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His Yoke is Easy

BY J. W. BRANAM.

THERE are a great many people in the world claiming to be children of God, who, if you ask them whether they are Christians, will put on a very sober face and answer, “Well, I hope I am a Christian; I have been trying to live right for several years, but I have a very hard time, and a great many ups and downs;” and from their talk you would suppose they were serving a very hard master, and no doubt they are, but not the one they are professing to serve. What encouragement does a sinner have to serve God when he hears a professed Christian talk like that? He perhaps is having a degree of pleasure in sin, and he sees nothing to induce him to change his condition where he would only have a “hard time” continually.

It has always been the design of Satan to make the people believe that the Lord’s service is hard, while his own is easy, and if he can deceive a person that is in his service, and get him to believe that he is in God’s service he has accomplished his purpose. In the parable of the slothful servant (Matthew 25: 14), when the lord came to settle with them, the one that had received the one talent answered and said, “Lord, I knew thee, that thou art an hard man,” (master), trying to blame his master for his slothfulness. How many professed Christians serve the Devil all the time and then try to lay the blame on God, and talking about having such a hard time to live a Christian. The Lord Jesus says, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28.      The Devil’s service is hard and bitter, and his yoke is galling to the neck that wears it, but the yoke that Jesus lays upon his servants is light and easy and is an ornament of grace, and as chains of gold about the neck.

The real secret of a happy life is found in Psalms 37: 4. “Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” To delight in anything is to be happy in doing it. Some people go to meeting, and pray and testify, like if they were at the funeral of some dear friend. God wants us to take a great delight in his service, delight in prayer, delight in testifying for him, delight in searching his Word, delight in doing deeds of kindness and love, in ministering to the needy and suffering. Oh, blessed service, full of peace and joy. Truly we can say with Jeremiah, “Thy Words were found, and I did eat them; and thy Word was unto me the joy and the rejoicing of my heart.”- Jeremiah 15: 16. “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”- Romans 14: 17. “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”- 1^st Thessalonians 5: 16. No time to complain of hard times; no time to murmur or fret; the whole life is swallowed up in God, and the “joy of the Lord is their strength.” “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”- 1^st Corinthians 10: 10. When God sent deliverance to Israel, and brought them with a high hand out of Egyptian bondage, for a time there was great rejoicing; but after a while they forgot the loving-kindness of God, and murmured, saying, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full, for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”- Exodus 10: 3. God was angry with them, and because of their unbelief, he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest (i. e. Canaan). Take heed, brethren, lest any of you fall after the same example of unbelief. Now let us notice the promise God gave to Israel if they would be faithful.

“Therefore shall ye lay up these my Words in your heart and in your soul, . . . and ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou rises up. . . . That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.”– Deuteronomy 11: 18 to 21. Some people are expecting to be happy and enjoy salvation when they get to heaven; but in this promise God tells the children of Israel that if they would obey him he would multiply their days, as the days of heaven upon earth. Heaven begins when we get salvation; the very elements of heaven are implanted in our souls, which is purity, holiness, love, peace and joy; our days become days of rejoicing and gladness, and are appropriately described by the expression, “as the days of heaven upon earth.” Some one may ask, Do not Christians have temptations and trials? We answer yes; but the Word of God tells us to rejoice in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, etc., “And they departed from the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”- Acts 5: 41. Although the servants of Christ may be persecuted, and have their names cast out as evil, yet in the midst of it all they can rejoice and give glory to God. A religion without joy is a Christless religion. May God help people who are struggling along with a profession and bemoaning their hard lot, to come to God, repent of their sins, and get an experience wherein they have the real peace and joy of salvation. “Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. . . For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people; he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory, let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a sharp two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishment upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgments written: this honor have all the saints. Praise ye the Lord.”- Psalms 149: 2 to 9.

“His yoke is easy, his burden is light,

I’ve found it so, I’ve found it so;

His service is my sweetest delight,

His blessing ever flow.”

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The Doctrine of the Lord

BY GEORGE L. COLE.

THE doctrine of the Lord is his teaching, that which we are to believe. The delusive idea that it does not make any difference what a man believes, or what his doctrine is, he can be a Christian any way, is perverse teaching. When the New Testament Christians accepted the teachings of Christ there was a divine change wrought in their lives. This was not like accepting a theory or doctrine of men, which might change a man’s belief without affecting his nature. A man may have a sinful nature and he may accept any of the current doctrines of men, but his nature is still corrupt. With his sinful disposition he could be a paean and adopt all the foolish whims of pagan doctrine; he might give them up and become a Mohammedan, but this would not change his nature. He could again forsake the doctrine of Mohammed and join himself to the Catholic religion; but if dissatisfied with their doctrine he could become a Protestant and join any of their sects that he might desire, and be catechized to believe the peculiar tenets, of their creed, and his nature remain unchanged.

But if he become dissatisfied with the doctrines of men and desired to become a New Testament Christian, he must accept the teaching of Christ, but not in the manner in which the doctrines of men were accepted, because Jesus said: “My words, they are spirit and they are life.” His word and doctrine are identical, because the scripture is profitable for doctrine. See 2^nd Timothy 3: 16. And when the Word is believed it “effectually worketh also in you that believe.” It brings life into the believing one, therefore there must be salvation in the doctrine, because Paul says, “Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.”— 1^st Timothy 4: 16. “Continue in them” signifies that the acceptance of the doctrine of Christ puts us into the doctrine, and the doctrine into us. Again it is said: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.”   It is called the apostles’ doctrine because they set it forth; it is called the doctrine of Christ because he received it from the Father, and gave it to his apostles. “Jesus answered and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”— John 7: 16, 17. Christ’s teaching can be tested by doing the will of God. The doctrine sets forth an experience and this experience is realized when the will of God is performed. The doctrines of men cannot be tested because they do not profess to impart an experience. But Christ proposes to give us an experience, and with this experience a knowledge of the same.

ABIDING IN THE DOCTRINE.

The Apostle John has told us, “Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”— 2^nd John 9. When a person has received the doctrine of Christ he must continue therein in order to remain in God’s favor. If he relinquishes his hold of the doctrine of Christ, he is not abiding therein, and such we are told hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son; hence must be in fellowship with them. No one can have Christ exclusive of the Father, therefore, we see when the doctrine of Christ is rejected, Christ himself is rejected and the Father also is rejected. No one can reject the Father and the Son and have the Holy Spirit; thus the fellowship of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is cut off, hence fellowship with those who continue in the doctrine is likewise cut off. It is easy to become a heretic just by adopting some doctrine opposed to the doctrine of Christ. A person cannot hold to a doctrine opposing the doctrine of Christ and at the same time continue in the doctrine of Christ; therefore, in the adopting of a false doctrine a person transgresses the doctrine of Christ, ceases to abide in it, and the apostle declares, “Such is subverted and sinneth.” Titus 3: 11. The Lord’s displeasure falls more severely upon a heretic than upon one who trespasses against his brother. The former only has two opportunities of recovery while the latter has three. Compare Titus 3: 9 to 11 with Matthew 18: 15 to 17. The Lord was displeased with the church at Smyrna and declared unto them, “I have a few things against thee, because thou last there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam . . . also them that hold the doctrine of Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate,” and his remedy was, “Repent or else I will come unto thee quickly.” He was not here chiding the heretics, but he was chiding the children of God for allowing heretics to remain among them and teach them false doctrine, which was causing the children of God to turn from the truth. We have seen how a person forfeits salvation by adopting false doctrine, and how the  displeasure of God rests upon those who suffer heresy to be taught among them. Again, when the judgments of God are executed against false teachers and others sympathize with theirs and speak against the children of God, who have dealt out God’s judgments, the displeasure of the Lord will rest upon them, because they are bidding them God speed. “For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”- 2^nd John 11. We have an example recorded in the 16th chapter of Numbers, where Korah and his men, two hundred and fifty, rose up against Moses, and the Lord destroyed them. “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” And this thing displeased the Lord, and the plague broke out and fourteen thousand seven hundred died, besides them that died about the matter of Korah. Only two hundred and fifty of the elders were destroyed with Korah, while their sympathizers were slain by the thousand, and the Apostle Paul tells us that these things “were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world have come.” So we see it is a dangerous thing to rise up in defense of heretics who have been dealt with according to the Word of God.

CO – OPERATION.

We can but glean from the foregoing facts that God demands co-operation of all his people when dealing with one who trespasses or one who imbibes false doctrine. The bad leaven of heresy was creeping into the Galatian church and the apostle thundered forth the judgments of the Lord against their heresy, saying: “I would they were even cut off which trouble you.”— Galatians 5: 12. But his instruction was this: “I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded; but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.”— Verse 10. Here the apostle seeks and hopes in the co-operation of the church in renouncing the heretics, and it is not reasonable that the teachers should renounce heretics and the church hold up for them. Such is displeasing unto the Lord; shall I say more so in the gospel day than in the days of Moses? “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the spirit of grace?” — Hebrews 10: 28, 29.

It seems severe and painful to renounce those whom we have esteemed as dear brethren in the ministry, simply because of false doctrine, but when it is clearly proved that they are setting forth doctrine contrary to the Word of God, contrary to their past profession, they make themselves heretics and their judgments can be no lighter than that which is set forth in the Word of God; but if we, as a people, will stand true to the Word of God, God will stand by us and where one falls many more will be raised up to fill his place; better, nobler, and more faithful men. Then let us not grieve over the loss, while we remember it is written: “Some of those of understanding shall fall, to prove them, and to try them unto the time of the end.” “Purge out therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump.” We know that some are ready to cry bigotry, popery, but this is only a false plea to cloak over a corrupt heart, for the Apostle Paul teaches the reverse in 2^nd Corinthians 12: 21. “And lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented,” etc. It is only a mark of true humility for God’s ministers to deal faithfully with those who go astray and privily bring in damnable heresies.

I have felt moved of the Lord to sound this note of warning to all the church, that they might heartily co-operate in the renunciation of heresy and heretics, because letters have come to us stating that dear Brother____; had been to their place when I was quite sure that  they might be aware that the man mentioned had been renounced in the columns of the Trumpet. I would say for the benefit of the readers of the Trumpet that the editor does not stand alone in renouncing heretics, but he has the hearty co-operation of the ministers and loyal saints who inform him of the facts in the case, which I can truthfully say, up to all my knowledge, has never been hasty, although it would not be unscriptural for one minister to deal with and renounce one who has departed from the doctrine of Christ; and for one I heartily co-operate in standing by the faithful brethren who are ready to be humbled before God and in the sight of the people to bewail them which have sinned already.

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Our Conversation

BY J. E. FORREST.

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom.” There is much said in God’s Word about our conversation; yea, let every one who professes godliness show his works by his conversation. While the word “conversation” applies to our conduct in general, we wish to treat more particularly on the matter of speech.

In writing these few lines I do not wish to find fault, I only wish to admonish those who are apt to say too much, whose conversations are not according to good works. I am very sure that a great many of God’s little ones are lean in their souls to-day because of their much speech. Ah, my dear readers, God is not well pleased to have us spiritually cold because of such things, but would have us to forsake our many words. To my sorrow, I have been among professed Christians whose tongues were not bridled as they should be. Listen! “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.”- James 1: 26. Note that it says “any man”-; none excluded; we all must bridle our tongues. “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”- Matthew 12: 36, 37.

It surely depends upon what we say, and how we say it, whether we are in perfect order or not. “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words, there is more hope of a fool than of him.”- Proverbs 29: 20. I often think of the old proverb which says, “The least said is the easiest mended,” and so it is. Our words should be few. “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. . . . A fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. . . . Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. . . For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities; but fear thou God.” – Ecclesiastes 5: 2 to 7.

Oh, how sinful it is for any one to let his conversation lead him to speak evil of his neighbor in any way, backbiting, slandering, and saving things which he ought not! “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.” Psalms 15: 1 to 3.

Our conversation can be unholy in various ways, such as by joking, jesting, light and chaffy talk, covetous talk, boasting about things that pertain to self. “Let your conversation be without covetousness.”- Hebrews 13: 5. “But fornication and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once- named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”- Ephesians 5: 3, 4, 6. But instead of these things, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts unto the Lord.”- Verse 19. “There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers. . . . whose mouths must be stopped.”-Titus 1: 10, 11. “Speak not evil one of another, brethren.”- James 4: 11. “But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine.”- Titus 2: 1. “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation” (1^st Peter 1: 15), that they that are without may behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Do not render “Evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing. For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”- 1^st Peter 3: 9, 10. “For even here unto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps, who did no sin; neither was guile found in his mouth.”- 1^st  Peter 1: 21, 22. “Let no man despise thy youth, . . . but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation,” (1^st Timothy 4: 12) “be grave, not double-tongued.”- 3^rd chapter 8. “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. . . . And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. . . . It defileth the whole body.” – James 3: 2 to 6. Therefore our tongues must be bridled or governed, so that our bodies will not be defiled thereby; yea, let God put his bridle in your mouth, that he may guide you. “The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, and full of deadly poison.”- Verse 8. For as much then, my reader, as the tongue is the governor of our bodies we should have them bridled, that our religion be not vain.

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Are You in God’s Order?

BY VIANNAH CRITES.

As I look out on this world with its gross deceptions and manifold delusions my very soul has gone out in behalf of the perishing, with hopes and prayer that many may be recovered out of the Devil’s snare. How important it is that those who profess to enjoy salvation in this glorious evening light should walk circumspectively before God and man, but I fear many who make a high profession have not the real fear of God before their eyes that they should have, in order that God may receive glory all the time from day to day and month to month and year to year. Some pray when they have nothing else to do, but such prayers are very dull. Others only read the Bible when they run out of everything else to read, and it is then a very dull thing to them. Some go out preaching when they cannot find work that suits them, and then when they can get at their old work they leave off their preaching and engage in many transactions not in harmony with the gospel, and thereby cause disaster and souls to stumble. Again we see some who imagine God wants them to go out and preach, and because he does not open the way they do much grumbling and fault finding, when if God was to open the way for them to go on such a mission they would only be a stumbling-block. I have seen those who, after reading what physicians and eminent men and women have said on the evils of corset-wearing, and especially what has come from the ministry, yet some still persist in wearing them and imagine all the affliction God has let come upon them was because they could not go and work more for him, when the fact is God was only trying to show them their duty before they were fit to go.

Now I have sympathy for all those who have not really had the light on all the evils that attend these things, but I cannot think there are many that have not felt the evil that ever tried to wear one. They need not expect much from the hand of the Lord until they walk in the light already given. And again, dear souls, you that are in bondage to the tobacco habit and do not feel very comfortable in the society of God’s holy children, that have cleansed themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, do you think you can get to heaven without giving up this filthy habit. The Lord tells us he will come quickly. He that is unjust let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Dear soul; if you do not enjoy the company of the redeemed here, you would not if you was to get to heaven. This is the dressing room, the giving up place of all sin and filthy habits, if you want to enjoy heaven. God wants us to get cleaned up here and let our light shine. We should have our clothes made neat, and to fit us as near as we can, and live pure, holy lives.

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Be Not Deceived

BY EMANUEL MYERS.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.”— Galatians 6: 7. After a careful consideration of this text, and beholding the awful blinding work of deception being imposed Upon dear souls throughout the earth, I feel it my duty to take this opportunity to speak to as many dear souls as possible at once on this line. Brethren, if God’s Word be the standard (which it is) by which to determine our fitness for heaven, we are sure that nothing but an experience of perfect holiness will ever enable us to stand approved before God in that great day. We must build on the rock; unless the foundation be sure, our building is certain to fall. See Matthew 7: 26, 27. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”— Proverbs 16: 25. Unless we start right at the very first our labor will be in vain.

We believe it to be our duty to see to it that our every-day life measure to the Word of God in every particular; even in thought, word, and deed. Unless we know beyond a doubt that the Word is a living reality within our very souls, and further know we have met and do meet the requirements of the Word, as fast as made known to us, in the fullest sense of obedience; unless we know this to be our experience, we are deceived. To start right means much, but to keep right means more. And right here is where we wish to sound to all a most solemn warning on this very point. We might start on the Bible line on the true foundation, which can only be done by real Bible repentance, meeting the requirements of the Word such as:

Forsaking your way. Isaiah 55: 6, 7.

Confession. Proverbs 28: 13; 1^st John 1: 9. Restitution. Ezekiel 33: 14, 15; Luke 19: 8. Forgiveness. Matthew 6: 14, 15.

But, dear ones, it is possible we may start right and get a real experience, and through lack of real vigilance or careful and close watching on our part, give the enemy some inroads into our experience, and thus not keep right. Many dear souls are overtaken on this line. Many seem to think as soon as they get right with God they can sit quietly down and the Lord will take them through, but this is a mistake. Christ said, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.” We must pray or fall; pray without ceasing. If we neglect secret communion with God, we will lose ground fast.

Is it reasonable to believe that we need to pray less now than when first saved? Do we not realize the sweet approval of God on us as at first? If not, why not? Can we say we have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man? An accusing conscience is a sure sign of guilt. Be not deceived. Know thyself. Let us remember that only those virgins that had oil in their vessels were able to make them shine. It takes the oil (grace of God) to produce the light. Let us not go on with an empty profession as the five foolish virgins did. I have known dear ones in the past overtaken through neglect of duty after having been made to see their condition; just simply beginning their profession again without meeting God’s requirements for salvation. This will not do.

Be not deceived. If salvation be lost, it is lost through disobedience in some form. From this it is plain to be seen we must again seek the favor of God through repentance; make wrongs right with God and our fellow man, if there be any. And right here let us bear in mind if we have wronged the brethren in a manner to lose their confidence, confidence can never be restored until the wrong is righted on our part. If we have wronged by speaking evil we must ask forgiveness or abide without salvation till we do. Forgive and ye shall be forgiven means much. The language here simply implies we must forgive to be forgiven; both forgive and ask forgiveness. The word forgive as taught in the New Testament is a word of deep meaning. By searching the Word we find it must be clearly from the heart. Matthew 18: 35. We have an example of true forgiveness in 2^nd Corinthians 2: 7, 8. “So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest peradventure such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.” By this language it will be plainly seen that forgiveness is two-fold: first, The forgiving and forgetting all past wrongs; secondly, confirming your love toward the one forgiven, or in other words treating him as though he never had wronged you. Anything short of this is not true forgiveness. We must treat others as God treats us. Be not deceived. If we are living in known disobedience, we will reap the reward of the disobedient. We need not think we are deceiving God. If such is our life, we are the ones deceived; for God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. Dear ones, we must live to the Word. Any unwillingness on our part to measure to the Word forfeits our right to eternal glory. Walk in the light lest darkness come upon you. Let us see to it that our experience is what the Word demands, or we will be left without excuse in the great final reckoning day. Heaven is worth fighting for and cheap at any price. Then let all be true.

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God Will Judge the Wicked

BY J. E. FORREST.

“FRET not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”— Psalms 37: 1, 2. “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evil-doers shall be cut off, . .. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.”— Verses 8 to 10. “The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him; for he seeth that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their jaws shall be broken.”— Verses 12 to 15. “Depart from evil and do good, and dwell forevermore. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved forever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.”— Verses 27, 28. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. — Verses 37, 38.

The righteous and the wicked are growing together here, but they shall be separated when the Lord shall come to judge the world. Matthew 13: 49. Surely all who will read the Word of God can easily see that the wicked shall be suddenly destroyed and that without remedy. God has said it. “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away,” saith the Lord. “But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”- 2^nd Peter 3: 7. God has sent his Son into the world that he might destroy the works of the Devil. 1^st John 3: 8. Therefore all who will come to him here while in this life may have the works of the Devil destroyed out of them and they themselves be saved from wrath, but all who fail to forsake their wicked ways, shall be destroyed both soul and body in hell. The wages of sin is death, eternal banishment from the presence of the Lord. How is it with you, sinner? Cast a thought at the sad picture described in Luke 16, where the rich man was in hell and lifted up his eyes and cried for Abraham to send Lazarus that he might dip his finger in water and cool his tongue. Can this be your lot? Surely you will say no. Very well then, if you would escape these things, turn to God for mercy and he will hear you. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.— John 3: 16.

The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day. 2^nd Thessalonians 1: 7 to 10.

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The Power of God

BY FRED HUSTED.

MANY people to-day, like those people of Samaria, whom Simon the sorcerer had deceived, are ready to believe that a manifestation is of God simply because it cannot be accounted for from a natural point of view. “This is the great power of God,” is heard on almost every hand. “To the law and to the testimony,” says Isaiah (8: 19, 20); “if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light [knowledge, truth] in them.” “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [prove]the spirits whether they are of God” (1^st John 4: 1); because many false prophets have gone out into the world. As the spirits in the time of the law and the prophets were proved or tried by the law and the testimony, so are the spirits of to-day to be tried by that which is truth to-day, the perfect law (James 1: 25) and testimony (1^st John 4: 1 to 6; Revelation 19: 10).

The fact that prophecies of signs and wonders came to pass did not in the Mosaic times prove the one who foretold them a prophet of God. See Deuteronomy 13: 1 to 5. “Thou shalt not harken unto the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God proveth, you to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.”- Verse 3. Neither because things spoken by such prophets to-day come to pass, are they proved to be of God. As there were lying signs and wonders then, so are there now (2^nd Thessalonians 2: 7 to 12) lying manifestations which are believed by those who have not or will not receive a love of the truth.

“For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, in so much, that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”- Matthew 24: 24. “For they are the spirits of devils working miracles” (Revelation 16: 14) with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.” (2^nd Thessalonians 2: 9, 10). These spirits of devils are the authors of false doctrines (1^st Timothy 4: 1) whose object it is to seduce the unlearned and unstable by wresting the truth.

That the enemy of all souls, with his agents carries on a general work of deception, counterfeiting or imitating God’s works, is evident, not only from the above texts, but from actual observation. This was true when Philip carried the gospel into Samaria, and Paul and Silas preached at Philippi, and God-sent ministers of to-day will find that workers of lying signs and wonders have in many localities preceded them also. While many of Satan’s deceptions are imitations, more or less like the God-given experiences, many of them are evidently made almost entirely of whole cloth. Truly the Word of God is the only sure safeguard, and to its infallible bar must we bring every spirit, miracle, sign and wonder to be tried or proved before we accept it as coming from God. Should a man appear in our midst actually putting new limbs on people who had lost arms and legs and new eyes in empty sockets, we would be under no obligation to believe him a true messenger of God, unless he measured up to the Word and worked according to it.

Many say, “I am led to do this,” or “I am led to do that,” and while we can not question the fact that they are led or influenced, it is necessary to our spiritual welfare not only to question but to demand and know by whom they are led.

” As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”- Romans 8: 14. John’s way of testing such cases was set forth plainly when he wrote: “We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby this is how] know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”- 1^st John 4: 6. Many of us, dear readers, have seen professors do things and have heard them say things which were solemnly affirmed to be the direct workings of God’s power in them, and which they have warned us not to resist on pain of God’s displeasure, a favorite expression of one class of such people being “Do not resist the power.” While volumes might be written and not exhaust this theme, we will now notice this particular delusion of “Going under the power,” or “Falling under the power,” as it is called.

When asked why we should not resist the “power,” these “power ” believers refer us at once to Romans 13: 1 to 3. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained [ordered] of God.”- Verse 1. It is evident that the power of God is not mentioned or thought of in this case. If it were, then the expression would also indicate that Satan’s power was ordained or ordered (margin) of God. “Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance [statute, decree] of God: and they that resist shall also receive to themselves damnation: for rulers are no terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou not then be afraid of the power? do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he [the ruler] is the minister of God to thee for good. And if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore we must be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For this cause pay we tribute [taxes] also; for they are God’s ministers attending continually on this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” That the civil powers are here meant, surely will not be gainsaid by any sensible man, especially if he will read the Emphatic Diaglott, which places the word “authorities” in place of “powers.” Truly the possessor of a sign or wonder must be in a sorry plight who is obliged to resort to such glaring, evident, and shameless wresting of the truth, to uphold his pet hobby.

There are but two cases of “trance” mentioned in the New Testament and we will endeavor to prove by the Word that neither of them had any semblance to the ridiculous manifestations of the ” Going under the power” class of to-day. The trances of the New Testament are found in Acts 10: 10. Peter in secret prayer on the housetop, and Acts 22: 17. Paul at prayer in the temple. In each case the person (Peter and Paul) received a commission that affected their entire life work. In each case the import of their vision caused a radical departure from what the previous course of the church and the ministry had been. Formerly the ministry had confined their effort to the ministry of the gospel to the Jews, the Gentiles not yet being considered, by many at least, as heirs apparent to the plan of salvation. See Acts 10^th and 11^th chapters. If then Paul and Peter in each “trance” received such a message, of such a wonderful import, what have these so-called trances of our day to show as a reason that we should believe in them? Some writer has declared that “comparisons are odious.”

They are indeed, we think, to the trance advocates of the present. Permit a thought that has often occurred to the writer: How many Peters and Pauls have we to-day? and if so great men as they were had but one trance each in a lifetime, how great must he be who could have a trance each meeting service, and how the world would shake under his preaching!

Again, “Let all things be done unto edifying [instruction]” is a Bible rule for conducting a meeting. 1^st Corinthians 14: 26. “Let all things be done decently and in order,” is another rule to the same end. Verse 40. “God is not the author of confusion [margin, tumult or unquietness], but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”— Verse 33. Now, many of us as eye witnesses of such scenes as those presented by people ‘falling under the power,” can see neither order nor decency, peace nor edification in such things. Sinners at the altar seeking pardon would surely desire the power manifested in prayer and faith for their deliverance, and instruction in things of the Spirit, rather than have so many supposed to be capable of instructing, laid helpless on the benches or floors at the very time their help was needed. If God had anything at all to do with such manifestations at such a time, the writer would consider it a sure sign that God desired the parties in “helpless state” to keep away from the sinners at the altar; a by no means encouraging mark of his “pleasure,” as some might think.

Power is needed in such cases in preaching the Word, prayer and faith. We are told to walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, to give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. Imagine or rather picture a scene; ladies dressed in a summer costume of white, going under the power and falling on the floor or on the ground as the case might be. This has happened no doubt more than once; but at least once: and after a time rising with dirt stained dresses and faces and declaring it to be the power of God. Truly I believe that God is such a lover of cleanliness, decency, and order, that his power would select a clean place out of sight of vulgar prying eyes, did he wish to take such a way of showing his pleasure. If I am mistaken in this, who shall set me right?

Is not the profession we are to hold fast one that will make noble the ignoble? Is it not one that will cause men, to glorify God and seek his face? ‘We do not say that people at this time do not have such experiences as that of Peter or Paul in Acts 10 and 22, but we give it as a self-evident fact that God being the same, they are as scarce, circumstances considered, as they evidently were then. We do not say that James or John never had a trance. We do not know. It is not recorded if they did. Seek for things that pertain to life and godliness, and even if you never have a trance, console yourself with the fact that the Word neither commands you nor advises you to seek to have them. While it is true that Peter and Paul had what the translators are pleased to call a trance, it is also a fact that the Devil has counterfeited it or claims to have done so. Spiritualistic seances are conducted quite often by mediums who have what is also called a trance. Their similarity to these professed trances are proved by the symptoms before, at the time, and after, to be the same. People testify to being all worn out next day, after lying rigid for hours, and yet believe it to be of God. We read of messengers of Satan “wearing out the saints,” but never read of God doing it.

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Sin

BY J. E. FORREST.

“The thought of foolishness is sin.”— Proverbs 24: 9. Here we have one of the Bible definitions of sin. If this were the only way in which men could commit sin, there would be some perhaps that would be free from sin, without any regeneration; but we have other Bible definitions of sin. ”Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”— James 4: 17. When men fail in any way to do such things as would be pleasing to God, knowing it at the same time to be their duty, then they sin by omission. They might just as well sin by commission as omission; sin is sin. Whosoever he be that knoweth to do good let him do it; better not know the will of God than to know it and fail to do it. “But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And that servant which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.”— Luke 12: 47, 48. There will be more punishment put on man for failing to do what he knows is right than there will be for doing things that they knew not to be sin. My soul is stirred to see people going about professing to be servants of Christ who so often fail to do those things which they know to be good. I pray that God may awaken men and women to a sense of known duty both to God and man.

Sin has a still broader and a more definite meaning. 1^st John 5: 17 says all unrighteousness is sin. Everything that is done without the approval of God is sin; whatsoever is unrighteous is of the Devil; to be unrighteous is to be a transgressor. All unrighteousness is sin, and sin is the transgression of the law. All who are redeemed from sin are not under the law, so long as they keep saved. We are commanded to do all things to the glory of God. 1^st Corinthians 10: 31. Those who are righteous and live righteous lives are not living in sin, but all who are unrighteous are living in sin, it makes no difference whether they are very wicked or not. It matters not how good a man may be morally, he may do many things a Christian would do, and he may leave off the things a Christian would leave off, yet if he has not been regenerated, or made a true believer in Christ, he is, according to God’s Word, and unrighteous man and therefore a sinner in the sight of God. Hence the scripture: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”- Isaiah 55: 7. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” – 8^th verse. Men must have the Spirit of God; then they will have his ways.

Oh, may God in his mercy show the sinner his sins, that he may turn unto God for mercy. There seem to be so many poor people whose souls are starving for the pure Word, who do not understand God’s will to them, neither do they dream of such deliverance, sweet deliverance that is found in the true faith of Jesus Christ. “Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”- Isaiah 59: 1, 2. Let all people see the awful destruction that awaits those who live in sin and unrighteousness and who hold the truth in unrighteousness, ere the time will come when God will say, “Because I have called and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me.”- Proverbs 1: 24 to 28.

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The Young Man Leaving Home

BY R. ROTHMAN.

As the youth first realizes his early manhood he enters a most critical period of life. The loving restraints of home begin to feel irksome and he longs to be free. Happy will be the end if he listen to the voice of God and resolve to choice wisdom’s ways. For the Word says: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor siteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”— Psalms 1: 1 to 3.

It is too true that many of the promising boys do not pass this period without doing serious injury to themselves and often dashing to pieces the bright hopes of their fathers and causing the cheerful smiles of mothers to give place to tears and mourning. The young man, has reached a period in his life when the Devil would make the counsel of the young man’s father seem foolishness; and try to get him to listen to the advice of the ungodly youth who have learned some of the secrets of the mystery of iniquity. So sure as God’s Word comes true, that sure will the young man live to regret the day he ceased to obey the better impulses of his nature, putting aside the advice of those who truly loved him. “For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”— Psalms 1: 6. Many a wandering boy is reaping the awful harvest of sin uncared for in the large cities, while

“The tones in every household voice

Are grown more sad and deep,

And the sweet word brother, makes a wish

To turn aside and weep.”

One principal cause of the fall of many youth is, they do not admire the right. Instead of esteeming true manhood, which consists in fulfilling the design of God in creating man, they are apt to admire some “smart” young man, who may have a winning way but whose heart is very black. Such ones are found in every community. Often they have spent some time in large cities; long enough to learn some low vices, and to dress “swell.” Daniel Wise has well said that “to seduce the innocent into a depth of iniquity as deep as that into which they have fallen, is the delight of bad men. Some do this for what they may gain of their unhappy dupe; others for fiendish pleasure it affords a depraved heart to see itself equaled in wickedness by kindred minds.” No doubt Solomon had in mind the seducers of innocent youth when he penned these lines, “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.”—  Proverbs 6: 12 to 15. Dear young reader, if you have learned to love such as glory in their shame, beware. You are now to decide the destiny of your life. “The fact that you fail to discern the full enormity of their practices, is the sign that you are marked for destruction. There is a certain bird which is said to prepare its prey for its talons by fluttering over its head and blinding its eyes with the sand with which it previously covers itself. The brilliant devices of gay sinners, like sand, blinding your eyes to the consequences of sin, fit you to be their prey.”

Most of the men whom the world loves to honor appreciated their homes, and admired the right. Above all, our Savior’s example should be followed. He was subject to his parents. Make the better choice, young friend, and receive the blessing. For “blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever. “— Psalms 112: 1 to 3. My son, give me thine heart.” Amen.

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War In Heaven

Revelation 12: 7.

BY H. M. RIGGLE.

THROUGHOUT the Book of Revelations there are three Antichrist religions spoken of. These are: The Pagan, symbolized by a “dragon;” the Papal, symbolized by a “beast;” and the Protestant, symbolized by “an image” or the “false prophet.” These have always been antagonistic to the true church of God.

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven.”— Revelation 12: 1. “And there was war in heaven.” — Verse 7. By turning to Revelation 4: 1,2, you will observe that John, “in the Spirit,” was caught up into heaven, and was shown things that were to transpire upon the earth. While there he saw in symbols what would be on earth in reality. Among the wonders he saw was “a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.”— Verses 3, 4. This dragon represents Rome under the Pagan religion. The seven heads represent the seven supreme forms of government which the Roman Empire had. They were the regal power, the dictatorship, the decemvirate, the consular, the triumvirate, the imperial, and the patriciate. The ten horns of the dragon represent the ten divided kingdoms which grew out of the Roman Empire. The tail of the dragon signifies the latter end of his reign. The casting down of the stars doubtless refers to the thousands of bright luminaries who were martyred during the reign of Paganism. “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world: . . . and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down. . . . and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”— Verses 7 to 11.

WHO IS MICHAEL?

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”— Jude 19. Jude calls him the archangel; chief or head of the angelic host. This is true of Christ. See Hebrews 1: 3 to 6; 1^st Peter 3: 22. He further states that Michael, when contending with the Devil, said, “The Lord rebuke thee.” This contention is recorded in Zechariah 3: 1, 2. We will give it as recorded in the Septuagint Version. “And the Lord showed me Jesus the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and the Devil stood on his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said to the Devil, The Lord rebuke thee, O Devil.” This is clear; Michael is Jesus the Lord. Daniel calls Michael “the great prince which standeth for the children of the people.” Daniel 12: 1. Hear the fulfillment of this. “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5: 30, 31. Further proof is not necessary. Michael is the Lord Jesus Christ. As before observed, the Dragon represents Paganism, or Rome under the Pagan religion.

Now if by the dragon he meant Beelzebub himself; then we are necessarily led to the conclusion that the great apostate spirit is a monster, having seven heads and ten horns, and also that he has a tail, with which he drags after him a third part of the stars of heaven. God never created such an angel, nor can it be proved that Satan now has such an appearance. The appellations Old serpent, Devil, and Satan must therefore be understood figuratively. Paganism is called the Devil, because its religion is purely of devilish origin. Read 1^st Corinthians 10: 20, 21. It is called Satan, which is a Hebrew word signifying and adversary, from its great opposition to, and persecution of the Christian church. It is also called that old serpent which deceiveth the whole world, from its subtlety against the Christians, and its causing the whole Roman world, as far as was in its power, to embrace the absurdities of Paganism. At the ushering in of the gospel dispensation Paganism was the universal religion. Even the Jews as a nation had accepted it; forsaking the God of their fathers, they were worshiping idols. Rome held universal sway.

Paganism held the highest position on earth when Christ appeared to save the world. But he who is called Michael, because he is like God, he and his angels [messengers; holy ministry], waged war against the dragon in his high places. Being victorious, he proved to the world that Paganism had no right to such an high seat: Therefore Christ cast him down, and set his kingdom up instead. It is said that “the dragon fought [opposed Christianity] and his angels [Pagan adherents, messengers, or advocates], and prevailed not [were not able to conquer that kingdom which "broke in pieces" and "consumed" all others]; neither was their place found in heaven [Paganism no longer held the highest throne of honor]: and the great dragon was cast out [Christianity prevailed]. . . . And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.” This represents the glorious triumphs of the gospel over heathen darkness in the beginning of the Christian era, the victory Christianity obtained over paganism, a song of triumph of the church of God over heathen idolatry. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb; . . . and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Here is given the reason why the followers of Christ prevailed at this time against all their adversaries. It is because they fought against the dragon in the armor of God. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by proclaiming salvation to sinners through Christ crucified, and by their continual intercession at the throne of grace for the conversion of the heathen world. All this they did at the peril of their lives.

It is further said that when the dragon saw he was cast down, “He persecuted the woman”; pure church.— Verse 13. This refers to the Pagan persecution which terminated near the close of the third century. When Rome saw her religion crumbling and falling before the increasing light of the gospel which was rapidly filling the earth, she tried to save herself by slaughtering the Christians; but this only increased the work of God, and watch-fires were kindled in every land. The then known world was being rapidly girded with salvation, which caused heathen Rome to finally totter and fall. The conflict took place here on earth in the beginning of the Christian era. John saw it in symbol while he was “in the Spirit” in heaven. The foregoing has no reference to the fall of Beelzebub, as many suppose. For a more explicit explanation of this chapter see our forthcoming book on “The Kingdom of God.”

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