and that the girl was twelve years old. One day she was taken sick. Her father loved his little child very much, and I presume he got a great many doctors to see if they could not cure her; but they could not.
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At last, when she was dying, he hurried to Jesus, and asked Him to come quickly to see his poor child. I always wondered why he didn’t go sooner. But the Saviour went right along with him, and did not even ask him why he had put off his visit until his child was dying. When they came to the house, she was dead, and every one was crying. Then the Saviour took Peter and James and John and the parents of the child and went into the room where she was lying dead, and took her by the hand and said, in the musical tongue He spoke, ‘Talitha cumi’ (Maiden, arise)! Then she arose and walked, and the people were astonished, and the father and mother were glad.”
“Do you suppose she told them what she was thinking about?” queried grandma, “and what she had been doing while dead ? ’ ’
“I don’t much believe she had anything to tell; and maybe they knew better than to ask her,” ventured Billy Black.
“It does seem a bit strange, now that I think of it,” mused Mr. Gray, “that nothing is said about the child’s condition in death.”
“It plainly states that she was asleep,” declared Elsie. “Of course, when people are sound asleep they are unconscious.”
“There are not many instances of this kind re-
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corded in the Bible,” continued Brother Hartman. “But we will hear from Walter next. Possibly he has something which will throw light on the condition of man in death.”
“I have simply to tell of the death and resurrection of a young man named Lazarus,” began Walter. “This man lived in Bethany with his sisters. They were close friends of Jesus. Finally, while Jesus was away from Bethany, Lazarus was taken very sick. His sisters sent to the Master with the sad news of the sickness of their beloved brother, but He did not come until Lazarus had been dead four days. Martha went to meet her Lord, almost reproaching Him because He had not come at once, but Christ assured her that her brother should rise again. ’ ’
“See here, Walter,” interrupted John, “did Christ not declare that Lazarus had risen already, and was then in heaven, happy and glorified?”
“0, no,” smiled Walter, “indeed, Martha seemed to be looking forward to the resurrection at the last day. Finally, Jesus went to the sepulcher and all the people followed Him. Then, when He had prayed, He cried aloud, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ and the dead man came out of the tomb, wrapped in his grave clothes. ’ ’
“Do you not think it would have been more in 9
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conformity with the general belief nowadays to have said, Lazarus, come down?” asked grandma.
“Well, I must confess,” declared Mr. Gray, “I did think there was something in the Bible to favor the idea that the spirit of man was conscious after death, but I begin to believe that we are entirely dependent upon the resurrection for a life beyond the grave.”
“It surely does seem strange,” said Mrs. Wilbur, “that nothing is said about the thoughts or experiences of Lazarus during those four days. It is the very first thing I should have asked him.”
“Evidently there was nothing to record, or surely this most interesting subject would have been touched by some one of the sacred writers. But it is all plain when wTe believe God’s Word that ‘the dead know not anything.’ Josie, have you some little story to relate ? ”
“I only learned that in the days of Elisha there was a woman whose little son was out in the field with the reapers. The day was very hot, and when the child complained of his head, they carried him to his mother. Finally he died; and the mother felt so badly that she rode a long distance to find the prophet Elisha; at last she found him, and he, by praying very earnestly to God, raised the boy once more to life and health.”
“Did you find that the mother asked her child
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anything about his condition or thoughts while dead ? ’ ’ asked Elsie.
“Not a single word—strange isn’t it?” said Josie, glancing archly at her mother.
“Maybe the mother had been too well taught by the prophet while he lived in her house to need to ask any question of this kind,” replied Mattie.
“Well, Billy, my lad, what Bible story have you learned on this important subject?” asked grandma.
“I’m not used to telling stories in company like this, but I ’ll try to tell the one I read in Luke, seventh chapter. The name of the city where these things happened was Nain. There was a widow who lived there, and she had one son—that was all—and he died. Of course, she felt pretty bad. I presume my grandmother would feel bad if I should die,” said Billy, while his cheeks flushed. “But just as the people went through the city gates, they met Jesus and His disciples. Christ then commanded the men who carried the dead man to stand still. I presume they must have been surprised. Then the Lord said, ‘Young man, arise!’ and he sat up and began to talk. That’s all the story, I believe.”
“You have done first-rate, my boy,” said Sister Hartman. “Yes, the narrative says that the young man began to talk at once. But if he dropped a single word concerning his thoughts while dead, it is unrecorded; all of which goes to show very conclu-
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sively, I think, that these people who were raised to life did not sense anything at all while dead.”
“Now,” continued Brother Hartman, “there are but two more instances of the resurrection of dead men given in the Bible, and in neither of these is there so much as a hint given that they were conscious after death. Nowr, perhaps it would be well to study at our next meeting what the Word of God has to say about Spiritualism. ’ ’
CHAPTER XVIII
SPIRITUALISM
PIRITUALISM! ’ ’ began Mrs. Wilbur, at the next evening’s study, “I’d no idea the word was in the Bible. I’m sure I’d like to know what is written on that subject, of all others.”
“I don’t think that the identical word is in the Bible,” replied Brother Hartman. “Still, I am persuaded that God’s Book is full of warnings against the subtle snares of this latter-day delusion.”
“Well, now,” objected Mrs. Gray, “I see nothing so very bad about the doctrine—in fact, I know several really good, well-meaning people who belong to this cult. ’ ’
“0 certainly,” replied grandma. “I myself have a few dear friends among them, and I can not wonder for it is but the logical outcome of a belief in the natural immortality of the soul.”
“John, will you please tell us what you consider to be the particular stronghold, and, consequently, the most dangerous error in that mighty stronghold of deception—Spiritualism ? ’ ’
“I consider it to be the belief in the immortal, conscious state of the dead and their frequent return to this earth.”
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“Elsie, have you any Scripture proof of the inconsistency of this belief?”
“God does not desire the living to seek knowledge from the dead,” replied Elsie. “Indeed, He has often told us the utter folly of it by assuring us many times in His Word that the dead are unconscious. I think, father, that we will find a text referring directly to Spiritualism in Isa. 8: 19, 20, R. Y.;” and Elsie read slowly and impressively:
“ ‘And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead? To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this Word, surely there is no morning for them,’ or, old version, ‘it is because there is no light in them.’ ” “Very good. We see that God has warned us against going for knowledge to the dead, because He says also, in Eccl. 9:10, that there is no ‘device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave.’ Mrs. Wilbur, can you tell us something about the origin of Spiritualism? Where and when do you think the doctrine was first preached, and by whom?”
“Really, Mr. Hartman, I don’t think it was very long ago. When did you first hear of it, Mr. Gray?” “I believe the city of Rochester, New York, is conceded to be its birthplace, and that it was first
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known as the 'Rochester Knockings;’ but it has certainly made great headway since then,” replied Mr. Gray.
"Do you agree with him, grandma?”
"Mr. Gray refers to modern Spiritualism, I think,” grandmother replied, "but ancient Spiritualism is hoary with age. It was born in Eden, and was introduced to our first parents by the wily serpent who took for his text the familiar words, 'Ye shall not surely die,’ and he has been repeating it ever since with pretty good success.”
"That is not a flattering origin, to be sure,” said Walter Gray, smiling.
"No, my boy,” replied Brother Hartman, "and those words among the first Satan ever addressed to mankind, ‘Ye shall not surely die,’ are the foundation-stone of almost every false system of worship in the world.”
"I can’t see how you make that out!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur. "It just seems to me you are trying to prove too much, aren’t you?”
"Well, my friend,” replied Brother Hartman, smiling, "how much would there be left of Catholicism if you take from it the belief in the natural immortality of the soul? Surely, the virgin Mary and all the canonized saints of the Catholic calendar are dead. But, says Satan, ‘Ye shall not surely die,’ and they believe him, and fondly imagine that
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these dead people are conscious and in heaven, and pray to them accordingly. ’ ’
“A new idea, surely! I never thought of that!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur.
‘‘And then,” continued Brother Hartman, “that heathen belief in the transmigration of souls rests upon this very foundation. Indeed, the savage Indian, who fondly hopes that at death his conscious spirit departs to the happy hunting-ground; the modern Spiritualist, who converses with what purports to be the spirit of his dead friend; and that large class of people of whom the Japanese are representatives, who fight bloody battles under the supposed direction of their dead ancestors, all build their faith upon this first deception of the devil, Satan’s first lie. Mat-tie, can you give us any instance of men making use, anciently, of Spiritualism, or witchcraft, as the Bible terms it?”
“0 yes, father; there are many instances. Jannes and Jambres must have been mediums, I think. Anyway, they tried to perform some of the miracles which Moses did before Pharaoh, and they succeeded well enough to deceive the foolish king.”
“Yes,” interrupted John, “and in 2 Timothy 3, Paul warns Timothy against this class of persons.” “Grandma, do you think there is as much danger of being deceived by Satan to-day as anciently?” asked Elsie.
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“Certainly, my dear child; the danger is much greater, for we read that Satan is come down with great wrath, knowing ‘that he hath but a short time.’ ” ‘ ‘ What, Mr. Hartman! ’ ’ exclaimed Mrs. Gray nervously, “you don’t think, do you, that Satan can perform actual miracles?”
“I will answer your question by asking another. It is written, you remember, that Satan carried our Saviour to a great and high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of earth in a moment of time, and that he took Christ bodily and sat Him upon a pinnacle of the temple. Was not this a miracle?” “Yes,” added Elsie, “and in the ease of the death of the sons of Job, Satan must have had power over the very winds.”
“Walter,” said John, “I would like you to read Eev. 13:13, 14, for this proves that Satan not only has power, but that he will use it to the very last in deceiving mankind. ’ ’
“ ‘And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do.’ ”
“Well, mother,” continued Walter, “you see Satan does have power to perform miracles.”
“Yes, yes, I see; I had never thought of it in this light before. I fear I have underestimated very much
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the wonderful power of the arch-deceiver,” replied his mother.
“Now, little Beth, I will ask you to read a passage that sets the matter in a very strong light. Grandma will help you find the place. ’ ’
Very slowly and deliberately, Beth read Rev. 16: 13, 14.
“ ‘And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.’ ” “That’s a pretty long verse for Beth to read,” said Mattie. “But don’t you see, Josie, that this says plainly enough that devils and evil spirits do have power to work miracles?”
“Why, yes; I think it’s ever so plain,” replied Josie, as she cast a wondering glance toward her mother.
For some time Mr. Gray had been a silent listener. But this verse of scripture which little Beth had read, seemed to rouse him. Fixing his deep, earnest eyes upon Brother Hartman, he said:
“I have a dear brother who was converted to Spiritualism after the death of his son, only because the dead boy appeared to his father in response to
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the incantations of the medium—of course I mean that which claimed to be the boy’s spirit. My brother declared that the child looked perfectly natural, and that he mentioned a number of circumstances known only to those two. Now,” continued Mr. Gray, “if he had known that it is entirely possible for Satanic agencies to perform miracles, I think he would have been on his guard. As it was, he attributed it all to the power of God manifested through the spirit of his child. ’ ’
“We believe, Mr. Gray,” rejoined Brother Hartman, “that these very phenomena are special signs of the last days, and that they will appear more and more wonderful as we near the coming of the Lord, and many who profess Christianity will be deceived —even the very ‘elect,’ if it were possible. Walter, will you read a text found in 1 Tim. 4:1, which proves this assertion?”
“ ‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.’ ”
“Elsie, suppose you should sometime see that which purported to be the spirit of one of your dear friends—perhaps the little sister who died several years ago—do you think you would be deceived by it?”
“It would be a great trial of faith, father, but I hope I should be kept by the power of the Word.”
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Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Wilbur each watched the young speaker intently, and Mrs. Gray asked very earnestly:
“0 Miss Elsie, pray tell me; what would you say ?’’
“Yes, yes,” added Mrs. Wilbur, “and what would you do?”
“I hope,” replied Elsie, “that God would give me courage to repeat Rev. 16:14: ‘For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles.’ This is about what I should say—and—what would I do?—I trust that such close contact with the powers of darkness would drive me to my knees in earnest prayer for God to keep and protect me.”
“Well said, my daughter!” exclaimed Brother Hartman, while a tear rolled down his cheek and fell on the open Bible in his hand.
Billy Black had been an interested listener all the evening, and grandma looked questioningly into the eager face and asked:
“What is troubling you, Billy?”
“I was wondering if He’d do it” answered Billy, anxiously, “Miss Elsie said she would ask the great God to protect her. I wondered if He’d do it always, if a fellow asked Him?”
“Shall I tell you what He says, Billy?” replied grandma. ‘ ‘ ‘ The angel of the Lord encampeth round
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about them that fear Him, and delivereth them,’ ” repeated the dear old lady reverently.
“What other miracle will Satan do, especially to deceive the people, Mr. Wilbur? 2 Cor. 11:14.”
“I’ll tell you frankly,” replied Mr. Wilbur, as he turned to the reference, “I was brought up to believe that there was no real, personal devil, but in the light of these plain scriptures, I’m bound to alter my position. But I will read:
“ ‘And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ’ ’ ’
“Well, then; not only may we expect him to personify our dead friends,” interrupted John, “but we can look out for him even in the guise of an angel of light.”
“Well,” said Josie Wilbur despairingly, “I don’t see how we are going to be able to know the good from the evil. 0 Mr. Hartman! how are we going to tell?”
“My dear young friend, right here is one place where the Ten Commandments of God serve us in good stead. Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus is the only Christ, and that the law of God—the entire Ten Commandments—are still binding, is of God. This is the unfailing test. My proof? 0 yes; please read Isa. 8:20.”
“ ‘ To the law and to the testimony; if they speak
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not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.’ ”
“One text more, Josie; just turn and read 1 John 4:2.
‘ ‘ ‘ Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.’ ”
“Now we are sure that the law of God and the faith of Jesus are not the foundation-stones of Spiritualism,” continued Brother Hartman.
111 see, I see! it’s plain enough, isn’t it, mother ? ’ ’ There was a new light—the light of intelligent faith —in Josie’s eyes, as she turned to her mother. Mrs. Wilbur was about to reply, when Mr. Jones spoke earnestly:
“I’m not a believer in Spiritualism, Mr. Hartman. I trust you will not think that because I have kept silent. I have always had a horror of it ever since my young nephew became a medium. Poor boy! he became insane shortly afterward,—as bright and intelligent a young man as one would wish to see; •—yes, I have a horror of it, and believe with you that it is from the pit of darkness. But there’s one thing that is not quite clear to me—the experience of King Saul and the witch of Endor. Perhaps you would not mind giving us your idea upon it. ’ ’
Brother Hartman did not reply for a moment. He seemed to be deeply absorbed in his own thoughts,
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-—thoughts which the earnest words of his neighbor had awakened. Then he replied, as he rapidly turned the leaves of his Bible:
“My friend, you are not the first, by many, who has had trouble in understanding this most interesting Bible narrative. But I am sure it was given a place in God’s Book for a noble purpose, and, as Paul says of all scripture, it is profitable. It would be well, perhaps, to consider that subject in our next study.
CHAPTER XIX
THE WITCH OP ENDOR
HALL we sing something, and have a word of prayer before we begin our study ? ’ ’ asked Brother Hartman as all were comfortably
seated.
“What would you like to sing, Billy?” asked John. “Yes; what do you w7ant to sing, Billy?” echoed Mattie.
“If you don’t mind,” said Billy, blushing at his own boldness, “I’d like to hear that song about the pilgrim again—the one the preacher folks sung so long ago in the old log schoolhouse that grandma told us about. I was telling my grandmother of it the other night. I’d like to learn it.”
“You’re like me, Billy,” smiled grandma, “I never get tired of hearing that hymn.”
And so Elsie seated herself at the organ, and all joined in singing—
‘ ‘ Mark that pilgrim lowly bending ’ ’
This was followed by other selections, until finally Brother Hartman suggested that the study of the evening be continued.
‘£ Suppose you read the narrative found in 1 Samuel 28, Josie, that we may see exactly wThat the in-(144)
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spired writer has to say concerning one of the saddest mistakes ever committed by that reckless monarch, King Saul.”
Carefully and slowly Miss Josie read the chapter from the third to the twenty-first verse, while Mr. Jones followed her closely, with his finger upon the text.
“That’s the place, Mr. Hartman,” he repeated nervously, ‘ ‘ and if that isn’t a vindication of Spiritualism, then I don’t know. I’ve not much use for the doctrine, though it seems to me that this rather sets the seal of truth on these manifestations—that is, that it seems to favor the idea of possible communication with the dead.”
“I fear you misapprehend me, neighbor,” replied Brother Hartman. “It is not that we disbelieve in the power of Spiritualism to perform wonders,—I think we have already made it perfectly plain that we do not consider it a mere sleight-of-hand deception. The deception consists in assuming to materialize spirits of the dead, while the fact is that it is evil angels who assume the form of the departed. But we will ask Beth to give us a short synopsis of the whole story; after which we wTill study it more closely. ’ ’
Little Beth was always pleased whenever she was accounted able to take an active part in the study; and she responded promptly:
10
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‘‘Once there was a great king by the name of Saul. He used to be good, but finally he got to be so bad that the Lord would not answer him any more. One day the Philistines came to fight with his people. This made King Saul very much afraid, and he trembled. So he went to an old woman who was a witch. Grandma says that means that the woman was a medium. The woman lived in Endor. But Saul had before this commanded the witches to leave the country, because God was so displeased with them He did not want them to be near His own people, grandma says. Well, Saul told the witch he wanted to see Samuel, who was dead. So when she saw something that looked like Samuel, Saul said that he wanted to know what he would better do with those Philistines. The familiar spirit told him that the king’s army would be beaten, and that the king and his sons would be with him on the morrow, —I s’pose that meant they would die.”
With a sigh of satisfaction, Beth resumed her seat on the ottoman at grandma’s knee.
“You’ve done very well for a little girl,” commented her father. “Now let us study closely to see if this spirit which appeared to the witch was the departed spirit of the prophet Samuel, or whether it was a lying spirit—the spirit of a devil—or evil angel. ’ ’
“But, Mr. Hartman,” interrupted Mr. Jones,
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“doesn’t it say that Saul perceived that it was Samuel ? ’ ’
“Certainly he perceived that the description the witch gave was a very good description of Samuel. But we have found by our past study that Satan has power to transform himself into an angel of light. So in this instance, he simply personified Samuel. My proof?—Certainly. Mr. Jones, please read verse eight, last clause.”
“ ‘And he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring him up, whom I shall name unto thee.’ ”
“So this was a witch; she had a familiar spirit, and was divining by it. Now, Mr. Jones, could that have been done by the power of God? Please read Lev. 19:31.”
“ ‘Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wuzards, to be defiled by them.’ ”
“Well,” interrupted Billy, with a smile, “I’m thinking God didn’t have much to do with that old witch, nor with King Saul, either.”
“No,” said Walter; “I guess you are right, Billy.”
“But we have still more proof that God could have had nothing to do with this affair, and if not God, surely there remains but one conclusion—it must have been done by wonder-working demons. In Deut. 18:9-15, we learn that it was because of
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these very things that God drove out the wicked inhabitants of the land from before His people, and He there expressly declares that these shall not be found among His people Israel. Mrs. Gray, did King Saul think for a moment that this revelation was from God? verse six, last clause.”
“I think he must have known it was not—at least he says so—‘The Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams.’ ” “Well, then, we have Saul’s plain acknowledgment that the prophets of God would not answer him. Beth, was Samuel God’s prophet?”
‘ ‘ 0 yes, papa, from the time he was a little boy. ’ ’ “Of course; well, then, this appearance could not have been Samuel.”
“Don’t you think, father,” asked Mattie, “that it looked rather guilty in Saul to go sneaking off to see the witch in the dead of night?”
“It does look a little that way,” smiled Mrs. Wilbur.
“But we are not done yet, Mr. Jones,” continued Brother Hartman. “If it were the immortal spirit of that good man Samuel, where do you think it would have come directly from?”
“Why, from heaven, I suppose,” faltered Mr. Jones.
“But this spirit did not come down at all,” inter-
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rupted Mrs. Gray; “it came up,—verse 14, ‘And she said, An old man cometh up.’ ”
“And, further,” remarked Elsie, “we must remember that Samuel was buried away off at Kama, some sixty miles from Endor, so it couldn’t have been even Samuel’s body.”
“There is one point more, father,” said John. “No one has mentioned that this spirit told Saul a falsehood. ’ ’
“A falsehood!” exclaimed Mr. Jones. “Is that possible?”
“Possible!” repeated John, “of course it’s possible. Whatever it was that appeared that night to the woman of Endor, told Saul a falsehood, a lie!” “Well; if that’s a fact,” replied Mr. Jones, “that settles the matter in my mind, because surely the spirit of a holy prophet could not lie.”
“No,” responded John, “more especially as it is claimed to have come directly from heaven on purpose for the instruction of the king. But in verse nineteen (1 Samuel 28) we find that this spirit told Saul very boastingly and tauntingly, ‘And to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.’ ”
“Well, wasn’t that true, young man—wasn’t that true, sir?” questioned Mr. Jones, severely.
John only smiled as he replied quietly: “I think if you will read carefully the following chapter—the nineteenth of 1 Samuel—and compare the last two
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verses of that chapter with the story we are considering, you will see clearly that Saul did not die in battle on the morrow after his conversation with the so-called Samuel—he could not have been killed that day, for the reason that the battle was not fought until afterward. ’ ’
“You will observe,” commented Brother Hartman, “that after Saul’s departure from Endor, the narrative says that David undertook to march with the Philistines to battle against Israel. That, very evidently, was the day after the conference between Saul and the witch. But the armies were still some distance apart when David was entreated to return to Ziklag. But he did not start on his return journey until still another day (verses 10, 11, chapter 29), so that the two armies could not have had the battle, and Saul and his sons could not have been slain, until after the time set by the familiar spirit had gone by. And, finally, Inspiration declares that God suffered him to die because he had sought counsel from an evil spirit. ’ ’
“Is that possible? Does the Bible say that?” questioned Mrs. Wilbur.
“It surely does. Will you please read 1 Chron. 10:13, 14?” and Mrs. Wilbur read slowly:
“ ‘So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, .	.	. and also for ask-
ing counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire
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of it; nod inquired not of the Lord: therefore He slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David.’ ”
Mr. Jones was very busy for a few moments, comparing texts which had been cited. Then he looked frankly into John’s merry blue eyes, and exclaimed heartily:
“Well, I think you’re right, young- man. That scripture has always been a bone of contention to my soul; because I thought—honestly thought, you see—that it gave the Spiritualist a pretty strong foundation. But it’s plain enough now, and I really thank you and your good father here for helping me out.”
“We are all deeply gratified, I am sure,” rejoined Brother Hartman.
“But,” said Mrs. Wilbur, “I can’t help wondering how King Saul felt as the day in which he was to have fallen in battle (according to the familiar spirit) passed by with the battle still unfought, wherein, as was plainly insinuated by the spirit, he was to have perished,” and the little woman smiled brightly.
“I can imagine, as hour after hour passed, and he found himself still alive, that he probably grew more reckless and soul-hardened than ever,” commented grandma.
“Maybe he thought something as I should,” re-
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marked Billy, “that yon couldn’t depend very much on a witch, anyway.”
“That is exactly correct, Billy,” said Elsie; “you can’t depend on the devil for correct information . upon any subject. Sometimes he tells the truth when occasion happens to suit him, and sometimes he will tell just enough truth the more completely to deceive his victim, but-------”
“But,” interrupted grandma, “but he is a liar from the beginning, and abode not in the truth.”
“A liar and the father of lies!” echoed Elsie.
Walter Gray had taken no part in the conversation for some time; but the lad had not been asleep by any means. Finally he spoke, while a look of mingled amusement and surprise shone in his bright, intelligent face.
“See here, father,” he said, turning to Mr. Gray, “didn’t you bring me up to believe that when a good man died he went directly to heaven, and that when a wicked one died, he went—well, in the opposite direction?”
‘ ‘ Why, yes, my son; that was the way I was taught to believe, and my father before me; and so of course I have tatTght you the same—but I---------”
“I see, father.” interrupted Walter, “but I think you and I and mother will have to modify our ideas, if we are going to keep the truth of God on our side; don’t you agree with me, mother?”
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Mrs. Gray did not reply; she was too busy with her own thoughts. But her son did not wait for a reply:
“Now, see here, mother, King Saul was a wicked man at the time of the interview with the Endor woman, and surely the prophet Samuel was dead and must have been in heaven, according as we have always believed, and yet at the bare prospect of going to be with Samuel, in heaven, the next day (instead of having to go to hades) King Saul is convulsed with horror, just because the spirit had said, To-morrow you and your sons shall be with me. Just think of it!” exclaimed Walter; while his mother only bowed her head and hid her face in her hands.
“Evidently we have been in great darkness,” concluded Mr. Gray, “and have not half lived up to our privilege in the matter of the study of the Word, and may God forgive us all! ’ ’
“I think we have all been in the same condition,” admitted Mr. Jones, frankly.
“ ‘But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared,’ ” quoted grandma, reverently.
“We will now close our evening’s study,” said Brother Hartman, “with a promise that if you will all come again next Wednesday evening, I will tell you a little story from my own experience; after which our study will be ‘ The Destiny of the Wicked.’ ”
CHAPTER XX
AN AFTER TALK
BOTHER and Sister Hartman were highly gratified with the results of their “experiment,” as they called it. They had learned by blessed experience that it is quite possible to teach the Word of God to their own children in such a manner as to prove both instructive and entertaining. Indeed, since their regular studies in the Scriptures began, these had taken the place of other entertainments to a great extent, and had entirely supplanted all amusements of a questionable character. But these were only some of the fruits which had been the natural outgrowth of the studies. Brother and Sister Hartman made it their business not only to plant the good seed of the kingdom, but also to uproot the seeds of error ere they had germinated; and to their great satisfaction, the good seed was already springing up and bearing fruit in other homes than their own. Still, at the conclusion of each study, they almost feared that those who had so far been constant in their attendance, might find some excuse for remaining away. But the succeeding Wednesday evening came once more, and still all were in their places, though the wreather was very inclement.
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“We were afraid we should be obliged to study our lessons alone this evening, on account of the rain, ’ ’ remarked Brother Hartman, after all were seated.
“I might as well own up,” said Billy, “I wanted to hear that story you promised, and then I thought maybe you’d—we’d sing some more songs.”
“Right, Billy,” smiled grandma; “you shall not be cheated out of the music or the story either.”
“Well,” said Mr. Gray, “wife and I thought we’d come along with Walter. The fact is, we came in the first place from curiosity—now, Mr. Hartman, we come to learn God’s truth.”
Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Wilbur glanced at each other, and Mrs. Wilbur said:
“Yes, we all feel that it’s high time that we better understand that Book which points out God’s will and our duty, and I for one only hope, Mr. Hartman, that I shall have the true courage to live up to my honest convictions. ’ ’
£ ‘ Thank God for that brave testimony! ’ ’ exclaimed dear grandma, while a tear of thanksgiving rolled down her cheek.
“ Perhaps it would be well to give a short synopsis of our last lesson as a sort of review, before I tell the story I promised:
“Walter, what was the first thing we learned last evening ? ’ ’
“I think we studied about the condition of the
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dead, and listened to the stories told about some who had died and been resurrected.”
‘ ‘ What did we learn from a consideration of these stories, Miss Josie?”
“I believe we learned that people are not conscious after death,” replied Josie, stealing a glance at her mother.
“Yes, I think we considered almost every ease recorded in the Bible, except those who were resurrected and ascended with Christ, and in not a single instance did one of them even mention or hint that they were conscious in death.”
“What did you learn, Mrs. Jones?” asked Sister Hartman.
“I learned very much, my friend, but for one thing I found that almost every system of error springs from this belief in the conscious state of the dead. ’ ’
“What further did we learn, Mattie?”
‘ ‘ That Satan will be able to transform himself into an angel of light, and will try to deceive even the very elect.”
“Thank God for a knowledge of the truth,” exclaimed her mother. “We need not be ignorant of his wiles.”
“What next, Billy?”
“We found that it was a wicked, lying spirit who
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came to the Endor woman, and not the spirit of Samuel at all!”
£ ‘ Good! Now, Beth, my child, ’ ’ smiled her father, “what did you learn from the study?”
“I learned, ”■> replied Beth promptly, “that the Lord doesn’t want us to be so silly as to ask questions of a dead man, nor so wicked as to ask them of Satan!”
“Well done, Beth! and now for the story,” said John.
Brother Hartman smiled as he began: “I think we have proved by the Holy Scriptures that man is not by nature immortal, but that he depends upon Christ alone, who will bestow immortality upon His children at His coming. Now, this study has brought freshly to my mind a very interesting incident to which I was a witness many years ago. There came to our neighborhood, when I was quite a young man, a minister, who set up a tent and began preaching very earnestly that the coming of the Lord was near, and-------”
“An Adventist, wasn’t he, papa?” asked Beth.
“ I thought you would soon guess—yes, he was a Seventh-day Adventist, whom we will call Elder
A-----. Of course he taught the blessed truth of the
sleep of the dead. He made this very plain, even as we have been trying to do, until it seemed to shine from the inspired Word with wonderful luster. This
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appeared to arouse the prince of the powers of darkness. Satan well knows that his master deception is based upon a confused idea regarding the natural immortality of the soul. So he stirred up a resident minister of one of the churches, whom we will call
Elder B-------, to oppose the truth very bitterly.
Finally Elder B--------'urged that a debate upon the
question be arranged. In vain did Elder A----------plead
to be excused, the other insisted, and at last the debate was agreed upon. On the evening in question
the tent was crowded to overflowing. Elder B-------------
did not hesitate to make use of very foolish and unchristian language; and failing most dismally to prove his opponent in the wrong, or to prove that the soul of man is naturally immortal, he resorted to all sorts
of methods to show his ill-will toward Elder A-----------
personally. I felt sorry to see this, and was certain that his cause would gain nothing by it.
“Finally, in the midst of a loud argument which contained more noise than logic, he declared that he would turn to a text proving that the immortal spirit of man feels the bitter passions of anger and hatred in death.
“The audience was deeply interested, and the
friends of Elder B-------- were much gratified at this
strong assertion.’’
“But he could never prove that, father,” inter-
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rupted Mattie; “he could not from God’s Word, could he, father?”
“You shall judge for yourself, my child. He read, in proof of this, Eccl. 9: 3. Let us turn to the text, all of us, and I will read it exactly as he did. Please follow me closely.”
Each having found his place, Brother Hartman read:
“ ‘This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after they go to the deadd ”
‘ ‘ 0! but father! you ’re not reading right. It doesn’t read that way!” exclaimed Mattie and Beth together, while John and Walter glanced at Elsie and smiled. “I think you left out a very important word, Mr. Hartman,” said Josie.
“Well, I read it exactly as the minister, Elder
B-----, did,” replied Brother Hartman. “But when
it was Elder A-----’s turn to speak, he remonstrated
with his opponent, and urged him to read the text once more, thinking that he would certainly see his mistake and correct it.”
“Do you think, Mr. Hartman, that the minister really made a mistake, or do you not believe that he intentionally misread the text?” queried Mr. Gray.
“0 no! I am positive Elder B------- supposed he
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was reading the text correctly. In vain did Elder
A----- protest and suggest a more careful reading.
The reverend gentleman insisted that he had given a correct rendering of the text. Indeed, after giving it a second and even a third reading, the missing and all-important, word was not supplied: ‘Madness is in their hearts while they live, and after they go to the dead!’ insisted the preacher; and I will venture to say,” declared Brother Hartman, “that Eccl. 9: 3 was never so badly read before. Meanwhile the large audience was getting excited.
‘ ‘ ‘ Our learned opponent here, ’ said Elder B----,
casting a withering glance in the direction of Elder
A----- ‘insists that I have not read correctly; but
I assure him I am quite capable of reading English. However, perhaps our friend would like to favor the congregation with a rendering. But evidently his Bible is not like ours, so. I will ask him to read from my own,’ victoriously announced the Elder, as he handed the sacred volume, with feigned humility, to Elder A------.”
“Do you mean to say that the man had not yet discovered his mistake?” asked Mr. Gray.
“Yes; and I am certain he read the text at least three times. It seemed to me that the poor man’s eyes must have been holden, so that the truth might have the greater victory, and shine all the brighter in contrast with error.
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“By this time the interest of the congregation was intense, and one could easily select, by their appearance and attitude, those in the audience who
favored Elder B------, and those who longed to see
him confused and confounded by Elder A---------.
“There was one richly-dressed lady, who sat well
up in front, who very plainly favored Elder A-------.
She became intensely excited as he arose in the desk and, stepping forward, took the proffered Bible from the hand of his opponent. The lady leaned forward in her seat, and her eyes shone like stars, while a look of the most indescribable anxiety was in her face.
“Elder A------ opened the Book, looked over the
congregation calmly, and said: ‘Our brother has declared himself capable of reading the Scriptures correctly; but he has omitted a very important word in the text. Why he has done so, I am at a loss to understand, because that word is as plain as any in the Book. I will now read the text correctly. Those having their Bibles may follow me. Eccl. 9:3: “There is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after
that,” ’ cried Elder A------ in a voice of thunder,
* “after that, they go to the dead.” My audience will see that the omission of the word “that,” alters the text considerably.’ ll
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“Well,” continued Brother Hartman, “the people were so enthusiastic that they could scarcely restrain themselves. The lady whom I mentioned, rose to her feet in her delight and enthusiasm, and dashed a beautiful and expensive fan which she held in her hand, against the center-pole of the tent. Of course the fan was ruined.”
“But what did Elder B-------- do?” asked Mrs.
Wilbur.
“Why, he left the tent, and did not come out to another meeting. But the truth of God gained a wonderful victory.”
“How about the lady, father?” asked Elsie, “did she have the courage to live up to her convictions?”
‘‘The lady? 0 no; I am sorry to say she was one of that large class of people whose heads are converted, but whose hearts remain unchanged—those who know their duty, but will do it not.”
Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Wilbur glanced at each other rather uneasily; they were thinking of the inspired assurances that such should be beaten with many stripes.
“0, it’s not always the best-informed people who live nearest the Lord, Mr. Hartman,” remarked Mr. Jones. He was wondering if his wife remembered the time when he had declared it impossible to keep the commandments of God—all of them—on account of his business. Actually, Mr. Jones found himself
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questioning sadly if the Lord would forgive him. Ah! the pleading Spirit of the Most High was striving with him—nor is he the only member of that little group who feels its gentle pleading.
A silence fell over the company for a few minutes at the conclusion of the experience; when finally Brother Hartman began the regular lesson of the evening by asking Beth to announce the subject.
“We are going to find out by the Bible what God will do with the wicked,” replied Beth. Billy Black had not forgotten the subject by any means; in fact he really cared more to listen to this study than to any of the previous ones. He had thought deeply about it every night before he went to sleep, and finally he had asked his grandmother what she thought about it. The old lady supposed they would have to burn in the awful fires of hell eternally, and so she lost no time in telling Billy. But the lad had other ideas on the subject. He could not endure the thought that his poor, drunken father must burn eternally, even if he had abused his only son shamefully when the demon drink was master.
“I don’t see how any one can burn forever as long as he is not immortal,” volunteered the poor lad. “I hope not, anyway,” he continued. “Father, well—you knew father, Mr. Hartman, and I’m not any too good!”
Poor Billy seldom made so long a speech, and
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now his feelings overcame him, and he hid his face in his hands. Grandma had been watching the boy-very closely, and now she could bear it no longer— she would tell him at once what the Holy Spirit said on the subject: “ ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever be-lieveth in Him should not 'perish, but have everlasting life.’ ”
“There! 0, Mr. Hartman!” exclaimed Billy, his whole face lighting up with joy, “then I should think that any one that doesn’t believe would perish, and not burn forever, and would not have everlasting life in misery.”
“Billy’s logic is as good as a lawyer’s,” declared Walter Gray. “Z believe he’s correct.”
“Here let us close our study for the evening,” remarked Mr. Hartman; “there is still plainer testimony yet to come.”
CHAPTER XXI
THE WAGES OF SIN
FTER the regular custom of asking God’s blessing upon the study of the Word, Brother Hartman said, ‘ ‘ What does the Lord distinctly declare, in Mai. 4:1, will be the fate of the wicked? Josie, will you read?”
“ ‘ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.’ ”
“That is rather plain language,” remarked Mr. Gray; “that doesn’t seem to teach the doctrine of 'ternal torment.”
“Will you read the third verse, also, of the same shapter, Mr. Gray? This verse is as plain as the other. ’ ’
“ ‘And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.’ ” “Actually, I’d no idea there was such a statement in the whole Bible,” said Mrs. Gray.
“But aren’t you afraid, Mr. Hartman, that if you teach wicked people that there is no such thing as an
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eternal place of burning, they may be encouraged in their evil ways, and never become converted?” queried Walter Gray.
“See here, Walter,” volunteered John, “you wouldn’t tell lies to them for fear they would never become converted if you didn’t, would you?”
“No, no; God’s way of saving souls is the best, always,” said Brother Hartman. “I truly believe there is nothing like the doctrine of love, to win souls. ’ ’
“Yes,” declared grandma, “Love is one of the names of the Eternal, and surely any doctrine which seems revolting and cruel even to a sinful human heart, must appear infinitely more so to Him who has said, ‘Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.’ ”
“That’s true,” said Mrs. Wilbur. “I wouldn’t give much for anybody’s religion who was converted through fear instead of love. ’ ’
“But how would it agree with the character of a God whose very name is Love, to keep before the universe the horrible spectacle of an ever-burning hell filled with never-dying souls, to all eternity?” asked grandma.
“It doesn’t seem a bit reasonable,” replied Mrs. Gray, “and yet these wicked souls are not fit to enter heaven. What will be done with the hopelessly wicked?”
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‘‘The Catholic would send them to purgatory,” volunteered Walter Gray.
“But what does God’s Word say? Walter, please read Bom. 6:23.”
“ ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ ” “Are you sure you read correctly, Walter?” asked Brother Hartman, with a smile. “Are you certain the text does not say that the wages of sin is eternal life in misery?”
“It certainly does not say so here, sir.”
“Mattie, about how many texts have you found which assert plainly that the wicked will be utterly destroyed ? ’ ’
“There are more than one hundred, father. Elsie and I found and read more than that number this week as we were preparing for the study.”
“More than one hundred!” exclaimed Mrs. Wilbur. “Well, I am surprised; and yet people seem to be ignorant on this important subject—I confess 1 am; but I would much like you to give me the references to some of the plainest of those texts, so I can study them at my leisure.”
“A good idea; we will gladly do so. Mattie, did you make a note of these references ? ’ ’
“No, but Elsie copied a few of them. Elsie, will you hand Mrs. Wilbur those references you copied?” Mrs. Wilbur eagerly reached for the proffered pa-
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per, upon which were written the following references : Obadiah, 16th verse; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:14, 15; 21:8; Ps. 5:6; 9:5; 37:38; 52:4, 5; 2 Thess. 1:9; 2 Peter 2:12; Job 20:4-9; Mai. 4:1.
“But I can tell you,” continued Mattie, “the one that impressed me as being the plainest of all the others. It is the tenth and twentieth verses of the thirty-seventh psalm. Here is the place. Josie, will you read?”
“ ‘For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not he; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.’ That’s the tenth verse, and I will read the twentieth,” said Josie.
“ ‘But the wicked shall 'perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs; they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.’ ”
“Well, surely, Mattie,” said Mrs. Jones, “I can’t wonder that these verses impressed you. I suppose I have read them many times, without a thought of their real import.”
“That’s the way I have always read the Bible, * too, I fear,” confessed Mrs. Gray.
“But,” continued Brother Hartman, “God will have a clean universe. Satan will not be allowed to triumph - forever. The glad day is hastening when sin with all its sad effects will have been blotted from the fair universe of God. Nevermore any tempting enemy; no more sorrow, sin, or death; nothing but
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perfect love and joy and songs of praise forevermore; no ever-burning hell, with its blaspheming inhabitants writhing in agony, but every living creature will be blest and happy. My proof ?—certainly. Elsie, please read Rev. 5:13.”
“ ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.’ ”
“What more does David say about the finally unregenerate? Mrs. Wilbur, please read Ps. 37: 35, 36.” Mrs. Wilbur’s face was very serious as she turned to the text. There is nothing on earth that is so keen an accuser as a troubled conscience, and Mrs. Wilbur saw herself this night as one who, all her life long, had neglected to study God’s Word. As she read, her tones were filled with conviction:
“ ‘I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not; yea, I sought him, but he could not be foundV ”
“Well, Mrs. Wilbur,” said Sister Hartman, “don’t you think that if there were an ever-burning hell anywhere in God’s universe, David would have been liable to have known of its location—under the inspiration of the Spirit of God?”
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Billy Black liad become so intensely interested that he quite forgot his timidity; and while Mrs. Wilbur was reading her verse, he had leaned forward and watched her eagerly, and before she could reply to Sister Hartman’s question, he asked:
“What liad become of him, I wonder; if he wasn’t in heaven nor hell, nor in the grave, where was he? —the wicked man, I mean ? ’ ’
“My lad,” replied Brother Hartman, “I’ll tell you why the psalmist couldn’t find the wicked: the reason is, that they simply did not exist. They had been blotted out. They had failed to make good use of the short life God gave them in which to prepare for eternity, and so God takes again the life, the existence, which He gave. He can not consistently continue a miserable and unhappy existence through all eternity, so God mercifully blots them out; and they become as though they had not been.”
“But,” continued Billy, “suppose a fellow is downright sorry he hasn’t spent his life right—do you spose he’ll be blotted out, Mr. Hartman?”
There was an unmistakable tremor in the poor lad’s voice, and a look of the deepest anxiety upon his face. A tear shone in Brother Hartman’s kindly eye, as he replied hastily:
“I think Beth will repeat grandma’s favorite text, though it has been once read to-night, because that
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exactly answers your question, ray boy. Can you repeat John 3:16, little girl?”
Billy’s anxious questions appealed very strongly to Beth’s tender, sensitive nature, and, as though glad of an opportunity to help him, she rose from her seat at grandma’s side, and walked quickly over to Billy, and laying her small hand on his shoulder, looked directly into his eyes as she slowly repeated: “ ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ”
CHAPTER XXII
TITHING
THINK it quite time that we begin studying the Bible concerning the manner in which the Lord would have His laborers supported/’ said Brother Hartman the next Friday evening as he looked around on the group of happy faces. The Bible study had become a very important event to every one, and all looked forward to these evenings of social enjoyment with undisguised pleasure.
“Well, now, Mr. Hartman,” said Mr. Jones, “the fact is, I am a little surprised at the manner in which your denomination supports its missionaries, etc. ’ ’ “Yes,” added Mr. Wilbur, “I have heard in a roundabout way that your church-members are obliged to give at least one dollar out of every ten which in any way passes through their hands, or they are
turned out of the church, but-------”
“Well, well,” interrupted Mrs. Wilbur, with a wave of her hands, which was intended to indicate that she had no patience with such foolishness (I am sorry to say Mrs. Wilbur was rather grasping in her disposition), “Well, well, that would leave only a (172)
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little—the merest trifle—with which to support our families------”
1 ‘ But, mama, it leaves the other nine-tenths, doesn’t it?” piped Josie.
“0, well,” stammered Mrs. Wilbur, “the Bible says something about providing for your own folks, if you don’t want to be counted worse than an infidel.”
“That’s the verse Deacon Brown used to quote so much,” smiled Mrs. Jones. “Don’t you remember, Mrs. Wilbur, you and I used to wonder if that wasn’t about the only verse he knew?”
“Well,” said grandma, who began to fear that it was high time she was pouring a little oil on the troubled waters, as was her universal custom, “well, my dear friends, we will see what the Lord says on the matter; that will be better than all the opinions of men. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ Come,” she continued, turning to Brother Hartman, “can you give us some Scripture testimony to the point?”
“I think there will be no difficulty in that,” said Brother Hartman, smilingly, “but first, I must correct the false impression of our friend. I have belonged to the Seventh-day Adventist Church for many
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years, and I liave. yet to learn of any man’s being disfellowshiped because lie did not pay bis tithe. However, it is certainly made a plain duty by Him who has commanded us to bring all the tithes into the storehouse.”
‘ ‘ I suppose all that refers to the duty of the Israelites under the old dispensation,” said Mr. Jones, ‘£and I am thinking the New Testament doesn’t have anything to say about it.”
“No,” echoed Mrs. Wilbur; “I can agree with Mr. Hartman on a great many subjects. But when it comes to this one—why I don’t believe the Lord requires poor people to reach down into their pockets and take ten cents out of every dollar and give it to Him. No; thank the Lord, salvation’s free—free!” and Mrs. Wilbur glanced triumphantly at Brother Hartman.
Mattie had been turning the leaves of her Bible very diligently, and now she sat with her finger upon the test she had been looking for.
‘ ‘ What have you there, Mattie ? ’ ’ interrupted Mrs. Gray; “read it, will you?”
“I think,” returned Mattie, “that before we get through, we shall find that the New Testament has considerable to say on the subject. Let me read:
“ ‘For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.’ I have read
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Matt. 25:14. I guess it all belongs to the Lord, anyway, Mrs. Gray.”
“ ‘For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills,’ ” quoted grandma.
“True,” replied Brother Hartman. “Walter, will you read Deut. 8:18?”
“ ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God; for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth.’ That’s rather plain, I’m thinking,” commented Walter. “If I had given a man all he had, and he refused to give me back even a tenth, I should at least think him very ungrateful; now, honestly, shouldn’t you, mother ? ”
Walter had spoken very earnestly, and fixed his large, dark eyes upon his mother, who flushed deeply as she replied uneasily, “Of course, I believe in supporting the missions; but I think that could be done by giving an oyster supper now and then, with an occasional donation party for the minister.”
“Do you think that would be heeding the admonition of the wise man in Prov. 3:9? Will you please read the verse, Mrs. Gray?”
“ ‘Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase,’ ” murmured Mrs. Gray, slowly.
“I think it’s awful to be a robber, don’t you, Billy?” piped up little Beth.
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“Why, of course, Beth,” assented Billy, “but who is—who is a robber?”
“0 1 don’t know; the Bible tells—grandma knows where the place is—read it, grandma.”
“What does the child mean?” interrupted Mrs. Jones, quizzically. Brother Hartman smiled, while grandma wiped her glasses, turned to the third chapter of Malaehi, and slowly read the eighth verse:
“ ‘Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee ? In tithes and offerings.’ ”
“Well, well,” declared Walter Gray; “this study is getting interesting, and in my opinion, decidedly convicting. May I ask, Mr. Hartman, where this custom of tithe-paying originated?”
“The first mention made of it is in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis, verse twenty, in which it is alluded to as if it were a custom even then, in the days of Abraham. Paul refers to this ancient account of tithepaying in Heb. 7:1, 2. John, please turn and read St. Paul’s brief account of it.”
“ ‘For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, wTho met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all.’ ” “So then,” commented Brother Hartman, “it must be that tithes were given and collected under the Melchizedek priesthood.”
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“0 yes,” returned Mrs. Wilbur, “but that is not now—that can not apply to-day. We are living under a new order of things since Christ; isn’t that true? really now, isn’t it, Mr. Hartman?”
Brother Hartman only smiled: “Will Mrs. Wilbur please turn and read Heb. 6:20, as my answer to her question?”
“Well,” thought Mrs. Wilbur, “I never saw such people in all my life. They give a Bible answer to every question one asks,” but she said nothing; she only turned curiously to the place indicated and read:
‘ ‘ ‘ Whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. ’ ”
“Do you not see then, very plainly, that if we accept Jesus Christ as our High Priest and Mediator, we must accept Him as a priest of the Melchizedek order ? ”
“The conclusion is unavoidable, that’s a fact,” said Mr. Wilbur, “I can see that plainly enough.”
“I’m about convinced myself,” declared Walter; “but I would like to know if our Lord said anything about it.”
“I am glad Walter has asked that question,” said Elsie, “for I have just been waiting for a chance to read a text that ought to convince anybody who professes to follow the teachings of Christ.” Elsie had
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her finger already upon the text, and read slowly and
earnestly, Matt. 23:23:
“ ‘Ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.’ ” Elsie was a very good reader, and like the ancient reader of the book of the law, she also read slowly “and gave the sense;” so when she came to the words, “these ought ye to have done,” she read them with great emphasis as if the question ought now forever to be settled— as indeed, in the minds of most of those present, it certainly was.
“And now,” concluded Brother Hartman, “while the Lord Jesus has given very plain testimony in regard to tithing, this can not take the place of judgment, mercy, or faith; and we should pray as did King David in the beautiful prayer, recorded in 1 Chronicles 29, ‘Of Thine own have we given Thee.’ ”
“Josie, will you please read in conclusion a part of that wonderful prayer, beginning with verse fourteen ? ’ ’
“ ‘But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers; our days
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on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. 0 Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for Thine holy name cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own.’ ”
CHAPTER XXIII
THE SPIRIT OP PROPHECY
FTER the last guest had departed, it was decided among Brother Hartman’s family that the next reading would better be on the spirit of prophecy in the church.
“Josie Wilbur told me to-night,” said Mattie, “that her mother wanted to know if we could bring any Bible text to prove that the Lord’s angel speaks to people nowadays in vision.”
“She must probably have heard that we believe it,” said grandma, reflectively, “and I am of the opinion that our next lesson might be upon this most important subject.”
“I quite agree with you, mother,” said Brother Hartman.
So it was arranged; and all through the week, every scripture which mentioned the subject in the remotest manner was found and carefully studied. Of course it is not our aim to bring out in full all these texts, or to reproduce in detail the interesting Bible study given the next Friday eve at Brother Hartman’s. We can only give a synopsis of the lesson, hoping that it may lead others to a more close and critical study of the subject.
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“Well, my friends/’ began Brother Hartman, “how would you all like a reading on the subject of prophecy in the church?”
“Just the subject we would like!” exclaimed three or four voices in concert.
“I have understood,” said Mr. Gray, “that you believe that the spirit of prophecy is in the church to-day. Mrs. Gray and I have talked about it considerably. My son Walter tells us that he is positive there are at least a few texts which sustain this view; and we shall be glad to study them to-night.”
“Walter, will you turn to the testimony of St. Paul to the Corinthian brethren, as to the desirability of having a knowledge concerning spiritual gifts? 1 Cor. 12:1.”
“ ‘Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. ’ ’ ’
“Well, now, Mr. Hartman,” interrupted Mrs. Gray, “it really seems to me that if any one follows the Bible, it is quite enough. Why is it necessary for the church to desire the gift of prophecy?” “Will Mrs. Gray allow me to refer her to the apostle Paul for answer to her question? In 1 Cor. 14:1, he says: ‘ Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.’ Elsie, has the Lord specially promised to reveal secrets to His prophets? Please read Amos 3: 7.”
“ ‘Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He
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revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.’ ”
“Well,” declared Mrs. Jones, “I can’t see how, if this he true, it is ever possible for any accident or calamity to come upon God’s true church—I refer particularly to temporal calamities, such as the destruction of any part of His work by fire, flood, or any other agent. How could it be possible? The prophet, if any existed at that time, would surely warn the people, and to be forewarned is to be forearmed. And yet we know that many, many times God’s cause has suffered in this way, and even your own church which professes to have the gift of prophecy has not escaped.”
Mrs. Jones spoke in a tone of the greatest earnestness, and she awaited the answer to her question almost breathlessly.
“True,” replied Brother Hartman, “but we must not take the Word of God in too arbitrary a manner. He truly often warns His children of danger by His prophets, as in the case of the warning of Paul by Agabus (Acts 21:11); and oftener still has the mouth of the prophet been used by Him to warn the wicked —noticeably in the case of the Flood, given by Noah; also in the days of the apostles, the warning given by Agabus of a universal dearth, and also the warning of the Ninevites by Jonah. But while this is many times the case, still there are times when, possibly on
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account of the unspiritual condition of His people, He does not see fit to make known to them all His plans. ’ ’ '‘0 no, not always,” interrupted grandma, “not always; there must be exceptions to every rule. Shall we conclude that Job was not a true servant of God because all his calamities came upon him with terrifying swiftness and he entirely unwarned? Shall we call Elisha a false prophet because he knew nothing of the death of the son of the Shunammite (2 Kings 4:27)? or the fact that the pottage which was seethed for the sons of the prophets was a deadly poison?” “This seems very plain, does it not?” said Brother Hartman, “but I think Elsie has something to say on the subject; what is it, my daughter?”
“I was reading just now of the rebellion of Ab-solom, and I do not find that the Lord revealed it to David beforehand—and yet who can say that David was not a true prophet?”
“Well said, Elsie,” remarked her mother, “I, also, was just thinking of the time when the prophet Elijah hid himself from Jezebel, under the juniper tree. Though he was so great and good a prophet, still God did not see fit to reveal to him then the wonderful future that was just before him. For at that time, he knew nothing of the chariot of fire—the bright livery of heaven by which he was so soon to ascend to glory—all this, and yet who will deny
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that Elijah was one of the greatest prophets by whom the Lord has ever spoken?”
“Well/’ returned Brother Hartman, “all this goes to prove that it is no evidence that a prophet is not genuine because he does not in every instance prophesy of every calamity which threatens the cause of God. Is this point plain to you, Mrs. Jones?”
The lady in question had been sitting with her head bowed on her hand for some moments in deep thought. “Yes, yes, Mr. Hartman, I see it all now, though it is a point that I dare say has troubled some of your own church-members.”
“It has, without doubt. But we must hasten. From past studies we have found, as we must all agree, that the present generation is the last which can exist before the coming of Christ, and that the message of warning which is now being given to the world is the last which will precede His coming.”
“I for one, must agree with you that far,” said Mr. Wilbur, “for I have come to believe in the near coming of our Lord. ’ ’
“Very well; God has made a special promise which applies in the last days—Joel 2:28: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, 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.’ Now, John, you may give the crowning reason, if you please, for your be-
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lief that the spirit of propheey must exist in the remnant church of to-day. ’ ’
“I believe it, father, because it has been plainly stated in the prophetic Word that this gift ivill exist in the remnant church—she must of necessity be possessed of the spirit of prophecy, and the banner must float over some man or woman to whom the Lord Almighty speaks in vision.”
John had studied the subject all the week very diligently, until he himself was thoroughly imbued with the deep significance of the words he had uttered. Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur, and even Billy glanced up quickly at the young speaker, whose earnestness had touched every heart, and Mrs. Wilbur asked:
“Why, John, you speak as one having authority; will you give us the Scriptural reasons for your assertions ? ’ ’
“Revelation 12:17; will you please all turn to the text, while Walter reads?”
“ ‘And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. ’ ”
“Then,” continued John, it is quite evident that the remnant of the seed of the woman (or the church) must keep the Ten Commandments—all ten of them,
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and not only that, but they must have among them also the ‘testimony of Jesus.’ ”
“But what has this to do with prophets in the church? what is this ‘testimony of Jesus,’ Mr. Hartman?” questioned Mr. Jones.
“I think John is able to answer your question; I would be glad for him to do so,” replied Brother Hartman, turning to his son, with a glad smile.
“Please turn to Rev. 19:10, Mr. Jones, that will tell you plainly what this testimony of Jesus is, which the remnant church must possess.”
Mr. Jones opened his Bible and read rapidly:
“ ‘The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ ” Then he closed his Book with an expression of astonishment upon his face. “Now,” resumed John, “let me make my point. We have seen that the true remnant church must keep all the Ten Commandments of God, and, also, have the spirit of prophecy. Mr. Jones or Mr. Gray, can you think of any church except that to which I have the honor of belonging, which answers the description given by the inspired penman, and which fulfils these two conditions?” “0,” interrupted Mrs. Jones, “the Mormons, you know, claim to have the spirit of prophecy, and so do the Spiritualists.”
“But, Mrs. Jones, do they claim to be keeping the Ten Commandments—all ten of them?”
“0 no, no, of course not,” stammered Mrs. Jones.
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Then—why there’s the Seventh-day Baptists and the Jews—they keep, or profess to keep, the entire law, and I guess they do, they are nice people, many of them,” and a smile of satisfaction lighted up Mrs. Jones’ expressive face.
“But,” continued John, whose eyes were shining like stars, “but do these people profess to have among any of them the spirit of prophecy?”
The smile died out of Mrs. Jones’ face, and she answered earnestly:
“I see your point, my lad; you have done well. I think you have proved to the entire satisfaction of all of us that the keeping of the commandments of God and having the spirit of prophecy are the two important characteristics of the remnant church—it must be so.”
“Amen!” echoed Brother Hartman.
r
CHAPTER XXIV
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
THOUGHT you promised us a reading on ‘Justification by Faith/ father/’ said Elsie the next morning.
“Very well; we will give the reading next Friday night, and Beth may run over to tell our friends about it, so they may be studying up a little,—and we must do the same ourselves; for this is a wonderful subject, my children, and needs study. ’ ’
Friday night came, and all were much pleased with the study outlined. “I have long desired to understand this subject of faith better,” said Mrs. Jones, “for I must confess it is not quite plain to me.” “You are not the first who has stumbled over it, Mrs. Jones,” replied Sister Hartman. “At the time the great Luther climbed the stairs of Pilate in Rome, upon his knees, and heard the heavenly Voice proclaiming that wonderful truth, ‘The just shall live by faith/ the whole world was in the dense darkness of papal bigotry and superstition. But we have by the grace of God learned that the doctrine of works alone is the doctrine of penance and self-torture, and that mankind are forever dependent—not upon their own puny efforts, or on any deed of their own, how-(188)
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ever meritorious, but upon the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.”
“And yet, Mr. Hartman,” sighed Mrs. Wilbur, “it seems to me as if we have something to do ourselves. For one, I feel very unworthy, and I hardly have the courage to ask the Lord to forgive my sins. ’ ’
“0 we do have something to do, I assure you. As Martin Luther says: ‘Our ivorks do not save us; but if we have faith, we will do the works.’ I think the apostle James makes this very plain,” replied Brother Hartman. “Walter, please read James 2: 26.”
“ ‘For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.’ ”
“Josie, what is the Lord’s attitude toward sin? Heb. 1: 9, first clause. ’ ’
“ ‘Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity.’ ”
“True; and death must be the fate of the finally unregenerate and unforgiven. It is very necessary that we learn not to regard sin lightly. Miss Josie will please read Matt. 22:13.”
“ ‘Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him aw^ay, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ”
Poor Billy Black had listened to the reading thus
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far quietly enough, but now an expression of terror crept into his dark eyes, and he wailed:
“0 Mr. Hartman, Mr. Hartman! I’m him! I’ve been a bad boy all my life, and I’ve never done nobody no good, and I’m afraid, afraid of the outer darkness! 0, what do you s’pose I’d better do, Mr. Hartman ? ’ ’
Billy was much in earnest,—of this there was no doubt. He had been under deep conviction for some time, and this verse of Scripture seemed especially written to condemn him to despair. The gentle eyes of Grandma Hartman were suffused with tears. She rose from her rocking-chair and quietly made her way over to Billy, and laid her hand gently on his dark hair.
“That’s the very question the jailer asked of the apostle Paul, Billy, and I’ll tell you the same as Paul did him: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, ’—find it, somebody, and read it to the boy, won’t you?” and grandma dropped down on her knees beside the sobbing lad.
John had turned to the sixteenth chapter of Acts, and at his grandma’s request, he read, in a voice choked with emotion verses 30 and 31: “‘And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.’ ”
“0, I do believe in the Lord,” sobbed Billy, “but
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I don’t know what to do besides. I’ve told the Lord a good many times, lately, how sorry I am for my sins, —0, I’m ever so sorry—He knows I’m sorry, Grandma Hartman.”
“But hear what the Lord Himself says, Billy, —here, let me read 1 John 1:9: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ You believe the Lord, don’t you, Billy?”
“0 yes’m, I do; but I don’t feel any different than I did before.” By this time Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Wilbur were in tears, while Mrs. Gray said:
“That is just my trouble. I try to confess my sins to the Lord, and I know He has promised to forgive me, but I don’t see any difference in myself or in my feelings, and I am almost discouraged.”
“But what is faith, Mrs. Gray?” smiled Brother Hartman. “Let us read what the Word says. Heb. 11:1: ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ We are too liable to wait for some feeling or some great visible change in ourselves; but this is not faith. Walter,
turn and read Isa. 55:7.” —_______
“ ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.’ ” “Now,” said Brother Hartman, “are we willing
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to believe the naked promise—the plain word of the Lord? If I promised to pay you ten dollars for a job of work, Billy, and you had done the work just as I asked you to do, would you believe that I would pay you? Would you take my word for it? You wouldn’t ask me for my note, would you, Billy?”
4 4 Me ? my, no! pity if I couldn’t take your word,
-—such a man as you are, Mr. Hartman. Why?”
4 4 Well, you see, the Lord actually gives us His note—gives us the record of the title deed to our glorious reward, even eternal life; 0 it is most blessed, most precious!” and a shining tear trickled down Brother Hartman’s cheek and fell on the Book open at the record, 1 John 5: 9-13. 4 4 If we buy any piece of property, we always hasten to get the deed recorded. ’ ’
Mattie was looking over her father’s shoulder, so he handed her the Book to read:	„ »
4 4 4 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the 'witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto
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you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that we may believe on the name of the Son of God.’ ”
“You see,” said Elsie, “that it is simple belief on the promise of God. I have been thinking, father, of the old Jewish ceremony of sprinkling water from the ashes of a heifer upon a man who had been pronounced unclean. The Lord had said, ‘Sprinkle the water upon him, and he shall be clean.’ But apparently the man would not be as clean as he was before! Never mind, the Lord has spoken. The conditions have been complied with; the water has been sprinkled; the unclean has become clean.”
“Yres,” commented John, “now suppose some one had refused to do this, on the ground that he did not feel any cleaner than he did before the ashes had been sprinkled, would he have been pronounced clean in God’s sight?”
“0 no, no,” cried Mrs. Gray, joyfully. “That is a good example of both faith and works. If a man had no faith in God’s promise, he would refuse to obey him, and neglect to sprinkle the ashes. But the very act of sprinkling those ashes, implied a perfect faith in the word which pronounced him a clean man, —even against the evidence of his senses. I see now, —I see; and O, I am so glad!”
“Praise the Lord!” murmured grandma.
“Let us read the passage,” said Brother Hartman.
13
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“ ‘For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. ’ Heb. 9:13, 14. ’ ’ Billy Black had ceased his crying, and his eyes shone with intense interest.
“I can understand it ever so much plainer than I did,” he said, “but if I could only see the Lord, Mr. Hartman, maybe He’d sit down and reason with me— then I believe I could understand.”
“Could you? see here, Billy,” and Brother Hartman opened the Book to the first chapter of Isaiah, and placing his finger upon the eighteenth verse, he held the Book for the lad and read slowly:
“ ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ ”
“Do you s’pose that means me?” questioned Billy, seriously. Brother Hartman again turned to the Book, Rev. 22:17, and traced the blessed lines for the lad:
“ ‘And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’ ”
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Poor Billy looked up into Brother Hartman’s face, and his eyes again filled with tears; but an expression of gladness and great peace had come into them.
“I’ve got the point, sir; 1whosoever will;’ that means me! I see it now; I never saw such a—a man as you are in all my life—nor such a Book as that— why, it’s got an answer for you right while you’re speaking. ’ ’
“Aye,—‘while they are yet speaking, I will hear,’ ” quoted Sister Hartman softly.
“But,” interrupted Mr. Gray, “if a man can’t save himself by his OAvn good works, what is the use of trying to keep the fourth commandment so zealously if we are to be saved through faith?”
John had his finger upon Rom. 3: 31, almost before Mr. Gray had finished his question, and he read distinctly: “ ‘Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.’ ” “Amen! and let it be established forever!” exclaimed Mr. Gray. “I tell you, Mr. Hartman, these readings are meat and drink to my soul. ’ ’
“Praise the Lord!” again murmured Grandma Hartman.
“Well, now,” said Brother Hartman, “this reading is almost too interesting to close; but as it is getting a little late, we will listen to a closing selection which Mattie will read for us upon this very subject,—and may God add His blessing. Amen.”
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TRANSFORMED One day a fearful sight I saw:
I passed the mirror of God’s law,
And lo! my dress, that once I deemed So pure and clean, all filthy seemed;
My hands which erst looked pure and white, Were stained and loathsome in my sight:
My very heart was black .with sin,—
All rotten, vile, and stained within;
And e’en the good deeds I had done Seemed only selfish, every one.
Ah, yes; a fearful sight I saw In this strange mirror of God’s law.
And then I said, “I’ll make me white;
I’ll purge and cleanse me day and night; I’ll wash these filthy stains, and so I shall be clean once more,’’ but lo!
Nor soap nor niter cleansed my stain Which red as crimson did remain.
Then quick Damascus’ streams I sought,
And all my sin-stained garments brought Where, proud Abana’s banks beside,
I dipped them in the whelming tide;
And there, where mighty Pharpar flows,
I sought to hide my guilty woes.
As leprous Naaman, thought, I ween,
“I’ve but to wash me to be clean.”
I eager sought, but sought in vain-;
These could not cleanse me from my stain.
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At last, O joy! the news I heard,
That there was One whose mighty word Could heal my soul, and cleanse my sin,
And make me pure and white within.
“What, can He cleanse my soul?’’ I cried; “Lo, I am very vile, ” I sighed.
And then, an angel oped mine eyes;
“See what His word hath wrought,’ ’ he cries. I looked. Disease and suffering fled,
I saw Him raise the moldering dead:
E’en hell was stirred; death’s angel hearc And quick obeyed the Almighty Word.
I looked again; again I heard
The echo of that strange, strange word:
11 Let there be light, ’ ’ and dismal night Quivers with beams of glory bright.
That word through “empty chaos” rung; Worlds from “abysmal darkness” sprung, Each to his own appointed place,
And suns lvent wheeling into space.
And then I cried, with trembling soul: “Lord, if Thou wilt, I may be whole,
Speak Thou the word, and set me free— That word which makes me clean in Thee.”
Again I heard that mighty word:
“I will; be clean, thy prayer is heard.”
I looked, and once again I saw The perfect mirror of God’s law;
But where was once my filthy dress,
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I saw Christ’s robe of righteousness.
And where my guilt-stained hands once shone, I saw those pierced hands alone.
My form was gone, and in its place I only saw my Saviour’s face;
Again I heard that mystic word,
"Now ye are clean, through Christ the Lord.”
CHAPTER XXV
CONCLUDED
ONCLUDED?” I imagine I hear some of my readers exclaim, who have patiently fol-
_______ lowed me thus far, “Aren’t we going to
have any more Bible studies at Brother Hartman’s? I’d like to hear whether these readings were productive of any real good. In fact I’d like to know the come out of it.”
Would you ? Don’t you know that the real ‘ ‘ come out” of anything can never be fully and truly known in this life? It is “over there” that we get settlement “in full” for our work for Christ. However, I am sure you will be glad to know that the Bible studies continued at Brother Hartman’s for a long time, and that many others came in, one by one, to enjoy them. They carefully studied such subjects as “The Home of the Saved,” “The Earth Made New,” “The Love of God,” “The Origin of Sin,” and “The History and Destiny of Satan.”
“But,” says one; “does the Bible tell about such strange subjects as some of these?”—Reader, study it well, and see. I promise you it will pay you as well as it did the family and neighbors at Brother
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Hartman’s. God has promised a rich harvest, so be not discouraged if the seed spring not up at once.
It was many long years before the growing church
in the village of D--of which Brother Hartman’s
family were members, felt that their numbers demanded that a meeting-house be built. Shall I tell you about it?—Very well. Then I must ask you to pass over in your minds at least ten years of the joys and sorrows, disappointments and victories, of Brother and Sister Hartman’s family and friends. How well we remember the last evening we met with them. We have not forgotten that the study was concerning “Justification by Faith.” Nor have we forgotten how clear the precious truth of God shone out of His Book on this eventful night.
I say it was an eventful evening—eventful because decisions were formed that night, and influences brought to bear upon some of the members of that little circle, the effect of which would reach into eternity. On this night, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur were deeply convicted by the Spirit of God. The solemn truths which they had so long been studying were being impressed upon their hearts, and the blessed seed which had been sown was about to bear fruit also in other lives.
Come; let us make the family of Brother and Sister Hartman one more visit.
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They are just as old-fashioned as ever, and they still study the same old-fashioned Book.
We pass through the familiar streets of the little
village of D-----, over the hills and away toward the
pleasant, rambling old farmhouse in the midst of the same thrifty orchard as of yore. It is a pleasant Sabbath evening in late October. The red and yellow and russet leaves of the old maples behind the bam are witnesses that Jack Frost has already paid his annual visit. Hark! where have we heard that sweet song before? A young woman is seated at the old organ singing a familiar melody in which other voices take part. While we are trying to call up some half-forgotten memory of the past, the young woman turns her face full toward us, and we are sure this must be the little Beth of long ago. One by one we recognize the singers. Elsie and Mattie, and—yes—that fine young man with the noble forehead and the earnest eyes is certainly John. He has just returned from his labors for the Master in the islands of the sea for a short visit to his old home. Brother and Sister Hartman both join in the singing, but we do not see the sweet, white-haired grandmother in her accustomed place, and we rightly guess that she is sleeping the blessed sleep of the just, only waiting for the sound of the voice of the archangel and the trump of God.
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All, it is her favorite hymn which the family are singing:
‘ ‘ Mark that pilgrim lowly bending, ’ ’ and our eyes are wet as well as those of the singers as we think of the hallowed memories of the past.
The sun is setting behind the hills, and the Sabbath is almost gone. In the distance we see the tall spire of the new church, and from its white finger pointing skyward we hear the clear echo of the bell calling the worshipers together to the dedication services of the first Seventh-day Adventist Church ever
built in the village of D-------, now almost a city.
The program is to be an interesting one to-night, for the services are to be conducted by an eminent young evangelist and his able co-worker, a musician
of rare talent and deep devotion from the C-----------
mission.
“Come,” said Beth, rising from the organ at last, “come; it is quite time we were starting for church —it’s a good half mile—and we must not be late;
Pm so anxious to hear the sermon-----------”
“And the music,” added Mattie.
“Yes,” declared Elsie, “but it makes me feel sad to realize that our dear John is so soon to leave us again for his far-away field of labor.”
“But let us thank God and take courage,” interrupted Sister Hartman, wiping a tear from her eye, as the family wended their way down the grassy
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walk toward the brilliantly-lighted church already half-filled with worshipers.
Let us follow them, reader, as they pass down the pleasant aisle and seat themselves in one of the front slips. We look about us with great interest. Just at the right, we recognize the genial faces of our old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur, and we wonder where the daughter Josie has hidden herself, for we do not see her. At the left are Mr. and Mrs. Jones, a trifle older and more serious looking, but otherwise unchanged; while sitting well up in front, close by the altar, we notice the bright, expectant faces of Mr. and Mrs. Gray. A young man is just seating himself at the organ. His thick, wavy hair is brushed carelessly back from the broad forehead, and the deep blue eyes beam with intelligence as he scans the faces of the congregation for a moment; and as all unite in singing the grand old “Coronation,” it is the superb voice of the organist which is clearly heard above all the others. We wonder if it can be possible that—yes, we are certain, now, that the singer is our long-ago friend, Billy Black! and as this consciousness comes to us, our voice trembles with gladness as we, too, sing:
“All hail the power of Jesus’ name”
The young minister’s countenance also affords us quite a study. We feel sure that we have seen him
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sometime before—but where? At the conclusion of the song, he quietly descends from the pulpit, and taking Mrs. Gray by the arm, he leads her to an easier seat, still nearer the pulpit. Something in his tender, dutiful manner suggests to us that this dark-bearded minister can be none other than her son Walter whom we remember had been determined to be a preacher of the Word, ten years ago.
We listen to the sermon with intense interest. The speaker briefly reviews the past few years,— years filled with evidences of the loving care of God and His wonderful providences:
“It is about ten years ago, I think,” he said, “while I was yet a mere lad, that I had my attention first called to the nearness of the second coming of our Lord, the sacredness of the true Sabbath of Jehovah, the sleep of the dead, and kindred truths which are so dear to us as a people. I see that Brother and Sister Hartman are here to-night. I have not seen them in a number of years, my work, as you know, being in a distant state, but I wish to say to them, and to you all, that we owe the prosperity of our cause and our church in this place, more, under God, to the family Bible-readings held in their house so many years ago, than to anything else. How many times have I found parents depending upon the church-school teacher entirely to educate their children in the things of God. And I have said: ‘0 for
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more Brother and Sister Hartmans!’ I say as does the inspired apostle, Honor to whom honor is due.
0	for more parents who believe that the training of their children for God and His church is the first business of life, and who act upon the belief.
‘‘But some have said to me: ‘I am a poor teacher,
1	do not understand the Bible very well myself, how can I teach it to my children?’ To such I say in God’s name: ‘Become acquainted with His precious Book. Make less provision for the outward man, and provide more of the meat which perisheth not, for the soul. ’
“I am glad to recognize in the congregation tonight,” he continued, “many old friends; among them Brother and Sister Wilbur whose daughter is now a missionary in India, and Brother Jones and wife who, with my parents and myself, attended these early Bible studies at Brother Hartman’s—those precious lessons which were the beginning of a great revival of God’s truth in this place, and the influence of wrhieh will live on forever. My dear friend and associate, Brother Black, to whose sweet songs many thousands have listened and whose God-given talent is being used daily for the Master, received his first religious impressions at these same Bible studies at Brother Hartman’s.
“And, now, as we solemnly dedicate this pleasant
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house of worship to the service of Almighty God, let us remember that He has commanded that we teach His precepts to our sons and our daughters when we go out and when we come in, when we rise up and when we sit down. And may we all be ready to go up to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, in the earth when it shall be made new and beautiful, from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another.”
FINIS.






Those 
Bible 
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