" Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22 :12. 
VOLUME 9. 
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FIFTH—DAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. 
NUMBER 34. 
*ign5 of tly Einto. 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, FOR THE 
S. D. A. MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 
(For Terms, etc., See Last Page.) 
Entered at the Post-Office in Oakland, Cal. 
COME HOLY 
COME, Holy Spirit! from the height 
Of heaven send down thy blessed light ! 
Come, Father of the friendless poor ! 
Giver of gifts, and Light of hearts, 
Come with that unction which imparts 
Such consolations as endure. 
The soul's Refreshment, and her Guest, 
Shelter in heat, in labor Rest, 
The sweetest Solace in our woe! 
Come, blissful Light ! oh, come and fill, 
In all thy faithful heart and will, 
And make our inward fervor glow. 
Where thou art, Lord, there is no ill, 
For evil's self thy light can kill; 
Oh, let that light upon us rise ! 
Lord ! heal our wounds, and cleanse our stains, 
Fountain of grace ! and with thy rains 
Our barren spirits fertilize. 
Bend with thy fires our stubborn will, 
And quicken what the world would chill,. 
And homeward call the feet that stray; 
Virtue's reward, and final grace, 
The �
ternal Vision face to face, 
Spirit of Love ! for these we pray. 
Come, Holy Spirit ! bid us live; 
To to
se who trust thy mercy give 
Joys that through endless ages flow; 
Thy various gifts, foretastes of Heaven, 
Those that are named thy sacred seven, 
On us, 0 God of love, bestow. 
—F. W. Faber. 
en eral 
Charles V. Against Luther. 
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE. 
not received by them. We are not placed where 
our fathers were, consequently our duties and 
responsibilities are not the same as theirs. We 
shall not be approved of God in looking to the 
example of our fathers to determine our duty in-
stead of searching the word of truth for ourselves. 
Were our fathers engaged in an evil work ? 
We are not to do wickedly because they did. 
Were they devoted to a good work ? We can 
imitate them only by performing our duty as 
faithfully as they performed theirs; by heeding 
the light granted to us as faithfully as they 
heeded that which shone upon them; in short, 
by doing as they would have done had they lived 
in our day, and enjoyed our privileges and oppor-
tunities. Our responsibility is greater than was 
that of our ancestors. W e are accountable for 
the light which they received, and which was 
handed down as an inheritance for us, and we 
are also accountable for the additional light which 
is now shining upon us from the sure word of 
prophecy. The truth that has convinced the 
understanding or convicted the soul, by what-
ever means it may have been given, will judge 
us at the last great day. No one will be con-
demned because he did not believe that which 
was never presented ' to his understanding or 
urged upon his conscience. Said Christ of the un-
believing Jews: " If I had not come, and spoken 
unto them, they had not had sin; but now they 
have no cloak for their sin." 
The same divine power had spoken through 
Luther to the emperor and princes of Germany. 
And as the light shone forth from God's word, 
his Spirit pleaded for the last time with many-
in that assembly. Had not this appeal been pre-
sented to their understanding, their sin had not 
been so great. But the truth had stood forth in 
direct and unmistakable contrast with error ; 
therefore their rejection of it sealed their con-
demnation. 
The emperor decides that he will not step out 
of the royal path of custom, even to walk in the 
ways of truth and righteousness. Because his 
fathers did, he will uphold the papacy, with all 
its cruelty and corruption. With this decision, 
his day of mercy forever ended. 
The proposition of the Romanists excited great 
alarm among the friends* of the Reformer. And 
even one of his inveterate enemies, a duke of 
Saxony, denounced the infamous suggestion, af-
firming that the German princes would not tol-
erate the violation of a safe-conduct. " Such per-
fidy," he said, "befits not the ancient good faith of 
the Germans." Other princes also, who were at-
tached to the Roman Church, supported this pro-
test, and the peril that threatened the life of 
Luther gradually disappeared. 
Two days were spent by the diet in deliberation 
upon the proposition of the emperor. Rumors of 
the designs against Luther were widely circu-
lated, causing great excitement throughout the 
city. The Reformer had made many 'friends, 
who, knowing the treacherous cruelty of Rome 
toward all that dared expose her corruptions, 
resolved that he should not be sacrificed. More 
than four hundred nobles pledged themselves to 
protect him. Not a few' openly denounced the 
royal message as evincing a weak submission to 
the controlling power of Rome. On the gates of 
houses and in public places, placards were posted, 
some condemning and others sustaining Luther. 
On one of them were written merely those sig-
nificant words of the wise man: " Woe to thee, 
0 land, when thy king is a child." The popular 
enthusiasm in Luther's favor throughout all Ger-
many convinced both the emperor and the diet 
that any injustice shown him would endanger the 
peace of the empire, and even the stability of'the 
throne. 
There were many who loved and honored the 
Reformer, and wished to secure his safety, while 
at the same time they were desirous not to break 
with the Roman power. Hoping to accomplish 
this object, the German princes came in a body 
to the emperor to request time for further efforts 
for a reconciliation. " I will not depart from 
what I have determined," said he; " I will au-
thorize no one to have any official communication 
with Luther." "But," he added, " I will allow 
the man three days' consideration, during which 
time any one may exhort him privately as he 
may think fit." 
Many of the Reformer's friends hoped that a 
private conference would prove successful. But 
the Elector of Saxony, who knew Luther better, 
felt assured that he would stand firm. In a letter 
to his brother, Duke John of Saxony, Frederic 
expressed his anxiety for Luther's safety, and 
his own willingness to undertake his defense. 
"You can hardly imagine," he continued, "how 
I am beset by the partisans of Rome. If I were 
to tell you all, you would hear strange things. 
They are bent upon his ruin; and if any one 
evinces the least interest in his safety, he is in-
stantly cried down as a heretic. May God, who 
forsaketh not the cause of the righteous, bring 
the struggle to a happy issue." 
Frederic maintained a studied reserve toward 
the Reformer, carefully concealing his real feel- 
ings, while at the same time he guarded him with 
tireless vigilance, watching all his movements and 
all those of his enemies. But there were many 
who made no attempt to conceal their sympathy. 
Princes, barons, knights, gentlemen, ecclesiastics, 
and common people surrounded Luther's lodgings, 
entering and gazing upon him as though he were 
something more than human. Even those who 
believed him to bo in error could not but admire 
that nobility of soul which led him to peril his 
life rather than violate his conscience. 
THERE is nothing that so enlarges and expands 
the soul as an active interest in foreign missions. 
The idea compasses the globe and lifts the 
thoughts out of the region of selfishness into that 
of universal benevolence; besides, the sanction 
and the command of Christ is its impelling im-
pulse.—C. H. Spurgeon. 
ALEANDER, the papal legate, clearly perceived 
the effect produced by Luther's speech. He 
feared, as never before, for the security of the 
Romish power, and resolved to employ every 
means at his command to effect the Reformer's 
overthrow. With all the eloquence and diplo-
matic skill for which he was so eminently distin-
guished, he represented to the youthful emperor 
the folly and danger of sacrificing, in the cause 
of an insignificant monk, the friendship and sup-
port of the powerful see of Rome. 
His words were not without effect. On the 
day following. Luther's answer, Charles Fifth 
caused a message to be presented to the diet, 
announcing his determination to carry out the 
policy of his predecessors to maintain and protect 
the Catholic religion. Since Luther had refused 
to renounce his errors, the most vigorous meas-
ures should be employed against him and the her-
esies he taught. Nevertheless, the safe-conduct 
granted him must be respected; and before pro-
ceedings against him could be instituted, he must 
be allowed to reach his home in safety.. 
" I am firmly resolved to tread in the footsteps 
of my ancestors," wrote the monarch. Thus he 
took his position, refusing to accept any light in 
advance of what his fathers had received, or per- 
form any duty that his fathers had not performed. 
He seemed to feel that a change of religious 
views would be inconsistent with the dignity of 
a great king. There are many at the present 
day thus clinging to the customs and traditions 
of their fathers. When the Lord sends them ad-
ditional light, they refuse to accept it, because, 
not having been granted to their fathers, it was 
As Pilate, centuries before, had permitted pride 
and love of popularity to close his heart against 
the world's Redeemer; as the trembling Felix 
bade the messenger of truth, " Go thy way for 
this time; when I have a convenient season, I 
will call for thee;" as the proud Agrippa con-
fessed, " Almost thou persuadest me to be a Chris-
tian," yet turned away from the Heaven-sent mes-
sage,—so had Charles Fifth, yielding to the dic-
tates of worldly pride and policy, refused his last 
call from God. 
Charles had announced his decision in the case 
of Luther without previous consultation with the 
diet. This hasty and independent act of the 
youthful emperor excited the displeasure of that 
august body. Two opposite parties at once ap-
peared. Several of the pope's adherents de-
manded that Luther's safe-conduct should not 
be respected. " The Rhine," they said, " should 
receive his ashes, as it had received those of John 
Huss a century ago." In after years it was a 
cause of regret to Charles that he did not act 
upon this base proposition. "I confess," he said 
toward the close of his life, " that I committed a 
great fault by permitting Luther to live. I was 
not obliged to keep my promise with him; that 
heretic bad offended a Master greater than I,—
God himself. I might and I ought to have brOken 
my word, and to have avenged the insult he had 
committed against God. It is because I did not 
put him to death, that heresy has not ceased to 
advance. His death would have stifled it in the 
cradle." So great was the darkness which came 
upon the mind that had willfully rejected the 
light of truth. 
398 
 
 
 
41.111110111
1, 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 
 
VoL. 9, No. 34. 
 
 
 
The Principle as to Time in Sabbath 
Observance. 
[In the discussion of the question of the Religious 
Amendment of the Constitution, the editor of the Chris-
tian Statesman went the usual round to show the im-
possibility of keeping the identical seventh day, and 
then, as usual, turned to arguing in favor of keeping 
Sunday! The following is from Eld. Littlejohn's reply 
to that part of his argument.] 
WERE it not true that we had long since ceased 
to be surprised at anything which an individual 
could say when opposing the claims of the Lord's 
Sabbath, after having received the light concern-
ing them, our astonishment at the position taken 
by the gentleman of the Statesman, in the forego-
ing article, would have no bounds. 
To one who has followed him thus far in an 
elaborate argument, running through a series of 
nine communications, all for the purpose of estab-
lishing, from both Scripture and history, the 
change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the 
first day of the week, and the obligation under 
which all men are now placed to observe the lat-
ter instead of the former, it will be extremely dif- 
ficult to explain, on grounds honorable to himself, 
this sudden repudiation of all which he has said in 
the past, while, endeavoring to defend the newly-
found theory of the observance of one day in 
seven, to the exclusion of any definite day what-
ever. 
In his second article he says: " We are con-
cerned here and now simply with the transfer of 
the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of 
the week." In the third article, when speaking 
of apostolic times, he remarks again : " It was also 
seen that while the observance of the seventh day 
was not continued, another day of the week, the 
first, took its place as the stated day for religious 
assemblies and services." Farther on he writes 
again as follows: " On the last seventh day on 
which the disciples rested, according to the com-
mandment, the Lord himself is lying in the tomb. 
The glory of the seventh day dies out with the 
fading light of that day, throughout the whole of 
which the grave claimed the body of the Re-
deemer. But the glory of the Sabbath of the 
Lord survives. It receives fresh luster from the 
added glories of the Lord of the Sabbath. ' The 
Stone which the builders refused has become the 
head of the corner.' It is very early in the morn-
ing, the first day of the week. Again, ' God said, 
Let there be light; and there was light.' The 
Sun of Righteousness has risen with healinc, in 
his wings. This is the day which the Lord has 
made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. The first 
day of the week has become the Lord's day:' 
But we must cease from our quotations, for 
there is no limit to expressions synonymous with 
the above. Not only so, but were additional proof 
necessary, by more ample extracts, it could be 
made to appear that the whole theory of his de-
fense, as already declared, has rested entirely 
upon the change of the day from the seventh, 
which was observed till the death of Christ, to 
the first, which was honored especially by our 
Lord, by his personal appearance to the disciples 
on the first and second Sundays following the res-
urrection, and by the outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit on the day of Pentecost, with the especial 
view of teaching the disciples that it had become 
holy time; also, that they, grasping the moral of 
the lesson imparted by example, if not by positive 
precept, inculcated the doctrine of the change, 
and made it binding upon all. 
It' we are right in this, and the reader who has 
followed the debate thus far will unhesitatingly 
admit that such are the facts, then, of course, the 
gentleman is arrayed against himself in a manner 
most distasteful, no doubt, to his personal feelings, 
as well as disastrous to his polished logic; for to 
the mind of the merest school-boy it must be ap-
parent that a change of Sabbath from one day of 
the week to another, involves the definiteness of 
the day thus honored; i. e., if the first day of the 
week is now the Christian Sabbath because of the 
nature of events which transpired upon it in par-
ticular, then, of course, it occupies that position to 
the exclusion of all othe
r days; but this utterly 
demolishes the seventh-part-of-time theory, which 
the gentleman has adopted, the very essence of 
which is, that there is now no superiority in days, 
and the individual is left free to choose any one 
wnich may best accord with his tastes or subserve 
his interests. 
Here, then, we come to a dead halt. Which 
shall we believe, the nine articles of the gentle- 
man, or the tenth, which is in direct conflict with 
their teachings ? Should we go by the bulk of 
the testimony, then we must decide that there is 
a definite day, according to the conviction of our 
opponent. But if he still holds to that doctrine 
then that which he has said against the seventh 
day Sabbath, on the ground that the earth is 
round, and, therefore, that the Edenic Sabbath 
could not be kept in all portions of it, is deprived 
of all its force. For, assuredly, if he believes that 
God now requires all men to honor the first day 
of the week, the world over, then he must admit 
that it is possible for them to do so. 
But if it is possible for men both to find and to 
celebrate the first day of the week, on a round 
world, then, beyond all dispute, the same process 
which will enable them to do this, will also qual-
ify them to locate and to observe the seventh-day 
Sabbath. For it is just as certain as mathemati-
cal demonstration can make it, that in a week 
consisting of seven days, having found the first of 
the number, in order to discover the last, you 
have but to take the one which preceded the 
known day, or, if you please, count forward six 
days from the one already established, and you 
have the last day of the week to which it belongs. 
So, too, with every objection urged in the com-
munication. The one in regard to the difficulties 
which would be experienced in an attempt to keep 
the Sabbath of the commandment at the poles, is 
just as fatal to the first day as it is to the seventh. 
All this talk, also, in regard to the impossibility of 
preserving a correct count, and of the lengthening 
and shortening of the days, as the traveler passes 
from the east to the west, if it has any force at 
all, or even the semblance of force, must be met 
and answered equally by the observers of the so-
called Christian Sabbath, with those of the Sab-
bath of the Lord. This being true, we might 
pause right here, and roll the burden on to the op-
position. Having raised the dust which is blind-
ing the eyes of the ignorant, yet conscientious, it 
would be but substantial justice for Sabbatarians 
to fall back and say to them, Take the field, gen-
tlemen, and wrest from the hand of the infidel and 
the atheist the weapons with which you have 
armed them to be employed against you in the 
very work in which you are engaged; for, be it 
remembered that the children of this world are 
wiser in their generation than the children of 
light, and they will readily perceive the advan-
tage which they have gained by such doctrines 
and difficulties as those to which the gentleman 
has called their attention. 
This, however, we shall not do, but shall our-
selves, in due time, strike at the very root of the 
error, in the interest of a definite and universal 
day of holy rest. Before entering upon this work, 
nevertheless, there is a matter which concerns 
Sabbatarians most deeply, to which attention 
should be directed. 
The gentleman and his friends are pressing upon 
the nation the necessity of the Constitutional 
Amendment—contrary to his former declaration, 
in which he said there was no necessary connec-
tion between the Sabbath and the amendment. 
He now justifies our strictures upon the disingen- 
uousness of his argument, by deliberately stating 
in the article before us, with an air of triumphant 
exultation, that, the amendment once secured, the 
Sabbath laws in this country will then cease to be 
a dead letter. By this he means, of course, that 
they will be carried into operation. But what 
are those Sabbath laws ? They are laws enforc-
ing the first day of the week, in nearly every 
State in the Union. 
Now, we believe that what the gentleman says 
will be fulfilled; but right here is the proper place 
to offer a solemn protest. Will the gentleman 
fine and imprison my brethren and myself for dis-
regarding the first day of the week, after having 
conscientiously kept the seventh ? If so, we ask 
for the logic by which such a course could be jus-
tified, on the ground that the seventh-part-of-time 
theory is correct ? Now, mark it, the object of 
the amendment is to make the Bible the fountain 
of national law. All the enactments of the Con-
gress and all the decisions of the judiciary are to 
be in harmony with it. If, therefore, Sabbath 
laws are passed, they must be such as the Script-
ures would warrant; for the Sabbath, be it re-
membered, which this movement seeks to enforce, 
is the one which the Bible teaches. 
But, according to the last theory, the day which 
God now requires to be observed is not any one 
in particular, but simply one in seven, the individ-
ual being left to make the selection of the one 
which he prefers thus to honor. Now, therefore, 
it is submitted that if God has given to man this 
prerogative of choice, then he has done so because 
this course was the one which commended itself to 
infinite wisdom, and no person or set of persons 
has a right to come between the creature and the 
Creator, depriving the former of rights which the 
latter has guaranteed to him. If the Bible Sab-
bath is indeed an indefinite one, we say to these 
gentlemen, Hands off; in the name of religion and 
the Bible you shall not perform a work which will 
do violence to a large class of conscientious citi-
zens, and which, according to your own argu-
ment, is contrary to the doctrine of the Christian 
Sabbath, as laid down in the word of God. Be 
consistent with yourselves and your views of 
Scripture. 
If, indeed, you are sincere in believing that Sab-
batarians violate no divine law in the keeping of 
the seventh day, then we say to you in the name 
of charity, Why not allow them, so long as they 
are Christian men and women, and obedient citi-
zens, to carry out their convictions of duty, with-
out compelling them, by the appliances of perse-
cuting legislation, to keep the particular first-day 
Sabbath which ind
eed you have chosen for your-
selves, but for which you have now ceased to 
claim any special divine honor ? To force them, 
either to disregard their own convictions of duty, 
or to keep two days holy, would be an act of des-
potism but one remove from that terrible bigotry 
which, in the Inquisition, resorted to the rack and 
the thumbscrew; not, indeed, to make men better 
Christians or better citizens, but to coerce them 
into the acceptance of institutions for which there 
was no divine authority. 
A Scene in India. 
THE following tender incident, related by A. H. 
Baynes, in a recent address, will touch a respon-
sive chord in many a Christian heart. I shall 
never forget as long as I live that day when in 
the glow of the eventide, as the sun was sinking 
and as the mists were creeping over the land, I 
walked with one of our native brethren by the 
riverside, and saw a light in the dim distance, 
when he said to me, " Yonder is the only Chris-
tian in all that great town." Ten years ago he 
received Christ into his heart; his father and 
mother turned him out; his friends forsook him; 
his neighbors persecuted him, and all these years 
he stood his ground, scarcely getting food to eat. 
During all these ten years he maintained his 
Christian character, unspotted in the midst of the 
heathen around him, and the native brother said 
to me, Now his business is reviving, because 
people say he sells the best things, and always 
means what he says." I entered his humble bam-
boo hut and sat down upon the ground by his 
side, and as I discoursed about his loneliness and 
his sadness, the tears sprang into his eyes, and he 
said, " No 1 am never lonely; for as Christ was 
with the Hebrew children, and as he was with 
Daniel in the lions' den, so all these years has he 
been with me." 
"Lonely, dear Lord! how can I be 
With thy sweet presence here ? 
Thy strength in weakness to make strong, 
Thy hand to wipe each tear ?" 
Prevailing Prayer. 
THE desire that simply flits across the soul, as 
the shadow of the cloud glides over the summer 
grass, is no true prayer. It must take hold of the 
spirit, and gather into itself all the energy and 
earnestness of the suppliant. The popular idea, 
indeed, is that prayer is a very simple matter; but, 
in reality, it is the highest exercise of the soul, and 
requiresfor its presentation the concentration of all 
its powers. The English prelate was right when he 
said that " no man was likely to do much good in 
prayer who did not begin by looking upon it in the 
light of work to be prepared for, and persevered in, 
with all the earnestness which we bring to bear 
upon subjects which are, in our opinion, at once 
most interesting and most necessary." So much 
as this must be evident from the phraseology of 
the Scriptures themselves. Observe the gradation 
in the terms, " asking," " seeking," " knocking." 
The " asking" is the lower form of requesting; 
but the " seeing" implies the activity of one who 
puts himself to the labor of a search; and the 
" knocking" refers to the continued opportunity 
that repeats its application until it is satisfied 
that there is no one in, or until the door is act-
ually opened.—Dr. Wm. M. Taylor. 
SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. �THE SIGNS OF THI �
399 
The Sacredness of the Sabbath. 
THE first word of the Sabbath commandment 
appeals to our memory. " Remember," says the 
Lord, " the Sabbath-day to keep it holy," The 
great Creator knew that man would be liable to 
forget his " rest-day," so he says, " Remember." 
We should sacredly regard this great memorial of 
creation's King. This calm and peaceful visitor 
makes his weekly calls on the dwellers of this 
globe. He is not received alike by all. In many 
dwellings he is not permitted to enter. He calls 
but is unnoticed by thousands; they see him not. 
At other doors he seeks admittance, but alas! 
he is met with a strong rebuff even by some who 
know of his approach. He only has blessings to 
leave, and yet he is repulsed. 
Then does he not find a hearty reception any-
where ? Ah yes, indeed. Go to the homes of 
those who are anticipating a visit from this resi-
dent of paradise. They know the time of his ap-
proach(at even, which is at the going down of the 
sun). The daily toils are ended, the earthly cares 
are laid aside, and all are ready to give him a 
sweet welcome to their homes. They can truth-
fully sing, 
"Another six days' work is done; 
Another Sabbath is begun." 
Peace and quiet reign supreme in such a dwell-
ing, and the inmates can say, 
" Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love." 
What a contrast is this to that home where the 
entrance of the Sabbath finds everything in con-
fusion. He has called on them too soon. They 
tried to get ready to receive him, but the trouble 
was they did not begin soon enough, and when 
he came they were not prepared to greet him 
with song and praise. My brother, my sister, 
did you ever seek to prepare to meet an expected 
friend and fail in your endeavors ? Doubtless 
you have. • And at such times how you have been 
vexed, disappointed, and chagrined to think you 
did not get ready. Do you feel as badly when 
the holy Sabbath enters your dwelling and you 
are not ready for it ? if not, there is occasion 
for coming a little nearer and drinking in more of 
the spirit of this sacred institution. 
" And hallow my Sabbaths," saith the Lord, 
"and they shall be a sign between me and you that 
ye may know that I am the Lord your God." To 
hallow the Sabbath on our part is to sacredly set 
that day apart to its proper use. Not nine-tenths 
of it simply, but the day itself. Let us be care-
ful to sacredly guard the day that belongs to 
God. He has placed it in our hands, not for us to 
use for our own personal pleasure or profit, but 
to keep it as a sacred memento, and not to dese-
crate a moment of its holy hours by secular acts 
that should have been performed before its com-
mencement, or perhaps might remain till the 
Sabbath has passed. 
The busy season of the year is upon us, and 
here we are all especially in danger of encroach-
ing upon God's holy Sabbath-day. The Lord 
understood how this would be, and gave this in-
struction in speaking of the Sabbath: " In earing 
time [seed time] and in harvest thou shalt rest." 
Ex. 34: 21. Thus at all times we are to revere 
this blessed rest-day. 
Many of us can improve in this respect. Who 
of us 'does not enjoy being in a home when the 
Sabbath comes where all are ready for it ? We all 
do. And angels of God are attracted to such 
places. Let us, as far as in our power, be pre- 
pared to meet them. �D. A. ROBINSON. 
Why Is Good Rejected? 
WHY is the light which tends to life, both in 
this world and that which is to come, rejected ? 
When man's interest is appealed to, as well as 
his reason, why is he not ready to follow truth 
and live ? The laws of his nature, the laws of 
life and health, appeal to him in like manner as 
does the Spirit of Inspiration, Why will ye die ? 
Both are unheeded, and why? 
Obedience to revelation and obedience to nat-
ural laws both call for self-denial. A change is 
required that seems a great expense. And not 
only must false and injurious appetites and pas-
sions be denied, but the established customs of 
society forbid it. One might deny himself of hurt-
ful indulgences, but how can he bear the thought 
of walking contrary to his friends and neighbors ? 
That is the difficult point. Society is running in 
certain ruts; and though he sees the evil, it seems 
too much to undertake the work of reform, for he 
sees no hope of correcting the evils in society, and 
therefore he will not undertake to lead out in the 
right way; and so he chooses to close his eyes to 
the light, and go with the multitude in the down-
ward road to death. He wishes it were different 
—that all would do right. If everybody else 
would choose the way to life, he would. And so 
he waits for the world to get right, and does not 
lift a finger to get them right. He would go the 
right way, if all would; but the mass are in the 
road to death, and he thinks he can but go with 
them. 
What the world wants is reformers. They 
need strong hands to lift them out of the false 
grooves of fashion, and set them in the right 
way. To do this requires those who will follow 
the truth, though they have to stand alone. 
They must advance from the rank and file, 
though they be exposed to the shots of those 
who fear to advance. But such have real worth, 
and will finally reap a rich reward. 
R. F. COTTRELL. 
The Strait Gate. 
"ENTER ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the 
gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruc-
tion, and many there be which go in thereat; be-
cause strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, 
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find 
it." Matt. 7: 13. 
This scripture should not discourage any one 
who is moved upon by the Holy Spirit to become 
a disciple (or learner) of the Lord Jesus, for the 
Saviour says: " All that the Father giveth me 
shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me 
I will in no wise cast out." John 6: 35. The 
great mass of the people will choose this present 
world and will not come to Christ. Bat it seems 
that many will seek to come to him in the wrong 
way; for according to Luke 13: 24, many will 
seek to enter in and shall not be able. By read-
ing to verse 28 we find that many will be aston-
ished to find themselves shut out of the kingdom. 
And in Matt. 7: 22, 23 we read: " Many will say 
unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not 
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have 
cast out devils ? and in thy name done many 
wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto 
them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that 
work iniquity." There are many ways in which 
professed Christians work iniquity. At the pres-
ent time, as in the past, many make war upon the 
truth when it is presented to them. In that day 
will not a large number of the disappointed ones 
be those who held with an iron grasp to their 
errors, and persecuted those who received the 
truth ? These scriptures, shutting the mass of 
mankind out of the kingdom and saving compar-
atively few, would be intolerable if the doctrine 
of the immortality of the soul were true. But the 
truth is the great mass will go into destruction, 
and the noble few go into the strait and narrow 
path of life. The words destruction and life are 
antithetic, or opposite in meaning. �
EPSILON. 
Want of Reverence. 
THERE have been ages—history denominates 
them dark—when men, enshrouded in supersti-
tion, shuddering amid the shadows, recognized 
the working of supernal or infernal power in all 
the varied phenomena of nature, and, filled with 
dreadful awe, abased themselves not only beneath 
" the hosts of heaven," but before " four-footed 
beasts and creeping things,"—a lizard or a toad. 
It is perfectly clear to any casual observer in 
America that we at least have got far beyond 
that. We have swung to the other extremity of 
the arc; and though the most of us profess to be-
lieve in God Almighty, who is " glorious in holi-
ness, fearful in praises, doing wonders," yet, so 
far from exhibiting such reverential awe as is be-
coming in his august presence, it is the rarest 
thing to see him treated even in his own house 
with anything approaching to decent respect. 
We remember the awe which he formerly de-
manded and inspired—Jacob at Bethel, Moses 
at the burning bush, Israel at the base of Sinai, 
when " so terrible was the sight that even Moses 
said, ' I do exceedingly fear and quake.' " 
We remember the sudden smiting of Uzzah be-
cause, in an unguarded moment, he touched the 
ark with forbidden hand; and how, for a similar 
offense against this sacred symbol of God's pres- 
ence, more than fifty thousand men of Beth-
shemesh perished. We remember how Isaiah in 
his presence-chamber became as a dead man be-
fore him, and how Daniel worshiped him as the 
" great and dreadful God," and how John was 
overwhelmed with the glory of his majesty, in 
the isle of Patmos; and then, with all these 
records fresh in memory, we repair on the Lord's 
day to the Lord's house. 
It is the hour devoted to the study of the Bible 
lesson. We are at the threshold. But who are 
these that stand without? They must be the 
sons of Eli, or near akin to them, judging from 
their manners in the precincts of the sanctuary. 
You press through the group, your nostrils of-
fended with tobacco smoke, your ears with jests 
unseemly. You might think this the entrance to 
a Bacchanalian club-house, if you did not know 
it had been dedicated to religious uses. You en-
ter. " Holiness becometh thine house, 0 Lord, 
forever." Such is the motto inscribed upon the 
wall, but it seems to have made little or no im-
pression on anything but the wall. Before the 
school comes to order, if indeed it ever does, there 
are loud and boisterous demonstrations, frivolous 
laughter, and general jocularity, which are often 
only slightly intermitted during the opening ex-
ercises. 
While prayer is being offered, many, even of 
the teachers, gaze vacantly around, as if the 
prayer were no concern of theirs, as is probably 
the fact. And the singing is done with a ring 
and a swing, and a jolly sort of sleigh-bell jingle, 
as if it were the glee of a carnival carousal, 
instead of a sacred song of praise offered up by 
grateful hearts unto the God of Heaven. 
After the discussion of the lesson, in which 
things sacred and profane, things serious and ri-
diculous, have been recklessly jumbled, the school 
is dismissed, and the scholars tumble about as 
though it were a week-day school just dismissed 
for a Christmas holiday. Nor are the scholars 
the only sinners against the sanctities of the day 
and place. 
Even the officers think it not amiss to hatre a lit-
tle " religious fun." If a Sunday-school address is 
to be made, the funniest man that can be found is 
the man to be sought; but such is his popularity, 
so great is the rage for fun, that it is difficult to 
secure his services unless you engage him months 
beforehand, in which case he will be likely to 
forget it, for which all good people ought to be 
thankful. 
W hen even in circles professedly religious we 
listen to the quips and puns that are based upon 
the Scripture; when we mark the familiar and 
flippant way in which men pray, and the friv-
olous way in which they conduct themselves in 
the sanctuary of the Host High, and then think of 
the awful majesty of " the God of the Hebrews," 
the God of the Gospels, the God of the Apoca- 
lypse, we are ready to ask, Has God come down 
so much, or has man come up so much, in this 
nineteenth century of the Christian era, that the 
creature can afford to treat the Creator with such 
jocose familiarity, as if he were " altogether such 
an one as ourselves ? " The fact is, this whole 
business of fun in religion is beginning to be seri- 
ous; and, unless we are wise enough to consider 
our ways and reform our habits, to " stand in awe 
and sin not," we have need to fear that God will 
come and smite the earth with a curse, such as 
will turn our unseemly merriment into dreadful 
mourning.—Selected. 
Confidential to Ministers. 
MAKE no apologies. If you have the Lord's 
message, deliver it; if not, hold your peace. Have 
short prefaces and introductions. Say your best 
things first, and stop before you got prosy. Do 
not spoil the appetite for dinner with too much 
thin soup. Leave self out of the pulpit and take 
Jesus in. Defend the gospel, and let the Lord 
defend you. Do not get excited too soon. Do not 
bawl and scream. Too much water stops mill-
wheels, and too much noise drowns sense. Empty 
vessels ring the loudest. Powder is not shot. 
Thunder is harmless, lightning kills. Do not 
scold the people. Do not abuse those who do come 
to church because the lazy ones do not attend. 
Have a good time with those who do attend, and 
the others will hear of it and turn out to see what 
is going on.—Dr. King. 
HE who reports to you the faults of others is 
likely to report your faults to others. 
00 �
THE SIGNS OF TII P. TIMES. �VoL. 9, No, 34. 
An Atonement Consistent with Reason. 
THE MORAL SYSTEM. 
(Continued.) 
BY examining the foregoing points, it will be 
perceived that the acts of abolishing the law, and 
pardoning the transgressor, cannot in any case be 
united. One would be a nullity if both were at-
tempted. This will be better appreciated when 
we consider the conditions under which pardon 
may be granted, and how the. Government (which 
must ever be the first and chief concern) will be 
affected thereby. 
§ III. PARDON SUPPOSES OR RECOGNIZES, 
The guilt of the condemned. This is evident. 
To pardon an innocent man would be prepos-
terous. Human Governments sometimes profess-
edly do this, as when it is ascertained that a 
man, who is in prison for a term of years, is in-
nocent of the crime of which he was convicted, 
the Governor issues a pardon as a means of his 
release. But it is a misnomer, and really an in-
sult to the innocent man. The law should make 
provision for release from unjust confinement 
without subjecting a man to the disgrace of re-
ceiving a pardon when he had committed no 
crime. 
The power of government. This is equally 
evident. To pardon is to remit s penalty which 
might be inflicted. It would be a mere farce to 
offer a pardon to those whom the Government 
had no power to punish. 
The justice of the law transgressed. This is 
nearly parallel with the first proposition, and like 
it, evident; for to pronounce a man guilty is to 
say that he has done wrong. And if a violation 
of law be wrong, the law violated must be right. 
An unjust law is, in a moral view, a nullity. When 
a law is found to be unconstitutional, or a nullity, 
the prisoner under it is not really pardoned; he 
should be released from false imprisonment; and 
such release is of justice, not of mercy. But par-
don is of favor. Thus it is clear that the justice 
of the law is acknowledged in the article of par-
don. Now as pardon supposes the guilt of the 
prisoner, the power of the Government, and the 
justice of the law, in all these it may be made to 
honor the Government and vindicate its integrity. 
But there are other principles involved. The 
act of pardon recognizes the claims of law, by 
recognizing
. �
its justice. Thus far it honors the 
Government. But the question still remains, Are 
those claims satisfied as well as acknowledged? 
According to a plain truth before noticed, the 
sinner ought to be punished; justice imperatively 
demands it. How then can pardon be granted, 
and strict justice be administered? In this case 
there will arise two conflicting interests; one of 
sympathy for the accused, leaning toward mercy; 
the other, strenuous for the integrity of the Gov-
ernment, leaning toward justice. How can these 
principles be reconciled ? Can both parties be 
satisfied ? Here is a difficulty; and this will lead 
us to notice the conditions or restrictions under 
which pardon may be granted with safety. For 
an indiscriminate, unconditional pardon is dan-
gerous to the Government. Closely examining 
this subject we find 
§ IV. WHAT THE GOVERNOR MUST DO IN GRANT-
ING PARDON. 
He must do one of the following things:- 
Disregard the strict claims of law and justice. 
But this, of course, is evil in its tendency, giving 
license to crime, and favoring lawlessness, rather 
than restraining it, which latter must remain the 
true object of government. This, indeed, is the 
very thing we have all the time been guarding 
against. We cannot admit this, it being dan-
gerous to the Government. Because if the claims 
of the law may be disregarded in one case
' 
 they 
may be in many—they may be in all; and then 
government is at an end. And if the executive 
sets the example of disregarding the claims of 
the law, others may thereby be led to follow his 
example, or all may; and the result is the same 
—lawlessness and anarchy. And all this from 
following the example of him who occupies the 
throne of justice! The very thought is, in the 
highest degree, abhorrent. Only one way re-
mains possible by which pardon may be granted 
without trampling on justice, and endangering 
the Government; that is 
Make satisfaction to the law by voluntary sub-
stitution. If the substitution be voluntary, so that 
the substitute be satisfied, and the full penalty of 
the law be inflicted, so that the law and justice 
be satisfied, all must be satisfied—all conflicting 
interests and feelings must be reconciled. Let 
no one say, to oppose this, that such is not• the 
case when pardon is granted in human Govern-
ments; for these are imperfect, and instead of 
conforming strictly to justice they can only hope 
to approximate it. The interests above referred 
to are never harmonized in human Governments. 
In these, if the prisoner is punished less than the 
penalty indicated by the law, then the law is de-
prived just so much of its due. In such case, 
justice is not reconciled or vindicated; it is sus-
pended. All must see at a glance that the means 
herein proposed alone obviates all difficulties. 
Let us further examine its effects. 
§ V. VOLUNTARY SUBSTITUTION, 
Recognizes the claims of law. We have sup-
posed substitution wherein all parties are satisfied 
—all conflicts reconciled. But if the law were 
unjust, if the accused were not really guilty of 
a wrong, the act of condemning would be tyran-
nical. There could then be no satisfaction, either 
to justice, or to the condemned, or to his substi-
tute. Hence, to obtain the desired result, there 
must be acquiescence in the justness of the pro-
ceeding, which is a recognition of the justice of 
the law which condemned. 
It honors and maintains the Government. It 
must be admitted that every infringement on the 
claims of law, every departure from strict justice, 
is a violation of common rights, and endangers 
the Government. Whatever honors and vindi-
cates the claims of law and justice, tends to main-
tain the Government; and of course to vindicate 
personal rights under it. This voluntary sub-
stitution does, as has been shown. 
It dispenses mercy, which could not other-
wise be offered consistently with the great prin-
ciples of right and justice. Hence, all the objects 
of government—justice and mercy, truth and love, 
—meet in this arrangement. This is precisely the 
idea of an Atonement—not a thing to be depre-
cated, as some have vainly imagined, but to be 
loved and esteemed, as a certain vindication of 
right and justice, and a beneficent dispensation 
of love and mercy. 
In the examination of principles thus far we 
have found that the Atonement affects our re-
lation to the Government in two respects, looking 
to the past and to the future. To the past, in 
that it frees from condemnation for past offenses; 
and to the future, in that it recognizes the claims 
of the law, thus binding us to future obedience 
to the law. 
But some affect to discover no harmony be-
tween these objects, though it is plain that a pro-
posed Atonement which should lose sight of either 
of these would fail to unite justice and mercy; it 
would leave the sinner condemned, or dishonor 
the Government. It may, however, be noticed 
further, 
§ VI. WHY AN ATONEMENT IS NECESSARY. 
1. Future obedience will not justify the guilty. 
To argue this seems hardly necessary, as it has 
been shown that justice and mercy meet in no 
way but by an Atonement. But some deny the 
use, by which it is presumed they mean the neces-
sity, or justness, of obeying a law which will not 
justify the guilty. But the deficiency lies only 
in, their own oversight. They make no distinc-
tion between justifying the innocent and the 
guilty. The innocent are justified by law; the 
guilty cannot be. But the innocent are justified 
by law only if they remain innocent; that is, if 
they continue to obey. While the transgressor, 
already condemned, is not freed from condem-
nation of past offense by future obedience. In 
this, no more is claimed than is settled as a prin-
ciple of action in legal and even in commercial 
transactions. He who killed, last year, cannot 
offer in justification that he has not killed, this 
year. The judge has no right to listen to the 
plea of the thief; that he has not recently stolen, 
while the evidence of his past guilt is clear. It 
does not release a man from a past debt to pay 
for what he buys to-day. Present justice and 
present morality simply answer a present de-
mand, leaving the past unsettled. But we have 
a question to ask to those who think it is not re-
quired to keep a law because it will not justify 
the transgressor. If the law condemns a thief, 
and he can only be cleared by pardon, does the 
granting of a pardon release him from obligation 
to keep the law, and leave him free to steal there-
after? 
We have no ransom to bring. The demand 
of the Government is obedience; and the duty is 
perpetual. Any cessation or suspension is a break 
in the chain that we cannot restore. We cannot 
on one day perform the duties of another, in such 
a manner as to suspend obligations on that other 
day. Presenting this idea on a moral basis purely, 
we will be better able to appreciate it. The obli-
gation to love God with all our heart binds us 
every day of our life. Suppose we fail on one 
day, it would be absurd to say we could make 
amends by another day's obedience; for that 
would be to love God that other day with more 
than all the heart, so as to apply some of our su-
perabundance of love to the past! Hence the 
transgressor could not save himself; even though 
he retained all his original strength to obey; but 
the following truth is well known:- 
Wei are incapacitated by immoral practices. 
In this, appeal is made to the consciousness of 
every candid, reflecting mind. We all acknowl-
edge ourselves to be subjects of temptation, and 
often find in ourselves a proneness to do that 
which our convictions forbid. If we allow our-
selves to do wrong, these feelings become still 
stronger, and we are less able to resist the temp-
tation. Wrong-doing becomes a habit, hard to 
resist or overcome. Thus, he who has a mod-
erate desire to drink ardent spirits will find that 
desire greatly strengthened by indulgence; and 
it will finally, if indulged too far, bring him com-
pletely under its control. This is the tendency 
of all wrong-doing. Now we all feel conscious of 
having done more or less wrong; and it is but 
reasonable to say we have done more than we 
are conscious of, inasmuch as we have not been 
sufficiently tenacious of the right, nor very watch-
ful to observe our own wrongs. And, according 
to the plain truth herein stated, we have become 
weak according to the wrong we have done, and 
so much the more need the assistance of a third 
party to set us right with the power we have 
offended. 
An Atonement must not only unite justice and 
mercy, and reconcile the transgressor to the law, 
but the perpetuity and stability of the Govern-
ment should be the first consideration, as they 
are first in importance in our relations and duties, 
because on them the perpetuity of all private 
relations and rights depends. We all assent to 
this, that public good should be held paramount 
to private interest. But these only come in con-
flict when we place ourselves in opposition to the 
Government. Hence, if our interest conflicts with 
the Government, which is the conservator of gen-
eral rights, it is proved to be a selfish interest. 
For, had we honored and sustained the Govern-
ment in our lives or actions, it would justify or 
sustain us; but if our rights are forfeited by dis-
obedience, wherein is the Government to blame? 
Because the transgressor has sacrificed his own 
rights; it is not therefore reasonable to ask that 
justice be dishonored. and the rights of others 
be sacrificed for his benefit. As right should be 
the first consideration in all transactions, the in-
terest of the Government, which is right, should 
certainly be held paramount to the good of the 
transgressor, who is wrong. Therefore, in mak-
ing an Atonement, the upholding of law—the 
maintaining of governmental authority—should 
be held as of the first importance. This is the 
only manner in which an Atonement can honor 
the Government in behalf of which it is made. 
By a single violation of law, we forfeit our 
rights and privileges; but by persisting in such 
violation, or inducing others so to do, and thus 
disregarding the authority of law, we take the 
rank of rebels or traitors against the Govern-
ment. Our relation to the Government while we 
are in that position, and our relation to the means 
of our restoration, should be considered with great 
carefulness and candor. 
§ VII. 
THE SINNER MUST ACCEPT, NOT MAKE, 
CONDITIONS. 
This proposition must be evident to all, for 
Treason is the highest crime. He who com-
mits murder takes a life, but he who seeks to 
subvert the law, seeks the destruction of life's 
safeguard, of that which is to protect life by 
preventing and punishing crime. Hence, it is 
the aggregation of all crimes. 
The Government has the sole right to free there-
from. By this is meant that the Government has 
SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. �THE SIGHTS OF TIIN] TIMES. �
401 
the sole right to dictate the terms or conditions 
by which rebels may be restored to citizenship. 
This is true, also, in regard to all crimes for which 
pardon is desired. And this right, Government 
ought to exercise. No criminal has any right to 
dictate the terms of his own pardon, or the means 
by which he may be restored to the favor of the 
Government. And no one who has any regard 
for violated rights, for down-trodden justice, for 
the sacred principles of law and order, could be 
willing to see the traitor unconditionally restored 
to place and favor. No Government would be 
safe pursuing such a course; neither could it com-
mand respect. 
He who will not accept the conditions is a traitor 
still. If the Government has the sole right to dic-
tate terms to rebels, which all must allow, then 
the transgressor can only change his relation to 
the Government by accepting those terms; and if 
he refuses to accept them, he, of course, persists 
in maintaining his position in rebellion. Or to 
substitute terms of his own would be no better, 
but rather an insult to the Government, a denial 
of its right and authority. If a criminal were to 
dictate how crimes should be treated, government 
would be a farce and become the contempt of hon-
est men. Therefore two things must be required 
of a transgressor or rebel, which only can be ac-
cepted, to wit:- 
UNQUALIFIED SUBMISSION TO THE LAWS WHICH 
HAVE BEEN TRANSGRESSED, and, 
A HEARTY ACCEPTANCE OF THE PLAN OR CON-
DITIONS OFFERED FOR HIS RESTORATION. 
EDITOR. 
(To be Concluded.) 
ght c*abbath-cOrlial. 
Lesson for Pacific Coast —Sept 15. 
ACTS 15: 32-41; 16:1-34. 
NOTES ON THE LESSON. 
IMMEDIATELY after the council at Jerusalem, 
Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, accom-
panied by Judas and Silas, who were prophets, 
and delivered to the church the decision of the 
apostles and elders. After performing his mission, 
Judas returned to Jerusalem, but Silas chose to 
remain in Antioch. " Paul also and Barnabas 
continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the 
word of the Lord, with many others also." V, 35. 
AMONG the others who were at Antioch was 
Peter. This we learn from Galatians 2. At this 
time an incident occurred that ill accords with the 
Catholic dogma of the supremacy of Peter in the 
church. From Paul's statement to the Galatians 
we learn that Peter, in accordance with the de-
cision of the council at Jerusalem, and with his 
practice before that time (Acts 11:3), mingled 
freely with the Gentiles, and ate with them. But 
as soon as some Jews came down from Jerusalem, 
" he withdrew and separated himself, fearing 
them which were of the circumcision." Gal. 2: 13. 
This was not done for the purpose of saving a 
weak brother from stumbling, but from fear of 
the accusations which the Jews might bring 
against him. It was a slight manifestat'on of the 
spirit which had moved him to deny his Lord. 
His act was contagious, many of the Jews doing 
likewise, and even "Barnabas also was carried 
away with their dissimulation." " They walked 
not uprightly according to the truth of the gos-
pel." Then it was that Paul " withstood him to 
the face," saying before them all, " If thou, being 
a Jew, livest after the manner of the Jews, why 
compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the 
Jews ? " Having thus fully exposed Peter's dis-
simulation, he showed that forms and ceremonies 
are lost in faith in Christ. 
It is not likely that there were any hard feelings 
on either side. Paul simply did his duty, and 
Peter readily acknowledged his fault. But how 
can our Catholic friends harmonize this affair with 
the theory that Peter occupied the same position 
in regard to the early church that the pope of 
Rome does to the Catholic Church ? Imagine 
Cardinal Newman addressing Leo XIII. as Paul 
did Peter. If he should dare to do si ch a thing, 
it is very certain that the pope would not take it 
so meekly as Peter did. 
FROM the account of the dispute between Paul 
and Barnabas, Dr. Barnes draws the following 
lesson:— 
" This account proves that there was no collu-
sion or agreement among the apostles to impose on 
mankind. Had there been such an agreement, 
and had the books of the New Testament been an 
imposture, the apostles would have been repre-
sented as perfectly harmonious, and as united in 
all their views and efforts. What impostor would 
have thought of the device of representing the 
early friends of the Christian religion as divided, 
and contending, and separating from each other? 
Such a statement has an air of candor and hon-
esty, and at the same time is so apparently against 
the'truth of the system that no impostor would 
have thought of resorting to it." 
WE have here an opportunity to test the value 
of mere apostolic example for any custom. Peter 
dissimulated, and Paul and Barnabas indulged in 
heated contention. Now many profess to base 
their observance of Sunday on the example of the 
apostles. To be sure they cannot prove that any 
of the apostles ever kept Sunday, since the Bible 
nowhere intimates that they did, but no matter; 
that does not affect the popular claim. They can 
point to one religious meeting held on Sunday, 
Acts 20: 7. and Paul was there. From this they 
build up the fbllowing: " The apostles kept Sun-
day (as we infer); the majority of the wog ld now 
keep Sunday, therefore it must be right." Reason-
ing on the same scale, we derive this: " The apos-
tles contended (as we know); an overwhelming 
majority of the world also dispute and quarrel to 
a greater or less degree; therefore quarreling is 
right, and we ought to engage in it." The truth 
is, it is not the apostles' practice, but their teach-
ing, that we are to fo low; and even their teach-
ing would be invalid if it did not agree with that 
part of the Scripture that was already written. 
It is easy to find a precedent for any wrong prac-
tice, if that is all that is desired. 
IT would seem that one would need only to read 
the arguments in favor of infant baptism, drawn 
from verses 15 and 33 of chapter 16, to be con-
vinced that that custom has no solid foundation 
whatever on which to rest. For instance, Dr. 
Barnes says on verse 15:— 
"' And her household.' Greek, her house (ho 
oikos autees), her family. No mention is made of 
their having believed, and the ease is one that af-
fords a strong presumptive proof that this was an 
instance of household or infant baptism. For (1) 
her believing is particularly mentioned. (2) It 
is not intimated that. they believed. (3) It is 
manifestly implied that they were baptized be-
cause she believed. It was the offering of her fam-
ily to the Lord. It is just such an account as 
would now be given of a household or family that 
were baptized on the faith of the parent." 
But what right has the Dr. to say, "household 
or infant baptism "? Is a household necessarily 
composed exclusively of infants? if "household" 
and " infants " are, as he implies, synonymous 
terms, then wherever the word occurs it means 
only infants, to the exclusion of adults, and that 
is absurd. A household is simply those dwelling 
under the same roof; and, although Dr. Clarke 
says, " We can scarcely suppose that the whole 
families of Lydia and the jailer had no children in 
them," we have known of many households in 
which there was not a child under ten years of 
age, and such cases were not considered remark-
able. Dr. Clarke seems to have forgotten that 
although infants are children, children are not 
necessarily infants. We firmly believe in the 
right of children to be baptized when they are 
old enough to express a desire for that ordinance, 
but this is not infant baptism. 
'.BUT, leaving conjecture, what warrant is there 
for. saying of the household of Lydia that since 
"it is not intimated that they believed, it is man-
ifestly implied that they were baptized because 
she believed " ? Christ in commissioning the apos 
ties said, "He that believeth and- is baptized shall 
be saved." The apostles placed believing and 
baptism together, as is shown by Acts 2: 38 and 
8: 37. John the Baptist also refused to baptize 
`the unbelieving and unrepentant Pharisees and 
Sadducees. Matt. 3: 7-10. To suppose that they 
baptized any who did not believe, is to claim that 
they violated their commission. And even if 
they had done so, what profit would it have been 
to those so baptized ? Christ said, " Ile that be-
lieveth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that 
believeth not shall be damned." The mere core- 
. 
mony of baptism confers no blessing on any. For 
an unbeliever. to be baptized is solemn mockery. 
Those who do not believe will be lost whether 
they have been baptized or not. The terrible de-
lusion of the ancient Jews, and of the modern 
Catholics as well, was in ascribing virtue to a 
round of ceremonies performed without one 
thought of that which they symbolized. Protest-
antism has largely followed in the same path, and 
as a consequence the church is burdened with 
nominal professors, who have no just appreciation 
of the principles of the gospel, and who base their 
hope of salvation on the mere fact that they have 
been baptized. 
AFTER all, Dr. Clarke, in his comments on verse 
32, dares make no stronger statement in favor of 
infant baptism than that "it is pretty evident that 
we have in this chapter presumptive evidence that 
children were received into the church in this 
way," i. e., by infant baptism, so called. One 
would hardly expect that that sage conclusion 
was preceded in the same paragraph by this state-
ment concerning the jailer. "And it appears that 
he and his whole family, who were capable of re-
ceiving instruction, embraced this doctrine, and 
showed the sincerity of their faith by immediately 
receiving baptism." From this we conclude that 
the Doctor found it difficult to bring his reason 
and his prejudices into harmony. 
We can only ask, in leaving this subject, Why 
do the advocates of infant baptism indulge in such 
absurd conjectures, which, as we have seen, often 
directly contradict the Scriptures, if they have 
any direct Bible authority to offer in support of 
the custom ? 
IT is sometimes asked, W by did Paul rebuke 
the damsel possessed of the spirit, since she told 
nothing but the truth?" We answer, For that 
very reason. Had she heaped abuse • upon the 
apostles, it would not have been half so damag-
ing to them. For (1) the Jews who were in the 
city would conclude from her testimony in favor 
of the apostles that they were moved by the 
same spirit that she was, and would therefore be 
hardened against the gospel; and (2) the Gentiles 
would also naturally conclude that the teachings 
of both were a part of the same system, and 
that therefore they had nothing to learn from 
the apostles. Iler testimony was calculated to 
bring the gospel into bad repute. The truth al-
ways suffers more from the professed friendship 
of wicked men than from their enmity. A man 
who professes Christianity, and still lives con-
trary to its teachings, brings reproach upon it; 
and the more loudly he declares his belief, the 
more does the cause suffer.- Christians may well 
rejoice when they are the subjects of calumny 
by wicked men. 
THE only record we have of Paul's singing was 
when he was in the jail at Philippi, lying on the 
cold floor, his back bruised and bloody from the 
" many stripes-" it had received. At midnight 
they " prayed and sang praises unto God." With 
what propriety he could afterwards exhort the 
Philippians to " be careful for nothing; but in 
everything by prayer and supplication with 
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known 
unto God," and what weight his testimony must 
have had. He had set them an example of " re-
joicing in tribulation." Without any misgiving 
he could say to them, Those things which ye 
have both learned, and received, and seen in me, 
do;" and we are not surprised that the believers 
at this place were ' the most faithful of any of 
Paul's converts. They had prayed for light, be-
fore Paul was sent to them, and they did not 
refuse to accept it when it brought persecution. 
THE good shepherd leads his flock; some under-
shepherds think only of driving the flock. The 
good shepherd calls his sheep by name—their 
proper name ; under-shepherds sometimes call 
them by harsh and ugly names, if they do not 
drive submissively. The good shepherd provides 
tenderly for the wants of his flock; under-shep-
herds often scramble for all that can be obtained 
from the flock, and leave them if the fleece be-
comes light.—Methodist Recorder. 
SOME one has said: " To tell a lie, and then 
defend it with other lies, is like digging a cellar 
and making it large enough to hold all the dirt 
that is displaced," 
.0.1411.11.1KIRE.1.02. �
 Istomm.1101111••••=111 
402 �
THE SIGNS OF TI-I �
Vor,. 9, No. 34. 
Ely �
ign5 of Of Chum 
"Can ye not discern the signs of the times ?" 
J. H. WAGGONER, �
 EDITOR. 
E. J. WAGGONER, �
 ASSISTANT EDITOR. 
J. N. ANDREWS, 
CORRESPONDING EDITORS. 
URIAH SMITH, 
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. 
The Goodness of God. 
" GOD IS LOVE." He is the same from everlasting to 
everlasting. With him "is no variableness, neither 
shadow of turning." Jas. 1: 17. It is a serious mistake, 
into which many have fallen, to suppose that God has 
changed with the changes of man's relation to his Gov-
ernment; that he is different either in purpose or dis-
position in the fall of man, or in the changes of dispen-
sations, from what he was from the remotest ages of 
eternity. Many speak as if God were only a cool de-
liberator in the work of creation, having no deep and 
earnest feelings of sympathy and love for his creatures; 
that he was but a rigid lawgiver in the Levitical dis-
pensation; and that he manifested himself as love only 
in the gospel dispensation. Nothing could present a 
greater misrepresentation of the character of God than 
such a view as that. He has uttered words of strong re-
proof to those who think that he is such an one as 
themselves. Ps. 50:21. And in nothing is this error 
committed more than in representing him as changeable 
in character, in purpose, and in feeling. 
God is love; he always was love. All his works 
have been and are done in love. When man sinned, it 
was the same that prompted his creation that prompted 
the institution of means for his redemption. The prom-
ise was made that the seed of the woman—who had 
been beguiled to her ruin—should bruise the head of 
the serpent, her deceiver. And from that time the lov-
ing Father multiplied instruction to lead the race into 
the knowledge of the great plan which he had devised 
to destroy the enemy and his works, and to restore man 
to the position unto which the Lord had appointed him 
in the beginning. And thenceforth the hope was held 
out in signs and symbols, in types and figures, of the 
coming of the hope of the world, the Anointed One. 
The altar, the sacrifice, the prophet, the priest, and the 
king, all announced, and all likewise represented, the. 
promised Messiah. 
And when the nations were multiplied, and all had 
chosen their own way,—" did not like to retain God in 
their knowledge,"—his love still followed them. He 
separated Abraham and his seed from the nations, to 
make them the special depositaries of his truth, mission-
aries to the world, the people among whom his knowl-
edge might be perpetuated, and among whom the Lord's 
Christ should be revealed. With much anxiety this 
" chosen people " looked forward to the time when the 
Deliverer should appear. All their service took char-
acter from this hope: " Christ shall come; " the Lord's 
Anointed shall be revealed. This was the watchword 
of Tsrael through the ages. 
But with the passing of centuries they grew weary of 
waiting. Many times they turned to their own way, 
and God left them to the power of their foes. Many 
calamities befell them. And when the " nation of fierce 
countenance" (Dent. 28:50) overflowed the land, they 
as the nations around them, made an alliance with the 
conquering power, in hope of finding that peace and se-
curity for which they had not faith and patience to 
wait in the fulfillment of God's all-wise plan. God had 
purposed that Israel should " not be reckoned among 
the nations;" Num. 23:9. And so it was that the tie 
unto which they had consented became irksome. That 
to which they looked for relief became a burden. In 
their sorrow they longed exceedingly for deliverance, 
and came at length to make freedom from the Roman 
yoke the chief end of Messiah's coming—the object of 
their hopes and the burden of their prayers. As their 
hope degenerated to a worldly object, they became 
worldly in their religion. They longed for the restora-
tion of the kingdom, but it must be by methods of their 
choosing, or in a way to gratify their ambitious desires. 
The Roman yoke was heavy upon them; but the bond-
age of sin, the corruptions of a fallen nature, and the 
carnal heart, they did not feel. 
But God did not leave himself without witnesses. 
He gave abundant evidence of the time, and the nature 
of the work to be accomplished by the coming of his 
Son. Born in obscurity, not as the kings of the earth, 
not in a manner to meet the minds of the ambitious and 
the worldly, Jesus had yet a heavenly host to herald 
his advent, and to sing, " Glory, to God in the highest," 
over his despised birth-place. Holy, waiting ones were 
inspired to announce that the infant Jesus was the hope 
of Israel, and a great prophet. John the Baptist was 
specially commissioned to formally present him to the 
people, and to declare that in his day the axe was laid 
at the root of the tree, and that the fruit of righteous-
ness was required in order to find acceptance with the 
Lord and his Anointed. 
In due time he appeared before the people. Instead 
of seeking the display and pomp of power, he was meek 
and lowly, and announced that the kingdom of Heaven 
was for the poor in spirit; and that such righteousness 
as that possessed by the scribes and Pharisees (who 
were reverenced of all the people for their supposed sanc-
tity), gave no title to it. He told them that exalted 
positions in the church, a desire to be counted scrupu-
lously pious, already have their reward in the praise of 
men, which they are seeking, and that they could not 
believe in him while they received honor one of another, 
and sought not that honor which comes from God. 
To us in this day it looks marvelous that, with the 
prophecies so plainly pointing to his coming; with in-
inspired ones then living who declared he was the sal-
vation of God, the hope of Israel; with the testimony 
of John (in whose light they for a time rejoiced) that 
Jesus was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of 
the world; with the witness of the Spirit, which rested 
visibly upon him at his baptism; with, the testimony of 
the Father speaking from Heaven, saying, this is my 
beloved Son; with the evidence of his own miracles, 
which seemed to put all doubt out of question,—we 
say it looks marvelous that Israel, the church of God, 
his own chosen people, should shut their eyes against 
all these evidences, and reject him, and even demand 
his shameful death. It shows the great danger of per-
verting or neglecting the words of the prophets, and of 
lowering our religion to a worldly plane so that it shall 
embrace exalted position in this world. 
By wicked hands he was crucified and slain. In the 
bitterness of their disappointment his disciples, despised 
of men and fearing for their own lives, forgot the words 
of the prophets, and the instruction they had received 
from their beloved Teacher. Their hope was gone. He 
whom they had trusted should redeem Israel, lie in the 
grave. 
" But God raised him from the dead." Acts 13: 30. 
With a revival of their joy in his presence, their hope 
was revived in the immediate restoration of the king-
dom to Israel. Acts 1: 6. But they were told that they 
must wait; that they must be his witnesses to all na-
tions to gather out a people to the glory of his name. 
And he was parted from them, and returned to his Fa-
ther in Heaven. Then was renewed by heavenly mes-
sengers the promise which he had made to them, that, 
after he has prepared mansions for them in his Father's 
house, he will come again and receive them unto him-
self. From that time his second advent was, to his 
longing people, " the blessed hope." Titus 2:13. It 
was their hope of salvation. Heb. 9:28. They looked 
forward to it as the time when they shall appear with 
him in glory. Col. 3:4. When they shall be like him, 
anal see him as he is. 1 John 2:4. When they shall 
receive a crown of life. 1 Pet. 5:4. When they shall 
put on immortality and triumph over death and the 
grave. 1 Cor. 15:51-55. When they shall be restored 
to the sweet companionship of their loved ones who had 
fallen asleep. 1 Thess. 4:13-18. And to " love his ap-
pearing " was made an assurance of receiving " a crown 
of righteousness." 2 Tim. 4: 8. All hope, all joy, all 
glory, clustered around the promise of his "second ad-
vent." 
But strange things were revealed to them. They 
were told that there would be an apostasy, and the 
church would go into a wilderness state; that not only 
by the irreligious and the profane, but by those profess- 
ing to be his own church should his true disciples be 
persecuted unto death. And though "for the elect's 
sake" he would hold the persecution' within bounds, 
and cause the truth to greatly triumph in the earth, 
yet even " in the last days " there will be such a declen- 
sion from the paths of genuine piety that the love of 
many will wax cold, Matt. 24:12, and the power of god-
liness will be very generally denied by those who have 
its form; 2 Tim. 3: 1-5; that they would join with the 
world, even worse than did the scribes and Pharisees at 
the first advent, for they led only a cold and formal 
church, but here a cold and formal church will not only 
seek to be exalted in the present world, but will " eat 
and drink with the drunken," and join the profane in 
scoffing at the doctrine of the coming of the Lord. Matt. 
24:48-51; 2 Pet. 3:3, 4. Oh, sad day of formality and 
sin! Oh, unhappy church of God! to put away " the 
blessed hope; " to smite those who watch and wait for 
the coming of their Lord and who faithfully proclaim it 
"near, even at the doors," Matt. 24: 32, 33; who suffer 
that day to come upon them as a thief because they do 
not love his appearing. 
But the mercies of God are unfailing. His word of 
truth is as firm as his eternal throne. Though all men 
should deny him he cannot deny himself. " God is 
love." He is long-suffering, not wishing that any should 
perish (Revised Version), but that all should come to 
repentance. 2 Pet. 3:9. He has never done any great 
work for or among his people "but he re•vealeth his se-
cret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. He 
has never brought sore judgments upon the earth with- • 
out sending a warning and giving the inhabitants a 
chance to escape. It was so in the time of the flood; so 
in the case of Egypt; so with Nneveh; so with the na- 
tion of Israel, whom he would gladly have saved from 
ruin; and so it will be in the last days. He has com- 
manded that an alarm shall be sounded before the great 
day of the Lord shall come. Joel 2:1, Messiah gave 
signs which should precede his second coming, whereby 
we may know when it is near, even at the doors. Matt. 
24. He has revealed to his people that although the 
wicked will not understand (Dan. 12:4), and that day 
shall come as a thief upon the world and a world-loving 
church, even as the flood came unawares to those who 
did not accept the warning, his watching ones shall not 
be in darkness that that day shall come upon them as 
a thief. 1 Thess. 5: 1-4. 
As in the case of the first advent, so in that of the 
second. The Lord institutes sufficient means to warn 
the world, and so to leave all without excuse, and to 
comfort his people—to fortify them against the prevail-
ing deceptions of Satan, to purify them, and to prepare 
them for translation. He gives them a series of mes- 
sages, the last one the most stirring, the most terrible in 
its terms that the children of men ever heard or will 
hear. To his own chosen ones he reveals a plain duty, 
a shield from the coming wrath. Rev. 14:6-12. And 
because there is a time of trouble coming, such as never 
was since there was a nation, Dan. 12: 1, with the special 
duty he bestows a most gracious favor—such as he be-
stowed at the first advent—to prepare his people for 
his appearing, he grants them " the testimony of Jesus," 
which is " the Spirit of prophecy." Rev. 12:17; 19:10. 
This was greatly needed at the first advent; much more 
will it be needed before the second. At his first advent 
he came to offer himself a ransom for the world, and to 
enter upon his work of intercession for man. At his 
second advent he will have left the throne of his priest- 
hood, finished his work of intercession, and will come to 
redeem only those who are fully prepared, and to take 
vengeance upon the ungodly. Before he ceases his work 
of intercession, his people will need a special work done 
for them, Rev. 7:1-3; they will need the Spirit's gifts 
and power, to unite their hearts and their faith, to shield 
them from the power of Satan, and to be a " covering " 
in the time when the wrath of God in the seven last 
plagues is manifested. Rev. 14:9-12; 15:1-5. The 
long-suffering of God has long waited; his loving-kind-
ness has been long insulted. Justice cannot always 
stay; blasphemers cannot always provoke him with im-
punity. But his " little /lock " will be kept in the time 
of trouble. 
Ever since the last message of Rev. 1,4 has been going 
to the world—the message which brings to light the 
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and which 
immediately precedes the coming of the Son of man to 
reap the harvest of the earth, Rev. 14: 9-14—this most 
needed gift (1 Cor. 14: 1-4), " the Spirit of prophecy," 
has accompanied its proclamation. Thousands now liv-
ing joyfully attest how precious it has been to them in 
their pilgrimage; and some have fallen asleep who 
passed away blessing God for the privilege given to the 
" remnant " of keeping the commandments of God, and 
having the tesamony of Jesus Christ. Rev. 12:17. 
There could seem to be no question as to how we shall 
receive that which God in mercy bestows. But he has 
spoken directly on that point to those who are waiting 
for his Son from Heaven. 1 Thess. 4 and 5. 
SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. 
THE SIGNS OF' THE TIM EFI. �
403 
 
 
. �
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The Honor Due to God. No. 6. 
hearts. The grace of God is sufficient for us, so that 
patience may have its perfect work. The goodness of 
God is infinite. Clouds and darkness are round about 
him, but justice and judgment are the habitation of his 
throne. Ps. 97:2. What we do not know now we shall 
know hereafter. 
It is not enough even that we should possess our souls 
in patience in the hour of distress. It is our privilege 
even then to be joyful in God. The apostle bids us 
"rejoice in the Lord always," and he adds, " Again I 
say rejoice." Phil. 4: 4. He writes to the Thessalo-
nians: " Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In 
everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in 
Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thess. 5: 16-18. We 
can through the grace of God thus triumph. " For our 
light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for 
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 
2 Cor. 4:17. Our sorrows will soon end in everlasting 
joy. So let us thank God and take courage. 
J. N. A. 
WE have already noticed the temporal blessings that 
are promised to those who honor God in the matter of 
tithes and offerings. It may be said that there are 
those who have given liberally and.yet are in somewhat 
reduced circumstances. There may be various reasons 
for this. It must be remembered that the payment of 
tithes and offerings is only a part of the honor due to 
God. Those persons may be neglecting some other 
duty equally necessary. But, more than all, we must 
remember that God does not settle his accounts every 
years neither does he promise to pay entirely in this 
world's coin. There is a reward of a more enduring 
nature, of which we shall speak particularly. 
Notwithstanding the fact that God's people are often 
" the poor of this world," they are never left to suffer 
in this life. Christ exhorts us not to be anxious in 
regard to what we shall eat, drink, and wear, signifi- 
cantly adding, " For your heavenly Father knoweth 
that ye have need of these things." So long as he re- 
members it, what need have we to fear. Then the 
Lord says: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and 
his righteousness; and all- these things shall be added 
unto you." Matt. 6 : 30-33. In the face of this prom-
ise, whoever spends time worrying or fretting shows his 
disbelief in God. 
We should never forget that we are placed on this 
earth for no other purpose than to glorify God. See 
Rev. 4 :11; 2 Cor. 10 :31. Most people seem to think 
that the sole duty of man is to provide for himself, 
leaving God out of the question entirely; and even 
many who recognize the fact that God has claims upon 
them, think that " we must make a living." Not so; 
we must glorify God, and this must be our first, and, 
indeed, our only object; and since we cannot provide 
for ourselves, but must depend upon God for all our 
temporal supplies, it stands to reason that by serving 
him faithfully our prospect for a continued supply of 
at least the necessaries of life, is better than if we ig-
nored him. 
Christ's parable in Luke 12 :15-21, shows what a 
man will lose by a failure to make the glory of God 
the first thing in all his calculations. What we have 
stated above agrees with the words of verse 15, that 
"a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the 
things which he possesseth." This is illustrated by the 
case of the man whose barns were insufficient to con-
tain the abundant produce of his fields. After consid-
ering the matter, he decides thus: "This will I do: I 
will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there 
will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will 
say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for 
many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." 
" A wise course; a prudent man," says the worldling. 
"But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul 
shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things 
be which thou hast provided ?" Foolishness, in the 
Bible, is but another name for wickedness. See Ps. 
38 :4-6; 107 :17; Prov. 1 :7, 32; 3 : 35; 14 : 9; Rom. 1 
21-23, etc. What wicked thing had this man done, 
that he should be thus condemned ? He had not de-
frauded his neighbor, for his wealth was due solely to 
the fruitfulness of his farm. Without doubt he had 
been counted an upright man in the community. But 
Inspiration says that the fool is he that " hath, said 
in his heart, There is no God." That was just this 
man's position. He might not have been an infidel; 
Joyfulness in Tribulation. 
THE Christian is called to suffer affliction. " In the 
world," says Christ, "ye shall have tribulation." John 
16:33. The world does not love Christ. His religion is 
not in harmony with the pride, the luxury, the covet- 
ousness, and the wickedness of men. The Christian 
must deny himself of worldly lusts, and live soberly, 
righteously, and godly in this present world. But if 
he does this, he cannot avoid giving offense to those who 
take the opposite course. Cain killed Abel for no other 
reason than that the works of Abel were righteous and 
that his own were evil. 1 John 3:12. 
But it is not the world alone that causes sorrow to the 
Christian. Satan, the prince and god of this world, 
moved by hatred toward God and Christ, and by envy 
toward the Christian, seeks to harrass, to afflict, to dis-
courage, and to destroy every one that fears and loves 
God. His power for evil in a world that is almost 
wholly under his influence is immense. The afflictions 
of Job are a remarkable illustration of the terrible 
power of Satan to trouble the people of God. See Job 
1 and 2. The afflictions of St. Paul are another exam-
ple of this. 2 Cor. 4 and 11. 
St. Paul wrote Timothy that all who will live godly 
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim. 3: 12. 
He exhorted the brethren at Lystra, Iconium, and An-
tioch, telling them that through much tribulation we 
must enter the kingdom of God. Acts 14:21, 22. 
When St. John saw the vast multitude of the redeemed 
before the throne of God, he was told that these were 
they who had come out of great tribulation. Rev. 7: 
9-14. . 
But though affliction is the common lot of all who 
serve God, there is no cause that any should murmur 
against the providence of the Most High. All his ways 
.are just and right. He has promised that all things 
shall work together for good to them that love God, so 
that in everything it is our duty to give thanks. Rom. 
8:28; 1 Thess. 5:18. If the Israelites had not been so 
grievously afflicted in Egypt they would never have con-
sented to leave that good land to go out into the desert 
and thence to invade the land of Canaan, full of power-
ful enemies. If David had not been so cruelly oppressed 
by Saul, he would have been in great danger of oppress-
ing others when he came to the throne and possessed 
absolute power himself. 
St. Paul says: " We glory intribulations, also; know-
ing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, ex-
perience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not 
ashamed; because the love of God 'is shed abroad in our 
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." 
Rom. 5:3-5. This is the happy result of tribulation i f 
grace reigns in our hearts, and if we watch unto prayer. 
But if it be otherwise, then tribulation produces impa-
tience, murmuring, and rebellion against God. 
St. James says: " My brethren, count it all joy when 
ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the 
trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience 
have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and en-
tire, wanting nothing." James 1:2-4. The trying of 
our faith worketh patience if we look up to. God for help 
in our anguish, and if we continue to remember that 
God sees us. Moses was able to endure because that by 
faith he saw him who is invisible. Heb. 11: 27. Pa-
tience perfects its work in us by giving us greit afflic-
tions, and bidding us seek great grace. When we are 
in trouble, God is near us, though it seems to us he has 
forsaken us altogether. He suffers us to feel the fiery 
darts of Satan that we may call on God for grace. Ev-
ery moment of such anguish is precious if we use it in 
seeking God, for he then communicates to us the infinite 
riches of his grace. His great object is to prepare us 
for a place in his kingdom; and as our dross must be 
consumed and our gold refined, he places us in the fur-
nace of affliction that he may make us his peculiar 
treasure. " 0 the depth of the riches both of the wis-
dom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his 
judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Rom. 11 : 33. 
The case of Job teaches us that Satan cannot afflict 
us without the permission of God, and that he can go no 
farther in afflicting us than the limits which God fixes. 
Job 1:9-12; 2:3-5. The action of the Lord toward 
Job was full of mercy and grace. James 5:11. We 
know that God afflicts us in faithfulness. Ps. 119:75. 
We have therefore the utmost reason to have confidence 
in God in our days of anguish. We must never utter 
one word of murmuring against his providence. We 
must never cherish one feeling of impatience in our 
he may even have been a church member; but in all 
his plans he acted as though there were no God in the 
universe. He proclaimed more loudly than by words 
that he had no faith in God's power to protect. In his 
heart he did not believe in a kind, heavenly Father, 
and therefore he did not show any gratitude. 
But the words of verse 21 are what should startle 
every one of us. After telling the fate of the rich 
man, the Lord says: " So is he that layeth up treasure 
for himself, and is not rich toward God." We may not 
be so successful in laying up treasure as was the rich 
man, and yet have the same desire. One says, " I am 
too poor to pay tithe; I am in debt, and it will take 
all I can possibly earn to meet my expenses." This is 
only another way of saying, " Who is the Lord, that 
I should obey his voice ?" It comes from a failure to 
recognize that we are more deeply in debt to God than 
we ever can be to any man, and that his claim is pata-
mount to all others. There are many other ways in 
which we can show that we know of nothing better 
than " getting on in the world " by " looking out for 
number one;" but we leave each to make the appli-
cation .for himself. But let this scripture ring in our 
ears: " So is he that layeth [or striveth to lay] up treas-
ure for himself, and is not rich toward God." The 
lesson so forcibly taught by this parable is that he who 
would enter Heaven must first place on deposit there 
a portion of his earthly gains. The same thing is posi- 
tively asserted by Paul in 1 Tim. 6 :17-19. 
This is more completely shown in the parable of the 
unjust steward, Luke 16 :1-9, to a brief explanation 
of which we invite the reader's careful attention. To 
bring the parable more vividly before the reader, we 
quote it entire.— 
" (1) There was a certain rich man, which had a 
steward; and the same was accused unto him that he 
had wasted his goods. (2) And he called him, and said 
unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee ? give an 
account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no 
longer steward. (3) Then the steward said within him-
self, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from 
me the stewardship; I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 
(4) I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out 
of the stewardship they may receive me into their 
houses. (5) So he called every one of his lord's debtors 
unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest 
thou unto my lord? (6) And he said, An hundred 
measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, 
and sit down quickly, and write fifty. (7) Then said 
he to another, And how much owest thou ? And he 
said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said 
unto him, take thy bill, and write fourscore. (8) And 
the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had 
done wisely; for the children of this world are in their 
generation wiser than the children of light. (9) And 
I say unto you. Make to yourselves friends of [by means 
of, R. V.] the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when 
ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habita-
tions." 
The force of this parable is usually much weakened 
by the assumption that the steward provided for his 
future wants by defrauding his lord of a portion of the 
various amounts due him. But this is a misappre-
hension of the text. No lord would commend a servant 
for embezzling his property, nor call him wise for such 
a simple, easily-discovered piece of rascality. The lord 
knew what was due him, and would have arrested the 
steward, instead of complimenting him, if he had done 
what he is commonly supposed to have done. It was 
not for this transaction that he is called unjust, but for 
his unfaithfulness, for which he was discharged. What 
the steward actually did was this: Having ascertained 
how much rental was due from one man, he aid to 
him, " You need pay only half of that; I will make 
up the rest out of my own pocket." And so he paid 
a part of the indebtedness of each of his lord's debtors, 
putting them all under lasting obligation to him. Here 
is where his wisdom was shown. He saw that the 
money which he had saved would support him but a 
short time, and then he would be destitute. So instead 
of hoarding up what he had, deriving a scanty living 
from it, and then becoming penniless, he spent it all at 
once, but in such a way as to insure his support for the 
rest of his life; for those whom he thus befriended would 
gladly receive him into their houses. See verse 4. Now 
for the application: Our Saviour exhorts us to make to 
ourselves friends by means of the worldly treasure that 
we have, so that at last we may be received into ever-
lasting habitations. This will be done by giving to 
the cause of God, and to the poor. To some it seems 
the height of foolishness for a man to "give away" 
his earnings, but the result will prove that it is the 
only wise plan. 
A little illustration will show how the children of 
404 �
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. �Vol,. 9, No. 34. 
this world may be in their generation wiser than the 
children of light. Suppose that A and B have each 
the same amount of money, and that A knows that he 
will live forty years, while B has the promise of only 
ten years more of life. B invests his money in such a 
way that the principal and interest will keep him just 
ten years—till his death. A invests his in exactly the 
same manner, so that it also will last just the same 
length of time. Now which is the wiser of these two 
men ? You say at once, " B; for although A has pur-
sued the same course, he has not looked far enough 
ahead, and will finally become bankrupt." Now Chris-
tians have a knowledge of the world to come, a promise 
of everlasting life. But the worldling knows only of 
this world, and has no hope beyond this life. If, then, 
a Christian uses his money just as his worldly neighbor 
does his, making the same investments, and does not 
honor God with his substance, is he not by far the more 
foolish of the two ? Certainly; for the worldling makes 
plans for all the time of which he has any knowledge, 
while the Christian, expecting to live through eternity, 
plans only for time, with every prospect of becoming 
bankrupt at last. 
Let no one accuse us of teaching that men can gain 
a home in Heaven simply by the payment of a little 
money. This alone will avail nothing; but the Bible 
plainly teaches that without this no one can enter 
Heaven. And there is reason in this, as in all God's 
requirements. Although eternal life is the gift of 
God through Christ, it will not be bestowed upon us 
unless we gain the victory over our sins. God could 
not admit us to Heaven with our sins upon us, nor 
could we be happy if he did. But selfishness is at the 
bottom of all sin (See 2 Tim. 3 :1-5), and no one can 
enter Heaven with the • least taint of it about him. 
Christ is our pattern, and he was so unselfish as to give 
his life for his enemies. It is because we are so satu-
rated with selfishness that we cannot appreciate pure 
unselfishness, as manifested by Christ. 
Now the Lord desires to draw us out of ourselves, 
and lead us to think less of ourselves than of others, 
to be humble, to have the charity that " seeketh not 
her own,"—in short, to have us develop characters ex-
actly the opposite of what the world admires. Deny-
ing ourselves, making sacrifices, tends to produce just 
such a character. At the same time, our interest in 
heavenly things is increased. " Where your treasure 
is, there will your heart be also." When we give to 
the cause of God, we have an interest in it, and thus 
giving quickens us spiritually. 
In proof of this last statement, we refer the reader 
once more to the 3d of Malachi. After God, through 
the prophet, had denounced the sin of the people in 
withholding tithes and offerings, and had exhorted 
them to bring all the tithes into the store-house, and 
see if he would not increase their earthly store, and 
pour out a blessing till there would not be room to re-
ceive it, he almost immediately added: "Then they that 
feared the Lord spake often one to another." A natural 
consequence; men who invest in mining stocks, think 
and talk about mines; those who have their money in 
railroad stock, have their minds on railroads, and can 
talk of but little else; and, in like manner, those who 
have their treasure in the bank of Heaven, cannot do 
otherwise than talk of the security that is given. If 
any one will look about him he will become convinced 
that the zealous ones in the church,—those who can 
always be depended on as being at their post, on the 
right side of every question,—are not those who rob 
God in tithes and offerings. 
But while it is a fact that those who do not fear God 
enough to render to him his due, do not speak " often " 
one to another, we know that they do sometimes. But 
to what purpose ? Let us read the remainder of verse 
16: " Then they that feared the Lord spake often one 
to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, 
and a book of remembrance was written before him for 
them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his 
name." Then the Lord does not hear and record the 
testimony of those who do not fear him, no matter how 
their lack of reverence is shown. See also Luke 6 : 46. 
This is a solemn thought, and should cause us all to 
search our ways. The last two verses of this chapter, 
it will be seen, are in harmony with the ideas advanced 
in this article: " And they shall be mine, saith the 
Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; 
and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son 
that serveth him." 
We might multiply evidence on these points, but 
these articles were not designed to be exhaustive on 
this subject. Enough has been given to show that our 
substance and the first-fruits of our increase are by no 
means the least among the means by which we must 
honor God. Do not think, dear reader, that you can 
atone for the neglect of one duty by the strict per-
formance of another, or that God will lightly pass by 
any failure to give him the honor which he is so worthy 
to receive; and remember that these words of the Lord 
are as true now as when first uttered: " Them that 
honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall 
be lightly esteemed." �
E. J. W. 
Fifty Students More After Camp-Meeting. 
THOUGH the attendance at the College during the 
first few weeks of the year is all that we could reason-
ably expect, there is room for fifty more students. We 
believe that _this number is scattered somewhere in Cal-
ifornia, and should be here after the camp-meeting. 
We have learned of quite a number of persons in mid-
dle life who intend to leave their farms and other busi-
ness, to enter the College. Of course these men and 
women are not expected to enter our regular school-
classes. Special classes in the Bible, and the common 
branches, and missionary work, must be formed for such, 
to meet their present necessities, and give them practi-
cal drill in the very work for which they desire to pre-
pare themselves. 
The teaching force now at the College is no more than 
sufficient to do the work for the classes already organ-
ized; it therefore becomes a necessity that some efficient 
help be secured to do the work for these special classes, 
which shall be formed immediately after the camp-
meeting. 
It has been arranged to spare Dr. E. J. Waggoner 
from the SIGNS Office to undertake this work. All must 
see that this is done at a great sacrifice to the paper; 
but it is thought that his services at the College, jiist at 
this time, devoted exclusively to preparing laborers for 
the field, will result in greater good to the cause than it 
would applied at the SIGNS Office. 
The Doctor is a Bible student, a practical teacher, and 
is filled with the spirit of the great message. He knows 
just what preparation is needed by those going out to 
labor in the message in any capacity; and what is of 
equal importance—he understands just what instruc-
tion will secure them this preparation. 
There is no doubt that the closing work of this mes-
sage will be done principally by men and women who 
are now on their farms, and in their trades, and have 
but little idea that they shall ever have an important 
part to act in teaching the people. The College was es-
tablished to help such to prepare. They should have 
practical drill, how to go from house to house with Bi-
ble in hand, and read the truths to the people, and to 
hold Bible-readings in neighbtrhoods where a general 
interest to learn the truth can be awakened. The in-
struction in missionary work will be adapted to the 
wants of those who cannot leave their homes to labor in 
the field. 
To do this most effectually will require a familiarity 
with the Bible, a knowledge of general history, a decent 
respect for " the king's English," and withal a discre-
tion in adapting their instruction to the circumstances 
and minds of those visited. 
The instruction at the College for the Biblical stu-
dents will embrace (1) How to conduct Bible readings, 
and a thorough drill in familiarizing the student with 
the matter to be chosen for such readings. (2) A daily 
exercise in Biblical history. (3) Practical exercises in 
the use of the English language. (4) Penmanship and 
letter-writing. (5) Elements or logic. (6) Physiology 
and Hygiene. 
We trust that all interested in this instruction will 
not allow this opportunity to pass unimproved. 
S. BROWNSBERGER. 
Healdsburg, Aug. 30, 1883. 
A RELIGIOUS exchange says of the Chautauqua Lake 
University, that it, " with its pervading tinge of relig-
iosity, meets a popular want." Not too much " religi-
osity," but just a "tinge," barely enough to afford an 
esthetic flavoring, will satisfy the "popular want " very 
well. 
THE subject of vows as presented in the Script-
ures is one of great interest and importance. Dur 
ing the Jewish economy much was said upon thi 
subject. But by no means did it originate with 
s 
o 
r 
b 
o 
that people. One of the most remarkable vow 
on record is that of Jacob when on his way t 
Padan-cram; fleeing from the face of his brothe 
Esau because he had deceived his father in secur 
ing Esau's birthright for himself. " And Jaco 
vowed a vow, saying, if God will be with me, 
and will keep me in this way that I go, and wit 
give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, s 
that I come again to my father's house in- peace; 
then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone 
which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; 
and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely 
give the tenth unto thee. Gen. 28 :20-22. 
A vow to God is a solemn promise or pledge, 
and none but God can release men from these 
vows. Ps. 65 : 1. Vowing is obligatory not only 
upon the people of God hut upon all those who 
have any of his fear before them. David says: 
" Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God; let all 
that be round 'about him bring presents unto him 
that ought to be feared." Ps. 76 : 11. Every 
sinner who sincerely repents solemnly vows or 
promises God that lie will sin no more; repentance 
implies this. If we make promises to our fellow- 
men because of favors received, or to be received, 
why should we not much more make promises to 
our Creator from whom we derive every blessing, 
as a token of our gratitude for his love and care 
manifested to us. David's experience was like 
many at thu present day. When be was ,in 
trouble he made vows to God, but, unlike some, 
when God delivered him he kept them. " I will 
go into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay 
thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and 
my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble." 
" I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon 
the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto 
the Lord now in the presence of all his people." 
Ps. 66 : 13, 14; 116 : 13, 14, 17, 19. 
Particular instruction is given in the sixth chap-
ter of Numbers concerning the Nazarite vow, and 
the closing words of that chapter are very strik- 
ing when we consider that the mind of the in-
spired penman was at the time directed toward 
those who took this vow. It shows how God 
regards those who manifest an interest by mak-
ing vows to him. " The Lord bless thee and keep 
thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, 
and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his 
countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 
And they shall put my name upon the children of 
Israel; and I will bless them." In the thirtieth 
chapter of Numbers we find the only circum- 
stances mentioned in the Scriptures of releasing 
individuals from their vows. It explains the re-
lation that vows to God sustain " Between a man 
and his wife, between the father and his daughter, 
being yet in her youth in her father's house," and 
shows under what circumstances the vow may 
become void. 
W hen anything is given to God by a promise it 
becomes sacred, for Christ becomes surety for us 
to the father that we will make good that which 
we have vowed. And it can never afterwards be 
appropriated to other uses without robbing God 
and committing sacrilege. If it were a piece of 
land or a house, and the individual wished to re-
tain it, giving its value, the priest valued it, and a 
fifth of the value was to be added to his estima-
tion to be paid by him who retained the property. 
This would make their vow amply good and it 
would ever cause them to feel that there was a 
sacredness in that which was consecrated to God 
by a vow. See Lev. 27th chapter. 
Moses, in Deut. 23 : 21-23, speaks upon this sub-
ject as follows: " When thou shalt vow a vow 
unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to 
pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely require it 
of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou 
shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. 
That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep 
and perform; even a freewill offering, according 
as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which 
thou bast promised with thy mouth." When 
under the influence of God's Holy Spirit, or when 
in trouble, or under any circumstances we make 
God promises, and then afterwards appropriate 
DR. PENTECOST says that he once heard a sermon in 
Boston in which there were thirty-six literary quota-
tions, and only three from the Scriptures, including the 
text. 
thefflissinitam 
Sacredness of Vows. 
SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. �THE SIGNS OF THE, TIMES. �
405 
for other purposes and question the propriety of 
thus promising, we displease him and will bring 
upon ourselves a curse instead of a blessing. " It 
is a snare to the man who devoureth that which 
is holy, and after vows to make inquiry." Prov. 
20 : 25. The angels of God have made a record 
of it and of its acceptance on the part of God for 
Christ's sake. Solomon's words are very forcible 
upon this point. " When thou vowest a vow unto 
God, defer not to pay it; for he bath no pleas-
ure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed. 
Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that 
thou shouldst vow and not pay. Suffer not thy 
mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou 
before the angel, that it was an error; wherefore 
should God be angry at thy Voice, and destroy 
the work of thine hands!" Eccl. 5 :4-6. 
The case of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts fifth 
chapter shows that it is no less sinful for vows to 
be broken in the present dispensation. We have 
the same God, and unfaithfulness is as sinful now 
as ever before. These persons had consecrated a 
certain piece of property to God, but after it was 
sold they agreed together to keep back a part of 
the price, probably thinking they had given too 
much, and brought only a portion ,and laid at the 
apostle's feet, saying they sold the land for so 
much. There was deception in this although in 
one sense it might be said they told the truth. 
But Peter said to Ananias, " Why hath Satan 
filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to 
keep back part of the price of the land." " Thou 
haat not lied unto men but unto God." Both 
these individuals fell dead for so doing. God by 
this judgment showed how exceedingly sinful it 
was for men to do thus. It cannot be said that 
because we do not see such manifestations of 
God's displeasure at the present day it is not as 
sinful now as then. " Because sentence against 
an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore 
the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them 
to do evil." Eccl. 8 : 11. There is a time when 
"God shall bring every work into judgment, with 
every secret thing, whether it be good or whether 
it be evil." Then will every man be rewarded as 
his work shall be. It will then appear that it 
has been no small matter to neglect to pay our 
vows, and to thus sin against God. 
S. N. HASKELL. 
Missionary Work at Healdsburg College. 
IT may be of interest to the friends of the Col-
lege, and all missionary workers, to learn of the 
progress of the work in the T. and M. Society 
with which our students are connected. 
During the last college year it was decided to 
hold the regular meetings of the society weekly 
as well as quarterly. Since that time, College 
students have constituted almost the entire mem-
bership and active working force. The zeal and 
interest which they have manifested are truly 
commendable, and the results of their labor 
highly gratifying. Even some under sixteen 
years of age have become active members, en-
gaging with the others in mailing our publica-
tions, writing and receiving letters, and distrib-
uting reading matter. 
Almost all of those who went out into the field 
to labor during the summer vacation, under the 
direction of the Conference, obtained their first 
experience in connection with this society. The 
success of their efforts, with the blessing of God, 
is already well known to the readers of the SIGNS. 
They rendered great assistance in raising up 
the company at San Jose, and many copies of 
" Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation were sold 
by them during the summer. 
Many interesting and encouraging letters have 
been received by the society since its organization, 
extracts from a few of which are here given. The 
following is from a letter received from a gentle-
man in Kansas, who had previously accepted our 
views on the nature and destiny of man. He 
writes:— 
" Yours at hand. As to the books, I ask a little 
more time, as I have been extremely. and un-
usually busy. Lately I have taken up Eld. Smith's 
Daniel' and perused it with interest. I have 
long wished that I might understand the true 
principle of interpreting prophecy. My mind has 
wavered between the literal and the allegorical 
methods. Latterly, since I chan.fed my views on 
the state of I he dead and the destiny of the wicked. 
I have inclined rather to the literal meaning of 
God's -Word. The Bible is too much of a fog-bank 
on any other hypothesis. And the mystical non-
sense that the meaning of the Scriptures was 
divinely intended to be hidden beyond all finding 
out, I cannot brook. I often think that your 
conception of the kingdom of God, as a thing 
wholly in the future and to be ushered in by a 
soon-coming Messiah, is verily so. In many re-
spects my faith is confirmed in harmony with 
yours. I am willing to walk in the light when 
it dawns upon me. Pray for me, dear brother, 
that I may be directed of the Lord. If you do 
not need the books for awhile, I will read more, 
or will pay you for them erelong. Fraternally 
yours." 
The writer of the above is a prominent Baptist 
minister and editor of a paper. 
Another writes: " I have received copies of 
your truly interesting paper, for which I return 
my sincere thanks. If I should leave this city, 
as I now contemplate, I will drop you a few lines. 
I will be glad to hear from, you again, and to 
receive and read your excellent journal." 
We have had, as a society, much to be thankful 
for, and feel full of courage and zeal in this glorious 
work. And why should not all feel thus who are 
engaged in the Master's vineyard? Have we not 
the sure promises of God upon which to rely ? 
" They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." Ps. 
126 : 5. " Blessed are ye that sow beside all 
waters." Isa. 32 : 20. " So shall my word be 
that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not 
return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that 
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing 
whereto I sent it." Isa. 55 : 11. 
Healdsburg College, Aug. 30. �
C. C. RAMSEY. 
Downey, Los Angeles Co., Cal. 
WE pitched the tent in this place June 6, and 
have been laboring in this vicinity ever since. 
The tent has been pitched on two different spots, 
but the fruits of both efforts have been gathered 
into one company of twenty-nine members, who 
have signed the covenant, beside several others 
who are keeping the Sabbath. Brethren Reick 
and Morton have been active and faithful in vis-
iting the people for miles around. A prominent 
Disciple minister challenged me foi a debate on 
the Sabbath question. This discussion was at-
tended by hundreds of people, and at its con-
clusion thirteen of the twenty-nine names now 
on the covenant were put down. I expect to 
baptize quite a company before starting to the 
San Jose camp-meeting. We feel like praising 
the Lord that so many witnesses for the present 
truth have been raised up, where three months 
ago there was not one. Pray for the work here. 
E. A. BRIGGS. 
Ferndale, California. 
THE cause of present truth continues to pros-
per well in this vicinity. The enemies of truth 
have been doing more for its advancement than 
we could possibly do. The minister who last 
spring threatened to " expose Adventism " suc-
ceeded admirably last Sunday afternoon in ex-
posing the weakness of the Sunday heresy. He 
advertised to furnish a Scripture command for 
first-day Sabbath obervance, and also to read 
Scripture showing plainly that Christ and his 
apostles held religious meetings in the daytime 
of the first day of the week. Four or five hun-
dred people assembled, and went away disap-
pointed. Only two scriptures were read, Acts 
20 : 7, and John 20 :19. 
When questions were asked and remarks made 
which showed the utter fallacy and weakness of 
his position, many left in disgust before the ser-
vice closed. 
Over twenty-five have embraced present truth 
at this date, and others are deeply interested. 
One excellent feature of the work is seen in the 
disposition manifested by those taking hold of 
the work, to labor for others. We have organ-
ized a Sabbath-school of thirty-seven members. 
This does not include all who have embraced the 
truth, as some live too far away to attend often. 
Last Sunday steps were taken toward the 
building of a house of worship. Over six hun-
dred dollars were pledged in about fifteen minutes. 
Many of the friends outside have expressed a 
desire to aid in the building of the house. 
The work is onward in this county. All the 
friends of truth are of good courage. The tes-
timonies in our social meetings give evidence 
that the work is deep and genuine. The enemy 
is still working through his embassadors, circulat-
ing false reports, etc. Next Sunday we review a 
new book which has just appeared on the Sunday 
question, entitled, " Which is the Sabbath, Sat-
urday or Sunday ? or, a Check on Adventism." 
The book is the weakest we ever read in defense 
of Sunday. Pray for the prosperity of the truth, 
dear friends, and labor as you pray. 
G. D. BALLOU, 
N. C. McCLuRE. 
Ohio Camp-Meeting. 
THIS meeting is now just past. In several re-
spects it was a good meeting; in others it might 
have been better, The business of the Confer-
ence, Tract and Missionary Society, and other 
associations, was done with dispatch and with 
harmony of feeling. The reports from the treas-
urers of the Conference, and Tract and Mission-
ary Society, showed prosperity in both branches 
of the work. 
The past year's work has brought quite a num-
ber into the truth, and I think four new churches 
were admitted into the Conference. The five 
ordained ministers, two licentiates, and seven or 
eight colporteurs, seem to be men of promise, 
and able to do effective labor. 
Those who did the preaching had good freedom, 
and such subjects were chosen as were well cal-
culated to lift the standard of devotion and in-
terest in the cause to a higher plane. But from 
some cause the interest in the social meetings, 
and the seasons for seeking God, was not as deep 
and thorough as we had hoped to see. On the 
Sabbath there was a general move forward by 
upwards of one hundred, and, after a season of 
prayer, the work was carried on in the districts 
in the camp, with some success. This was taken 
up again on Monday, and twenty-four candidates 
came forward for baptism. The attendance on 
Sunday was quite large, coming up to about a 
thousand. Good order prevailed, and some suc-
cess was made in canvassing for our periodicals. 
The effort made to-day for the different missions 
in Europe, and for the International Tract So-
ciety, was successful to the amount of nearly 
$2,000. On the whole this meeting gave courage 
and hope to many hearts, and they went home 
with new determinations to keep pace with the 
advancing message. �I. D. VAN HORN. 
Aug. 21, 1883. 
Maine. 
I LEFT home July 13 to visit our churches and 
scattered brethren and sisters in Aroostook 
County. I have held meetings in Oakfield, Lin-
neus, 'Houlton, Monticello, Bridgewater, Blaine, 
Presque Isle, Mapleton, and East Washburn. 
Five have been baptized and six united with our 
churches; $138.52 have been pledged to buy a 
new tent to be used in the cause in this part of 
the State. There is not so much interest mani-
fested in the tract and missionary work as there 
should be. 
Two commenced the observance of the Sabbath 
last February by reading. The Lord is at work 
and precious souls are embracing the truth, al-
though Satan is doing all that he can to prevent 
it. There, has been a good outside interest to 
hear in nearly every place that I have visited, 
and many have acknowledged that we have the 
truth. May God help them to obey. 
J. B. GOODRICH. 
Houlton, Me., Aug. 14, 1883. 
East Portland, Oregon. 
A GOOD degree of interest is still manifested in 
the meetings here, which have been continued 
without interruption since the 2d inst. Some 
have decided to obey God by keeping all his com-
mandments, irrespective of consequences; while 
others, deeply convicted, are trembling under the 
cross, unable as yet to cast their whole burden on 
the Lord (who has promised to bear it for them), 
and move out against opposition, trusting in our 
kind Heavenly Father for strength in every time 
of need. 
Oh, for wisdom from on high to know how to 
lead these trembling souls to the Source of all 
strength, and bring the work here to a success- 
ful termination. �
CHAS. L. BOYD. 
Aug. 28, 1883. 
Ferndale, Aug. 30. 
406 �
TEE �
 SIGHTS �
TIMES. �
VoL. 9, No. 34. 
the ~~me Circle. 
FATHER AND 
SOME trifling loss or wounding slight 
Had grieved a little maid at play, 
With heaving breast and clouded sight 
She tries to wipe her tears away. 
Still o'er the lashes slip the pearls, 
And sighs the shadowed heart betray, 
Till sudden purpose shakes the curls—
" Papa must 'ipe my tears a'ay." 
A hasty flight to papa's side, 
By papa's chair the footsteps stay, 
An upturned face with cheeks undried—
"P'ease, papa, 'ipe my tears a'ay." 
Then quiet sunshine fills the eyes, 
And smiles all o'er the sweet face stray; 
Back to her baby sport she flies—
" Papa has 'iped my tears a'ay." 
We smile at children, but erelong 
Some sorrow in our heart has sway. 
We think that years have made us strong, 
And brush the scalding tears away. 
But quiv'ring nerves will not be still; 
We cannot calm the soul's dismay; 
And struggle bravely as we will, 
We cannot wipe our tears away. 
Then swiftly speaks the heart's appeal; 
The shaken soul finds strength to pray; 
Before our Father's throne we kneel—
"Father, wipe thou our tears away." 
Oh, tender touch of God's right hand ! 
Oh, peace of God that comes to stay ! 
Safe in his sheltering love we stand; 
Our Father wipes our tears away. 
—Rev. Edward D. Eaton, in Advance. 
Why I Pay Bills When Due; 
OR, AUNT GRACE'S STORY. 
" OH, dear!" said Rose Howard, as she looked 
at the paper which the servant handed her. 
" That wretched girl is in a desperate hurry to 
send her bill for embroidery. Twenty dollars! 
just what I have saved to pay for the bonnet and 
gloves which I must have if I go to Mrs. Lori-
mer's reception. I did not expect this bill until I 
had my next month's allowance. Well, she must 
wait, that's all." 
" I would not make her wait if I were you, 
Rose," said Miss Grace Rowan, looking up from 
her sewing. 
" Why, it is only ten days," said Rose. " Papa 
always gives me my allowance on the first day of 
the month, and to-day is the twenty-first." 
" Nevertheless, I would pay her bill to-day," 
said Miss Rowan, earnestly. " If it will be of any 
use to you I would rather lend you the money. 
I can probably do without it better than she can." 
" Thank you, Aunt Grace, but that would not 
do at all," said Rose. " When papa consented to 
give me a regular allowance it was on condition 
that I should never borrow a penny of any one. 
But why are you so anxious that the bill should 
be paid at once ? Do you know anything about 
this girl that you are so sure is in need of money ?" 
" No," said Miss Rowan, " I know nothing 
about her. It is only on general principles that 
I am speaking. Not exactly, either. If you 
choose I will tell you why I never delay a day in 
paying a bill sent in by a poor person, above all, 
a poor young girl." 
" It is a story of the days when I was an eld-
erly young girl, living at home with my parents," 
she said. And the heroine of the story—you 
remember those flower-paintings which you, have 
so often admired at my home, Rose ? " 
" Remember them, of course I do. But ho* 
did they come into your story, aunty ? " asked 
Rose, lifting wide eyes of interest to her aunt's 
face. 
" Only because the painter of those pictures is 
the heroine of �
said Aunt Grace. " Cara 
Hastings was her name. She was much younger 
than I, an orphan, fighting her way single-handed 
with the world. Pretty ? Well, rather pretty, 
not very. She had a slight, graceful figure; dark, 
wistful eyes set in a small pale face; flexible, trem-
ulous lips, and a profusion of soft, dark, wavy hair, 
which framed her broad forehead like a cloud. 
" I met her first at the studio of a friend, and, 
in spite of the two years difference in our ages, 
we took a mutual fancy to each other. After 
that I was often at her studio, poor little bare 
place that it was. One room served for every- 
thing—kitchen, parlor, studio, bed-room, yes, and 
reception room for her pupils. A broad lounge 
served for her bed by night, and one corner of the 
room was curtained off to conceal her toilet ap-
paratus. Her cooking, such as it was, was accom-
plished upon a small kerosene stove, which, when 
not in use, she kept in her closet. A poor little 
place, as I said, but Cara was very happy in it. 
She oved her work, and she had one of those 
bright, happy dispositions which make their own 
sunshine. She often talked to me of her pupils, 
but the one of whom she spoke oftenest was 
Maud X. I knew the name well, for the father of 
this Maud was one of the most prominent clergy-
men in the city where we both lived. Every one 
respected him, irrespective of denomination. He 
was not only an eloquent preacher and a profound 
scholar, of fervid piety and blameless life; he was 
also a philanthropist, a reformer, prominent in the 
temperance cause, in the Society for the Suppres-
sion of Vice, in everything that was good and 
noble. Cara often spoke of him with enthusiasm. 
" It is not only that Maud is such a darling, 
she said, but I feel it such an honor to be asso-
ciated in any way with the family of such a 
man.' 
" All this was in the winter. Spring came, and 
everybody was leaving town. I did not go, 
although all my family did, simply because I did 
not care to. There is such a pleasant feeling and 
sense of solitude in a large city through July and 
August that I meant to put off my outing' until 
late September. Cara did not go away either, 
and we saw a good deal of each other. It was 
not an unalloyed joy to me, though, for, watching 
her, I saw that day by day her cheek grew paler 
an thinner, her step slower, and her eyes more 
feverishly bright. 
" ' What is the matter with you, Cara,' I often 
asked anxiously, but she only smiled and pro-
tested that nothing ailed her, that she was only a 
little tired with the hot weather. When fall came 
she would be herself again. 
" I urged her to go out of town, or at least to 
come and stay for a while with me in our large, 
empty house; but no. 
" �
must work, you know,' said Cara, must 
work harder than ever now, that my pupils have 
left me for the summer. I could not work with 
you. My mind would be continually disturbed, 
and—no, no, my studio is much the best place 
for me.' 
"'But why work so hard ?' I said, ' Why not 
take a holiday ? Your lessons of last winter 
surely brought you in enough to enable you to 
rest awhile now. There were Maud X.'s lessons, 
which alone would bring you in a small fortune, 
you said.' 
" 'A small fortune ? Yes, but small fortunes 
will not last forever, ' said Cara, slowly. ' How 
do I know that I shall have any pupils next year ? 
How do I know ?' 
"There was a short, sharp knock at the studio 
door, and a letter fell through the slit, upon the 
floor. Cara sprang to pick it up, glanced at the 
address, which I saw was in a masculine hand, and 
a faint flush tinged her pale cheeks. I turned 
away to look at a picture, while she tore open the 
envelope. When I turned back the flush had faded, 
and left her paler than before, her lips were quiv-
ering a little, and her eyes had a dim, hopeless 
look, which moved me sorely. 
" Cara, you are not well,' I cried. ' Dear child, 
you must come with me. You shall do exactly as 
you please. You shall have a room with a north 
light and be alone when you like, and no one 
shall ask you a question. We will make excur-
sions into the country, and you shall sketch while 
I read, and—' 
" But Cara stopped me with a motion of her 
hand. No, no,' she said. I cannot come. Do 
not make it harder for me to refuse you by urg-
ing me. I must stay here—there is no other place 
for me.' 
" Her tone was so decided that I felt it would be 
useless to urge her further, and sadly and reluc-
tantly I left her. That night came the news of 
the severe illness of your mother, my only sister, 
accompanied with an entreaty that I would go to 
her. Of course I went by the first train next 
morning, leaving only a note for Cara, to explain 
my sudden departure. 
" It was the first of August when I left the 
city, but September had come and well-nigh gone 
before your mother's health was sufficiently re-
established to enable me to leave her. 
" �
saw your friend Cara Hastings to-day,' 
said one of the family, as we gathered around the 
table for the first meal after my return. I am 
afraid the poor girl is in a bad way. She was 
always fragile, but now she is shadowy. She has 
a settled cough and a hectic color. She looks very 
pretty, but I should be very sorry to see any dear 
friend of mine looking pretty in just the same 
way.' 
" I need not say that the next morning found 
me on my way to Cara's studio. It was all true. 
I knew it as soon as I looked in her face. She 
threw herself into my arms with a little cry of 
delight, which changed into a spasm of coughing, 
and I felt the slight form pant and quiver in my 
arms. 
" Cara, dear child, what have you been doing 
to yourself,' I cried in dismay. Cara smiled her 
own bright, cheerful smile. 
" I have had a hard summer,' she said, but I 
shall soon be strong again. Now that it is all over 
I can tell you about it, but at one time I really 
thought that I should never live to do so.' 
" It was not a romantic story, for there was no 
love in it, and no tragedy, save as I plainly fore-
saw, looking in my poor Cara's face. 
"' I suppose I was rather extravagant in the 
spring,' said Cara, for I needed a good many 
things, and I knew that the money for Maud X.'s 
lessons would keep me all summer. Maud and 
her mother left town rather suddenly in June, 
and I did not know where they had gone. I sent 
my bill to the houSe, however, not doubting that 
it would be paid at once. I waited a month, and 
in the meantime my funds ran very low, and I 
found that the strictest economy was necessary. 
Do what I would, however, the money melted 
away like water, and at last, in despair, I resolved 
to write to Dr. X. It was a hard thing to do, 
but I did it, merely telling him that I had sent in 
my bill to Mrs. X. at such a date, and having 
heard nothing from her, feared that it had not 
been forwarded. It seemed to me that life and 
death hung upon the answer, yet I did not really 
doubt that he would send the money at once, 
His answer came one day while you were with 
me.' 
" �
remember,' I said briefly. 
" There was no money inclosed, as I had ex-
pected,' continued Cara. He merely informed 
me that the bills for Maud's lessons and schooling 
were always settled by Mrs. X.; that the bill had 
been duly forwarded to her, and that no doubt 
she would settle it promptly upon her return in 
September. And I had just sixty cents in the 
world!' 
" 'My poor Cara!' I cried, what did you do ?' 
"'Do ? What was there to do ? ' said Cara. 
Fortunately, my rent was paid for three months 
in advance, so that I was sure of a shelter, at 
least. For the rest, I lived for a month upon that 
sixty cents. Of course I could not afford to buy 
fuel, so bread and water constituted my entire diet. 
Two rolls a day are not very satisfactory, but it 
was all I could afford. Two cents a day will not 
set a luxurious table. Hungry ?* I think I was 
not so much hungry as weak. The worst of all 
was that I could not paint, I had not the strength 
to stand before the easel, and my hand shook so 
that I could not manage the brushes, and some-
times it really seemed that my mind wandered. 
Dear, you must not feel so badly about it. It is all 
over now.' 
" Oh, Cara! why would you not come to me 
when I begged you?' I sobbed at last. 
" ' Dear, I could not,' said Cara, gently. ' I 
should have felt like a beggar. I could not tell 
you of my straits, and I could not go and live 
upon you, knowing that I was actually a pauper. 
I should have felt ashamed even before your serv-
ants. If you will ask me for a visit now that I 
have money enough to make me independent, I 
will come; but at that time I could not—I tried, 
but indeed I could not.' 
" Ask her ? Of course I asked her well know-
ing that it was the last thing I should ever do for 
her. That month's starvation had done its work, 
and the weakened system fell an easy victim to 
the hereditary foe, which might else have been 
baffled. When Cara left our house at last, it was 
with hands meekly folded upon her breast, with 
the sightless eyes veiled by their long, dark lashes, 
and the smile of the triumphant redeemed upon 
her pallid lips." 
Aunt Grace's lips were quivering and her eyes 
dim with tears as she finished her story. Rose 
had dropped her work, and sat with her eyes 
fixed upon her aunt's face. 
SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. �Tn �
I-1] SIGNS OF TI—IF TIM �
 IH:S. �
407 
" How did Dr. X. feel when he heard of it ? " 
she asked, at last. 
" He never knew it," said Aunt Grace. When 
I take up the religious or secular papers and read 
the burning and eloquent words in which he 
pleaded the cause of some benevolent object, I 
wonder what he would say if he knew the true 
story of the life and death of his daughter's 
drawing teacher, little Cara Hastings." 
" But he ought to know it," said Rose, indig-
nantly. 
" It was hardly his fault, after all," said Aunt 
Grace, gently. " He could never imagine of what 
consequence a sum of money which seemed tri-
fling to him might be to a poor girl. But that 
is the reason why I always pay my bills promptly, 
Rose." 
Rose stood up, put away her work and her 
crewels, and left the room. A few minutes after-
ward she returned, cloaked and hatted for the 
street. 
" Thank you for your story, Aunt Grace," she 
said, as she buttoned her glove. " I am going 
down to pay that bill, and as for Mrs. Lorimer's 
reception—well I can wear my old bonnet or stay 
at home."—Henrietta H. Holdich. 
Religious Notes. 
—The First Congregational Church at Oakland, Cal., 
has voted to pay the Superintendent of its .Sunday-
school a good salary, so that he can devote his whole 
time to the work. 
—There is a sharp lesson for all Christians in the follow-
ing letter from a Brahmin to a missionary : " We are find-
ing you out. You are not as good as your Book. If 
your people were only as good as your Book, you would 
conquer India for Christ in five years." 
—A witty journalist, speaking of the troubles of a 
certain church, said they were due to the fact that 
" half of the congregation worship the God of their 
fathers, and the others the Fathers themselves." With 
too much truth this last might be said of very many 
worshipers. 
—The Christian at Work says: " What is known as 
Spiritualism or Spiritism is not all trickery by any 
means, for there is a domain of human nature as yet un-
explored. The time cannot be distant when the mys-
tery connected with witchcraft, mesmerism, Spiritual-
ism, and mind-reading, will all be cleared up, and pow-
ers unsuspected in the world of emotion and nerve force 
evolved, which will seem incredible to us in the present 
state of our knowledge." 
—Bishop Huntington, of the Episcopal Church of 
New York, told in a recent sermon what he considered 
the threatening danger of the church of this country. 
Said he: " It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not 
pantheism, not agnosticism, not Romanism, that in our 
day and in this land is likely to quench the light of 
the gospel, or re-crucify Christ. It is a proud, sensuous, 
selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosper-
ity." The S. S. Times says of this assertion, " These 
are sharp words, and the worst of it is that their sharp-
ness comes from their truthfulness." 
—The papers that have exultingly printed the text 
of what purported to be a Phenician copy of a part of 
Deuteronomy, 2,700 years old, the original manuscript 
of which was offered to the British Museum for the 
modest snm of $5,000,000, will now proceed to inform 
their readers that the whole thing is a fraud. Mr. 
Shapira, the alleged discoverer, is simply a trader in 
relics, who thought to impose on Biblical scholars for 
his own profit. The manuscript had various changes 
from the received version, and the fact that it contained 
an extra commandment would have kept it from being 
generally popular, even had it been proved to be gen-
uine. 
—The Christian at Work says: " The surliness of 
some of the fashionable pew-owners of this city cer-
tainly needs correction, as these folks need a course of 
lectures on good manners. It is not an uncommon 
thing for some pew-owners in a church on Fifth Avenue, 
this city, on arriving late and finding their pew occu-
pied, to quietly stand at the head of their pew and 
wait for the strangers who may be occupying it to get 
up and go out. We have witnessed this more than 
once in one church in this city, and have heard of this 
boorishness in other churches. Perhaps a few sermons 
on the principles of true Christianity would not be 
amiss in those churches. 
—The Alameda Eneinal says: " The Sabbatarians of 
Pennsylvania, on undertaking to stop work and recre-
ation on Sunday, in several towns, are met by a threat 
to enforce the Sunday law to the utmost, in order to 
make it odious." Our neighbor is for once off the track. 
Sabbatarians have no interest whatever in having work 
stop on Sunday, for all of whom we have any knowl-
edge work on that day themselves. Sabbatarians are 
those who keep holy the seventh day, in conformity to 
the requirements of the fourth commandment; and they 
do not desire a State or National law in its behalf, for 
the law of God is all-sufficient. Sunday-keepers are not 
Sabbatarians by any means. 
News and Notes. 
—A dispatch from Paris says that the Queen of Mad 
agascar is dead. A niece of the late queen succeeds to 
the throne. 
--The official report shows that there have been 27,-
318 deaths from cholera in Egypt since the outbreak 
of the epidemic. 
The " Postal Telegraph" promises well. Contracts 
for construction to the amount of $1,500,000 have 
recently been let. 
—A high tide did much damage at Atlantic City, N. 
J., Aug. 29. The surf was the heaviest ever seen there. 
Loss not less than $75,000. 
Report from Shelbyville, Ind., says a skeleton was 
found about fifteen miles from that city, in a gravel pit, 
of a man who was nine feet high. 
—Twenty-two young men who were students in the 
university at St. Petersburg, have been sent to Siberia 
for contributing to a nihilist journal. 
—It is reported from Mexico that an American syndi-
cate has purchased the Real del Monico mines for $4, 
000,000. These mines are located in Huachuca. 
—In a recent hot wave in Los Angeles the thermom-
eter stood at 100 in the shade. The same also in Salt 
Lake City, the hottest ever known there in August. 
—The Yellowstone National Park branch of the 
Northern Pacific road is now completed to Cinnabar, 
fifty-one miles south of Livingstone, and is open for 
business. 
—About 20,000 tons of railroad iron will soon be re-
ceived in Galveston, Texas, from Europe. About half 
of it is narrow-gauge rails for the Kansas and Gulf 
Short Line. 
—Denver reports twenty-five flowing artesian wells 
sunk in that city within twenty days, and as many 
more under way. A large stream is struck at a depth 
of 325 feet. 
From 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 feet of lumber were 
destroyed by fire in Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 27. Same 
date a fire in Galveston, Texas, destroyed property 
valued at $220,000. 
—The New York Herald says a treaty is not higher 
in authority than an act of Congress, which is proof 
that it requires more wisdom to run a Government 
than a New York paper. 
The poisoning of valuable cattle at the Boston 
quarantine station was caused by water impregnated 
with Paris green from a neighboring potato field. Farm-
ers should take warning. 
A Jamesville (Wis.) dispatch says: "A furious 
hail-storm last night practically destroyed the entire 
tobacco crop in Rock County. The damage is esti-
mated ,at fully $100,000." 
—A Dublin dispatch says: " The Exchange Tele-
graph Company announces that alarming telegrams in 
reference to a revival of the Irish conspiracy have been 
received here from America. 
—News comes from St. Johns and Halifax of a terrific 
storm on the coast. Ten schooners were driven ashore, 
some of them wrecked. About one hundred fishing 
dories and eighty men were lost. 
—A naval court-martial has been ordered to try sev-
enteen cadets charged with the heathenish practice of 
hazing at Annapolis. Perhaps we ought to beg pardon 
of the heathen for this expression! 
—The plate on the coffin of the Count De Chambord 
was inscribed with the following words: " Henry V. by 
the grace of God King of France and Navarre." Few 
kings have had so little burden of State affairs as he! 
—A determined war has commenced in New York 
on the church bells. They are declared by some 
to be a greater nuisance than the elevated railrc ads. 
The Herald, Times, World, and Post take sides against 
the bells. 
—The steamer Riverdale, plying between New York 
and Haverstraw, exploded a boiler, Aug. 29, and soon 
sunk, opposite Sixteenth Street, New York. The num-
ber of passengers on board was not known. Several 
were killed and many injured. 
—In a recent riot against the Jews in a town in 
Russia, 364 houses were wrecked and plundered. In-
cluding the Russians who were killed in quelling the 
riot, twenty-eight lives were lost. In another town 
eighty houses of Jews were fired. 
An excursion train on the Philadelphia and Atlan-
tic Railroad, Aug. 30, was thrown from the track at 
Pleasantville, N. J., and the engine and baggage car 
were turned upside down and four passenger cars com-
pletely wrecked. About thirty injured, some seriously, 
but none killed. 
—The shipment of freight to Oregon from San Fran-
cisco was so heavy Aug. 31, that the Queen of the Pa-
cific had to stop receiving early, and when the Oregon 
commenced taking, the line of teams was more than four 
hours long. Those in line at 8 A. M. could not reach 
the dock till afternoon. 
—A tenement house was burned in Thatcher's Court, 
Boston, Aug. 26, and four persons were smothered to 
death, and one fatally injured by jumping from a win-
dow. The fire is supposed to have originated in a quar-
rel between two brothers, in which one threw a burning 
lamp at the other. The men are appropriately named 
Savage. 
—The war between France and An am has speedily 
terminated in the complete submission of the Chinese. 
The French took possession of Hue, the capital of Anam, 
and a treaty has been made in every way favorable to 
the French. Admiral Meyer, who commands the French 
naval division in Chinese waters, has been formally or-
dered to arrest, even by force, every Chinese boat carry-
ing arms or troops. lie is also ordered, in case of a rup-
ture between France and China, to make an immediate 
attack on Canton, and other Chinese ports. 
—A collision occured, Aug. 26, in the English Chan-
nel, off Eddystone light-house, between the French 
steamer St. Germain from Havre for New York, and 
the steamer Woodburn, from the East by the way of the 
Suez Canal. ,The Woodburn immediately sank and 
eighteen of her crew were drowned. The St. Germain 
was disabled, but arrived at Plymouth and landed her 
passengers and those saved from the Woodburn. Also 
the steamer Palerme, from Hamberg to Lisbon, came in 
collision off Ushant with the steamer Rivoli, from Bal-
boa to Middlesborough. The Rivoli was sunk and five 
persons drowned. There was a thick fog at the time. 
—The great calamity, not only of this year of calam-
ities, but of the century, has fallen upon Java and 
adjacent islands. Aug. 25 an earthquake changed the 
face of much of the country. Several islands disap-
peared entirely. Many villages were destroyed, some 
sinking out of sight. The disturbance continued for 
several days. Volcanoes which had not been active for 
a hundred years suddenly sent forth great quantities of 
lava, rocks, and dust, and in one case a large body of 
ice was thrown out of the earth. Added to these, four-
teen islands appeared in the ocean, where none had been 
before, each an active volcano. The loss of life is very 
great; 75,000 is considered a safe estimate of the number 
destroyed. An island was engulfed in the sea half way 
between Java and Sumatra, ten miles from Java. The 
straits of Sunda are entirely unsafe for navigation. 
Vessels have been dispatched to warn merchantmen of 
the danger, and to explore the straits and coasts. It is 
supposed that the number of lives lost will never be 
certainly known, the extent of country destroyed being 
so great, and so many islands submerged. The tidal 
wave caused by it was registered at Saucelito, in San 
Francisco Bay. 
bituarg. 
 
ALLEN.—Our dear sister, Mrs. Maggie M. Allen, fell 
asleep in Jesus, July 16, 1883, at her mother's home in 
Waterloo, Grant Co., Wis., aged twenty-two years, seven 
months, and nine days. Hers was a lingering, painful 
illness, which she bore with Christian fortitude. As we 
repeatedly visited her, a peaceful expression told us of 
the calm resignation within, which added charms to her 
lovely face; and as we knelt by her bedside, mingling 
our prayers with hers, the very atmosphere of the room 
seemed laden with " that peace which passeth all under-
standing." As do many of us, she felt that the mistakes 
of her life had been many, but found that settled peace 
so manifest on her countenance, in believing that her 
Saviour's blood, being efficacious, atoned for all; and we 
" sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." Eld. 
I. Sanborn spoke to a large audience from 1 Thess. 4:16. 
MRS. H. T. H. SANBORN. 
JUST ISSUED. 
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SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF PAUL. 
Br Mae. E. G. Wsnm. 
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In this book the history of Paul's life, from the time when he " made 
havoc" of the church until he was " offered up" as its chief representa—
tive, is traced in a clear and connected manner. Paul's allusions to 
himself in his epistles are connected with the record in the book of Acts 
in such a manner as to throw great light both on the epistles and the 
"Acts." But that which gives the book even greater value than its his-
torical accuracy, is the lessons that are drawn from Paul's words, and the 
hardships which he endured, and their practical application to our own 
times. This is a marked feature of this work, and the instruction given 
in this way cannot be estimated in dollars and cents. 234 pp., neatly 
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Address SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Cal., 
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STORY OF THE BIBLE. 
FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION. 
In this book the stories of the Bible are re-written in simple language, 
and at the same time are connected together by a plain 
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY, 
extending throughout the Bible. As far as possible, the language of the 
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NOT TO IMPART ANY DENOMINATIONAL BIAS; 
and in this the author has done well. This book will do much to foster is 
the young a taste for the study of the word of God. 700 pp., 274 illustra. 
tions. Price $1.00. 
Address, PACIFIC PRESS, Oakland, (;a1. 
Time of Camp-Meetings. 
MICHIGAN, (State Meeting,) 
NEBRASKA, Crete, 
IOWA, Algona, 
MAINE, Waterville, 
CALIFORNIA, San Jose, 
NEW YORK, Union Square, 
NORTHERN WISCONSIN, MeriliOD, 
ILLINOIS, Sheridan, 
KENTUCKY, Glasgow, 
KANSAS, Southeastern, Fort Scott, 
46 �
Eldorado, Butler Co., 
TENNESSEE, Leach, 
MISSOURI, 
INDIANA, (Southern,) Farmersburg, 
" �
Bunker Hill, Miami Co., 
ALABAMA, Choctaw Co. 
id 
it 
Sept. 25 to Oct. 2 
Sept. 19 to Oct. 1 
Sept. 5-11 
Sept. 6-11 
" 6-18 
12-18 
12-18 
18-25 
19-26 
20-30 
Oct. 11-21 
Sept. 27 to Oct. 2 
Oct. 11-16 
Sept. 12-18 
Oct. 1-10 
" 4-9 
periodicals distributed. 
trial subscribers obtained 
�
Received on periodical fund �
 
" �
" tent fund.... �
 
1, 
CC 
408 �
TI-I �
IA: SIGNS OF TIC 
1 TIM �
 1-1]S. �
Vol- 9, No. 34. 
Ely *iglu of tly Chum 
OAKLAND, CAL., FIFTH-DAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1883. 
NOTICE. —We send no papers from this Office without pay in advance, 
unless by special arrangement. When persons receive copies without 
ordering them they are sent by other parties, and we can give no infor-
mation in regard to them. Persons thus receiving them are not indebted 
to the Office. 
THIS week closes the important articles entitled, 
" Honor due to God." They are already called for in 
tract form, and this call will probably be complied with 
as soon as circumstances will permit. In the mean-
time we hope all will read them carefully. 
No Paper Next Week. 
THERE will be no paper issued from the SIGNS office 
next week, on account of the camp-meeting. The next 
SIGNS, No. 35, will be dated :.iept. 20. 
The Coming Conflict. 
JUST received from the Office of the Review and 
Herald, Battle Creek, Mich., a book of 428 pages, with 
the above title. It contains all the articles contained 
in the discussion of the Sunday-enforcement question 
with the editor of the Christian Statesman, beside 
fifty pages of matter of the deepest interest, showing 
the aims and purposes of the "Amendment Party," 
and the status of their work up to the present time. 
That party has dropped its assurances, in which it used 
to deal so freely, that it would not interfere with the 
Seventh-day Adventists, and now says boldly that it 
intends to enforce Sunday-keeping on all classes. This 
book cannot fail to interest every reader. Further 
notice in our next. 
" looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appear-
ing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:" 
Titus 2 : 13; and his words of comfort to mourning 
Christians were drawn from the fact that "the Lord 
himself shall descend from Heaven to awake those that 
sleep in Jesus. This doctrine he received of the Lord, 
who, while on earth, had said to his disciples, " I go to 
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a 
place for you, I will come again and receive you unto 
myself; that where I am there ye may be also." John 
14 :1-3. 
It is the custom, even in the church, to sneer at even 
the name Adventist; and those who do so seem blind 
to the fact that they are thus throwing discredit on the 
Scriptures, which at the same time they are fulfilling. 
See. 2 Peter 3 : 3, 4. This blindness naturally follows 
the rejection of any truth, and, if persisted in, will 
lead to results most disastrous. See 2 Thess. 2 : 9-12. 
It is our most earnest desire to be instrumental in pre-
venting some from falling into this blindness, and suf-
fering the consequences. 
A Doubtful Policy. 
THE S. F. Alta contains the following:— 
" The Boston Advertiser wants to dismember Utah and 
give its fragments to adjoining governments. The Ad-
vertiser is not far from right. Dismemberment is the 
only antidote for polygamy. To abolish the Territorial 
Legislature and vest the government in an appointed 
council, according to the plan favored by Governor 
Murray, would not convict and punish a single polyga-
mist, but by dismembering the Territory and dividing it 
among Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona, it would be pos-
sible to get changes of venue in polygamy trials which 
would make it possible to obtain impartial juries and se-
cure convictions." 
Very few, either east or west, seem to apprehend the 
force of polygamy; the Mormons are already colonizing 
the adjoining States and Territories. Were Utah divided 
up and attached as suggested, the polygamous element 
would soon hold the balance of power in them all, and 
it would thus be in the States, which has been the ob-
ject of its desire for years. As we see the utter futility 
of every effort made to control it, the inefficiency of ev-
ery law for its suppression, we are more and more con-
vinced of the truthfulness of a remark made to us some 
time ago by Dr. Stratton, of the University of the Pa-
cific. The Doctor spent a few years in Salt Lake, and 
he said, "Polygamy has come to stay." The time was 
when energetic measures might have checked the evil, 
but every year increases the difficulty. It is a disgrace 
to our civilization that it has been permitted to grow to 
its present proportions. It is a standing menace to the 
peace of the Republic of no small magnitude. 
In Bad Taste. 
Report of North Pacific T. and M. Society. 
QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30, 1883. 
Number of members �
121 
" reports returned 
�
47 
" �
members added �
10 
" dismissed �
2 
letters written 
�
306 
families visited 
�
107 
it 
new subscribers obtained 
�
27 
CC 
�
SIGNS taken in clubs. 
 266 
pp. tracts and pane. loaned andgiven away . �
 37,916 
CC 
�25,611 
" 
if 
�
 1,746 
7 
$142.02 
67.60 
" tract society fund 
 78.11 
" reserve fund 
�141,85 
C. L. BOYD, Pres. 
MRS. C. L. BOYD, Sec. 
$25,000 Wanted. 
WE, the undersigned, hereby give the sums set to our 
names, to raise the sum of $25,000 to be placed under the 
control of trustees chosen at the annual session of the Cali-
fornia Conference. Said sum to be loaned to some of our 
Institutions at 5 per cent., the proceeds of which shall be 
used to assist those who are seeking an education at the 
Healdsburg College, to fill positions in the cause of God. 
Said individuals must be recommended by the Conference 
Committee and the College Faculty. 
William Butcher 
�
$5,000 
Joseph Leininger �
 5,000 
John Morrison 
�
1,000 
" Who'll be the next ?" 
4ppzintintratii. 
To the Readers of the "Signs" in 
Nebraska. 
THOSE readers of the SIGNS who receive their papers 
from the Nebraska Tract Society, will take notice that 
our office will be closed during the camp-meeting, to be 
held at Crete from Sept. 19 to Oct. 1, in order that all our 
workers may attend, and consequently no papers will 
be sent out during that time, but all, will receive their 
stated number afterward. 
We should be pleased to meet all of you on the camp-
ground, and trust you would find it profitable to be 
there. �
' 
NEBRASKA TRACT SOCIETY. 
The Nebraska Camp-Meeting. 
WE take pleasure in informing the readers of the 
SIGNS in Nebraska, that Mrs. E. G. White has prom-
ised to be present at our camp-meeting, which is to begin 
at Crete, on Sept. 19. We are sure this announcement 
will add largely to the attendance from all parts of the 
State. And we sincerely trust that a spirit of conse-
cration and true devotion may animate the heart of 
every one who shall come out to this annual gathering, 
for God can bountifully bless such. Come out and 
receive his blessing. �
NEB. CONF. COM. 
Fremont, Aug. 24. 
Religious Scoffers. 
THE Occident makes note of the fact that the de-
scendents of Rebekah Nurse, who was hanged at Salem, 
Mass., in 1692, recently held a reunion, and that quite a 
sum was raised toward the erection of a suitable mon-
ument to her memory. Commenting on this fact, the 
Occident says:— 
" What would the Pilgrim fathers have thought 
could they have foreseen all this? They would have 
all readily taken up with the doctrine of the Second 
Adventists, that the world is constantly getting worse 
and worse." 
What stronger proof that the world is growing worse 
is needed, than the fact that a religious journal can 
turn aside a Bible truth with a sneer ? It certainly 
cannot be that our worthy contemporary is ignorant of 
the author of that doctrine, but it will do no harm to 
recall the name. These are Paul's words: "Yea, and 
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per-
secution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse 
and worse, deceiving and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3 : 12, 
13. And our Lord himself, speaking of the last days, 
declares that "because iniquity shall abound, the love of 
many shall wax cold." Matt. 24 : 12. This page might 
be filled with testimonies to the same effect. 
We do not deny, however, that the doctrine in ques-
tion is an Adventist doctrine. Paul was a Second Ad-
ventist. He said of Christ: "And unto them that look 
for him shall he appear the second time without sin 
unto salvation. Heb. 9 : 28. Again, "For our citizen-
ship is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the 
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.". Phil. 3 : 21. His 
exhortation to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in 
this present world, was based upon the fact that he was 
AT the laying of the corner-stone of the Garfield mon-
ument in Golden Gate Park, Aug. 24, as the parties 
took their positions, an ode was sung the first verse of 
which is as follows: — 
"Hail, Masonry Divine! 
Glory of ages, shine 
While time shall last! 
Where'er thy vot'ries are, 
Let Love awl. Peace be there, 
Let thy good works compare 
With ages past." 
President Garfield was the nation's martyr, and all 
unite in doing him honor; and it did not seem in keep-
ing with the occasion to open the exercises with a song as-
cribing divine honors to masonry! We are neither big-
oted nor prejudiced, but we intend to always have a 
proper regard for the fitness of things. Under the cir-
cumstances the exercises should have been such as to 
meet acceptance with all classes of citizens, and this 
could have easily been done. 
The week past has been a great occasion for San Fran-
cisco. The city was dressed up in gorgeous style. The 
cross was honored every where and by everybody; the 
crucified was forgotten or uncared for. The order of 
Knights Templars was duly glorified, and the people of 
our unpretending Republic have thus taken one more 
lesson in expressing their love of show and royal trap- 
pings and dignities. 
The order of Knights Templars has no natural con- 
nection with masonry, but according to their rules none 
but masons can become " Sir Knights." 
In military drill they make a splendid appearance, 
and their movements are as nearly perfect, perhaps, as 
may be. But we have little taste for show, and cannot 
forget the words of our Saviour in John 5:44. 
EARLY WRITINGS OF MRS. WHITE. 
Comprising " Experience and Views" and " Spiritual Gifts Volume 
One," bound in one volume. This makes a neat and attractive book of 
nearly 200 pages, and should be read by old ana young. The matter and 
the style in which it is presented are so interesting that no one who has 
read one chapter will forego the pleasure and profit of reading the remain-
der. Price, 75 cents. 
Acidreas, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Oakland, Ca' 
REVISED NEW TESTAMENTS. 
NONPAREIL, 32mo. 
Cloth, limp, red edges... �
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BREVIER, l6mo. 
Cloth �
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LONG PRIMER, 8vo. 
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Also numerous other styles. 
THE COMPARATIVE EDITION of the New Testa- 
ment, embra ing the Revised and the Old or King James' ver-
sion, on opposite and corresponding paper, 8vo, Long Primer, 
price, post paid �
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Address, "SIGNS OF THE TIMES," Oakland, Cal. 
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, AT OAKLAND, fISL, , �
'ME 
Missionary Society of Seventh-day Adventists. 
A twelve-page Religious Family Paper, devoted to a discussion of the 
Prophecies, Signs of the Times, Second Corning of Christ, Harmony of the 
Law and Gospel, with Departments devoted to Temperance, The Home 
Circle, the Missionary Work, and the Sabbath-school. 
Price Per Year, �
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sionary Work, �
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Address, �
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—OR— 
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wood, Shirley Road, Southamp- 
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ton, England. 
Society, South Lancaster, Mass. 
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