VOL.

13.

~o. 7.

AUCKLAND,

N.Z., .JULY, 1893.

TWOPENCE.

Y the death of Sir William Fox Auckland loses a prominent citizen, and New Zealand one of her ! oldest colonists. It is given to few to live so long and so full a life as the deceased gentleman. As statesman, philanthropist, and temperance reformer he has played a prominent part in the growth of the colony. This is recognised already; but it is more than likely that a future generation will assign to him a position of importance which our near-sightedness can scarcely perceive. He has had a long political career, and on four occasions has occupied the honourable office of Premier of the colony; bnt latterly he had withdrawn from acti ve political life, and devoted his main efforts to the furtherance of lDeatIJ of Sir '{r<Lhlltmn jfo~. the interests of the New Zealand Alliance for the Suppression of the Liquor Traffic. This organisation was mainly brought into existence by him, and he has been its president since its inauguration. Other works of social and religious character have received his support, and until a little more than a year ago, his f~miliar figure was often seen on the platforms of various societies advocating every good word and work. A touching incident in his last days was the visit to him of . Sir George Grey, when the two veteran statesmen and old political opponents sat hand in hand, and spoke of old times and scenes in which both had taken part. Sir William had attained the ripe age of eighty-two. In corn. mon with our fellow-citizens we mourn the loss of so genial and so catholic a Christian, and so fervent a supporter of, and worker in, the temperance cause.

The terrible disaster in the Mediterranean has caused a thrill of sympathy to run through the civilized world. Had this occurred in actual warfare, it would have been a dreadful disaster; but when the ships are only playing at war it is the last thing to expect any Ube IDictoria loss of life, not to speak of such a lDtsaster, thing in connection with the sinking of a magnificent vessel. Yet it has happened, and the mighty' Victoria,' with over four hundred of her crew, lies at the bottom of the sea. What is left but sorrow and tears! Whilst yielding our heartfelt sympathy for the bereaved, we cannot bnt express our regret that such an event has been rendered possible by the continned cultivation by the nations of a war spirit that ought long ago to have perished. The' Victoria' represented a vast amount of wealth, of labour and skill. It was specially designed for murderous work should occasion demand. It embodied the cultivated and advanced genius of civilized man. But how soon destroyed, sacrificed, with its crew in time of peace to the god of war ! Would that the spirit of war had gone with it, and that henceforth the labour, and wealth, and lives of men could be devoted to the arts of peace and the betterment of humanity. Recent numbers of the Review of Reviews show that the erratic editor has adopted a new fad, in that he is giving abnormal prominence to Spiritualism. The April number gives a long account of what Mr. Stead calls' A record of Experiments in Telepathic Automatic {ID)'. Stea~ Handwriting,' which contains some sufano Spiritislll, ficiently startling statements. He has also taken upon himself the office of recommending certain trustworthy clairvoyants to such as are in search of information difficult to get in an ordinary way. One of these 'trustworthy' clairvoyants, Mrs. Davies, of Upper Norwood, London, gives her version of the automatic handwriting, and affirms that in Mr. Stead's office she has seen the spirits using Mr. Stead as their amanuensis. We quote from a clipping inserted in The

98

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

JULY.

1893.

Faith :-' J111s. Daoies says she liae been st1'onqly impreeeed with the fact that Afr. Stead has been selected by the spirits as their champion from. the peculiar and unique position. he occupies in the [oua-nalistic soorld, and he will be the agent who will break throuqh. the solid walls of bigotry and prejudice.' The Old Testament denunciation of necromancy, together with the New Testament predictions of the frightful evils coming upon the earth through commerce with evil spirits, unite to show that the position of Mr. Stead is just now no enviable one, although he may feel perfectly satisfied with it. Many will look upon his action as a ' departure from the faith, and giving heed to seducing spirits.'

and others. Says his reviewer :-' There are few theories which Dr. Fairbairn seems so fiercely to hate as the belief in annihilation. It raises his ire to an unwonted temperature.' Just so; we can understand that. The doctrine of destruction, to use the Bible word, is not a doctrine to be laughed at. It is a doctrine which, if true, will compel a reconstruction of Dr. Fairbairn's theology, and no man is likely to be favourable to a theory which upsets the cherished beliefs of years; least of all is a leading professor of theology likely to welcome that which opposes the teaching he gives. The doctrine of ' destruction' demands that a re-examination into the question of man's nature shall be a leading feature in all presentations of theology, At the Decennial Missionary Conference, held at Bombay and the reviewer gives no hint that Dr. Fairbairn has at the beginning of the present year, the assembled repre- attempted this in his new book. Until that is satisfactorily sentatives brought disgrace upon themselves by their done, no amount of passion or invecti ve will move the vacillating action in regard to three great evils foisted upon advocates of Conditional Immortality from a position which . the Hindoo people by the British Go- they believe to be impregnable. f1Disstons ano vernment for the sake of revenue. At that conference resolutions were subfIDoral~. In view of the rapid changes brought about for those who mitted protesting' against the practical accept the conclusions of the Higher Critics, there is a official sanction of the sin of impnrity, and the continuance question which has pressed a little upon some. Higher of the opium traffic and the drink traffic. Substantial ma- criticism has played such havoc with the Old Testament jorities were in favour of theadoption of these resolntions, that some are asking 'What is but the minority was strong enough to obtain !t withdrawal \tbe Waltle of the value of the Old Testaof the resolutions, in spite of the fact that the first had tbe @lD \testament. ment ?' Canon Driver attempts been passed by a vote of six to one. It is believed by to answer this question in an prominent men in India that a vote of censure from that address on the 'Permanent moral and devotional value of body of missionaries would have been the downfall of the the Old Testament for the Christian Church,' in a recent opium traffic. The opportunity came, and the assembly volume of sermons. The address is a very disappointing failed to rise to the occasion. The question is, "What one because it fails to adequately note the paramount gagged the Conference 1 Whatever the reply, it is sure to theme-the Kingdom of God-the theme which binds all be one that reflects no credit on the Conference. Indigna- parts of the Bible together, and gives it its value to the tion meetings have been held in England, convened and Christian Church. This is indeed mentioned, but it is given addressed by representative men, and leading missionary a subordinate place, and is referred to as an ideal, 'not societies express their disapprobation of the course taken completely realised,' but progress has, we trust, been made at the Conference. It seems certain that missionary work to the goal 'which human endeavour should exert itself to in India will suffer for want of support for some time to realise, and which human society may one day hope to come because of this disastrous action. attain.' No one need wonder at the vagaries of higher criticism after this. The eyes which cannot see the scope, the purpo!)e, and the history of God's redemptive scheme, may, perhaps, see the fine literary form of the Old Testament, and 'the intensity of spirit by which its teaching is penetrated and sustained;' but the vision is not likely to satisfy those who have caught glimpses of grander things. Mr. John Wilkinson, in his report for last year on the Mildmay Mission to the Jews, remarks :-The driving of the Jews by hundreds of thousands out of one land is producing a J'ewish question in every land, which can be solved only by restoration to Palestine. Restoration has already set in. Eighteen colonies are already estab3-ewisb lRotes. lished by Jews in the Holy Land, eight in the Jaffa district, five in Galilee district, and five ill the Carmel district About 400 families are in these colonies, cultivating about 25,000

The views on man's nature and destiny with which this paper is identified receive but scant mercy from some of the foremost theologians of .the day. We note that wherever, and whenever possible, an attack is made upon them, not always evidencing good sense or reason. A sample of this 1batre~ of ccnotncnattsm. comes to hand in the April number of the Review of the Cliurclies. Dr. Fairbairn has issned a new book, 'The Place of Christ in Modern Theology,' which professes to be an attempt to formulate the first lines of a Christian Theology. Its issue is a recognition that Systematic Theology so-called has fallen into. a chaotic state, and the author hopes to see a reconstruction in a more true and enduring form. Of course the learned author must speak on the question of the doom of the unsaved, and here it is where he lets loose his invective against the view taught by Edward White

.JULY,

1893.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

99

acres of land. Some of the colonies belong to the Roths-j,gO tliere , and we expect to see a great many of them go childs, and others to private individuals. During the past under circumstances that will not lead the world to suspect year one railway has been opened, and others are in course that ~L Divine hand was directing the movement at all.' of construction. Within the last few years more Jews have returned to Palestine than the number who came !IDan . back from Babylon under Ezra and Nehemiah. Surely these and other events tell us plainly that the end of Romans ii. 7. . Israel's dispersion is very near, and that the return of our We cannot read over this seventh verse of Paul's epistle blessed Lord cannot be far off. Let us live in readiness without asking ourselves the question, Is man. by nature for, and work in expectation of, His speedy coming.immortal? and we naturally turn to God's own word to M.W.S. in jJi[essen,qer. try and find an answer: let us therefore this afternoon like

ano 3mmol'taltt~ .

Our American cousins are famed for attempting big things, and very often these are of a nature unthought-of by other peoples.' One such is' the 'Parliament of Religj'ons ' to be held in connection with the' W orld's Fait' at Chicago. For more than a year a committee has been in correspondence with the 'leading men jplarlimnent of representing the various branches of lReltgions. religionists all over the world, and now the thing has assumed gigantic proportions. The World's Parliament of Religions will open on September 11th, and continue for seventeen days, during which a fair representation of the distinctive faith and doctrines of each will be made, afterwards to be published in the form of an Encyclopedia of all Religions, to be preserved as a fitting memorial of' the first of the kind ever attempted. We note from the WO?'ld's Crisis that the Second Advent Brethren of the States intend taking part iu this, and have secured September 14th as the date on which they will make their presentation of Advent teaching. We sincerely trust that some practical good will come of this huge undertaking, but we confess that we do not see just how it is to eventuate A wholesale expulsion of .Iews has been commenced in the Kingdom of Poland, compared with which the recent exodus from Russia is relatively insignificant. There are something like 1,500,000 Jews in Poland, or about four times thc number affected by the Passover edicts of 1891 in Russia. Incredible as it may seem, 1Ho rest tor these decrees of expulsion were promul tbe j-ews. gated as far.back as February 28th, yet they have but recently been heard of. By May 6th only three persons in London had heard of them. This fact will show how secretly the Government emissaries are carrying out their orders, and will show what a hopeless obscurity reigns where Russian affairs are concerned. When this new Polish exodus gets fairly in motion the resources and patience of other nations will be severely taxed. It would seem as if such a vast deportation should cause the Great Powers to take action in selfdefence. The people thus driven out must have a home somewhere. But where? Not one of the nations will welcome them. The suggestion has already been made, Let the nations take steps' to secure a permanent home for them in the land of their fathers. We know they have to

the Bereans of old 'search the Scriptures and see whether these things be so.' We are constantly being told by ministers and Christian teachers, that man is an immortal being, and consequently can never die, or be destroyed; but is this what the Bible teaches? The substantive form of the word immortality occurs in the Bible five times, the passage quoted above being one of them; according to the apostle Paul, immortality is to be sought for, and obtained by well doing, it cannot be true then that all men now possess it. In 1 Cor ..xv, 51-55, we read 'Behold I tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 0 grave where is thy victory? 0 death where is thy sting l' The next use of the word we find in 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16, 'The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who only hath immortality,' and again in 2 Tim. i. 10, 'Who abolished death and brought life and incorruption to light through the Gospel.' That is the entire record as far as I can find, but so far from ascribing immortality to man in his present state, it affirms directly the contrary, that God only hath it, and he will 'render it' to those who seek for it by .' patience in well doing' and this will be at the resurrection. In the six instances in which the words 'immortal' and , immortality' occur in the Bible, we find they are ascribed to God only, and promised to the finally faithful, when? At death? Certainly not, but at the resurrection. The place that we naturally turn for information concerning the nature of man is the time of his creation. In Gen. i. 26, 27 we read 'And God said let us make man in our own image, after our likeness. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.' This work is again referred to in Gen ii. 7 thus, 'And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul,' or living creature. You will see brethren that the work of creation consisted of two acts-ist forming the man, 2nd giving him life, fOr

100

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

JULY, 1893.

the first the material used is plainly stated to be 'The dust of the ground,' and in the second the principle mentioned is the 'Breath of life.' We should be particular to notice that the Bible does not say that God breathed a living soul into man, nor that he made a body and put a man into it j but he made a man, imparted the breath of life, and the man became a living man, or living soul. We also find this term 'living soul' referred to in 1 Peter, iii. 21, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved through water; the term soul in both these passages has undoubtedly that application which refers to the entire individual, a use to which it is commonly put in the present day, thus when we read in the daily papers of a certain ship having left the port with a hundred souls on board, no one takes this to mean anything less than the entire persons. I might mention many similar cases where the term soul' is frequently used in this connection, but time this afternoon will not permit. God is the exclusive source of life, all existences have their source in him. We read in John v. 26, 'For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son, also to have life in himself,' so that for our lives we are utterly dependent upon God. As the apostle says 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' vYeunderstand then, that the principle of life, or vitality here referred to and which God bestows upon every creature, is that which distinguishes between a perfect body, but inanimate-dead-and a living body. The English Bible invariably denominates it as 'spirit,' and it is generally associated with breath, But there is nothing attributed to this principle of vitality, or animal life, which would indicate that it is possessed of the attributes of separate, conscious, and immortal existence j as a principle of life) all animals possess it in common, and all receive it from God. Speaking of the destruction oflife by the flood, we read in Gen. vii. 22, 'All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.' Solomon speaks even more emphatically when he says in Ecc. iii. 19, 'For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts j even one thing befalleth them, as the one dieth, so dieth the other j yea they have all one breath.' You will notice that no comparison is here drawn between man as a mortal rational being, and beasts, but the likeness is drawn on the facts of physical life alone j don't suppose for a moment that I wish to place man on a level with the beasts, far from it, nor do I try to elevate the beasts to the plane of human kind, and clothe them with immortality, Let us see what Job says about this life principle in chap. xxxiv. 14, ] 5. 'If he set his heart upon' man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again into dust.' This is again borne out in Ecc. xii. 7, 'And the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit, or breath, return unto God who gave it j' also the words of Stephen at his last moment, 'Lord Jesus receive my spirit,' Acts vii. 59. When will this spirit be restored, says some one 7 At the resurrection. See Ezek. xxxvii. 14, 'And I will put my spirit in you, and ye shall live.'

It is often asserted that because man was created in the image of God he must of necessity be immortal, but no such inference can be based upon this fact, since immortality is an attribute, and if it be necessary to possess one of the attributes of the Deity, in order to be in the image of God, it would be equally necessary to possess all the other attributes, There can scarcely be a doubt but that reference. was made to the form by the use of the word image. In the account given us of the creation of man, we have no intimation of his having been endowed with immortality. How did the 'fall' affect man's relation to life 1 This question is most important in its bearing upon this subject. Man in his creation was not so made that he must die, nor yet so that he could not die j but he was placed upon probation with a bright prospect of a never ending life, of happiness before him if he remained faithful to God his Creator. The penalty of transgression was plainly stated' In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die.' (MarginDying thou shalt die). That day he would forfeit all claims to life, and death would claim him as his victim, to which he must at last yield. The story of the first sin is familiar to all, and in carrying out the penalty God said: Gen. iii. 17 (Read). Further God said, Gen. iii. 22. It must be evident to all that man was dependent upon his access to the tree of life in order to perpetuate his existence, consequently he was not immortal. He was shut away from the tree of life that he might thus become subject to death, and, deprived of this life giving fruit, he became subject to mortality, and after a long term of years, succumbed to death. No long argument is required when the facts are so plainly stated, and when they point to only one conclusion. Man was not by nature immortal, and in sinning against God, he lost all hope of ever becoming so, and was shut away from the means provided for the perpetuation of his existence. He could not transmit to his posterity any higher order of existence than he himself possessed; hence he became the father of a dying race. But thanks be to God! Life and immortality are brought to light by the blessed gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not my intention this afternoon to weary you with copious illustrations from various writers. I should like, however, very briefly to mention one or two who have spoken very clearly on this theme. Olshausen the great Commentator says: 'The doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and the name, are alike unknown to the entire Bible,' and I find this admitted by many who maintain the dogma of natural immortality. Bishop Tillotson says: , The immortality of the soul is rather supposed or taken for granted than expressly revealed in the word of God.' A writer in a recent number of the Centtwy, says: 'I believe in the immortality of the soul, not because I can prove it, but because I cannot.' Such brethren is the power of constant impressions, that many refuse to leave the beaten track, especially when that track is hedged in by prejudice. In disclaiming the doctrine of natural immortality I, with 'many others, do not relinquish the natural love for that

nJLY.

1833.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

101

resurrection of the dead' that he was called in question by the council (Acts xxiii. 6) j and in making his defence before Felix, he declared that the resurrection of the dead was the end of his hope, saying: 'And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust,' Acts xxiv. 15. Paul frequently thus expresses his hope of future life. According to the popular teaching of theology the day of Paul's death would undoubtedly be the day of his coronation, but what does he say himself 1 In 2 Tim. 'Henceforth there is laid up and determined our destiny, if He speaks, we shall know. iv, S, we find his own words, for me a crown of righteousness which God the righteous We search the Bible then for the evidences of our natural immortality, and for the Christian who has formed his im- judge shall give me in that day, and not to me only, but to pressions from the current theology and oft repeated ex- all them that love his appearing.' I am sorry owing to the limited time at my disposal that pressions there awaits a grand surprise. r cannot go further into this subject, but I trust the outLet us now turn to John xi. and read the narrative down come of this short paper will be to awaken a deeper interest to verse 44, and see what Martha and Mary thought about in this most important teaching of Divine truth. the dead. I think the reasoning in this chapter fully bears [Paper read at the Y.M.C.A., Adelaide, S. A., on Sunday, out the attitude I am taking in dealing with this subject April 9th, by A. \V. Badger, a son of the late Rev. D. this afternoon. Had we no theory of natural immortality Badger, whose death was noticed in the BIBLE STANDARD to uphold concerning the present condition of the dead, some months ago.] would we gather from this story that Lazarus was called out of Heaven 1 Does it not rather teach that he was called out of the grave 1 If the popular teaching of the present day be true, the incident should not be called the HIRAM MUNGER of Springfield, Massachusetts, eighty-six raising of Lazarus, but rather the bringing down of years of age, asks the ministers of that town some very Lazarus. When Christ came to the tomb, Mary did not say: pertinent questions through the local newspapers. He calls , Lord, he has been in heaven four days,' but said: 'Lord, for categorical answers. "Ve are afraid the old patriarch by this time he stinketh.' The Saviour did not look up to will not live to get the answers. Here are the questions: Heaven and command Lazarus's soul to come back and re1. Is life immaterial or material 1 enter his body, but simply crying with a loud voice said: 2. Was there ever a time when there was no life? , Lazarus come forth!' Let us now see what Job thought 3. Can there be consciousness and intelligence without on this subject, in chap. xiv. 7, we find him reasoning from life? nature when he says: . For there is hope of a tree, if it be 4. Does anything leave man but life at death 1 cut down, that it will sprout again,' and in verse 10 he 5. Which was first, living matter or non-living matted says: 'But man dieth and wasteth away. Yea, man giveth 6. Can there be eternal life without an eternal body 1 up the ghost, and where is he 1 As the waters fail from 7. Is there more than one kind of life 1 the sea, and the river decayeth .and driethup j so man S. Can life do anything outside of a living being? lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more 9. Has life any life 1 they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep., 10. Does life either li ve or die 1 Look now at chap. xix, 25-27, 'But I know that my 1l. Has life any attributes 1 Redeemer li veth, and that he shall stand up at the last 12. What became of the lives of the animals and men at upon the earth, and after my skin liath been thus destroyed, the flood? yet from my tlesh shall I see God.' You will notice that it 13. Can life continue longer than the body in which it is was not death that would introduce Job to the pre::;ence of confined 1 his Redeemer but resurrection. Turn to Isaiah x xx viii. 1S, 14. Can the brain think without life 7 and let us ask oursel ves what death was to Hezekiah, he 15. Can the life think without the brain 7 says: 'For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot 16. Is life a creation? celebrate thee j they that go down into the pit cannot hope 17. Can anything inorganic have life 1 dol' thy truth. The li ving, the living, he shall praise thee, as I 18. Can anything die that is not organic? do this day.' See also, Philippians ii. 27, 'Paul's hope for 19. Can anything imuiaterial have life 1-Restitution.

most priceless boon. Eternal life is as dear to us as it is to any, and it becomes more precious as we realise that it is the purchase of Jesus' blood j and without an interest in that blood, we remain depri ved of that life. If we were to follow the leading of our desires the question would be readily solved-many have followed this course. The hope of immortality, a life of eternal happiness with purity of joy immediately appear in answer to Oul' natural desires j from this fact ministers and Christian teachers in all ages have urged that mankind is possessed of inherent immortality, that death is but a thin veil which bars our vision, but that the borders of the two existences unite, they conclude thus, because mankind has a universal longing for immortality. If we take the Bible for our guide the theory is deceptive, and we shall find ca'~mot be relied upon. He who knows the end from the beginnin~, who has made us

a future existence was in the resurrection 'of the dead.' In speaking of his efforts to 'win Christ' he says: 'That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death j if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection. otthe dead,' Phil. iii. 10,11. It was of 'the hope and

)pertinent ~ue5tion5.

102

tHE BIBLE STANDARD.

JULY, 1893.

of His designs. There is a popular view concerning future orderings which supposes that the Kingdom of God win suddenly flash forth upon the darkness of earth, and instanNo. XXIII. taneously and universally cover it. In a moment the rebels are destroyed, human governments are overthrown, and the THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM. Divine rulers step in to carry on thc Theocratic rule. We ~UR investigations hitherto have shown that the deferentially submit that this view is not supported by ~ Kingdom of God once in existence is to be Scripture. Just as the past history shows the successive , restored' (Acts i. 6), and this in such a way that it shall preparatory stages, so the prophecies of the future show fully harmonise with the language of covenants and pro- that the outspreading of the Theocratic rule will be gradual, mises, and that Israel's hopes will be completely realized although not necessarily slow. That the Kingdom will be universal is clearly testified: by its inauguration. The initial stages of this restored 'The stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and Kingdom have been put before our readers, so far as the point of putting Israel into the position of readiness for filled the whole earth.' (Dan. ii. 35). This is interpreted thus: the effectual accomplishment of its glorious work-a work which has not been anticipated by the efforts of the 'And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set. Christian Church of this age, however widespread and np a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the successful they may have been. The distinction which sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces, and consume all these Linqdoms, and it ,,!wU stand f01' exists between the work of the Church and that of Israel ever ' (ver. 44). has not been sufficiently insisted upon, and yet nothing is Accepting, then, as a certainty, that the Kingdom is to more plainly evident. The work of the Church is primarily be universal-as indeed it must be for 'iLll families of the an effort to win individuals to a recognition of Christ's earth' to be blessed-we proceed to note ill outline the Lordship. It teaches the forgiveness of sins, and insists manner of its outgrowth. upon personal appropriation of salvation. Itignores disThe first step, already pointed out, is the cleansing of tinction of race, and has no message concerning governIsrael at the advent of the Messiah: ments; and it fuses believing individuals, differing in race, , And I will bring the third part through the fire, and W'i.II refine colour, and government, into one great community-the them as sil ver is refined, and will try theiu as gold is tried; they Church, the Body of Christ. The instructions given to shall call upon my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is this 'new man' have no present direct bearing upon the my people, and they shall say, The Lord is lily God' (Zech. xiii, 9). nations of the earth. On the other hand, the mission of The result of that cleansing is abiding righteousness and Israel, as revealed in the earliest promise, and as confirmed perpetual possession of the land-righteousness being the in the remarkable development of the plan to accomplish condition of tenure: it, is to bring all nations under Divine government. To 'Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the recur once more to the original promises: land for ever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hands
, In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed' (Gen. xii, 3). that I may be glorified ' (Isa, Ix, 21).

lPapen; on the 1ktng~om.

The development of this promise shows the grant of a land and the growth of a seed. The seed is welded by suffering into a nation, and placed in the land of promise, and there it is put under Divine government as the great preliminary step for its future work The failure of the riation 'in the past to rise to the occasion has been shown, but the plan remains intact. The purpose of God has not been irremediably overthrown. The evidence presented in these papers has shown that thc Kingdom of God is again to be set up under conditions which forbid the possibility that it will be again taken away. Israel is settled ill the land, territorial divisions are assigned to the tribes, the positions of the metropolis and temple are precisely located, and certain arrangements in connection with the ordering of these are fore-declared. Having, therefore, seen the necessary preliminary provision for future work-a ready people, repentant, cleansed, forgiven, and settled under Divine government - we may now ask, How shall the Kingdom g?'OW 7 or, to use an expression wrongly appropriated by the Chnrch, How shall the Kingdom extend 1 The history of God's dealings with men has revealed that He has worked in a progressive manlier in the ealTying out

But are in The behalf

until-and during-its accomplishment, the nations ' gross darkness.' purification of Israel is the prelude to effort on their :

, For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall arise upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising , (Isa. l x, 2, 3).

In. all this there is a repetition of the thought embodied in the Saviour's command to the Apostles concerning their future work. A world-wide commission was given to them, with a definite centre and starting-point. ' Beginning at Jerusalem.' So in the impressive future arrangements the work begins at Jerusalem and Israel, a centre where heavenly blessings impinge 011 earth, and whence they radiate to the whole world. The mercy of God as shown to Israel will be the means of influencing many from the nations to seek safety in obedience to Israel's King:
'This city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall heal' all the good that I do unto them, and shall fear and tremble for all thc peace that I procure unto it' (Jor, xxxiii, 9).

JULY,

i893.

THE BIBLE STANDAHD.

mit themselves to thee' (Psa. lxvi.; obedience '),

103
margin, 'yield a feigned.

, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, It shall yet come to pass that there shall come peoples, and the inhabitants of many cities; and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let UR go speedily to entreat the favour of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will go also. Yea many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favour of the Lord, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, In those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take 1101dout of all the languages of the nations, shall even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you' (Zech. viii. 20-23, and cf. Mal. i. 11).

These items, if carefully studied, will show that the popular notion of an immediate universal overthrow of human governments is not taught. That the nations contiguous to Palestine, and composing-or in alliance

with-the

fourth empire will suffer at the advent of the

King is clearly taught; but even over these it is not taught that the Kingdom of God will have, at the outset, that perfect and acceptable dominion which is designed as Thus there will be a moral change evinced by many. the great ultimate of the Divine purpose. The administraManifestations of grace to Israel will have due weight with tion will gradually outspread, and as this is accepted by full some. It was so when the nation was redeemed from obedience and heart loyalty, so will it become permanent, Egypt. Not only did fear and ~.read fa~l upon the p~oples and the great Gospel message receive its fulfilment. of Canaan, but some sought for alliance WIth them, as did the I The parables of the mustard seed becoming a tree, and house of Rahab and the Gibeonites. : the leaven pervading the meal' till all was leavened,' well But this does not fully explain the national submission illustrate the growth and assimilation of the Kingdom. that is predicted. The Theocratic Kingdom .can only Indeed we believe they were given for this purpose, at once extend as its supremacy is acknowledged and yielded .to, as a corrective of false ideas held by the disciples, and as and as it removes an~ replaces. the governments which important summarized teaching on the subject of the have for so long manifested their powerlessness to meet manner of the diffusion of the power and the principles human needs. How will this supremacy be obtained? of that Kingdom for which even 'now earnest souls are The answer is clear. It wil~ be by P~We1" T~e s.tone praying, 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in swiftly descending the mountain slope ,nil' break m pieces heaven, so on earth.' and consume all these kingdoms.' The fourteenth chapter ALPHA. of Zechariah give's a very vivid detailed account of a great battle at the Lord's advent, at which the opposing armies ~o U:be~ are destroyed. The conquest and destruction of these opposing hosts brings the nations they represent under the IF we want to find things, we must go where they are and suzerainty of Israel's King. For it is said : look for them. 'I have been in India many years, and I have never seen , And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left, of all the nations which came against Jerusalem, shall go up from year a native convert,' said an English colonel on board a to year, to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the steamer. Not long afterwards, in telling his hunting feast of tabernacles' (Zech. xiv. 16). experiences, the colonel said he had shot thirty tigers. But even this may only refer to the nations immediately , Did I understand you to say thirty l' asked a missionary contiguous to the land of Palestine and interested in the at the table. fourth empire of prophecy. Their submission will, how, Yes sir, thirty,' replied the officer. ever, lead by successive steps to the furtherance of the , Well, now that is strange,' said the missionary, 'I have Divine Kingdom: been in India for twenty-five years and I never saw a

\rolbere

'tlre.

, The time cometh, that I will gather all nations. and tongues; wild tiger all that time.' and they shall come and see my glory. And I will set a sign 'Good reason why,' said the colonel, 'you did not go among them, and I will send such as escape of them unto Tarshish, where the tigers were.' Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the 'Perhaps that is so,' said the missionary; 'but may not isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and thf,y shall declare my glory Ctl1Wit,iJ the nations.' (Isa, that be the reason why you never saw a native convert 1 Ixvi. 18, 19). Perhaps you did not go where the converts were.'

The binding obligation laid upon the nations, which entails an annual pilgrimage to J erusalem (perhaps by an embassy), with the penalties threatened ill case of disobedience (Zech. xiv. 17-1D), more than hints that the submission to the central authority at J-erusalem is yielded from fear rather than from uffection and hearty agreement with it. The Kingdom does not immediately reach a perfect stage. A season of testing must exist before all the inhabitants of the earth are ready to do God's will on earth as it is done in Heaven. Such expressions as the following confirm this view:

There are people who say they do not know any Christians, they do not see any Christians; the probability is they do not go where they are. They may know hypocrites, and worldlings, and sinners, but Christians are out of the range of their travel and experience. It would pay some men very well if they would go where Christians are, and g~t acquainted with them, and see what they are doing. They would find a new field for observation, and would see things which they had never seen before. Let Christians flash the light on the eyes of those whose vision is so dim; and who knows but they may yet see the wonderful works which God is doing in the earth by the , Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies' (Ps, cx. 2). Through thc greatness of thy power shall thine enemies sub- hands of His people ?--Tl. L. Haetiuqs.

104
~ ~!~

tHE BIBLE STANDARD.

J UL)-, 1893.

Cf'b ~ibl (l MO NTH

-, G)

Standard ({~ ~
LY 0 R G AN
OF THE

J\.

Nrlli Zcnluntl iEbanrrcliztic anti WUblicntiolt l!ssocintion.

EDITED BY GEORGE ALDRIDGE. ASSISTED BY SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS. The Editor wishes it. to be understood that, while he exercises Cl. general supervision over the articles and correspondence appea ring in the STANDARD, responsibility for sentiments expressed rests upon the indi vidual writer.

Road, where the Bible school is held 011 Thursday evenings instead of Tuesday as heretofore.' My concern is that in seeking to promulgate the truths lield so deal', we shall ever pray to be kept spiritually minded, and near to God, that nothing bitter or unkind may enter into our ag:;ressi ve or defensive teaching. The Adelaide Regi:;tm' of June 8th, in its religious news contains a paragraph which shows that Life ill Christ teaching is alive in that city, and that as a consequence opposition is raised against it. Some time ago some believers in Conditional Immortality joined the membership of the Bentham Street Church. Their views were known and no objection was made to them. It would seem that the liberty accorded has be-n used, and with such success that the pastor has deemed it necessary to 'plainly' oppose the teaching. His opposition has put his position in peril. The report in the Register, believed to be furnished by the pastor, states :-.' On Tuesday evening, 6th June, a special meeting of members of the Bentham Street Christian Church was held to con-ider the position uf the pastor, as some exception had been taken to Mr. T. Adcock's conduct in starting a Young People's Society of Ch ristia n Endeavour, in speaking rather plainly iu his discourses, and opposing several members of thc Church who persisted at the week-night service in dilating on the non-continuity of life, or conscious existence between death' and resurrection, and conditional immortality. This view the pastor COlltended was against the trust deed and teaching of the Church, and while liberty of opinion npon all such matters was allowed, it should not be constantly t.uight.' A member replies to this charge :-' In the first place the plainspeaking alluded to has culminated ill a positive insnlt, not only to the members indicated, but to the whole Church. Secondly, the young people's meeting was in a far more flourishing and satisfactory condition before Mr. Adcock succeeded ill changing its name and character to suit the then l"llging Endeavour craze than at present" and "conditional immortality" was the bogie held up to frighten the orthodox, or rather the red herring drawn across the scent to smother the real causes of complaint.' The Church meeting seems to have been a very unsatisfactory proceeding, as a large number of members were absent, and those under twentyone years of age, or who bad not been in membership more' than six months, were debarred from voting on the question as to whether or not the pastor should be called upon to resign.

==----

====~ ~======

Hssociation 1Aotes.
IVANTl!.:D, opies of STANDARD for Jan.llary, February, c and April, 1889 ; please send to the Editor. Just as we are going to press we learn that there is a likelihood that Bro. G. A. Brown, of Melbourne, will pay a month's visit to Adelaide. '-IVetrust that this will be accomplished, and that much good will result. The Kent Town (Adelaide) Wesleyan Adult Bible Class refuses a challenge to debate with Bro. F. B. Hughes the qnestion of the Natural Immortality of the Soul, on the grounds that the class exists for discussion of Biblical subjects and not for debate. Brother and Sister Falkner desire to gratefully thank the many kind friends in various parts of the colony who have expressed so much sympathy for them in their late bereavement. 'The Lord is good, a stronghold in the days of trouble, aud He knoweth them that trust in Him.' Our Bro. G. A. Green, who has been absent some time down south, has been kindly treated by the 'Disciples' churches in the various centres visited. At Nelson he spoke on several Sunday mornings in the Waimea Street church, ami also preached there on June 18th, the subject being: 'What is the Gospel?' At Stanley Brook a very pleasant ~time was spent with the brethren, and he addressed the church at the fellowship meeting.

A well-known Auckland journalist (John Blackmail), has fallen asleep. For many years the deceased was on the staff of the Auckland Star. A few years ago, increasing age compelled his retirement. His notices of the STANDARD,which appeared monthly in the Star, were always appreciative. On several occasions he has contributed to the S'~'ANDARD, ither personal reminiscences of indie viduals connected with our reformation movement, or poems on suitable topics. Genial and tender - hearted, he No man can account the great charges which God is at belonged to a class of writers of which there are too few, only in maintaining the birds' and creatures, which, in a and the numbers are swiftly decreasing, manner, are nothing or little worth. I am persuaded that A Melbourne correspondent writes: ,It is a matter for it costs God yearly more to maintain only the sparrows great thankfulness, that in the advocacy of unpopular than the yearly revenue of the French king amounts to. truths, so much interest has been, and continues to be, What, then, shall we say of all the rest of the creation.1manifested in the labours of our esteemed brother, G. A. Ma?,tin Inuher. Brown. In Hawthorn we have found it advisable to take To find fault is the very easiest thing in the world; to a public Hall for the week-night meeting, and have obtained invite eriticism and to profit by it, is the only unequivocal ~he use of the Hall of tlle I~T.C.T. Union, No. 360, Burwood proof of a gl"eaLmi ud.

JULY,

1893.

1'lLE BIBLE StANDAkl>.

105

~be lDemanb of 1Rlgbteoueneee+

'l\lGHT~OUSN~SS demands the expulsion of sin.' Such is the dictum of a growing section of modern theologians; and as that conception grows, the old view which taught the perpetuation of the evil-doer in a state of living torment must correspondingly disappear. So far, the character of God is being cleared from the foul aspersions which have rested upon it since the dogma of eternal misery found an abiding-place amongst the doctrines of the Christian Church. The recognition of the fact has been somewhat tardy, but it has come, and we believe has come to stay. Many good men and true have diligently sought the Scriptures 011 the question of the punishment for sin, and they have come from their quest with their minds cleared of the awful doctrine they once held, and their hearts have glowed with new love and fervour because they have found the truth, regarding man's nature and regarding God's threatened penalty. They have avowed their findings, and the doctrines of Life only in Christ have now acceptance by many. The conquest has not been confined to those who have yielded a loyal submission to them; but the wider issue has been that the advocates of eternal misery, although still holding to the belief that man is naturally immortal, no longer voice the frightful descriptions of future suffering which were once prominent. in gospel sermons. Many of them are gradually tending to the position reached already by some, that 'Righteousness demands the expulsion of sin.' But how is sin to be expelled? The answer of the Conditionalist has been given without hesitation, 'By the destruction of the sinner.' The reply has the advantage of terseness and clearness, and whilst it is supported by the decisive terminology of Scripture on future punishment, it claims to rest upon the findings of a close .and comprehensive search into the larger question of Biblical psychology.

I destruction of the sinner a ' confession of impotence' ? It I is singular that here the Professor should have so strikingly contradicted the language of Scripture, which invariably I represents it as an act of Divine power, and all its attendant circumstances prove it so to be. The real point in the Professor's objection is, that it would be a 'victory for sin over God.' W onderingly we ask, 'How can this be?' Such a view can only be held where there is a failure to distinguish between sin, the act of disobedience, and death, the penalty. Death being the Divinely i11;/licted penalty for the sinner's disobedience, its infliction proves the verity and majesty of God's Law, and the vitality of the power that can overthrow all opposition. If a schoolboy can persist in disobedience against the wishes and commands of the master, then wrong-doing is victorious; but if the authority of the master is vindicated by punishment, no one would venture to say that wrong-doing was victorious. So with our criminal laws. If a criminal can continue breaking the laws, then is wrong the conqueror. But if the law can arrest and pnnish the criminal, to vindicate its authority as the social protector, then who would claim that sin is victorious? Sin is viewed as rebellion, and rebellion persisted in, in spite of continued offers of pardon, leaves no room for anything but that the power and majesty of the Lawgiver should be vindicated by the desti uction of the wrong-doer. Reverentially we say, God can do no other. 'The Lord preserveth all them that love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy,' is a telling sentence, which carries on its surface the teaching which overthrows the fine~spun theories of Restorationists as effectively as it demes the theory. of eternal I~isery. which has had the popular .sway for SIxteen centuries. We are sure that the declarations m~de by the servants of God, in the Scriptures of truth, are in. h~rmony with the righteousness which delna~ds the expulsion of sin; and we are not at liberty to behe~e t~at any mode will be adopted to expel evil, save that which IS declared, ' All the wicked will He destroy.' .
EDITOR.

But this view of the question is fiercely assailed by those who, cannot yield the belief in human immortality, whilst they yet agree in the belief that sin is to be explled. So the doctrine of post morteni salvation, or, in its extended form, , universal restoration,' is preached as that which solves the question as to the abolition of sin. We contend that to establish this, its advocates are obliged to gi ve an arbitrary meaning to words; they overlook the point in telling illustrations, and ignore altogether the evidence on the fundamental question of the nature of man. Many objections, chiefly sentimental, are raised by these theorists to the 'Destructionist' position. But there is one which may be here noted, because it has been lately put forward by the Principal of Mansfiold College, and will, no doubt, be oft repeated by lesser lights. 'Righteousness demands the expulsion of sin. But how? By annihilating the sinner 1 That would be a vict01'Y f01' sin over God, a confession Cif His impotence; nay, if Fatherhood be real, more a punishment of God than man' (Revieu: cif the Clcurclics, April, p. 47). Let us be practical: Is the

~aul'e (!ontrabicttone I-tccorbing to current ~beo[ogr,

THERE are two, and I believe only two, short sentences in the fourteen epistles of the Apostle Paul, that are commonly supposed to teach that the dead spend the interval between death and resurrection in heaven with Christ. The passages are found in 2 Cor. v. 8, and PhiI. 'i, 23. 'Willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord'; 'Having a desire to depart and be with Christ.' Before proceeding to examine these to see if their writer intended to convey the idea of possible life in death, of consciousness in sleep, let us first see what other inspired writers have said in the Scriptures about the state of the dead. We may reasonably expect, as we shall nndoubtedly find, that an unbroken harmony of teaching will obtain throughout the Word of God, and, to those willing to

106

JULY,

1893.

accept its dictates as final, at the cost of relinquishing but the dead know not anything; their love, previously held notions, the liberty of truth lllay be their hatred, and their envy is now perished. assured. 'Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy make you free.' might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, In Genesis iii. 19, we read the Lord said to Adam, 'In nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest' (Eccl. ix. the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return 5, 10). unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust Daniel the prophet wrote, 'And many (If them that thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.' And in Genesis sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake' (Dan. xii. 2). v. we find that Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Peter on the day of Pentecost, speaking in the power of Jared, Methuselah, and Lamech DIED; certainly, in the the Holy Spirit said, 'Men and brethren, let me freely manner described by the Lord to Adam. Of Enoch alone speak uuto you of the patriarch David that he is both dead among that list might it be said, he departed to be with and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day ... God; or, to quote the beautiful verse ~4, 'And Enoch for David is not ascended into the heavens' (Acts ii. 29, 34). walked with God: and he was not: for God took him' Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 'For if the dead rise not Passing on to the account of the death of Moses in then is Christ not raised; and if Christ be not raised your Numbers xxvii. 12-14, and Deut. xxxi. 14-16, and xxxiv. faith is vain, ye are yet in yoU!"sins; then they also who 5, 6, we read, 'The Lord said unto Moses get thee up into. are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. We shall this Mount Abarim and see the land which I have given , not all sleep' (1 Cor. x v, 16, 17, 51). And to the unto the children of Israel; and when thou hast seen it Thessalonians, 'If we believe that Jesus died and rose thou also shalt be gathered unto thy peopie, as Aaron. thy again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God brothel' was gathered, for ye rebelled against my command- bring with Him (as He brought Jesus, Heb. xiii. 20) . ment in the desert of Zin. Behold thy days and the dead in Christ shall rise first' (1 Thess. iv. 14, 16). approach that thou must die: behold thou shalt Again speaking of his death to Timothy Paul wrote, 'I sleep with thy fathers. So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died according to the Word of the Lord.' No one will maintain that the above record is intended to teach that Moses went straight away to heaven because he 'rebelled.' That death was some loss to him is self-evident, though from J ude 9, and the appearance of Moses at the transfiguration of Christ, it may be gathered that God specially honoured His servant by raising him from among the dead before the general resurrection. The patriarch Job speaking of death says, 'Man dieth and wasteth away, yea, man giveth up the ghost and where is he? Man lieth down and riseth not till the heavens be no more; they shall not awake nor be roused out of their sleep. If a man die shall he live again 1 But I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand up at the last upon the earth, and after my skin hath been destroyed yet in my flesh shall I see God.' King Hezekiah was sick unto death, and in answer to his prayet' the Lord added to his days fifteen years. Speaking of his sickness Hezekiah wrote :-' I said in the # noontide of my days I shall go into the gates of the grave. I am deprived of the residue of my years. I said I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the li ving. But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for the grave cannot praise Thee; death cannot celebrate Thee; the living, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day.' David the Psalmist wrote :-' For in death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks 1 Put not your trust in princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help; his breath giveth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish' (Psalms vi. 5; cxlvi. 3, 4). Solomon wrote, 'For the living know that they shall die, am "now ready to be or dissolution (Douay faith, I have fought up for me a crown righteous judge, shall only, but unto all (2 Tim. iv. 6-8). offered, and the time of my departure Version) is at hand; I have kept the a good fight: henceforth there is laid of righteousness, which the Lord, the give me at THAT DAY: and not to me them also who love his appearing'

Jesus said, 'All that are in the GRAVES shall hear his voice and come forth: and this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all whom he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day' (John v. 29; vi. 39). It will thus be seen that if Paul teaches, according to current theology, that at death believers enter heaven, h contradiets the testimony of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, of Mo ses, Job, Hezekiah, David, Solomon, Daniel, Peter and himself. In fact the whole tenor of Scripture is against the notion that death is so friendly a thing, and so much to be desired, as the entrance to heaven, the gate of glory, the avenue of endless bliss. On the contrary death is the penalty of transgression, 'the wages of sin,' 'the last enemy to be destroyed '-to be swallowed up in victory at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death in His own glorious person, and Who will do the same for all 'in Christ' at His appearing, A few words will suffice in explanation of the apparently contradictory sentence of Paul so frequently quoted without due regard to their context, and to the main line of teaching from which they are extracted. In 2 Cor. v. 1-9, Paul says, 'For we know that if the earthly house of our bodily frame or tabernacle be dissolved we have a building from God, a house not made with ha nds, eternal in the heavens; for verily in this we groan

JULY,

1893.

101

being burdened, not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is 1l10rti11 may bp. swallowed up of life and knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord: we are willing rather to be a.bseut from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.' From which it should be noted that not one word is said of a soul going off to be with Christ at death, but a yearn ing desire is expressed to change this mortal state for the immortal; while in mortal bodies we are absent from the Lord, we can love, trust, and commune with Him, but ever to realise our absence from Him. When we shall see Him we shall be like Him, clothed with our 'house from heaven.' 'The Lord Jesus Christ shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of His glory,' and so we shall be absent from our mortal body, present in an immortal body' with the Lord.' In Phil. i. 21.23, Paul is in a strait betwixt living or dying, having a better hope in view, 'to depart and be with Christ,' which is far better than life or death. Had OUt translators been free from theological bias they

.~I.!~~, H;';';~~i;;E~~
~
+

Suppose

me

19

<Bib Wou lDat:

SOME years ago we knew a poor nati ve of India who stood daily in one of the busy thoroughfares in Glasgow, offering pipes, beads, perfumes, and other articles for sale. Being in a foreign land, so far from his much-loved Southern home, in a different climate to his own, and surrounded by people with manners and customs so strange to him, you may be sure he often felt sad and lonely. One day, however, he was delighted to hear himself addressed in his native tongue. This was by a gentleman who had for many years been in Calcutta as a missionary, and who speaks Hindostanee with perfect fluency. The Indian replied gladly to the salutation, and as the missionary passed him frequently, and always spoke kindly to him, in the course of a few days they became quite friend Iy. By appointment, might have properly rendered the word' depart' return, as he came to the missionary's house to talk about religious they have done in the only other instance in which the matters, and he also attended some meetings that were same Greek word occurs, namely, in Luke xii. 36: 'Be ye held by his friend in various parts of the city. In this way yourselves like unto men looking for their Lord when he he learned about the living and true God, and Jesus shall RETURN from the marriage feast.' We should then Christ His Son, and in course of time was convinced that readiily see what the Apostle Paul desired-the return of Mohammedanism, in which lie had been trained, was a false Christ, which is the believers' only hope of seeing Him and religion. He saw that it is Jesus, and Jesus only, who can beil~g with Him. do helpless sinners good, whether their skin be black or KI.H. white; and he was led to trnst in Him as His Saviour. It would have done you good could you have seen his happy face after that. Truly he was ealled 'out of darkness' into ''Wlatting most 'marvellous light,' and his countenance told of the 3eHl6 glad change.

for tbe ~omtng of ~ur <Jiorb

~bri6t:-1 cor. 1. 7.

One day he was beside his friend, while the latter was or looking for this coming with glad and endeavouring to show an old Scotch lady God's plan of anxious desire. This was certainly one of the endowments redemption. She was in an anxious state of mind, but to which the apostle referred, to wit, that they had grace seemed to be trusting too much to her own righteousness. given them earnestly to desire, and to wait for the second She was a regular attendant at 'the kirk,' always tried to appearing of the Lord Jesus. An earnest wish to see . aet honestly in the world, read her Bible, said her prayers, Him, and a confident expectation and firm belief that He and was good to the poor. And such things are commendwill return, is an evidence of a high state of piety. It able, but her mistake lay in thinking that by these she demands strong faith, and it will do much to elevate the could inherit eternal life. The coloured man sat and feelings above the world, and to keep the mind in a state listened for some time to the conversation, and was of peace. T~ earnest expectation of the Lord J esus evidently very desirous that the lady should come to a became one of the marks of early Christian piety. This knowledge of the truth. At last, taking his handkerchief return was promised by the Saviour to His anxious disfrom his pocket he said, 'Sce, mem! Suppose me gib you ciples when He was about to leave them (Acts i. 11). It dat; what wouldj you say l' She was somewhat surprised became the settled hope and expectation of Christians that at the question, but replied, '''V ell, if you gave me anylIe would return (Titus ii. 13; 2 Pet. iii. 12; Heb. ix. 28), thing I should of course say, "Thank you.'" 'Dat is just And with the earnest prayer that He would quickly come. what God wants you to say to Him,' the Indian said, 'He -Iohn closes the volume of inspiration, Rev. xxii. 20, 21.does not want YOlll money, nor your good works to be Rev. Alber! Barnes, D.D. reckoned at all; for that is like seeking to pay, and sal vation is for nothing l' Be cheerful, and seek no external help, nor the trailNow, the illustration is simple, yet you can see, deal' quillity which others give. A man must stand erect, not reader, that the man so recently a heathen, had got hold of he kept erect by others. the truth. We have all sinned against heaven, and are
EXl'J;;CTING

108

tHE iHtLE ~tANlJAHJ).

JULY.

1893.

already condemned to die on account of sin. Nor can we save ourselves, nor give a ransom for our brother, by any meritorious act of ours. ' By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight.' But see! 'TuE FRE" GIFT OF GOD is eternal Iife, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' For God commendeth His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Pray, have you accepted that gift 1 Have you said, 'Thank you!' to God for His token of love l If not, do you not think you are acting with great ingratitude 1 "Ve beg you to consider the matter. Consider it now. 'God is not willing that any should perish;' yet He cannot save you from that fearful fate unless yon turn unto Him with repentance of heart. You remember Jesus said of some, 'Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life.' .Such He could not bless. Yet the fault was not His; their blood was upon their own head. Christ offered them eternal life, but they cast it from them, and must perish. This also must be your portion if you will accept the proffered mercy. Oh,' turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die 7'-G.P.M., in Grace and Truth,

1Rcaurrcction of tbe 'lLi"ing.

THERE are two theories concerning the resurrection, one of which cannot jbe correct, for the two are in conflict. One of these theories insists on a resurrection of the living from the dead, on the principle of a spirit elimination, leaving the dead man forever in the grave; while the other theory claims that the physical man shall awake from the sleep of death, and live again. In Paul's day, 'When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked' (Acts xvii. 32); but now they accept the theory in name, but make it mean a resurrection of the li ving spirit from the dead body; and surely if they had then understood that the apostles had preached a resurrection consisting of a separation of the spirit from the body, nobody would have 'mocked,' for all believed that death would separate the spirit from the body, Even the friends were 'grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead' (Acts iv. 2); and they certainly could not have understood the apostles to preach that there was no separation of spirits from human bodies before Christ, for that notion would destroy the theory of soul immortality for the entire race previous to the first advent, and also destroy it this side of that event so far as the wicked are concerned; for the resurrection which they preached was 'through Jesus,' whom the wicked do not accept, just as really as salvation is through Him, and not to be obtained independent of Him. Paul distinctly affirms: 'The dead shall be raised,' and that cannot mean that the spi1'it shall be raised, unless the spirit dies, and if it dies, it is not immortal; so in setting up one prop to sustain this theory, another prop is thrown down. The Greek term anastasis, rendered resurrection primarily signifies, according to Parkhurst, 'to rise. A standing on the feet again, rising as opposed to falling.'

To rise from what 1 from life? How could that which had never fallen stand on its feet again 1 If the spirit is to stand up again, what shall it stand up from, seeing it cannot, fall in death 1 Did Paul mean to say to King Agrippa, who already believed in soul immortality, 'vVhy should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should separate the spirit from the body l' That must have been his meaning if he taught a resurrection of a living spirit instead of a dead body. If Christ preached a resurrection of the living spirit from the dead body, why did the Sadducees, after telling Him about the woman's death who had previously had seven husbands, inquire: 'In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise [not when they did rise], whose wife ehal! she -; of them l' If it should be said that they might have be misunderstood His theory of the resurrection, the Saviour's reply will settle that question: 'When they ehali rise from the dead [not when they did rise] they neither marry nor are given in marriage.' Mark xii. 23-25. Martha had the right view of the resurrection when she said, 'I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day' (John xi. 24), for she had heard Jesus previously affirm: 'I will raise him up at the last day.' John vi. 40. Then' the earth shall cast out the dead.' saints; 'Neither can they die any more.' - vV. S., lV01ld'8 Crieie.

'[be ~llni6bl1lent

of $in.

A NEW book by Dr. Candlish, Professor of Systematic Theology, Free Church College, Glasgow, on 'The Biblical Doctrine of Sin,' contains the following suggestive paragraph, a portion of which we italicise :'The passages in which this awful doom is spoken of by Christ and His Apostles are very many and very solemn; and they are of two different kinds. In some, various images of suffering are presented, such' as outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth, the fire of Gehenna; while in others, perdition, destruction, death, are spoken of. The former class of passages have led very many Christians to the conviction that everlasting penal suffering is the doom of the lost, but the latter have been thought by not a few to show rather that that doom issues at last in the extinction of conscious being. Clearly, one or other of these two classes of passages must be understood figuratively; and the question just is, which 1 It is not possible to decide with confidence, and neither Jesus nor His Apostles intended to satisfy our curiosity on this point. Even if the second death, which is the doom of the finally impenitent, (is) entire cessation of life or conscious existence, this
might properls] be called an eternal. punishment, since it is final aaui its ellects endure for euer. But although the

doctrine of the everlasting conscious suffering of those who constantly persist in sin may not be so certain as it has appeared to most, the idea of the ultimate restoration of all intelligent creatures seems contrary to the most essential doctrines of Christianity.' P. 54.

JULY, 1893.

THE BIBLE S1'ANDARD.

109

jfulfil till 1Rigbteouaneaa.

CHRIST ratified the righteous act of baptism. Our dear Lord and Master set the example for us to follow, and can we be his disciples and ignore it 1 How can anyone come to the conclusion that baptism can be set aside 1 Jesus set the example for us, and he taught his apostles to go teach and baptize. Did they do so 1 Let us see. Acts ii. 41 : Then they that gladly received the word were baptized. I believe when a man's heart is opened and receives the word of God, he will not stop to ask if baptism is necessary 1 No. When Philip went down to Samaria and preached the word or the good news of the kingdom of God, and the things concerning the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. No asking the question in this case, is baptism essential 1 N 0,< nothing of the kind. When Simon himself was baptized he did not stop to argue the question is it necessary for me to be baptized 1 No, no. There is not one single case on record where any of the disciples ever asked Christ or the apostles if it was essential to be baptized. Now why so much said now 1 See Acts Vlll. 12, 16. Only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts viii. 36. Here Philip was preaching to Enoch, and he asked Philip the question, what doth hinder me to be baptized 1 Philip said, if thon belie vest thou mayest. Did Philip baptize him, or did he tell him it is not essential 1 Not a word of it. They both went down into the water and he baptized him. Are not these examples enough: Bnt there.,are plenty more of them. Acts x. Here the angel of God came to Cornelius and told him to send for Peter and he would tell him words whereby he and his house should be saved. Did Peter leave out baptism 1 No. Let us see. Verses 47, 48. Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we 1 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Now, dear ones, Peter was sent on this mission. Did he do the bidding of the Lord or not, or did he go beyond God's reqnirements 1 That's the question. Have we now the right to ask less of our believers than Peter did 1 Have we got a new or different gospel now, one that does not require baptism 1 If so' I fear we have what Psul calls another gospel. See Gal. i. 6-9. Let us not preach a gospel that has no baptism in it, or the curse of God may rest upon us. o let us be careful what we do.

Acts xvi. 31, 33. Here the keeper of the prison and his household were baptized. Was this in harmony with God's arrangements, or was it unnecessary 1 So we see Jesus It is not generally known that the custom of keeping was baptized, and he told his disciples to teach and baptize. birthdays is many thousand years old. It is recorded in Did they do as Jesus required 1 Was it right? Or could the 40th chapter of Genesis, 20th verse-' And it came to they have been saved without it? What say you brethren? pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he I teach and baptize. Have I or you any right to go and made a feast unto all his servants.' teach and leave out the ordinance of baptism? He that desireth to keep the grace of God, let him be Acts xix. 3-6. Here were persons that had been bap- thankful for the grace given, and patient for the taking tized unto John's baptism. Did Paul tell them, well that away thereof Let him be wary and humble lest he lose will do, baptism is not essential anyliow ! When they it.-'l'lwmas A'J(ernris .

heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord J esus. Was that as it should be? Rom. vi. 3. Baptized into Christ. Is that the way to get into Christ 1 So says Paul. Eph. iv. 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Is it required of us to believe on the Lord? Is faith required of us? You all say yes. Is baptism required of us? Some say, not necessary. God I believe will save honest Quakers. Has God a gospel different fOI' Quakers than He has for us ? Gal. iii. 26, 27. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christt How do ChI istians put on Christ? Baptized into Christ? Buried by baptism, is that Scriptural 1 001. ii. 12. Buried in baptism we die to sin and are made alive through Ohrist by putting on Ohrist. 1 Peter iii. 21. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth now save us, Is there any salvation in baptism to a believer 1 So says Peter. See also the case of Sanl. Acts ix. 18. Forthwith he arose and was baptized. Was this in accordance with God's way or no? Acts xxii. 16. And now \V hy tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Is this God's way of doing? Dear brethren, I many times fear we are getting wise above what is written. There are so many departures in these last days. One comes to the conclusion that baptism is not necessary j and another has learned after all the positive statements in the Scriptures, that Jesus is the son of J oseph j and still another has come to the conclusion that Ohrist has come and He will never be seen j and another has learned that the body of Jesus that was buried in the tomb of J oseph never arose from the tomb, and that the saints never will rise from the dead j and another has come to the conclusion that pr"yer is not necessary now j and another that Christian science is the only way to have all our ailments remedied j and so it is, until we are losing all of our spirituality, and our meetings in lllany places are dead and all gone into formality. 0 that we would get back to where we were twenty-five years ago j then there was life. As Revelations has it, we have lost our first love j we want to repent and do our first works or the Lord will remove our candlestick except we repent. Lord help us to be up and doing, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. vVe are nearing the end of the present Gentile times, and let us walk worthy of our high calling in Christ Jesus. Brethren, let lis watch and pray lest we enter into temptation. J. S. HATCH,in Reetitution,

110

THE BlBLE STAXDAR1).

JULY, 1893.

IVe are told that there is a regular gradation from the lowest to the highest organised forms. So there may be a 'GENTL1~l\IEN,define your terms, 'was the formula 'with regular gradation from a tea-kettle up to an ocean steam which one sensible man prefaced all discussion. Some men: boiler, but that does not prove that a tea-kettle will ever are slow to do this. They nse new words which they have ~develop into a steam boiler. There is a regular gradation invented, or old words which they have appropriated and from a gill cup to a gallon measure, but the gill cup will applied to express,new ideas. lu?ver grow to hold a gallon. !he pint will always be. a Evolution once signified the movement of troops, or of a pint, and the gallon a gallon, Just as the monkey Will squadron of warships; but it is now used to describe the I always b~ a. m,onkey and never become-an infidel, even if process by which monkeys are changed into infidels. For the sceptic insists that they are very near together, and the sceptics of these days spend much time, and write I need nothing but a 'missing link' to unite them, That many books, to prove that their great, great, great, gren.t-/ missing link will always be missing. The middle round grandmothers were monkeys or the descendants of monkeys, of a ladder is much nearer the top than the bottom round, with modern improvements, brought about by a process but it will never climb an inch higher; it stays where it which they call' evolution,' was put.-From 'Was Moses Mistaken l' by H.L.H. , Evolution signifies unrolling, You unroll a monar a few millions of years, and you have an oyster, You unroll Stir Up tbe <Bift. your oyster for ages on ages, and you have a tadpole. You unroll your tadpole long enough, and you have a monkey; and you unroll your monkey a few thousand centnries, Tm: Apostle exhorts his son Timothy to 'stir up the gift and you have an infidel! And this is science 1 But will of God' which is in him. There are many precious gifts which are unused, They are like fires which are banked this theory stand the test of experiment 1 There are gifts which if stirr~<l np Suppose for illustration that a man should say to me, or buried in ashes 'There is an oak tree five hundred yen.rs old, which origin- would make flaming torch cs of men who now are only smoking flax. There are multitudes of men who stand for . ally sprang from an oyster !' little more than ciphers in the world's great sum, who if , I don't believe it,' I promptly reply. 'Of course you do not believe it; you are not a scientific their gifts were stirred IIp and aroused, might be mighty man, and you have not li ved five hundred years. But if factors to mould the world's destiny. A gift that is not stirred np becomes dorrnn nt, and comyou will go and get an oyster and plant it here, and get you a three-legged stool and sit down and watch it five paratively useless. There may be the gift of speech, which hundred years, you will see.' if neglected is almost lost; or the gift of discernment, But I am not prepared to do that, and the man of science which may become obscured and dulled by the stnpefying seems to have the best of the argnment. But I say, 'Let inflnences of sill and neglect. So various gifts, left alone 11S walk up through the grove, and see what we can find. and neglected, are like the talent buried in the ground. There is an oak three hundred years old, there is another a They gather mould and rust, instead of increasing and hundred years old, there is one fifty years old, another multiplying. Stir up the gift that is in yon, If God has given you a thirty years old, another twenty years, another ten, another five, another three, another two, another one year gift, it is for use, for exercise, for employment; and He old, and there is another just sprouting out qf the acorn and would have it used for His glory and the good of your coming forth to light. K ow what do I wan t to wait f ve fellow-men. What is a sword good for if it rests in the hundred years to see if an oyster will turn into an oak, scabbard 1 What is a lamp worth if. it is never lighted 1 when I can, by walking fivc hundred yards, see the whole What is a seed worth if it lies stored away and is never process of the oak's growth from the acorn to the proudest cast into the ground 1 What is wealth good for if it be clutched and hoarded 1 So any gift which God bestows on monarch of the forest 'I' And why should I wait ten thousand millions of years to man, if allowed to remain unused, largely loses its value, see if a monkey will turn into an infidel, when the matter and at last seems to fade out of existence. The gifts of the can be tested right here 7 The Laws of Nature are said to painter, the poet, the musician, the artist, the student, all be unchangeable, and they are in operation. Now we have must be exercised and stirred up, or they will soon become monkeys enough, and we have infidels enough; and if this of little worth. So' the gift of God,' the power which the theory of evolution is true, there ought to be a place found Most High bestows upon men, is for service, for exercise, somewhere where monkeys would be at work raising for use, for blessing; and the Christian must stir up the infidels for the American market. But we do not find gift of God which is within him, and so use that gift thatit them, no traveller has ever discovered them: Barnum shall bring good to others and benediction from the Lord. H. L. H. could never find such -pecimens for his museum. 'What is the matter 1 Have the monkeys got ashamed of the crop and gone out of the business 1 or has the theory of evolnKnowledge is that which, next to virtue, truly and tion broken down beyond repair 1 essentially raises one man above another.-Addison.

lEvolutton.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

111

reach their homes. To give an opportunity to those who are over the above-stated age, and who would like to IF I have a mass of iron filings mixed with sand and earthy compete, we have decided to form another class; age from materials, the whole mass being accurately balanced upon eighteen to twenty-one. These will be expected to answer a large scale, and then bring over the mass a powerful the stated questions and the extra ones, which latter the electro-magnet, loutS before there is any visible motion of" younger class need not attempt. Write answers to extra the filings towards the magnet the scale will indicate a questions on separate sheet of paper. Do not keep back, marked loss of weight as the particles of iron respond to thongh yon cannot solve every question. the attraction of the magnet from above. Moving the THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES. magnet still nearer, a motion will begin among the parTuum SERIES. -FIFTH S)'T. ticles of iron, striving to separate themsel ves from among Paul mobbed in the Temple. -Acts xxi. 28 to 31. the sand and earth; and if the magnet be suddenly lowered 1. 'Where is Trophimns ' previously mentioned ?' to a point sufficiently near, instantly every iron particle 2. Where do we read of his illness? will spring from the mass, and bound to meet the magnet 3. What made the mob think that Paul harl polluted the and clinz to it. Temple? Our Great Magnet is coming down into the air. The 4. Who had built the Temple '! . 5. How long did it take to build it? signs of His approach have begun to come to pass, and we, 6. Give the names of some of its courts. whose hearts are polarised with divine 10\'e, feel the at7. Why did the mob seek to drag Paul to the outside ? traction from above ~rowing stronger and stronger, and our 8. Where was the Tower of Antonia ? eartbly weight growing lighter. Looking up, our heads 9. Give the chief captain's name. are lifted up, and as we believe t.hat redemption draweth 10. '''hat is the band referred to in verse 31. near, the heavenly attraction gro\ys so strong that it is at times difficult to tell whether we are in the body or out of the body. Let us be on the alert, for the day is at hand. Yes, the hour draweth neat', even the moment, when the L J S 1 ord will descend into the heavens with a s rout. uc denly the heavenly magnet will come so close that in an instant, from t11e burst.ing gt'a\'es of earth, the dead in Christ shall arise to meet Him in the air; and only just a little behind them' we who are alive and remain,' ill whose hearts is burning the power of Chr shall bound from heavenlies, and the divine ist, has been this sphere be forever fire, and from whose lives, by separated the things of earth, of sense and mat.ter into the with the Lord.' And to the ANSWERS TO Fotnrrn SET. 1. Eli (1 Sarn. iii. 18). 2. Baggage (Ho V.)
3. Phillip (Acts viii. 40).

\!be comtnc (Dreat Magnet.

sinner we send, as ne vet' before, the solemn warning, 'Pt'epftt'e to meet thy God '! The day of grace is closing. Haste thee, and call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. Behold the Brideqroom cometli I-Captain Kelso Carte,

-~---

33. . Barnabas (Acts iv. 36, 37). Early (R.V.), i.e., for a considerable time, Acts x xviii. 15. Yes (Acts x xiii, 16). One by one (R.Y.) Acts xviii, 18. EXTR.\ QUESTfO~. There were two phases of the .lu.laizera' charges against Paul's teaching. What were they. ANSWERSTO FOURTH SET. From Margaret Green, Geo. T. Maunder, W. E. Jurlkins, Ernest Aldridge, Sydney Smith, Louis Falkner. ANSWERS TO EXTRA (~UESTION, Margaret Green, Louis Falkner, Sarah Lanrence sends answers to the May questions. 5. 6. 7. 8, 9. 10.

~. Acts xxiii.

-----------------------OMPETITORS must be under eighteen years of age. It will be understood that the answers sent are the entire work of the

AUCKLAND.-Our readers will rejoice with us that another has submitted himself to the Lord's command. vVe assisted Bro. Myles to put on Christ in baptism. He has taken this ste.p !Lfter lon.g thought and examination as the result of deep C~nYlctlOnthat It is the Lord's will that His servants should be baptdsed. children. A course of Sunday evening addresses has been given on 'The Days of Noab,' and large audiences have assembled, the interest HINTS. being maintained throughout. The five Lantern Lectures on 'The Life and Times of Joseph' Begin with the present set. Do not write the questions, have been followed with much interest, and we anticipate a large but send the answers numbered to correspond with the attendance for the next series on 'The Life and Journeys of Paul.' questions, and state uiliere yMt found them. 'Write in ink. This series will commence on July 12th, and it is hoped it will prove specially helpful to SundaySchool teachers, an.d the scholars See that your note contains name and address, and reaches who intend entering for the examination on this subject shortly to be held by the Sunday School Union. me not later than the 18th of the month Competitors The Annual Church Tea will (D. V.) be held on July 5th. We South of Wellington, and in Australia, are allowed extension are hoping to have a large attendance, a good time, and the of time equivalent to the time taken for the STANDARD to Master's Llcssing on our gathering.

-... r'~
'''''

112

TILE BIBLE

STANDAHD.

JULY,

1893.

current ~Rewa ano 1Aotea.

The Gospel is now heing proclaimed to the Israelites in every part of the earth. Great Britain alone has sixteen societies for the conversion of the Jews. The United States has eight. It is fifty years since Delitsch translated the New Testament into Hebrew, and the event was recently celebrated in Germany. The occasion, however, WItS not made as much of as it deserved. The work of this learned man was all-important, and will long stand a monument to his faith and devotion to the cause of his ::\[aster. He gUI-e the Jews the gospel in their own vernacular, and presented to them an open door into the Messiah's kingdom. Many of them have read and believed, while myrilulR are yet to he reached for Christ through this Hebrew New Testament, Already it has passed through ten editions, the last one num berinqtwo hundred thousand copies. 1t is J-inding readers in Central Africa and distant Siberia, as well ItS in Germany and other parts of Europe. The Hebrew is still :t living- tougue, and millions wil], some day, bless the mind and hand which put the New Testament within Jewish reach.-P?-esbytel'ill1l Observer. The Church Missionary Society of England is one of the oldest nnd also one of the most efficient th:tt is engaged in foreign work. rt was formed ill the last decade of the eighteenth centmy, and has done excellent service in many lands. It was ahle to report for 1892, 736 missionaries, about 300 ordained native preachers, 4207 nabive helpers, and more than 50,000 ccmmunicants. The Catholic Propaganda authorities have tried hard for runny years to regain the North of Europe. In Norway their prol?ress llas been I'ery small, and Catholic churches are few anu far between. They have not a single congregation ill the country with a membership of a thousand souk Recently the parliament abrogated the law which prohibited Catholics from holding political office; hut the proposition to permit the Jesuit" to labour in Norwl1,.Y could not secure" majority of votes. Philadelphia is the tirst American city to adopt the pneumatic postal tube, which is used in London and Berlin, and through which parcels are sent at lightning speed. The label on the first one sent from Philadelphia was as follows: 'The firxt use of the tlrst pneumatic postal tube in the United States is to send through it a copy of the Holy Scriptures-the greatest message ever given to the world.' Covering the Bihle is the American flag-the emblem of freedom of sixty-three millions of people.-Union

U:be lBible Stanbarb.

The BmLE 8TAN DARD can be ordered direct from E. H. FALK:'<ER, Karangahape Road, Auckland, from any of the Agents. PRTCE per annum, post free... beyond New Zealand, per annum, the Publisher, or obtained 2R. 6d. 3~. Od.

post free

AGENTS

FOR THE BIBLE

NEW ZEALAND.

STANDARD

Auckland-Mr. C. Mackay, Bookseller, Grey-street. " Mr. Hancock, Bookseller, Karangahn pe Road. Christchurch-c-Mr. l Iewitt, Mayfair Street, Addingtou, lJrury-M r. J oseph Dixon, Gisborne-s-Mr. A. Slack. Hamilton - M r. John Steadman. Invercargill-Neil's Botanic Dispensary. Kamo-Mr. J. Heape. Kaiapot-s-Mr. James Holland. IVI ilton-M r. Gregg. New Plymouth-Mr. Fred. Goodacre, Courtney Road. Timaru-Mr. David Ferrier, Arcade. Thames-Mr. W. H. Cropp. Tinwald, Ashburton-c-Mr. Shearer. Wanc:aloa-Mr. Taylor. Wdlington-~Jr. Slinn, Brougharn Street. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Adelaide-Mr. Adelaide-Mr. Sydney-M C Gamble, Life and Advent Book Room, William-street, City. C. Gamble, Magill Road, Siepney. NEW SOUTH WALES. r. W. H. Ca IT, Lyndhurst, Ebley Street, King

Waverley.

Signal.
Whab looks like a slight mitigation of the atrocious Russian persecution of the Jews is reported, the President of the Itoly Synod having persuaded the Minister of the Interior to exempt the sect of the Karaites from the recent anti-Jewish laws. The Karaites number only a few thousand, about the Crimea chiefly. They pay less reverence to the Talmud than other Jews; and the President of the Holy Synod seems to imagine he can by this act persuade the Jews to join that sect, although what advantage that would be to the Orthodox Church of Russia is not apparent. Exalt the mothers of to-day, said a missionary from Singapore, and to-morrow the nation is exalted. Christianise these heathen mothers to-day, and their heathen sons will shake off their heathen superstitions and follow the true God to- morrow. If every Christian woman of America would take a hand with their si. ters who are labouring to promote the cause of Foreign Missions, wha an impulse they would give to the' great world's \I' heel. '-MiggionCtry Link. Mr. Anclrew Carnegie, chief proprietor of the celebrated Camegie Steel Works in Pennsylvania, has just offered to donate to three M.E. Churches a fine pipe organ. A I'ery handsome sum of money this will amouut to. At the same time the Carnegie Company have cut down the wages of their thousands of workingmen twenty pe?' cent. That looks to us like wicked oppression sugar-coated with a spurious piety.World's Crisis. CHURCH MELBOURNECity.-Monday, 7.30, Bihle School at late Y.M.C.A., Rnssellstreet. South. Ya?-,(t.-!'>unday, at 11 a.m., Breaking of Bread. "ednesday, 7.30, Bible School. Will1:amstolcn.-Sunday, at 3 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., Meetings at Mechanics' Hall. Friday, 7.30, Bible School at vY. C. T. Rooms. Newport.-Wednesday, at 7.30, Bible School, Jubilee Hall. Hctwthorn.-Thursday, at 7.30, Bible School, 'V.C. T. Rooms, Burwood Road. ollingwood.-Monday, at 7.30, Bible School, Wellington-street, OF CHRIST.

Communications to the Editor 10 be addressed :-G EO. A LD R IDGE, Boston Road, Auckland. All Communications to the Association to be addressed to the Secretary, WM. RATTRA Y, Victoria Avenue, off Eden Terrace, Auckland.

CHURCH
Hold services as under :-

OF

CHRIST

AUCKLANll-Foresters' Hall, Karangahape Road. Sunday, at 11 o'clock a.m., Fellowship Meeting. 6.45 p.m., Lecture on sI/me important Bible The nre-. Sunday School at 3. Wednesday evening, Bible Cla,s at 7.30. Evangelist's address-Geo. Alc!ridge, Boston Ronrl. GrSllORNE-Adrlress-Mr. A Slack. North Gishorne. Duxz m x-c-Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart-street. Sunday, at 1 [ a. m., Fellowship .\Ieetin;,:. Lecture at 6.45. Sunday School at 2.45. Prayer Meeting and Bible Class every Friday evening at 7.30. Secretary's Address-Francis Battson, Stafford Street, South Dunedin. Tr:AMES - Pollen Street Lecture Hall. Sunday, at [[ a.rn., Fellowship Meeting. Evening Service at 6.30. Sunday School at 2.30. Bible Class every Wednesday evening at 7.30. ,Evangelist's ~ddress-E. H. Taylor, Thames. ADELAIDE, S. _\.Inquiry and Discussion Class, Blackeby's Boot Shop, 226, Rundle Street, every Thursday, at 7.45 p. m. Secretary's Address-F. B. Hughes, 96, North Terrace. SVDNEv-Temperance Hall, College Street, Camperdown. Morning meeting at 1 r , Bible Class Wednesday at 7.45. Secretary's Address- W. Warner, [6 Pitt-street, Redfern. KOCKDAI.E.-At residence of Mr. H. Cropp, Curtis Street, Rockdale Park. Prir-ted by H. BRETT, Evemng Star Office, Shortland-street , for the New Zealand Evangelistic and Publication Association, and published by E. H. FALKNER, Karangahape Road, Auckland. JULY, [893.