1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org 1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org
them by believing. Draw thou but into the standard of Jesus Christ,and the day shall be thine, for victory follows that standard, andcannot be severed from it. Yea, though thou find the smart of diversstrokes, yet think that often a wounded soldier hath won the day;believe, and it shall be so with thee. And remember, that thy defeat,through the wisdom and love of thy God, may be ordered toadvance the victory--to put courage and noble energy into theeagainst thine enemies --to humble thee, and drive thee from thineown imagined strength to make use of his strength. And be nothasty; think not at the very first to conquer. Many a hard conflictmust thou resolve upon, and often shalt thou be brought very low,almost to a desperate point, to thy sense past recovery; then it istime to step in, even in the midst of their prevailing. Let God butarise, and his enemies shall be scattered. Thus the Church hathfound it in her greatest extremities; and thus likewise the believingsoul.--Selected.R777 : page 4====================TO BE CAST OUT.If the salt have lost its savor,...it is thenceforth good for nothing,but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.--MATT.5:13.The careful student of Jesus' words will find in them convincingevidence that he foreknew the history of the Christian Church fromits inception to its close. It was through him, beyond doubt, thatPaul was enabled to point out, for the guidance of the faithful, thegreat apostasy which was to extend through centuries of her history,and the final revelation of the man of sin. 2 Thess. 2.In the epistle to the Romans (chap. 15), Paul alludes to and explainssomething of God's plan relative to the casting away, andsubsequent restoration of the Jews; and hints at the casting away ofthe Gentile Church for the same cause, viz., unbelief. That this wasmore than a surmise on the Apostle's part, events have clearlydemonstrated.From our standpoint we can readily discern that what wasapparently but an admonition was really a prophecy as well.We cannot estimate the value this fore-knowledge of our Lord hasbeen to his Church. Amid all the persecutions that have befallen hisfollowers, they could "rejoice and be exceeding glad," assured of"great reward in heaven." How else could they have remainedfaithful among the faithless?That the words quoted as our text are also prophetic and descriptiveof the final unsavory condition of the Church (nominal) is morethan a presumption.
Has this condition already been reached? This is an inquiry fromwhich no Christian should shrink, and in the solution of whichevery Christian should be interested.It is but fair to say that opinion is divided on the subject. Whilemany mourn over the waste places in Zion-- while they recognizeand deplore the absence of spiritual life and power, the greatmajority see in the interest displayed in the erection of finechurches, in a highly-cultured ministry, the large sums annuallyexpended in sustaining these, and in multiplying their member, sureevidences of prosperity.Add to this the cordiality which the world displays in furthering herenterprises, and there seems little more to be desired.The few who recognize the loss of the real essentials of a trueChurch, hope for their recovery and a new lease of spiritual power.Vain hope! The student of the Word need not be misled by anysuch deception. Either this hope is delusive, or many scripturesmust be false. Jesus says that at the time of his coming (presence)the Church will be made up of both wheat and tares. He teaches usthat many who profess to be his followers were never recognized assuch, and will be rejected. They may have taught in his name, theymay claim to have cast out devils in his name, theyR778 : page 4may have done many wonderful works in his name, but all this willavail them nothing. Many "wonderful works" that are highlyesteemed among men are an abomination in God's sight.While the world may have applauded these claimants, Jesus neverrecognized them as his followers, nor their works as contributing tothe success of his cause. Much that is done in Jesus' name is reallydone to gratify pride and selfishness. Millions of dollars areexpended with no higher motive than that of having the finestchurch edifice, the largest and "best-equipped" Sunday school, orthe most eloquent minister.Jesus made no attempt at a reformation of the apostate JewishChurch. His work was to inaugurate and carry forward the harvest;and with fan in hand he separated the wheat from the chaff. Heaccepted the faithful--the unfaithful he rejected.Like all former dispensations, the present will give place to anotherwhen its allotted time has expired. The nominal Church havingbecome a great worldly institution, has signally failed to bearwitness to the truth, and is unfit for the greater work now becomingdue.Seeming conscious of her impending doom, she eagerly attemptswhatever promises to save her from destruction. But Ichabod isplainly written over her portals. On her walls is the inscription,"Weighed in the balance and found wanting." Like her type, shecompasses sea and land to make one proselyte, and with like result.
- Page 307 and 308: was then in the "Most Holy," condit
- Page 309 and 310: Priests and Levites), and the goat,
- Page 311 and 312: viz.: to become dead to the world,
- Page 313 and 314: a willing sacrifice, like that of t
- Page 315 and 316: instrumental in bringing the troubl
- Page 317 and 318: As the basis of all forgiveness of
- Page 319 and 320: ----------*The sacrifices relative
- Page 321 and 322: obtaining of the glory of our Lord
- Page 323 and 324: have seen, represented the world. I
- Page 325 and 326: propitiate. This was the "judgment.
- Page 327 and 328: proper place for such, as we have a
- Page 329 and 330: unto us who through consecration ha
- Page 331 and 332: presence that we may live beyond th
- Page 333 and 334: that said: The wages of sin is deat
- Page 335 and 336: All these start on the same narrow
- Page 337 and 338: measure of the afflictions of Chris
- Page 339 and 340: ====================R773 : page 12"
- Page 341 and 342: May it not be with you as it has be
- Page 343 and 344: This paper will be sent free to any
- Page 345 and 346: apacious and grasping who exalted t
- Page 347 and 348: message to every faithful member th
- Page 349 and 350: DEAR SIR AND BROTHER IN CHRIST. --I
- Page 351 and 352: ut I find it hard to convince them.
- Page 353 and 354: life and rights of Adam Rom. 5:17-1
- Page 355 and 356: appropriate little nutriment from t
- Page 357: of a woman partook of the woman's n
- Page 361 and 362: will be "the Saviour of all" from t
- Page 363 and 364: of the race immortal rulers. But th
- Page 365 and 366: sun over a restored earth. The rest
- Page 367 and 368: though "the smoke" or remembrance o
- Page 369 and 370: y an arrow from Death's quiver; her
- Page 371 and 372: informed --furnished unto every goo
- Page 373 and 374: subsist as the pillar and ground of
- Page 375 and 376: R783 : page 7stand at the head of t
- Page 377 and 378: "I walked," but I do emphasize deci
- Page 379 and 380: of the destroyer, and all the more
- Page 381 and 382: sake we are killed all the day long
- Page 383 and 384: we would give the truth. "Ho, every
- Page 385 and 386: much fruit from our own individual
- Page 387 and 388: gladly bearing reproach, and dishon
- Page 389 and 390: have been the smallest; and during
- Page 391 and 392: alarmed and are holding meetings to
- Page 393 and 394: ONE MEDIATOR.There is "one mediator
- Page 395 and 396: itterness and wrath and anger... be
- Page 397 and 398: How clearly the Scriptures guard us
- Page 399 and 400: cancel the penalty of the violated
- Page 401 and 402: lood," by "better sacrifices" than
- Page 403 and 404: Virgin Mary, say they, would not ta
- Page 405 and 406: eceive the message of redemption an
- Page 407 and 408: since heard and accepted have had t
them by believing. Draw thou but into the standard of Jesus Christ,and the day shall be thine, for victory follows that standard, andcannot be severed from it. Yea, though thou find the smart of diversstrokes, yet think that often a wounded soldier hath won the day;believe, and it shall be so with thee. And remember, that thy defeat,through the wisdom and love of thy God, may be ordered toadvance the victory--to put courage and noble energy into theeagainst thine enemies --to humble thee, and drive thee from thineown imagined strength to make use of his strength. And be nothasty; think not at the very first to conquer. Many a hard conflictmust thou resolve upon, and often shalt thou be brought very low,almost to a desperate point, to thy sense past recovery; then it istime to step in, even in the midst of their prevailing. Let God butarise, and his enemies shall be scattered. Thus the Church hathfound it in her greatest extremities; and thus likewise the believingsoul.--Selected.R777 : page 4====================TO BE CAST OUT.If the salt have lost its savor,...it is thenceforth good for nothing,but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.--MATT.5:13.The careful student of Jesus' words will find in them convincingevidence that he foreknew the history of the Christian Church fromits inception to its close. It was through him, beyond doubt, thatPaul was enabled to point out, for the guidance of the faithful, thegreat apostasy which was to extend through centuries of her history,and the final revelation of the man of sin. 2 Thess. 2.In the epistle to the Romans (chap. 15), Paul alludes to and explainssomething of God's plan relative to the casting away, andsubsequent restoration of the Jews; and hints at the casting away ofthe Gentile Church for the same cause, viz., unbelief. That this wasmore than a surmise on the Apostle's part, events have clearlydemonstrated.From our standpoint we can readily discern that what wasapparently but an admonition was really a prophecy as well.We cannot estimate the value this fore-knowledge of our Lord hasbeen to his Church. Amid all the persecutions that have befallen hisfollowers, they could "rejoice and be exceeding glad," assured of"great reward in heaven." How else could they have remainedfaithful among the faithless?That the words quoted as our text are also prophetic and descriptiveof the final unsavory condition of the Church (nominal) is morethan a presumption.
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