THE HERALD
of Christ's Kingdom

VOL. LIV. September/October 1971 No. 5
Table of Contents 

God Is Our Refuge and Strength

The Destruction of Sennacherib

Weeping All Night

The Christian of Today as He Ought to Be

Faith for Today

The Levites--Type and Antitype

The Question Box

Entered Into Rest  

God Is Our Refuge and Strength

A Meditation on the Forty-sixth Psalm

THERE is a growing conviction in the minds of thoughtful peo­ple that the days in which we live are marked by an atmosphere of finality. For some time we have been living in a new era -- one distinct, not only from pre-1914, but from pre-1938 days; an era which might well be called the atomic era.

In his remarkable forecast of the conditions which would obtain at the close of the Gospel Age, our Lord Jesus predicted that there would be "upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." (Luke 21:25, 26.) And surely there has never been a time when conditions resembled his fore­cast more accurately than today.

Christians in these days, however, need not be in darkness as to the meaning of the past fifty or sixty eventful years, but, through a knowledge of The Divine Plan, and a daily renewal of their consecration vows, are permitted to occupy an en­lightened, privileged position. Such was the Psalmist's calm confidence, as, under inspiration of God's holy spirit, he penned the forty-sixth psalm. Though written, in all prob­ability, to celebrate the deliverance of Jerusalem from the invasion planned by Sennacherib in the days of Hezekiah (Isaiah 37) there is lit­tle doubt that it has a prophetic significance -- meeting its larger ful­fillment in our day. On this psalm, Luther based his famous hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God." Let us study it carefully and prayerfully, that the reassurance the Lord in­tends us to obtain therefrom may be ours.

Scholars have pointed out that it consists of three strophes, the con­clusion of each being marked by the Selah, and that of the last two by the refrain.

STROPHE No. 1

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

In his Studies in the Psalms, the spirit of Psalm 46 is summed up by Rotherham as being "that of stout­hearted trust in God. God is nearer than any enemy, and more powerful to relieve from danger than the en­emy to inflict it. The images employed in the psalm are bold, being formed by depicting such convul­sions of nature as are seldom or never witnessed, yet are easily conceived. The terrible roar of the land in an earthquake, when the moun.tains are seen staggering into the midst of the sea, and the resentful sea is witnessed dashing its mighty waves on the mountains that over­hang the shore: such is the scene which the poet's art presents as a figure of disturbed nations."

Another writer of note, J. J. Stewart Perowne, commenting on its primary application, submits the fol­lowing interesting and instructive paragraph:

This and the two following Psalms are hymns of triumph, composed on the occasion of some great deliver­ance. I am inclined to think that they all celebrate the same event, the sudden and miraculous destruction of the army of Sennacherib un­der the walls of Jerusalem. That proud host had swept the land. City after city had fallen into the power of the conqueror. The career of Sennacherib and his captains had been one uninterrupted success. The capital itself alone held out, and even there the enfeebled garrison seemed little likely to make a successful resistance. The swollen river had, in the language of the prophet, over­flowed all his channels, and risen even to the neck. It was at this crisis that deliverance came. When there were no succors to be expected, when neither king nor army could help the city, God helped her. He, the Lord of Hosts, was in the midst of her, keeping watch over her walls and defending her towers. His Angel went forth at dead of night and smote the host of the Assyrians, and when men awoke in the morning, there reigned in that vast camp the silence and the stillness of death. Such a deliverance must have filled the whole nation with wonder and joy. The old days of Moses and David would seem to have returned. The hopes of Prophets, so great and so glowing, yet so often apparently defeated, seemed now nearer to their accomplishment. The times were at hand when Jerusalem should be indeed the joy of the whole earth, when all nations should acknowl­edge Jehovah as their King. Her towers, her palaces, the temple of her God, stood in all their beauty, saved by a miracle from the spoiler's hand. God had made Himself known there as a sure refuge, and henceforth His Name would be ac­knowledged in the earth.

As we come to study the psalm ourselves, it is easy to see that much of its language is figurative. In Bible symbology the word "earth" denotes an "order of society." The psalmist sees such an order of so­ciety "removed," (or "changed," RSV). Evidently the scene which the inspired poet seeks to convey to our minds is that of an earthquake, (though the "land" should "roar" -Rotherham) as the result of which, a great change takes place in the form of society. The present heavens and earth are envisioned as being replaced by a new heavens and earth, wherein dwelleth righteous­ness. (Isa. 65:17; 2 Pet. 3:13.) More­over the new earth, according to Hab. 2:14, is to be filled with the knowledge of God.

Again, the word "mountains" represents kingdoms. In Isa. 2:2 the prophet informs us

"It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills," evidently a reference to the time when Christ shall reign. (See also Micah 4:1.) Again, as illustrating the use of figurative language to describe the changes now taking place in every strata of society, through­out the world, note the words of Isa­iah in 40:4:

"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low."

This great leveling process, thus predicted by Isaiah, is the very theme portrayed in our psalm.

STROPHE No. 2

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,
The holy places of the tabernacles of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved:
God shall help her, and that right early.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved:
He uttered his voice, the earth melted.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

In the first strophe, the fact that these catastrophes of nature are in­tended as symbols is not specifically stated. The psalmist doubtless as­sumes that his readers will under stand such an elementary matter. But in the second strophe he applies these natural catastrophes. (Psa. 46:6.) He shows them to be symbols of nations. And his point may easily be that, if we are able to trust in God, who is able to control the mighty forces of nature, should we not also be able to trust in him, as he deals with the mighty forces of kings and peoples? He is just as able to con­trol them. They may, and doubtless do, seem powerful enough to us, but to him they are but as "the small dust of the balance . . . all nations before him are as nothing. " - Isa. 40:15-17. Remembering this, we shall be able to repose in him, and be at peace in our hearts.

However, before reaching Psa. 45:6, the psalmist has a word of peace to speak to the Lord's true followers in Psa. 46:4 and Psa. 46:5. His first word concerns a river--the river of truth and grace, the streams of which bring rest, peace, comfort. To those who, by faith and consecration, have entered into covenant relationship with God, and have been given the spirit of sonship--to such is granted the peace of God, which passeth understanding. (Phil. 4:7.) In the Millennial Age, at the threshold of which we stand today, these streams will flow out as a river. Meantime, as riv­ulets they refresh and stimulate all those who are walking in the nar­row way.

Such refreshment of spirit comes to us particularly in connection with increased understanding of our Father's word -- and conscious determination, by his grace, to bring our lives ever more completely into line with his will for us. Thus, understanding his plans, and watching them mature, even granted the privilege of being co-laborers with him in some small measure, we find our­selves realizing the "help" prom­ised in verse 5; which help we confidently expect to have continued to us, until our resurrection change, "right early," or, as Rotherham translates: "at the approach of the morning."

The word "tabernacles," in Psa. 46:4, is in the plural, which is puzzling, until one learns that it is an instance where the figure of speech known as the plural of majesty is employed. This plural, whenever it occurs, sim­ply means that "great" or "much" or some similar adjective is to be un­derstood as added to the noun. In this case, not two or more tabernac­les, but one very great tabernacle is the thought; not great in size, but in glory or importance.

In our study of Tabernacle Shad­ows, we have learned, not only that God dwelleth between the cherubims (Isa. 37:16; Psa. 80:1), but that during our time here we are to live in a condition represented by the "holy" of the tabernacle. There it is that we find ourselves enjoying the light which comes from the golden candlestick; being nourished by the bread of presence; and worshipping daily at the golden altar. Here is the source of our strength, the source of our growth and development as new creatures in Christ Jesus; and so long as we continue in the holy we are immune to the fears of the world. "He that dwelleth in the se­cret place of the Most High [i.e., in the holy, in the condition of conse­cration], shall abide under the shad­ow of the Almighty." (Psa. 91:1.)

The further word of Psa. 46:5, that "God is in the midst of her," is surely one that brings a sense of strength and security. It suggests, too, the true basis of Christian unity. As with the nation of Israel under Moses, Jehovah was in the center of each encampment, direct­ing its affairs and resolving differences, so, only in a much higher and grander sense, is he the center of affairs in connection with spiritual Is­rael, leading them onward to final. victory. The thought that our Father directs the experiences of us each, and that nothing occurs in our lives without his knowledge and per­mission - and without him being alongside to help - is very precious to us; surely one which proves most heartening to us, as we recall it from time to time during the days of our pilgrimage.

Moreover, the psalmist's additional assurance in this verse (Psa. 46:5) ought not to be allowed to pass unnoticed. He says that, because God is in the midst of her -- the Church -- "she shall not be moved." Other kingdoms great and small shall be, but not her. We, the church, are on our way to receive "a kingdom which cannot be moved." (Heb. 12:28.) Early in the morning of the Millennial Day we have been helped and strengthened by our Father, guided through the complexities of this life, shown his plan, and preserved from the snares and pitfalls of the Adver­sary. And soon the journey will have ended! How delighted are we at the prospect! -- not alone because it will bring our own deliverance, but also because the opportunity will be ex­tended to all mankind to be set free from the thralldom of sin and death. Surely this kingdom for which we have so long prayed: "Thy Kingdom Come," is the "desire of all nations" spoken of by Haggai (Hag. 2:7), although the nations do not now realize it.

In Psa. 46:6 the psalmist reminds us that, whereas the nations have roared, and the kingdoms have staggered, nevertheless, when God speaks, his voice is bound to be heard and obeyed. Louder than the roar of nations is the voice of God. At the sound of his voice, the earth (the order of society) melts. The words of the psalmist here find an echo in 2 Pet. 3:10:

"The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the ele­ments shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

But Peter does not stop there. He has an encouraging word a little further on, in Psa. 46:13 "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. "

STROPHE No. 3

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
What desolations he hath made in the earth.
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;
He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;
He burneth the chariot in the fire.
Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Are Wars to Cease? -- One of our free booklets bears this title. In it the position is developed, from the scriptures, that wars will cease. Psalm 46:9 of our psalm declares that they are to cease. They will cease, because God will make them cease. They will cease, when God has per­mitted such desolation and horrors that those who wage wars will be compelled to stay the carnage. Just how and when he will put an end to war, we are not wise enough to say. It surely must be very soon, or the entire race of mankind will be de­stroyed. When he does say "Cease," he will do so in such manner that all will know that the one speaking is God, and that he must be obeyed. Then will he be exalted among the nations.

Something of these sentiments must have been in the mind of the poet (Lord Byron) when he penned those famous lines on "The Destruction of Sennacherib," reprinted below.

The psalmist concludes with the familiar benediction: "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." Here, once again, we are reminded of the infi­nite power whereby God can subdue the entire universe unto himself; reminded also of the fatherly love revealed in his word. Knowing that both his power and love are ever combined on our behalf, our hearts may well respond in those noble lines of Luther

"A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper he amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing."

- Condensed fro an article written by A. L. Muir in collaboration with P. L. Read -- published in the October, 1961 Herald. Reprinted here by request. .

The Destruction of Sennacherib

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold ;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen
Like the leaves of the forest when autumn bath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,
And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still!

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail;
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,
The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,
Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

Weeping All Night

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
- Psalm 30:5.

NO OTHER book treats the matter of human woe and sorrow in the wise, tender, sympathetic, help­ful manner of the Bible. It assures us that however cold, heartless and disappointing the world may be and our friends may be, or those from whom we may have expected better things, we have, nevertheless, a God of sympathy - a God of love. No heathen religion knows anything of such a God. With them God's attri­butes are merely more or less of ferocity. Their gods are to be placated and worshiped from fear of what they otherwise would do to their creatures. The God of the Bible assures us of his love, his sympathy, in all of our distresses--his interest in our affairs and his provision for the ultimate welfare of all those who will come into the attitude of loving righteousness and hating iniquty -- the only proper attitude of heart' the only one which he can approve and bless with everlasting life.

A NIGHT OF SORROW AND DEATH

The Scriptures point out to us what we recognize to be the truth- that the world has been under a pall and blight and curse of death for six thousand years. Appropriately our text describes this period as a dark time of hard, blighting experiences, a night of weeping -- of sorrow. In harmony with this figure it declares that "darkness covers the [civilized] earth and gross darkness the people."

Not alone does this condition affect those who are in alienation from God through ignorance and superstition and the power of sin, but it affects also those who have accepted the grace of God, who have turned their backs upon sin and who are seeking to walk in the narrow way, in the footsteps of Jesus. Well does the Apostle say, "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain to­gether until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the spirit, even we our­selves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redempt­ion of our Body" - the Body of which Jesus is the Head or Chief and we are symbolical members or an un­der-priesthood (Rom. 8:22, 23).

There is a difference, however, be­tween the Church and the world in this groaning, as suggested by the Apostle's words. The world groans aloud without alleviation, and even its waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God is a waiting in ig­norance; for, being out of touch with the Eternal One, they know not of his gracious purposes and arrange­ments -- for these are kept secret from all except his sanctified ones. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear [reverence] him; and he will show them his Covenant" (Ps. 25:14). These who possess the secret of the Lord "sorrow not as others who have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13). They "groan inwardly" and wait for the glorification of themselves and all the brethren, members of the symbolical Body of Christ, by participation in the First Resurrection. The hopes of these must be realized first, before the blessing can come to the "groan­ing creation" in general. The latter are waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God; namely, the Church in glory.

A LIGHT IN A DARK PLACE

The Bible represents itself as being the candle of the Lord, the lamp of Divine Truth and enlightenment. But it tells us that its light is not for the world--either now or at any time future. Its light is only for those who by faith and obedience unto consecration seek to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. They need the light. God pro­vides it for them. These are repre­sented by the Prophet as saying to the Lord, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path [footsteps]" (Ps. 119:105). This light evidently does not shine far into the future, but enough for each onward step as it becomes due.

St. Peter amplifies , the same thought. After telling us of the as­surance which he himself and his as­sociates had upon the Mount of Transfiguration when they beheld "the vision" (Matt. 17:1-9) of the Lord miraculously transformed and with him Moses and Elijah and heard the voice from heaven, it was forceful to their minds as teaching the coming of our Lord in glory, in due time. Nevertheless, says the Apostle, honor­ing the Bible above any vision, "We have a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise" (2 Pet. 1:19), in­dicating that the morning is at hand and that the Sun of Righteousness will soon fulfill its mission of blessing all the families of the earth.

BUT WHY IS THIS THUS?

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

No, thank God, that thought of eternal torture which came down to us from the dark ages, and which we for a time supposed to be Biblical, we find now is quite unscriptural, when judged in the light of the Bible's own testimony. The eternal tor­ment doctrine assuredly is not of God, not of the Bible, but, as St. Paul declares, one of the "doctrines of devils."

The inheritance of weaknesses, blemishes, sorrows, pain, and trouble, to which we were born, is quite suf­ficient and, according to the Scrip­tures, these are all part of death, and all reach their culmination in death, which is the real penalty for sin pre­scribed by our Creator. The fact that these blemishes still continue with the race proves that their sins are not yet blotted out, and to this agree the Scriptures which point us to the on­coming glorious day of blessing a thousand years long, the Millennium, in which Divine blessing will be be­stowed upon every member of Adam's race. The merit of Christ's sacrifice, the ransom-price for sinners which he laid down, will by that time be made available "for the sins of the whole world."

The merit of that sacrifice has al­ready been applied to the Church. "The household of faith" -- since Pentecost. It has brought to this class very special privileges, though very different ones from those it will bring to the world during the Millennium. The willing and obedient of the world will then get restitution gradually (Acts 3:20), back to human perfection and a worldwide Edenic home. The blessing upon the Church is different. The promise now made to those who can and will walk by faith and not by sight is a heavenly one. They are to have a heavenly or spiritual reward and in their resurrection become par­takers of the divine nature and have no share thereafter in human nature. The conditions of the present time are severe, proportionately to the greatness and grandeur of their heavenly calling. The terms of ac­ceptance to the divine nature include not only faith and love, but a self­sacrificing will. These sacrifice their earthly restitution rights and privileges for the privilege of suffering with Christ, that they may also reign with him in his Millennial Kingdom.

LEARNING BY SUFFERING

The same thought is elsewhere ex­pressed. Only those who hear his voice and obey him as the Teacher sent of God will be successful in their endeavor to become members of the "Royal Priesthood," now being selected from the world. Only those who, during the Millennial Age, will hear and obey will there receive this great blessing of eternal salvation -- eternal life under Divine favor, free from the curse. The reward to the world in the close of the Millennium and the reward to the Church in the close of this Gospel Age will each be eternal salvation; but the Church's reward will include eternal glory, heavenly glory, and joint-heirship with the Redeemer himself in his great work of administering God's blessings to the world of mankind, as Mediator of the New Covenant between God and men -- the world.

It seemed wise to our Heavenly Father that our Lord Jesus should learn obedience through sufferings and be tested in respect to his willing­ness to endure suffering for righteous­ness' sake. How appropriate it is that the same Father should make similar arrangements for all of the Church, whom he will receive from among the race of Adam to be members of the Royal Priesthood under Jesus, the High Priest of our order. We see a necessity for this, not only as respects our own testings and a thorough proof of our own heart-loyalty to the Lord, but additionally we see a wisdom on God's part in thus preparing a priesthood of the future. The term priest as recognized among the Jews was not merely one who offered sacrifices, although every priest was of necessity a sacrificer. The special mission of the priestly tribe among the other tribes was that of instructing, helping, healing, teaching. And so God is preparing a Royal Priesthood for the Millennial Age to bless, to heal, to teach, to uplift all the willing and obedient.

The royalty of the priesthood sig­nifies that it will no longer be a sac­rificing class, for all sacrificing will be at an end. It will be a glorious class, royal, of the Divine nature, and representatives with our Lord Jesus of the Divine power. As priests who will have to do with judging and chastening, healing, and helping hu­manity, how much sympathy do we suppose that these Royal Priests should have? Are they not to be on the Divine plane of glory, "members of the Body" of Messiah, the great kingly priest after the order of Melchizedek? And of him has not the Apostle written that he must be a faithful and merciful High Priest, able also to sympathize with the people in their infirmities? Does he not declare that it was for this reason that our Lord was touched with a feeling for humanity's infirmities? And is it not in perfect keeping with this that all those accepted as "members of his Body" should have such experiences in this sacrificing time as would demonstrate their loyalty to the Lord and guarantee their deep sympathetic in­terest in the world, then committed to their care, To such will be com­mitted the work of human restitution, uplift out of sin and death conditions -mental, moral, and physical.

THE MORNING OF JOY

How glad we should be that our Heavenly Father's sympathy for us will provide "a morning of joy" to be ushered in, in his "due time!" Additionally he sympathizes with us to the extent that he has given us in advance a message and Revelation and explanation to comfort us, to sustain us in the way! We have already seen that this Revelation is only for those who have the eyes of faith and the ears of faith at the present time. "Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear." "He that hath an ear, let him hear."

We recognize the wisdom of God in withholding the secret of his plan from the world in general. We recog­nize that for the world to know the deep things of God at the present time would be injurious rather than help­ful to them. It might possibly work an interference with the Divine Pro­gram. Nevertheless we are bound to sympathize with the poor groaning creation in its blindness and ignorance. The poor world knows not why it came into being. In an animal fashion, eating, drinking, etc., it seeks to use the opportunities of present life and after a few short years full of trouble, it goes down into the tomb, ignorant of the purposes of its creation, and usually considerably enthralled by fear respecting the future beyond the portals of death.

How we may rejoice in spirit as we perceive the length and breadth and height and depth of the Divine Program for the future and the bless­ings which it will bring to this "groan­ing creation." How we long for the time to come when the Church shall be made ready through the sufferings of this present time for the glories of the future -- of the Kingdom! No wonder the Apostle declares, "He that hath this hope in him purifieth him­self even as he [the Lord] is pure (1 John 3:3). He is our exemplar, our pattern. We seek to copy him. Al­though we cannot hope to be like him in the flesh, we can be like him in the spirit of our minds and thus be of the character-likeness which the Father will be pleased to honor with a share in the "First Resurrection." By that glorious "change" we shall be made like him actually and see him as he is and share his glory.

The morning of joy, the Millennial Morning, of course, cannot be ushered in until the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. Its beams of grace and Truth will flood the earth with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God to such a degree that it will drive out, expel, all ignorance, superstition and sin, which have worked such havoc in our race.

But what is this Sun of Righteous­ness? Whence comes it? The Bible answers the question by telling us that it symbolically represents the Lord himself and the elect Church of this Gospel Age. The Sun of Righteousness is a synonym for the Seed of Abraham, of whom it is written, "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." The Mystery hidden for a time from many is the fact that the Church is to share with her Lord in every feature of his glorious work, not only in suffering, but also in reigning. Thus we have St. Paul's assurance that the overcomers will be members of the Seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29). And we have our Lord's own words that this faithful class will be represented in the great Sun of Righteousness, the Great Messiah, the great Prophet, Priest, King, and Medi­ator between God and men (Matt. 13:43).

"WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS"

St. Peter, in viewing the prospects of the Church, inquires as to "what manner of persons we ought to be in all manner of holy living and godli­ness." He refers to us, who know that the present order of things is the reign of sin and death from which our Lord died to deliver us. What manner of persons ought we to be, who have heard the Lord's invitation to joint-heirship in his Kingdom, and who know that we are now on trial to determine by our voluntary course our worthiness or unworthiness of that glorious position to which we have been called by God's favor! How paltry, how insignificant, do all the affairs of the world appear in com­parison to this great prize set before us in the gospel!

And what should be our attitude toward the world, seeing from this inside standpoint of Divine Revela­tion the real condition of the world and God's sympathy for it? Its ig­norance should make us very sympathetic, and very much disposed to lend a helping hand of relief in every possible manner. We should be ever ready to remove the scales of blind­ness from the mental vision of all who give indication of a desire for God-any who seem to be "feeling after God, if haply they might find him" (Acts 17:27). Only such will be ready for the Kingdom, fit for the Royal Priesthood, every member of which must be "touched with a feeling" for earth's infirmities.

- C. T. Russell

The Christian of Today as He Ought to Be

AN INDISPENSABLE element in the life of the Christian is that vital relationship to the mind of God which shall establish and preserve the strongest possible connections with the great Source of spiritual power.

Such connections will necessitate insulation from every contaminating influence of the world, and from all inordinate desire for things non-conducive to the highest progress and development. As the most potent testimony is that of example, the man of God will say with the Apostle, "This one thing I do--I press toward the mark. Hence his affections will be set on things above; he will have but one mind, the mind of Christ; he will say, in apostolic phraseology, "Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ." Primarily, fundamentally, indefatigably, he must be Christ's man, a fearless ambassador of the King of kings.

The Christian of the times must have a vision. In Ezekiel 13:3, we find a reference to shepherds who "have seen nothing." The Prophet Isaiah received a vision of the future. Beholding the glory of God in that power which He is yet to reveal, he could say, "Here am I: send me," because in pictorial representa­tion he had seen the fulfillment of the great Eternal Purpose, the consummation of the program of the cen­turies, the inauguration of a dynasty that should send to the eternal skies the glories of its new-born righteousness and truth and love; a regime 'long delayed indeed, yet borne hitherward on the wings of those gold-hued Biblical promises which cannot fail, but are yea and amen.

Christian of today, have you caught Isaiah's vision, Abraham's vision, Ezekiel's vision, St. Paul's vision -- ­all picturing an era when God shall make all things new by marvelous secrets of life opened up and by Biblical instruction enlightening the mind, accom­plishing its desideratum of an everlasting fraternity of men, a world-wide community of love? If so, you have something to build upon that shall stand, and may push forward your work in the calm assurance that the ineffable goal of your life lies just ahead, whereat you shall find the reward of courage and zeal and faithfulness in the service of Truth, which rep­resents God Himself.

The Christian should be in fullest sympathy with the mighty, throbbing, burning, yearning heart of humanity. He should have a broad outlook and see humanity as it is. That will most faithfully show him its needs. What has he for a portion of the billion and a half human souls on this planet? They are needful souls. The "bread of life" alone will fill them; the "water of life" alone can satisfy their unquenched thirst. As Jesus felt the burden of the world's woes, so should His servants, and each, while praying the prayer of prayers, "Thy Kingdom Come," should be an exemplar of the righteousness of that Kingdom in his daily life.

The Christian should be genial, approachable, adaptable, and know how to slip off his coat and put his shoulder to the wheel when it gets into the rut. Are his spiritual affairs not progressing? Perhaps the reason is that his gardener is underpaid, or that he has reduced his factory employees to a wage allowing of bare existence. Such doings would be "sin in the camp," the very thing that caused the Israelites to be defeated at Ai. "Beginning at Jerusalem," says the Word. If the Christian wants to be a power for good, let him begin at home and manifest love in the little things. Let him study the law of human equality, and the conditions of human inequality and derive wisdom therefrom. Such truths may seem homely and stale, but they are vital and basic, and constitute the sine qua non of the entire matter be­fore us.

Let the Christian cause his own personal love to be communicated to and felt by those around him. Let them see this intensity of love vibrating in his words and deeds, pulsating in his conversation, and large good is bound to result, for the greatest of all laws is then operating, and that law spells light, harmony, and life.

It has been said that the mightiest forces are the silent ones. While the looms of men tell forth with noisy hum the story of their industry, those of nature and the universe are often soundless. No one ever yet heard the footfall of the sun as he steps over the circle of the East and weaves from threads of light the gold-embroidered vestments of days. No one ever heard the voice that whispered down in the ear of earth that the time was come to awake from winter's sleep and once more don the verdant attire of strength and joyousness. And what finely attuned ear ever heard the loom's working in the grand trees of orchard as they labor in season to produce their princely fruitage of the apple, the peach, the plum, and the pear? Who has heard the flapping of Night's wings as they slowly bore him o'er a slumbering land? Who, the harbander of spring, or the music of the spheres, or the steeds of the moon as they draw a thousand million tons of water from ocean's bosom and pile it up upon the land? The answer to these ques­tions is, None. Such mighty works of God are done in silence. Thus also in silence operates the eternal spirit of divine Truth as it cleanses mind and heart and life, and finding daily expression through the avenue of the Christian bears superlative testimony of Him whose blessed and glorious name is Love.

Should the Christian be an economist? He should. In the divine economy nothing is lost. Every tear, every pang that rends the heart is designed for a purpose. Some day the broken threads of life will be gathered up and spun to a conclusion, and woven into a tissue of matchless beauty, and then all results of the present shall appear. The Christian should know that, figuratively speaking, God gathers the tears of the saints and fashions them into garlands of pearls to be worn throughout eternity; then shall he have comfort for sorrowing hearts about him, even "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

The Christian should be an Empire man in the highest sense, recognizing God as the only true Em­pire Builder, who raiseth up and setteth down, and can alone say to a kingdom, "Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting." He should see in present institutions a temporary arrangement, to, afford the world an experience calculated to be for lasting good, and to give place to a universal dynasty where Love shall be the king law. Not in present empires and their affairs, neither in science or philosophy should the Christian's hope be centered, but in the Love of God, and in the Gospel of His eternal Son.

The Christian should see that mighty, irresistible,., transforming forces are at work today, and that the, world really stands at the birth of a New Era. This is, no fancy theory, but a fact; and these forces cannot be ignored or trifled with lest they crush the offender. Political Economy, the Capitalistic platform, the resounding cry of Laborism, practical training of the young, Government elections, International peace,. etc., are questions at issue at the present time; and the Christian, when approached on these subjects, should. deal with them from the viewpoint of his Text Book,. the Word of God, for therein lies the final authority for knowledge and judgment in all matters pertaining to human affairs.

The Christian needs a good backbone. He should be like "Mount Zion that standeth fast forever." His, attitude toward life and his dealings therewith should call attention to the glory. of the commonplace, and teach men to gather good from the elements right at hand, and to use circumstances as stepping-stones to grander heights. His face should reflect the radiance of Truth itself; his eyes should be deep with the depth of eternal things; his tongue should be moved by the Holy Spirit. He should have complete consecration to start with, the grace of God to go along with, the Kingdom of Heaven to end with. For such as is here described, there is work to be done. The Master has, come and calleth for him.