Vol. IX

‘ BROOKLYN? N. Y.                 _H " ,                   - NO. 7

^gar~‘" ■ ...   ,.,g, c. _V..

faith. The reading had made them TVTI                 < T      t

better people, saintly people, and had Xl/Kw         fka T Ard Hpfrnif Hvil ?

increased their faith in God and in the ▼▼      J-rUCO LUC -UU1 Vt A ****’»

Bible; but somehow, after reading,                              ________

they lost their interest in sectarianism               "Thesecret of the Lord is with them that reverence Him; and He win

—hence the evangelist and the pastor                          show them His Covenant."—Psalm 25:14.

A MINISTER TURNS JUDGE

*THE QUESTION of the Ages is, Why 1 did the Almighty, originally, permit Evil—Sin? And why has an Omnipotent Ruler such as He, for more than sixty centuries, permitted Satan to continue his reign of sin and death? Leaving out entirely the unscriptural theory so prevalent, respecting a purgatory o< centuries, or a torment everlasting, and considering merely the trials, suffering, sorrow and pain of humanity during the present life, how shall we account for their permission by an All-Powerful Creator, who knew the end from the beginning?

Why does He permit injustice, unrighteousness, headaches, heartaches, etc.? Why does He not deal with humanity graciously, kindly, lovingly, as a Father—as He deals with the angelic sons of God? Is it just or loving on the part of our Creator to bring forth millions of His creatures under these admittedly unfavorable conditions—■ beset by weaknesses and sinwardness from their birth and surrounded by others, similarly weak, and beset by Satan and his minions—wicked spirits? Is it just that we should thus be in an unequal fight subjected to weaknesses and dying and imperfect conditions on account, of the sin of our first parents and then, on the same account, be in danger of an eternity of torture, with nine hundred and ninety-nine chances out of a thousand against us?

• Our question is sure’.y too deep for any human philosophy, and those who reject the Bible as of Divine inspiration may as well abandon all hope of an answer. God Himself, and none other, could tell us of His own secrets —why He did as He did. Truly we read, -“The secret of the Lord is with them that reverence Him; and He will show them His Covenant.”—Psalm 25:14.

The light now shining upon the Word of God shows us that the Divine purpose in connection with mankind is a progressive one, embracing Ages and Dispensations. If we ignore these, we are thereby blinded to the true answer to our question. Accepting these, it is the privilege of Bible students today to see the light in God's Word—to see matters from the Divine standpoint, to understand the “Mystery of God, hidden from Ages and from generations, and now made known unto His saints,” namely, that in the Ages to come all the trials and difficulties, all the sorrows and tears of the past, will be more than compensated for, and proved to be a part of the great Divine Program which will work out to the glory of God and the enlightenment and blessing of angels and men.

Man’s Primary Lesson

First of all, God chooses to have children possessed of a quality like His own—freedom of will. He therefore not only created man perfect in mind and body, but He gave to him a will, the power of choice—liberty to choose one course or another. God foresaw that giving man this liberty of will would lead to the seduction of Mother Eve, and to the disobedience of Father Adam, through his love for his wife. Adam’s preference was to die with her rather than to live in harmony with God without her; for if he should disobey he would come under the sentence of death. Although Adam and the angels were perfect, they had not a perfect knowledge of their Creator, of His Love, His Wisdom, His Justice, His Power.

God, therefore, without interfering with Adam’s liberty, permitted the great calamity of death to come upon him and his race. From the very beginning God premeditated the entire Plan of Salvation, as He has since been working it out; and He'will completely accomplish the same ultimately through Messiah’s Kingdom. The great lesson which will eventually coffle both to angels and men will show forth Divine Wisdom, Justice, Love and Power, fully co-ordinated^ In no other way that we can imagine could this great Revelation of the Di

STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES.

These volumes deserve a careful study by all who are not thoroughly satisfied with the Bible interpretations of the “dark ages.” They can be bought for a trifle or borrowed free. Address us.

Respecting the first volume of this work THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION says editorially:

“It is impossible to read this book without loving the writer and pondering his wonderful solution of the great mysteries that have troubled us all our lives. There is hardly a family to be found that has not lost some loved one who died outside the church—outside the plan _ of salvation, and, if Calvinism be true, outside of all hope and inside of eternal¹ torment and despair.

“This wonderful book makes no assertions that are not well sustained by the Scriptures.

NOW (fc/t CA POST

only <rr.vu p_AID

for the entire set of seven books, together with one year’s subscription to the semimonthly journal, The Watch Tower.

• I. “The Divine Plan of the Ages” • . . . 416 pp.

• II. “The Time Is at Hand”.....  432 ”

• III. “Thy Kingdom Come” ....... 432 ” IV. “The Battle of Armageddcn” .... 720 ”

V. “The Atonemen t Between God. and Man” 600 ” VI. “The Nev^Zreation” . ...... 816 ’’ VII. “The Finished Mystery” ..... 608 ” International Bible Students Association,

Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S. A.

individual to take hia choice, to mark t-ion which the Soripfeuares assure ufi out his own course, whether in har- oue dear Lord’s death insures. It will mony with or contrary to the Divine be a still more miraculeus       td

arrangements. Such, however, as come resurrect the Church to glory, honor to the point of loving righteousness and immortality, after many of then* and hating iniquity, shall be accounted have been in tile, power x>f dearth fox' worthy of a place in the glorious centuries.

Kingdom of Messiah.                   And still more stupendous is the

The Lesson to the Angels resurrection work which God propose# for the world of mankind—thousand# God’s dealings with humanity con- _of millions to be awakened and re-stitute a great object lesson to the stored to the same conditions they for** angels. They perceive the inflexibility merly enjoyed—conditions, h’owever, of Divine Justice the decree of God. _of imperfection, from which they will “■“Dying thou shalt die” has been un- _be gradually released and uplifted by flinchingly executed against Adam and Messiah.

his race for six thousand years. They This resurrection work for the worlds perceive, further, the Love of God, which, will be gradually carried for-which passeth all understanding. They _ward during that thousand years, will perceive the Divine provision that the _{all be} accomplished by the Father’s Son of God should die, the Just for power, through the Messiah, the Medl-the unjust, to bring mankind back to _{ator of the New} covenant. It will be full harmony with the Creator. They _a continuous miracle of awakening see the breadth of the Divine character _an(j uplifting the race.

exemplified in the great reward given                         ‘ .

to our Lord Jesus Christ for His Divine Wisdom Let to Be Seen obedience to the Father’s will, even Not until the close of the reign of unto death—an exaltation to the divine Messiah and the complete uplift from nature, honor and immortality.        sin and death of all of Adam’s race

They perceive, too, a still greater            ^retujn to Divine favor, will

manifestation of Divine goodness, in F?^e-Wisdom °F          ^rn_i^ani^^est^e<3 in

God’s invitation to the Church to be-         °¹®^ar hg’ht. Already some may

come joint-heirs with Christ in His see partially, obscurely, some of God’s glory,-honor and immortality, on con- Wisdom, but the majority are stHl in-ditions of obedience and walking in S,?l^rms’. Why was evil permitted? the Master’s footsteps to the extent of .^e®^e have ⁿ°t yet seen the Divine their ability. Who could have dream- Y/sdom in connection with the per-ed of such “Love Divine, all love ex- mission of evil. Ultimately this shall celling,” which stooped down, not only °^e clearly seen by the saints, by the to redeem the race, but also to invite ® and by the world of mankind, some of the members thereof to these   <?-AL,d°^es ^^eve^^aF^or exclaim:

exceeding great and precious things    Who shall not glorify Thee, O Lord,,

which “God hath in reservation for when Thy righteous dealings are made them that love Him!”                 manifest!” “All nations which Thou

Next in order the world will receive hast made shall come and worship be-Divine mercy, extended through Jesus, ^°^re Thee!” (Revelation xv, 4.) As by the Father’s arrangement, to Adam ^no'^w', “Day unto day uttereth speech and every member of his race, no mat- ^an<^ night unto night showeth knowl-

ter how degraded, no matter how fall- ^e<2ge, and there is no place where their

en, no matter how mean. The redeem- ^{voice is not} heard”—the voice of Na-ing blood has been shed, “The Just ture, ^acclaiming her God—so eventual-

for the unjust,” for the sins of the     “Evejy creature in heaven and

whole world.              *■■■            earth and under the earth shall t>©

, ,„_T. ,          heard saying, “Praise, glory, honor.

Divine Power and Wisdom. dominion and might be unto Him that

While Divine power is manifested in sitteth upon the Throne, and unto th® all the realm of nature and creation, Lamb, forever.” All this will be th® a still greater Divine Power was mani- result of God’s permission of sin— fested in the resurrection of our Lord of His permission of the reign of evil, Jesus from the dead, after He had sin, death. The key is found in th® been deceased three days. But even Plan of the Ages-—showing the work the power manifested in our Lord’s which each Age is to accomplish, and resurrection seems small in compari- the grand overthrow, eventually, of son to the further works of resurrec- evil.

BUT ONE CHURCH

“The Church of the First-borns, whose names are written in Heaven'''—Heb, 12:23.

THE Scriptural records refer to the Church of Christ as one, not as many. In this matter the Church of Rome and the Church of England hold aloof from many Protestant denominations. They claipi that to recognize, them as churches would be unscript-ural, since there is but .one Church of the Living God. The various Protestant denominations started out with similar views, similar theories, though today they have abandoned them. The Church of England formed an organization separate from that of Rome, believing that the former had been the one true Church but had departed from the faith, and that it was the duty of the faithful to recognize her as Babylon—confusion.

The'claim to be the true Church they applied to themselves. Similarly, Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists, Adventists, Disciples, etc., have withdrawn, and many of these originally claimed to be the one true, loyal, faithful Church of Christ. Today, however, the pendulum has swung to the other side. Moreover, the narrowness of the past is rapidly giving way. All are learning that to be a Christian means more than merely to be immersed; more than merely to be sprinkled; more than merely to believe in the doctrine of Election; more than merely to believe in the doctrine of Free Grace; more than to -believe in the doctrine of Transubstantiation or Consubstantiation. With this enlargement of mind Christians are indeed in danger of losing sight of the fact that, the True Church is the custodian of “the faith once delivered to the saints’’ —which acknowledges “one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, and one Church of the living God.”

One Church In Many Churches

The key to the situation is found in

unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven;” not all who call themselves Christians, with one denominational tag or another, are

mepibers of the one Church, the Church of the First-borns, mentioned in our text. As good, rich milk is sometimes

called cream, so all the members of X Christian denominations are sometimes* X

called Christians—in a complimentary

sense, because not unsympathetic with

true Christian principles. Neverthe- X less, only those in all denominations

who have conformed to the conditions

say ter comes close home to us all, for w®

Chu'r.ch.pjg the First-born.

Amti4%gSt-' other texts Showing the ex$ludi$?e'»and high Standard of the elect Church, w<e npt-e- {the following: “fit any man will by My disciple, let him take up his cross and follow Me; and where I a-m there shall also My

as the wnd’ersprie-stfs, Aaron’s sons, An the type, wdre members off Aaron. Under another bea-u-tOul figure this Priestly few are styled, the “Bride’^oT Christ;” they will be His jhint^heirs in

^AnSEihe^piri^andfh&^riSesav, Some."—Rev. 22:17.

disciple be”; “To him that overCometh. His Kingdom and work.

will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne”; “Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Luke 9: 23; Matthew 7: 14); “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race set before us” (Heb. 12: 1) ; “If these things be in you and abound [the graces of the Holy Spirit]

Chosen to Bless the People.

As these Levites, including the priests, were elected, or selected, for the purpose of being the instructors Of Israel, so we perceive the Scriptures to teach that the Church of the Firstborn, when glorified, will be associated with Messiah in His great work of blessing and instructing all the people—all the families of the earth. The

OUR Mettrqd-tst friends have gener- sand in which Jesus and His Brides ally forgqirten the special teach- the glorified Church, will establish e togs of^Brother Wesley which brought reign of righteousness in the earth fos-

them and his denomination to the front at a time when Calvin’s theory of the election of saints to glory and the ►predestination of all others to eternal torture was the basic thought of Protestantism. Brother Wesley’s voice rang out clear and full—“I cannot believe that God predestinated to eternal torture the masses of mankind before

the overthrow of sin and the uplifting

of the sinners.

catty? Yes.

tually? Yes.

Socially? Yes. Physi-

Morally? Yes. Intellec-Out of sin and death?

they were born. I must believe that

they will make you that ye shall be -           ,                ,           ——, ------ —.... *

neither barren nor unfruitful in the .                      x ^a,.,                 *^s ^ove and that His Love and

~                    "" ’ " His Justice would give to every sln-

knowledge bf our Lord, * * * for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting

will be made known to all mankind

Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Christ.”—2 Peter 1: 8, 11.

Looking Through the Type.

St. Paul informs us that all the ous features of the Jewish Law

Jesus

types of things. 3

still

higher, still

s var'i-■ were better

In our text the expression,

“Church of the First-born,” has reference to a type instituted in the very beginning of Israel’s history, when God brought that people, by the hand of Moses, the Mediator of the Law Covenant, out of the land of Egypt. To this type the Apostle refers in his

all the blind eyes shall be opened and all the deaf ears shall be unstopped.

The merit of the death of Jesus, the Just for the unjust, when applied on behalf of the whole world, will be efficacious for the cancelling of the sins of the world, and their full reconciliation to the Father. It will be Divine mercy, however, which will prevent mankind from being at once turned over directly to the Father, as soon as the satisfaction for their sins

ner a full opportunity -for - return to Divine favor and to everlasting life through Christ. Brother Calvin, indeed, has certain Scriptures difficult to apply respecting election and the elect, but I have one Scripture at least

Yes! Back to harmony with God if they will? Yes! No freer grace is imaginable than that which the Almighty has provided through ,the Savior. Of it St. Paul declares, “God wills to hay® all men to be saved and to be brought to a knowledge of the Truth.” To this end He has appointed one Mediator, “who gave Himself a Ransom for all, to bfe testified in due time.”—1 Tim. 2: 4-6.

The “due time” for the Gospel Call dates from Pentecost. But it is not a

call for the world, but for a special class, the Bride class, to walk sacri-

which tells of a freedom of Divine .

grace. The ‘river of the water of life’ Acially in the footsteps of Jesus and to

is not declared to be for the elect, gain the great reward of joint-heirship ’ " ”   ' ’                           with Him in His Kingdom. The “due

but for

‘whosoever will.’ I take my

stand upon that text.’’

Brother Wesley’s battle-cry—“God is

shall have been tendered and accepted _{Love and wlll} sGrely give every mem^ at the close of this Age of dealing with _{ber of Adam}>_{s race an} opportunity for eternal life through Christ”—has come

the Church. Instead, a New Law Covenant will be sealed and made operative with Israel, and under that New Cove-

expression, “The Church of the First- nant the whole world will be privi-

born.” The» entire nation of Israel, twelve tribes, God had separated from the other nations to represent those Who would be a blessing to all other stations, under the Abrahamic Covenant. God’s oath to Abraham was: ”In thy Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Pharaoh, King of Egypt, was hold-tog back the nation from going into Palestine, the Land of Promise. One chastisement after another failed to move him to submission until finally

an intense

calamity availed. The

tenth plague was the smiting of the first-born of Egypt, while the Israelites were protected, thus showing Divine interest in and care over Israel. Their first-born were miraculously preserved—to represent in type the Church

of of to St

the First-born. The true Church Christ are not all that will be saved,

the Divine Program, but James says, “These are

first-fruits unto God of His (James 1: 18; Rev. 14: 4).

merely, as a kind of creatures” The after-

leged to come into relationship with Messiah and the blessings of His Kingdom, which will represent to them Divine mercy, power and opportunity for returning to human perfection and an everlasting, earthly home—-or, rejecting this grace, they will die the Second Death, from which there will be no recovery.

The effect of the New Covenant will be to bring the willing and obedient of all the people of earth fully back into harmony with God; and this, attained at the end of Messiah’s reign of a thousand years, will prepare the way for the surrender of everything to the Heavenly Father, that He may be all in all, and that the world thereafter may be dealt with as perfect beings, along the lines of absolute justice and without any further neefi of a Mediator or other merciful provisions.

ringing down to our day. And although Christians have become sick and tired of their endeavor to harmonize the doctrines of Election and Free Grace and are now trying to forget doctrines altogether, nevertheless John Wesley’s theory has overwhelmed John Calvin’s. The vast majority of Presbyterians, Baptists, Congregationalists, etc., professing Calvin’s tenets, really believe Wesley’s—that God is Love and will surely give every member of our

race and them

a full opportunity for salvation, that He predestinated none of to eternal torture.

Truth In Both Theories.

There are elements of truth in both theories, as we now see. “The path of the just is as the shining light, which shlneth more and more—unto

time” for this work will soon be at an end—when the last probationary member of the Church shall have made his calling and election sure and when th® “door into the marriage” shall shut. But the “due time” for the masses of mankind to hear of His grace and to respond thereto is still future, as Brother Wesley’s favorite text will show us.

Before examining His text we will note the fact that three-fourths of the human family today are heathen in the most absolute sense of the word, and many of the other fourth are jieathen in a truthful sense. Why do they not see the grace of God in Christ? St. Paul answers, “Because the god of this world hath blinded their minds,” be-

cause

‘darkness covers the earth and

gross darkness the people.”—2: Cor. 41 4; Isa. 60: 2.

But why does God not scatter th® darkness and open all the blind eye® and unstop the deaf ears? We answer, because, although He has promised to

the perfect day.” We are nearing the do these very things, His due time for perfect day, and hence should under- their accomplishment isf not yet come, stand the Bible better than did our He merely calls His elect during this

•fruits will come in due time, under the further development of the Divine Plan of the Ages—as the result of Messiah’s reign of a thousand years.

Some time after their deliverance from Egypt, by Divine direction, the first-borns of all the families and tribes of Israel were exchanged, person by person, for the one tribe of Levi. The Levites thereafter represented the First-born of the Church—they alone •represented the first-borns of Israel passed over in that night. Subsequently the tribe of Levi became the instructors of the nation in religious matters and from them was chosen one family for the Priesthood—Aaron and his sons.

The Scriptural picture is plain. In She Antitype we are still in the night : of passing over. Soon the Morning of the New Dispensation, under Messiah’s reign, will begin, and all desirous of serving God and having His blessings will be delivered from the oppressing power of Satan and his hosts, typified

The

This is ment in points us

Pith of the Argument.

the pith of St. Paul’s argu-our text and context. He down to the consummation

of this Age—to the time when the Church of the First-born shall be com-

forefathers, who did not have the wonderful Bibles Christians now possess, with marginal references, concordances and other helps! Ability to read also is universal today. Oh, what manner of Bible students we should be! Many Christians, however, discouraged by the inconsistencies and contradictions

dark time, requiring, them their worthiness by walking

in the not by

With Church —after

dark: “We walk sight.”

the completion at the coming of

by

of the

pleted on the plane of glory—to the . .,      .     .      „ ...         ~ .

time when Israel and the world of of the various creeds, Catholic and Protestant, have abandoned their creeds

mankind Will reach the place where God will introduce the New Covenant, typified in the Law Covenant. As the latter was introduced by the shaking of Sinai, in a general time of darkness, thus, the Apostle intimates, the New Covenant is about to be inaugurated, in the end of this Age, by a time of most awful trouble, of which that at Sinai was merely a symbolic picture or type. God’s voice then shook the earth, but in the antitype He will shake everything that can be shaken. Things which are absolutely just, true and righteous will remain unshaken, and we, the Church of the First-born, the antitypical Priesthood, will receive a Kingdom which cannot be Shaken.

The True Church'® Glory.

In the past we failed to see who would be members of the true Church

and abandoned their Bibles also, erro-

by Pharaoh and his army. God in- because our eyes of understanding tends to -deliver the whole world from were beclouded by error. Similarly,

Satan’s power. Satan shall be bound we have failed to see the grandeur, for a thousand years, during Messiah’s the honor and blessing which God has reign, and'is ultimately to be destroy- promised shall be the portion of the ®d, and the people of God—all who de- one true Church, the "little flock.” sire to worship the Lord and to enter We mixed heavenly things with earth-toto thq* glorious Land of Promise— ly things. We confounded the blessing will be led forth. The First-born of of Restitution to human perfection and these is the Church of this Gospel an earthly Eden with the spiritual Age, which will be associated with blessing. We appropriated to ourselves Christ in His heavenly Kingdom—“the the promises made to the faithful of

Church of the First-borns, whose names Israel, that they should “build houses are written in heaven.”                and inhabit them, and plant vineyards

and eat the fruit of them, and should long enjoy the work of their hands.” In general we were confused.

Now as we come to see God’s great Plan and the different features of the same, we are able to discriminate and to apply properly the Scriptures relating to each class. The Royal Priesthood are to be joint-heirs with the Redeemer, partakers of the divine nature and sharers of their Lord’s glory,

Priests and Levites Antitypical.

The entire tribe of Levi was speciality consecrated to the Lord, and specially separate from the other tribes and was given no inheritance in the land. Thus-the entire Church of Christ are begotten of the Holy Spirit to a superior, heavenly nature; they will have no inheritance with mankind in general in the earthly blessings—restitution to human perfection and participation in the blessings of the world-wide Eden to

honor and immortality. (Rom. 2: 7.)

-      .      ,     , . , x.        The larger company, symbolized by all

The promise under which they are _{the Levites> aside f}J._om the family of now being developed is a heavenly, _Aaron, _are to be the honored servants spiritual one. Their change will be a _{of the Royal Priesthood; and the world} glorious one from earthlj. nature to a _of _mankj_{nd are} to have the glorious heavenly nature—they will all be like opportunities and blessing of earthly Christ. "They will neither marry nor restitution, be given in marriage, but will [in this]

be.

be like unto the angels; neither can they die any more.”

But as from amongst thorn first-

horns of Israel the family of Aaron a was selected to be the priests, so from

this Church of the First-borns God Shows us that He is selecting a Royal Priesthood—a “little flock.” Aaron and

„ WHERE ARE TOE DEAD? |

This article was published in ❖

Vol. I, No. 3. 'THa PTAnt Hfimand V

The great demand

for copies of it has been re- x markable. A sample copy will 5, be mailed to any one free, upon X receipt of post card request ad- A dressed to this office.                «?♦

his sons were few in comparison to A all the tribe of Levi, so only 4 saintly few expect to attain to glory, honor ❖ *nd immortality with Christ. These <♦❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

to prove faithfully faith and

the elect Redeemer

the marriage, when she will b®

the Bride—then both Bridegroom and Bride will shine forth in glory, scattering all the darkness; ignorance and superstition of the world. Satan, the

neously believing the latter to be the Prince of Darkness, will be bound

basis of the former. We must not share this mistake. While doing all in our power to —remove all the creed fences which divide God’s people into sects and parties, let us hold fast to the Bible, the most wonderful Book in the world. It is only beginning to be understood; its true light is shining today as never before. We are in the time mentioned by the Prophet, when the “wise shall understand.”—Dan. 12j 10.

Brother Calvin was right in part— to the extent that he was in harmony with the Bible, which teaches us to strive to fulfil our Covenant with the Lord, that thus we may “make our calling and election sure.” It does not teach the predestination which Calvin taught and which Wesley objected to —the predestination of the non-elect to an eternity of torture. The only predestination mentioned in the Bible is connected with the Church, the saints. God predestinated that none could be of the Church class, the Bride class, except such as would become copies of His Son, the Redeemer. That predestination stands unalterable, but it has no effect upon others than the elect. It merely says that none except the saintly shall participate in the election. It says not one word about the fate of the non-elect. Read Romans 8: 28-30 and you will see this for yourself. To this, the Scriptural predestination, none can object. It is the unscriptural deductions which have caused us difficulty.

Brother Wesley was in exact accord with the Bible in his declaration that every member of our race must have a share in the grace of God in Christ. However, what Brother Wesley did not see was that the great Plan of the Ages is not confined to one century nor to one Age. He did not see that, while this Gospel Age is exclusively devoted to the selection of the Church class, invited to be “the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife,” there is a coming Age in which Christ and His glorified Bride will extend Divine mercy to the non-elect.

The Key to the Mystery

Is expressed in the Apostle’s words, “in due time.” Our great Creator need not be in haste. He has all eternity before Him. He allowed four thousand years to pass before He sent His Son to redeem the world and He has since taken nearly two thousand years in the selection of our Lord’s elect Bride. He has appointed an additional thou-

and every evil thing shall be restrained and the light of the knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the earth; all the blind eyes shall be opened and all the deaf ea?s shall be unstopped.

Brother Wesley’s Proof Text.

Brother Wesley’s loving heart found and tightly grasped the declaration;, "And the Spirit and the Bride say. Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22: 17.) This tejrt, however, belongs to the coming Age, to the time when Messiah shall reign: “For He must reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet.” (1 Cor. 15: 25-29.) There is no Bride yet to say, “Come.”

We are glad of this, glad that it IS still possible for us to become members of that Bride class which must -“make herself ready” for the marriage and be forever united to the Lord as His Bride at His second coming. Then by the marriage she will become the Redeemer’s joint-heir to glory, honor and immortality in the Kingdom, Then she, in co-operation with the Spirit of the Lord, will say, “Come,” to whosoever wills to come of Adam’s race. Everyone will say, “Come”; there will be a world-wide invitation. All the blind eyes shall be opened to see the waters of life; all the deaf ears shall be unstopped to hear of the gracious favor of God’s love in Christ.

But as there is no Bride yet to say, “Come,” neither is there any "river of the water of life” yet to invite them to. There will be no such river until! after the establishment of the Kingdom for which the Master taught us

to pray, “Thy will be done on heaven.” Jesus present time His the rivers of the

Kingdom come; Thy earth as it is done in explains that in th® followers do not go to water of life to drink;

but, on the contrary, he says, “Th® water that I shall give him will be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.”—John 4: 14.

$ WHAT IS THE SOUL? X

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is treated in a ; will satisfy the ;

BABYLON’S DOOM

"The Doom of Babylon which Isaiah ... saw.—Lift ye up a standard up oh the high mountain, raise high your voice unto them, motion with the hand that they may enter into the gates of the princes.—

Isaiah 13:1-13. Compare Rev. 16:14,

“Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place."—Isa. 28-17.

application and laborious effort. On the other hand, in the clerical profession, a refined, pleasant demeanor, moderate ability

to address a public assembly twice a week on some theme taken from the Bible, to-gather with a moderate education and good _tJ '_the           self-s^kffi^^eTavTno

fear that their candid presentation will give offense to any mf the meek, who, if they recognize the truth, will be blessed by a humble confession of the same and a full determination to walk in the light of God as it shines from His Word, regardless of human traditions. x We rejoice to say that thus far during the Harvest period we have come to know a few clergymen of this class, who, when the Harvest Truth dawned upon them, forsook the error and pursued and served the truth. But the majority of the clergy, alas! are not of the meek class, and again we are obliged to realize the force of the Master’s words, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” whether those riches be of reputation, fame, learning,

stop to question whether his piety—his faith, humility and godliness—have kept pace in development with his intellectual and oratorical progress. In fact, if the latter be the case, he is less acceptable, especially to wealthy congregations, which, probably more frequently than very poor ones, are composed mostly of “tares.” If his piety indeed survive the pressure of these circumstances, he will, too often for the good of his reputation, be obliged to run counter to the dispositions and prejudices of his hearers, and he will shortly find himself unpopular and undesired. These circumstances have thus brought into the pulpit a very large proportion of what the Scriptures designate “hireling shepherds.”—Isa. 56:11; Ezek. 34:2-16.

Responsibility of Ministers.

The responsibility of those who have undertaken the gospel ministry in the name of Christ is very great. They stand very prominently before the people as the representatives of Christ, as special exponents of His Spirit, and expounders of His Truth. And as a class, they have had advantages above other men for coming to a knowledge of the truth, and freely declaring it. They have been relieved from the burdens of toil and care in earning a livelihood which fetter other men, and, with their temporal wants supplied, have been granted time, quiet leisure, special education and numerous helps of association, etc., for this very purpose.

Here, on the one hand, have been these great opportunities for pious zeal and devoted self-sacrifice for the cause of truth and righteousness; and, on the other, great temptations, either to indolent ease or to ambition for fame, wealth or power. Alas! the vast majority of the clergy have evidently succumbed to the temptations, rather than embraced and used the opportunities, of their positions; and, as a result, they are today "blind leaders of the blind,” and together they and their flocks are fast stumbling into the ditch of skepticism. They have hidden the truth (because it is unpopular), advanced error (because it is popular), and taught for doctrine the precepts of men (because paid to do so). They have, in effect, and sometimes in so many words, said to the people, “Believe what we tell you on our authority,’ ’ instead of directing them to “prove all things” by the divinely inspired words of the apostles and prophets, and “hold fast” only “that which is good.” For long centuries the clergy of the Church of Rome kept the Word of God buried in dead languages, and would not permit its translation into the vernacular tongues, lest the people might search the Scriptures and thus prove the vanity of her pretensions. In the course of time a few godly reformers arose from the midst of her corruption, rescued the Bible from oblivion and brought it forth to the people; and a great Protestant movement, protesting against the false doctrines and evil practises of the Church of Rome, was the result.

But ere long Protestantism also became corrupt, and her clergy began to formulate creeds to which they have taught the people to look as the epitomized doctrines of the ^: Bible, and of paramount importance. They ■ have baptized and catechised them in in- ’ fancy, before they had learned to think; then, as they grew to adult years, they have ' lulled them to sleep, and given them to un- ; derstand that their safe course in religious matters is to commit all questions of doc- । trine to them, and to follow their instruc- i tions, intimating that they alone had the ’ education, etc., necessary to the compre- ¹ hension of divine truth, and that they, 1

therefore, should be considered authorities in pleased to let the Devil sow tares amongst all such matters without further appeal to the wheat, and now rejoices in the fruit of ' his sowing, in the flourishing field of tares.

God’s Word. And when any presumed to question this assumed authority and to think differently they were regarded as heretics and schismatics. The most learned and prominent among them have written massive volumes of what they term Systematic Theology, all of which, like the Talmud among the Jews, is calculated to a large extent to make void the Word of God, and to teach for doctrine the precepts of men (Matt. 15:6; Isa. 29:13); and others of the learned and prominent have accepted honorable and lucrative professorships in Theological Seminaries, established, ostensibly, to train young men for the Christian ministry, but in fact to inculcate the ideas of the so-called “Systematic Theology” of thei-i several schools—to fetter free thought and

honest reverent investigation of the saered representation of our Heavenly Father’s Scriptural with a view to simple faith in their character and Plan that many intelligent teachings, regardless of human traditions, men turn away with disgust, and deepise In this way generation after generation of the t ’ '   ------ ^J — ■ ¹ • ■-

money, ot even common ease.

The common people need not be surprised, therefore, that the clergy of Christendom, as a class, are blind to the truths now due, just as the recognized teachers and leaders in the end of the typical Jewish Age were blind and opposed to the truths due in that Harvest. Their blindness is indeed a recompense for their misused talents and .opportunities, and therefore light and Truth cannot be expected from that quarter. In the end of the Jewish Age the religious leaders significantly suggested to the people the inquiry, “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him? ” (John 7:48), and in accepting their suggestion and blindly submitting to their leading, some missed their privilege, and failed to enter into the blessings of the New Dispensation. So it is with a similar class in these last days of the Gospel Dispensation: those who blindly follow the leading of the clergy will fall with them into the ditch of skepticism; and only those who faithfully walk with God, partaking of His spirit, and humbly relying upon all the testimonies of His precious Word, shall be able to discern and discard the “stubble” of error which has long been mixed with the truth, and boldly to stand fast in the faith of the gospel and in loyalty of heart to God, while the masses drift off in , the popular current toward infidelity in its various forms; Evolution, Higher Criticism, Theosophy, Christian Science, Spiritism, or other theories denying tKe necessity and merit of the great Calvary Sacrifice. But those who successfully stand in this “evil day” (Eph. 6:13) will, in so doing, prove the metal of their Christian character; for so strong will be the current against them that only true Christian devotion to God, zeal, courage and fortitude will be able to endure to the end. These oncoming waves of infidelity will surely carry all others before them. It is written, “A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee, because thou hast said, The Lord is my protection, and the Most High hast thou made thy refuge . . . He that dwelleth in the secret place [of consecration, communion and fellowship] of the Most High shall abide under the shadowTjf the Almighty. . . . He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His Truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”—Psa. 91.

Duty of Christians.

It is our duty as Christians individually to prove all things we accept, and to hold fast that which is good. “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.”—Acts 17:11; IThess. 5:21; Isa. 8:20.

The great nominal church has long taught for doctrines the precepts of men; and, ignoring in great measure the Word of God as the only rule of faith and godly living, it has boldly announced many conflicting and God-dishonoring doctrines, and has been unfaithful to the measure of truth retained. It has failed to cultivate and manifest the spirit of Christ, and has freely imbibed the spirit of the world. It has let down the bars of the sheepfold and called in the goats, and has even encouraged the wolves to enter and do their wicked work. It has been

until Babylon falls and they come through the “great tribulation.” (Rev. 7:9, 14.) But such shall not be accounted worthy to-— — ------------₌----- „ ------ share the Kingdom. Compare Rev. 2:26;

Of the comparatively few heads of “wheat”'3:21; Matt. 10:37; Mark 8:34, 35; Luke X1..X _X-1>-----XV...                  ...     _{14;26( 27}.

that still remain there is little appreciation, and there is almost no effort to prevent their being choked by the “tares.” The “wheat” has lost its value in the markets of Chris-'

their Creator, and even try to disbelieve His

, Bereans in Paul’s day (Acts 17:11), to see if ’ tito things taught them were so.

But now the harvest of all this sowing has