Samuel and the Witch of Endor Pt 2

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Samuel and the Witch of Endor
Or
The Sin of Witchcraft
By J. N. Andrews
Isaiah 8:19, 20: "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter, should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." 
II. What is the meaning of the terms used in the text? 
The "familiar spirits" are so called because they associate with men, even the vicious and the degraded, in the most familiar manner. Their character is entirely unlike that of the angels of God, in that they form intimate union with wicked men, and unite with them in the works which God forbids. There is nothing in their manifestations that inspires awe, veneration, or reverence. But when the angels have visited men, so awe-inspiring has been their appearance that even God's most favored servants have fallen upon their faces with terror, or stood trembling in their presence. And hence the style of address so often used. Thus, Daniel, the "man greatly beloved," the angel strengthens by saying, "Fear not, Daniel;" Dan. 10:12; to Zacharias, who was "righteous before God," he says, "Fear not, Zacharias;" Luke 1:13; to Mary, who had found favor with God, "Fear not, Mary;" Luke 1:30; to the holy women at the sepulcher, "Fear not, ye;" Matt. 28:5; and to Paul, the most eminent of Christ's servants, "Fear not, Paul." Acts 27:24. Wizards are men who deal with familiar spirits. Women who do the same work are called witches. 
1. That these persons are said to "peep" and "mutter" shows that the spirits who control them are identical with the "unclean spirits like frogs;" for this is the very language of frogs. Rev. 16:13. 
2. Their teaching does not even purport to come from God, but from the dead. Thus the prophet expostulates with those who seek unto them: "Should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" 
3. The law and the testimony by which their teachings are to be tested is thus spoken of in the Scriptures:- 
Ps. 19:7, 8: "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." 
Rom. 3:31: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." 
James 2:9-12: "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." 
1 John 3:4: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." 
Rev. 12:17: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 




III. Do the Scriptures treat the sin of dealing with familiar spirits, otherwise called witchcraft or sorcery, as a real sin, and one that is very heinous in the sight of God? 


1. The Old Testament speaks as follows:- 
Lev. 19:31: "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God." 
Lev. 20:27: "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones; their blood shall be upon them." 
Deut. 18:9-12: "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord; and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee." 
1Sam. 15:23: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." 
2Chron. 33:6: "And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards; he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger." 


2. The New Testament bears quite as pointed a testimony against witchcraft or sorcery:- 
Gal. 5:19-21: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, WITCHCRAFT, hatred, variance, emulations wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." 
Acts 8:9-11: "But there was a certain man called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used SORCERY, and BEWITCHED the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one; to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had BEWITCHED THEM WITH SORCERIES." 
Rev. 21:8: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and SORCERERS, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." 
Rev. 22:15: "For without are dogs, and SORCERERS, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." 


These scriptures are sufficient to show that dealing with familiar spirits, otherwise called sorcery, or witchcraft, is a sin of fearful magnitude in the sight of God. Nor can it be said that this is an Old-Testament sin, of which the New Testament knows nothing. For Paul, Luke, and John, or rather the Spirit of God speaking through them, class this with the vilest of sins; and exclude those who are guilty of it from any part in the kingdom. 


IV. What, then, is the sin of witchcraft, or of dealing with familiar spirits? 


The testimony of the Bible furnishes the answer to this important question. It is the holding of direct intercourse with Satan or his evil angels, under the name of conversing with the spirits of the dead. That dealing with familiar spirits purported to be dealing with the dead, is evident from the words of Isaiah: "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, . . . should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?" But we have a case of this very sin recorded at considerable length in the Bible, and to this let us refer. It is the case of Saul and the witch of Endor. 


1 Sam. 28:3-20: "Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the women said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land; wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? And Saul swear to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid; for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me; for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David; because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night." 


We have in this scripture a particular account of the sin of witchcraft as practiced in the days of ancient Israel. Dealing with familiar spirits in those days was precisely the same as the present work of consulting the dead through the spirit mediums, known as modern spiritualism. Let us consider the facts in this case.


Saul, the king of Israel, had lived in rebellion against God for many years. Because of this, the Lord had left him to himself, and refused to communicate with him either by dreams, or by prophets, or in any other manner. The army of the Philistines had come up against him, and in his distress he sought to one having a familiar spirit. 


Samuel, the prophet of God, was now dead. He had faithfully warned Saul against disobeying the Lord, and in the last warning that he gave him, he told him that rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft. Now that Samuel is dead, Saul, who had despised his word for many years, and who had lived during this time without any intercourse with God through his prophets, now determined, by the means of witchcraft, which Samuel had warned him against, to have an interview with Samuel. 


The woman having the familiar spirit, who is commonly called the witch of Endor, practiced her unholy calling in the most secret manner. For Saul, in obedience to the law of God, had put to death all such persons so far as he could find them. This woman stood ready to bring up any dead person that could be named, and to enable the inquirer to converse with that person. 


The familiar spirit that consorted with this woman was the efficient cause of all the wonders that were wrought. This spirit was able to do one of two things. 1. It could bring up from the dead any person that was called for, or, 2. It could personate or counterfeit the dead man so that those who conversed with the familiar spirit should believe that they were conversing with their dead friend, because every peculiarity of his was perfectly imitated.


The first act of the woman was to ascertain whether Saul really wished to converse with the dead, or whether he feigned this in order to detect her in the practice of witchcraft, and put her to death. But when Saul had sworn to her by a solemn oath that she should not be punished for divining unto him by the familiar spirit, the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up unto thee?" It was her business to bring up any of the dead that might be called for. Her question was precisely that of a spirit medium of the present day, except, indeed, that in these days the dead are brought down from the third Heaven, or from the higher spheres; whereas in those days, they were called up from a region below.


Saul said to the woman, "Bring me up Samuel." And thus we have the very words used in seeking unto those who had familiar spirits. The diviner, sorcerer, enchanter, necromancer, wizard, or witch, for these names are all given to those who in some form do this work, asks of the one who seeks knowledge from the dead, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And the inquirer names the dead person with whom he would converse. This shows the exactness of Isaiah's language when he represents the consulting with familiar spirits as seeking "for the living to the dead." Modern spiritualism has furnished the counterpart of this very conversation in innumerable instances.


"Divine unto me by the familiar spirit," said Saul, and "bring me up Samuel." And now the familiar spirit at the bidding of this wicked woman must show what his powers are capable of accomplishing. He must produce Samuel in truth and verity; or if this is beyond his power he must imitate him so perfectly that Saul should be made to believe that it was Samuel himself. 


The woman invokes her familiar spirit, and the divination proves eminently successful. "And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul." It is evident that the woman herself was surprised at something; for she cried out in her terror. And from this fact many have concluded that, contrary to the expectation of the woman, Samuel actually came. But it should be observed that if Samuel were indeed present on that occasion, it must have been, 1. Because the familiar spirit had power to bring him up; or, 2. Because the Lord saw fit to send him to meet Saul. But both these views are false and absurd. For, 1. It would be absurd to believe that the familiar spirit had power to control at pleasure not merely the dead in general, but the righteous dead in particular. Who dare assert that the familiar spirits are able, at the bidding of wicked men or women, to bring up from the dead the most eminent servants of God? And, 2. It would be not only absurd, but almost wicked to represent the Lord as sending Samuel to meet Saul on this forbidden ground when he had refused to answer him at all by any prophet, though Saul anxiously sought such answer in a lawful manner before he ventured on the dreadful expedient of consulting a familiar spirit. And, 3. As it was a wicked thing in Saul to invoke the incantations of this servant of Satan, how can it be shown to be consistent for holy Samuel to come when thus invoked by Satanic power? 


It is said that the woman was terrified by the actual presence of Samuel. Those who say this do not read the record with proper attention. For it is to be observed that the woman did not cry out in her terror, "Samuel himself has come indeed!" She was not astonished at the sight of the old man with his mantle; for it was the business of her familiar spirit to present a perfect representation of any dead person. Indeed, it does not appear that responses were expected until the person invoked had been raised up. But there was a fact that the woman learned the moment this reputed Samuel appeared, and that fact filled her with terror. The first act of this so-called Samuel, was to make known to this woman that her guest was no other than Saul, the king of Israel, the man who had destroyed every such person as herself that he could discover. It was this fact that alarmed her; for in her terror she cries out, "Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul." She was not alarmed that Samuel had come; her only terror was that she found herself in the hands of Saul. This circumstance itself furnishes a convincing proof that this reputed Samuel was no other
than her familiar spirit personating him; for the first act of this professed servant of the Most High was to put this wicked woman on her guard by a private hint that he who was her guest was no other than Saul himself. Let us read further in this wonderful record:- 


"And the king said unto her, Be not afraid; for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself." 


It is to be observed, 1. That of all the wonderful things seen on this occasion, Saul saw nothing. Witness the expressions, and it will be seen that it was the woman, and not Saul, who saw what was seen. Thus, "the woman saw Samuel;" the king said, "What sawest thou?" The woman said, "I saw gods ascending out of the earth." Saul inquires, "What form is he of?" The woman answers, "An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived [from the woman's description] that it was Samuel." 


It is to be observed, 2. That lest any should say that Saul might have seen all that the woman saw had he not been prostrate upon the ground, the sacred writer tells us that it was after Saul had asked the woman these questions that "he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself." 


It is to be observed, 3. That this wonderful manifestation of either divine or Satanic power arose out of the earth. Thus the woman said to Saul, "I saw gods ascending out of the earth;" or as Gesenius gives it in his Hebrew Lexicon, "I see a godlike form ascending out of the earth." And when Saul asked, "What form is he of?" she said, "An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle." 


It is to be observed, 4. That there are several facts here brought to view hard to be explained if this was the real Samuel, but very easy to understand if this was the familiar spirit personating or counterfeiting him.


The first is, that holy Samuel should come in answer to her wicked incantations.
The second is, that he should arise out of the earth.
The third is, that the woman should see him, while Saul could not see him.
The fourth is, that this holy man should first of all communicate private information to this abandoned woman, putting her on her guard against Saul.
The fifth is, that the woman was not alarmed at the presence of this old man with his mantle, but only alarmed when he told her that she had Saul in the house.
 
But let us further consider the question of Samuel's presence. If he were actually present, and this manifestation was not a Satanic presentation of him, he must have come,
1. As an immortal spirit from glory; or,
2. He must have been raised from the dead, and therefore been present with his own flesh and bones. 
But the first of these views must be abandoned, for,
1. An immortal spirit from the realms of glory could not come up out of the earth.
2. Nor would such an one begin his work by a private communication to the witch. 3. It is moreover incredible that the incantations of her Satanic craft should enable her to see such a holy being while Saul could see nothing. 


TO BE CONTINUED!
*******
This study is very pertinent to us today, why? Because of this…
https://qz.com/quartzy/1411909/the-explosive-growth-of-witches-wiccans-and-pagans-in-the-us/
Explosive growth in witches….today.
This study will be given in a few parts, not all at once. Please pray and read, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do. The closer it gets to our Lord's return, the more and more Satan will work. Please, Father, may we not be deceived, guide us to Your truth, and live in us working Your truth in our lives! All in the Savior's name, through His sacrifice!

Samuel and the Witch of Endor

This study is very pertinent to us today, why? Because of this…

https://qz.com/quartzy/1411909/the-explosive-growth-of-witches-wiccans-and-pagans-in-the-us/

Explosive growth in witches….today.

This study will be given in a few parts, not all at once. Please pray and read, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us in all we do. The closer it gets to our Lord's return, the more and more Satan will work. Please, Father, may we not be deceived, guide us to Your truth, and live in us working Your truth in our lives! All in the Savior's name, through His sacrifice!
*******

Samuel and the Witch of Endor

Or

The Sin of Witchcraft

By J. N. Andrews

Isaiah 8:19, 20: "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter, should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." 

1. At what time does this warning have its proper application? 

THIS admonition is found in a prophecy that pertains to the gospel dispensation. For the preceding verse, which reads, "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts which dwelleth in Mount Zion," is quoted in Heb. 2:13, and applied to Christ and the New Testament church. Thus we read, verses 11-14: "For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."  And it is worthy of notice that in verse 16, which reads, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples," the term disciples is used, which is the common designation in the New Testament of a follower of Jesus, though it is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. The force of this expression, as pointing us to New-Testament times, is seen in the fact that he who uses this term, "my disciples," is evidently our Lord Jesus Christ. 

A further proof that this passage relates to the New-Testament dispensation is found in the fact that the "stone of stumbling" and the "rock of offense" of verse 14, which reads, "And He shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense," is our divine Redeemer. For thus the New Testament applies this verse, which it blends in quotation with Isa.28:16, giving the language of both in one. Thus:- 

Rom. 9:33: "As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offense, and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." 

1 Pet. 2:7, 8: "Unto you therefore which believe He is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed." 

Another evidence that this prophecy of Isaiah pertains to the gospel dispensation is found in the fact that the next verse, which says that many shall "stumble and fall and be broken," is applied in the texts last quoted, or in their connection, to those who reject Christ. Thus, Paul says of those who stumble at Christ crucified, Rom. 9:32, "They stumbled at that stumbling-stone." 

It thus appears that the admonition of Isa. 8:19, 20, belongs to the New Testament dispensation. A further study of the connection will establish the fact that it was designed especially for the last days of this dispensation, when the disciples of Christ are waiting upon the Lord and looking for him. For the prophet, who personates in this chapter, sometimes the Lord and sometimes his people, says in verse 17, "I will wait upon the Lord [Douay Bible, 'for the Lord'] that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him." The new -Testament church was commanded not to look for that event till the Roman antichrist should have his predicted period of exaltation. 2 Thess. 2. But when the tribulation of those days should expire, the Saviour promised that the signs of his second advent should begin to be seen, and the saints were then to look and wait for their returning Lord. 

Thus we are instructed:- 

Matt. 24:32, 33: "Now learn a parable of the fig-tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors."

 

Luke 21:25-31: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and 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. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, THEN look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

And he spake to them a parable: Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." 

Luke 12:35, 36: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return form the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately." 

Zeph. 3:8: "Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." 

Heb. 9:28: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." 

Isa. 25:9: "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." 

The prophecy of Isa. 8:17-22, in which the waiting position of the church is designated, has reference, therefore, to that period immediately preceding the advent of the Saviour. He has proved a stone of stumbling to worldly professors, whether his first or second advent be considered. And it is from this class that he hides his face. 

Another clue to the time of the fulfillment of this prophecy is found in the work which it assigns the church: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." Verse 16.

We know that the man of sin was to oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, and to thing to change times and laws. Dan. 7:25; 2 Thess. 2. And we know that the law of God and the precepts of Christ have been wickedly mangled by the great antichristian power. We know also that it is the work of the third angel of Rev. 14, in the period of the saints' patience, to raise up a people that shall keep all the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And we know also that the remnant of the church in the end of this dispensation is to be warred upon by the dragon because they keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev. 12:17.

 This work of binding up the testimony and sealing the law among the disciples of Christ is the very work of the third angel. This law and testimony thus restored to the people of God is that to which they are to appeal in their final conflict with the familiar spirits. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Verse 20. 

We cannot doubt, therefore, that the admonition of Isaiah 8:19, 20, respecting the familiar spirits, pertains to the time in which we now live, when the unclean spirits are making preparation for the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Rev. 16. 

And when the prophet says of them that seek to familiar spirits, "They shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry; and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward," Isa. 8:21, he fitly describes the famine predicted in the following passage:- 

Amos 8:11, 12: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord; and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." 

And when Isaiah adds, "And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness." verse 22, he speaks of their dreadful anguish in the battle of the great day, and of their final destruction in the outer darkness. Jude 13.

The Return of Christ.

1. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
There is another doctrine of the Bible which holds just as important a place in the divine scheme as does that of the resurrection; and that is, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.


This likewise is subverted by a belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. The subversion of this truth is, in a measure, involved in that of the resurrection, because without the second coming of Christ there would be no resurrection, and anything that destroys belief in the resurrection of the dead, by that means destroys faith and hope in the second coming of the Lord. 


That the event of the resurrection of the dead depends wholly upon the second coming of Christ, is easily shown by the Scripture, which, of course, in these things is the only authority. We have before shown that the righteous are rewarded only at the resurrection; and to show plainly the connection, we will repeat a verse before quoted: "When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:13, 14


And of his own coming, Jesus says: "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12. The coming of the Lord, and the resurrection of the righteous dead, are directly connected by Paul thus: "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.


And again: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Cor. 15:51-55. 


"Then shall be brought to pass the saying." When?-"At the last trump," certainly; "for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised." When is it that the trump shall sound?-"This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, . . . The Lord himself shall descend from heaven . . . with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise." "Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." Then it is, and not till then, that men shout, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"


But through belief in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul, it is now sought to be made to appear that this "saying" is "brought to pass" when men die! There can be no more direct perversion of the word of God than to represent this saying as being brought to pass when men die. But what does the doctrine of the immortality of the soul care about the perversion of the word of God?


The first time that that doctrine was ever uttered, it was in direct contradiction of the express word of the Lord himself. The Lord said, in the event of man's disobedience, "Thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17); and the devil said, "Ye shall not surely die" (Gen. 3:4; Rev. 20:2.) And there is no shadow of reason to expect that the doctrine will, in reality, ever assume any other position. 


It is not alone a perversion of Scripture to so apply the "saying" in question; it is alike a perversion of the plainest principles of reason and experience. For instance, here are death and a saint of God struggling for the mastery. Presently death obtains the mastery. The saint lies lifeless; death has the victory. When he is dead, is that a time to claim victory over death? When he is being lowered into the grave, is that a time to shout the victory over the grave?-Nay, verily. But it is not to be always so. There is One who exclaims, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [the grave] and of death." Rev. 1:18. And when that glorious One "shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God," and with power that bursts the bars of the cruel grave and destroys the strength of death, then the saint arises triumphant over death, and "then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." Then the saint can shout exultingly, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? "And, "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." And thrice thanks, yea, "blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3. 


However, it is not alone through the subversion of the doctrine of the resurrection that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul strikes against the coming of the Lord. The issue is directly joined. For by those who believe in the natural immortality of the soul, it is held that those who die in the Lord go straight to heaven; that they go direct to the place where the Lord is; and so they sing,- 
"Then persevere till death Shall bring thee to thy God; He'll take thee, at thy parting breath, To his divine abode." - Gospel Hymns, No 112.


And obituaries are actually written by them such as the following, which we read not long since in the Christian Cynosure: "Alvah Palmer went to heaven from" a certain place in New York; and then the notice went on to tell when and of what he died, etc. And Dr. Talmage, in relating how a certain saintly woman was "emparadised," tells how the chariot of Elijah was outdone; for there it must have taken some little time to turn out the chariot and hitch up the horses; but here, in this instance, the transition was all made instantaneously, without waiting for either horses or chariot! And all this when a person died! These are only notable expressions of the common idea of those who believe in the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. 


Now, if these things be true,-if it be true that death brings people to God; that men and women go direct to heaven from their homes in this world, and this so instantaneously that there is no time to get ready the chariot of God, as was done when Elijah went without dying at all,-we say if these things be true, then there is literally no place left for the coming of the Lord. It would be simply the height of absurdity to talk about the Lord's coming to this world after people who are not here at all, but are, and have been, for years and hundreds of years, in heaven,-in the very place which he leaves to come here! This is why the doctrine of the coming of the Lord is so neglected, so despised, in fact. Believing this, and there is no need to believe in the coming of the Lord; indeed, it is a palpable inconsistency to believe in it. Believing this, and there is no need to look, or wait, for the coming of the Lord; all there is for such to do is to wait till death shall come and take them; and so death-"the last enemy," "the king of terrors"-is given the place and the office of Him who is our life (Col. 3:4), of Him "that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." 
But this belief is not the "belief of the truth."


There is no element of truth, in any form, in the idea of people going to God or to heaven when they die.


Christ himself said as plainly as tongue can speak, "Whither I go, ye cannot come." John 13:33.


Then when his disciples were troubled because of these words, he told them, in words equally plain, of the event upon which they must place their only hope of being with him where he is, and that event is, "I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3.


And that word "that" shows positively that that is the only way in which men may ever be with him where he is.


Therefore the coming of the Lord is the Christian's hope.


And the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, in supplanting, as it certainly does, the doctrine of the coming of the Lord, supplants the Christian's hope. Then when the doctrine of the immortality of the soul sends men to heaven before the end of the world, before the sounding of the last trump, before the time when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven and raise the dead, before he appears in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and sends his angels to gather together his elect-we say when the doctrine of the immortality of the soul puts men into heaven before the occurrence of these events, it does it in defiance of the word of Christ, which liveth and abideth forever.


Therefore we say it stands proved that the belief of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, and, in that, is subversive of the truth of God. 


To be continued….
The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?
BY A. T. JONES.
[Pacific Press Publishing Association]
[Oakland, Calif.]
[September 1890]
[Bible Students' Library No. 70]

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?

The Immortality of the Soul, Is it a Scriptural Doctrine?
BY A. T. JONES.
[Pacific Press Publishing Association]
[Oakland, Calif.]
[September 1890]
[Bible Students' Library No. 70]
2
The doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul is one of the oldest and one of the most widespread doctrines that has ever been in this world. It was preached in the world before ever faith in Christ the Saviour was preached. "The serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die;" and from that day to this that doctrine has been believed more generally by the children of men than has the truth of God.
 Indeed, in our day the doctrine of the immortality of the soul has gained such favor among even those who profess the word of God as their standard of belief, that to deny it is considered by the majority of them as equivalent to a denial of the Bible itself. But, instead of such denial being in any way a denial of the truth of revelation, the fact is that the truth of revelation can be logically and consistently held only by the total and unequivocal denial of the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. This, the Scriptures plainly show. 
1. THE RESURRECTION
There is no truth more plainly taught nor more diligently insisted upon in the Bible than this: That the future existence of men depends absolutely upon either a resurrection of the dead or a translation without seeing death at all. Paul's hope for future existence was in the
resurrection of the dead. In speaking of his efforts to "win Christ," he says: "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Phil 3:10, 11.


It was of "the hope and resurrection of the dead" that he was called in question by the council (Acts 23:6); and when he had afterward to make his defense before Felix, he declared that the resurrection of the dead was the end of his hope, saying: "And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Acts 24: Time and again Paul thus expresses his hope of future life. 


Nor is Paul the only one of the writers of the Bible who teaches the same thing. The resurrection of the dead is that to which Job looked for the consummation of his hope. Job 14:14, 15; 17:13-15; 19:23-27. David says: "Thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken [give life to] me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth." Ps. 71:20. And, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." Ps. 17: And what shall we more say? For the time would fail us to tell of Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, and Hosea, and Micah, and all the prophets and apostles, and of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for Jesus himself declared that it was the resurrection of the dead of which God spake when he said, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." More than this, Jesus pointed his disciples always to the resurrection of the dead, through which alone they could obtain the reward which he promised.


In John 6:39-54 we find that no less than four times the Saviour, in giving promise to those who believe in him, sets it forth as the consummation of that belief that "I will raise him up at the last day." And in Luke 14:13, 14 we read: "When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and . . . thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." 


Paul, however, gives us, upon this subject, a straight-forward, logical argument, which leaves the doctrine of the immortality of the soul not a particle of ground to rest upon. The fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is devoted entirely to an argument in proof of the resurrection of the dead. The apostle first proves, by hundreds of living witnesses who had seen him after he was risen, that Christ arose from the dead. Still there were some who said, "There is no resurrection of the dead," and in refutation of that idea, he introduces three points of argument, any one of which utterly excludes the doctrine of the immortality of the soul from any place whatever in Christian doctrine. 


1. In verse 16, his premise is, "If the dead rise not." The first conclusion from that is, "Then is not Christ raised;" then upon this conclusion follows the logical sequence, "Your faith is vain," and upon that another, "Ye are yet in your sins." From his premise,-"If the dead rise not,"-the second conclusion is, verse 18, "Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." Nothing can be plainer than that this statement and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul cannot both be true. For if the soul be immortal, as is held, it cannot
perish, and, therefore, so far as its existence is concerned, it is utterly independent of the resurrection of the dead. Is it not supposed by all those who believe the soul to be immortal that all who have passed from this world in the faith of Christ, have gone to heaven, and are now enjoying its bliss?-Assuredly it is. Then, if that be the truth, upon what imaginable principle can it be conceived that they "are perished," if there be no resurrection? What need have they of a resurrection? Have they not, without a resurrection, all that heaven can afford? Upon that theory they certainly have. Then it just as certainly appears that not one of them has perished, even though there never be a resurrection.
 
Over against this theory stands the word of God, that "if the dead rise not, then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." That word is the truth. Therefore it follows that if there be no resurrection of the dead, there is no hereafter for any who have ever died, or who shall ever die. 


But God has given assurance to all men that there shall be a hereafter, and that assurance lies in the fact "that he hath raised him [Christ] from the dead" (Heb. 9:27; Acts 17:31). The resurrection of Christ is the God-given pledge that there shall be a resurrection of all the dead: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive," and, "There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." Therefore it is by virtue of the resurrection of the dead, and not by the immortality of the soul, that there will be any hereafter for the dead, whether just or unjust.


2. The second point that the apostle makes in this connection is in verse 32: "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die." On this nothing can be better than to present Dr. Adam Clarke's comment upon this same passage. He says (and the italics are his):- 
"I believe the common method of pointing this verse is erroneous; I propose to read it thus: 'If, after the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it advantage me? If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.' What the apostle says here is a regular and legitimate conclusion from the doctrine that there is no resurrection; for if there be no resurrection, then there can be no judgment-no future state of rewards and punishments; why, therefore, should we bear crosses, and keep ourselves under continual discipline? Let us eat and drink, take all the pleasure we can; for tomorrow we die, and there is an end of us forever." 


That is sound exegesis, and a just comment upon the words of the apostle. As we have shown, that is the point of Paul's argument throughout, and it is the thought of the whole Bible upon this subject. But if the soul be immortal, neither Dr. Clarke's comment nor Paul's argument is sound. For if the soul be immortal, when-soever it may be that we die, that is not the "end of us forever," resurrection or no resurrection. By this it is plain that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul nullifies the plainest propositions of Scripture, and is therefore false. 


This view fully explains the query which Dr. Clarke propounds in his remarks at the close of his comments on 1 Corinthians He says:- 


"One remark I cannot help making: the doctrine of the resurrection appears to have been thought of much more consequence among the primitive Christians than it is now! How
is this? The apostles were continually insisting on it, and exciting the followers of God to diligence, obedience, and cheerfulness through it. And their successors in the present day seldom mention it! . . . There is not a doctrine in the gospel on which more stress is laid; and there is not a doctrine in the present system of preaching which is treated with more neglect!" 


From the doctor's insertion of exclamation points and his query, "How is this?" it would appear that he was surprised that it should be so. It is indeed surprising that it should be so. But it is easily enough explained. The fact is that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul has become so all-pervading "in the present system of preaching" that there is no room for the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.


If the doctrine of the immortality of the soul be true, then the doctrine of the resurrection is indeed of no consequence.


If that doctrine be true, then all need of laying stress upon the gospel doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is destroyed.


And although "the apostles were continually insisting on" the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and although there is "not a doctrine of the gospel upon which more stress is laid," yet it is through the insidious deceptive influence of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul that the preachers of the present day "seldom mention it," and that in the present system of preaching there is indeed "not a doctrine that is treated with more neglect," and nothing is needed to show more plainly than does this the irreconcilable antagonism between the truth of God and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul.


3. The third point is in verse 36: "That which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die." To quicken is to make alive. "What Paul says therefore is, "That which thou sowest is not made alive except it die." That this is spoken directly of man and his resurrection, is evident from verses 42-44, "It is sown a natural body," etc. Now the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is that the body properly has no life, that it is not the real man, but that the soul is the real, living, sentient man, that it is that about man which alone possesses real life. In other words, the body is only the house in which the real man lives. The real "I," the soul, dwells within the body, and death is simply the separation of the soul from the body. Death breaks down the house, and lets the occupant free. According to this doctrine, there is no such thing as death, because the body properly has no life, consequently it does not die, and the soul-the real man-is immortal, and it cannot die; therefore, there is in reality no such thing as death. If this be true, there is not only no such thing as death, but there is, likewise, no such thing as a resurrection of the dead; for upon the apostle's premise that "that which thou sowest is not quickened [made alive] except it die," it follows that, as the body, having no life, does not die, it cannot be quickened (raised from the dead); and as the soul does not die, it cannot be raised from the dead; consequently, there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead. 


Therefore it stands proved to a demonstration that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is utterly subversive of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. But the resurrection of the dead is a Bible doctrine; it is the very truth of God. So then it is plain that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is subversive of the truth of God, and is therefore false, deceptive, and destructive. 

How to Get Knowledge

How to Get Knowledge

E. J. Waggoner

"Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets; she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words, saying, how long, ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? and the scorners delight In their scorning; and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My words unto you." Prov. 1:20-23. 

This is the language of the Lord Jesus Christ, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. 2:3. This means that there is nothing of any kind whatever that is worthy to be called wisdom, which is not to be found in Christ. Read 1 Cor. 1:22-24: "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." That is, the wisdom which the Greeks sought after, is contained only in Christ. Because they sought it in themselves, and not in Christ, the wisdom which they had became foolishness. Out of Christ it is impossible to find true wisdom. 

True wisdom consists in knowing God.

"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jer. 9:23, 24.

 To know God is the sum of all scientific knowledge for Christ, who is the only manifestation of God, is the Source of all creation. "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things." Rom. 11:33, 36. Christ is the beginning, the head, or source, of the creation of God. Rev. 3:14. He is "the firstborn of every creature." Col. 1:1-5. "For in Him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through Him, and unto Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Col. 1:16, 17. Therefore the study of natural science must begin and end with the study of God in Christ. 

But Christ is the righteousness of God. Righteousness is the character of God. Therefore no one can know God without knowing His righteousness; and so the study of true science reveals the righteousness of God. And this is wisdom, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Prov. 1:7. The knowledge of the righteousness of God is connected with the knowledge of the works of God that we see with our eyes; for the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and the power of God is seen in the things that are made. Rom. 1:16, 20. Therefore when the Bible speaks of wisdom and knowledge, it means not only the wisdom and knowledge which would be counted as such by men, but also "all wisdom and spiritual understanding."

All this is summed up in the words of Moses to the children of Israel: "Behold I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." Deut. 4:5. 3. They who keep the commandments of God, not in form merely, but in fact, will have wisdom which will excite the wonder of people who do not recognize the source of knowledge. 

And now that we have seen what wisdom is let us note the words with which this article begins, to see how it may be obtained. The Lord says, "Turn you at My reproof; behold I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My words unto you." That is; those who listen to heed the reproofs of the Lord, will know His words, which are wisdom. "For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Prov. 2:6. 

The reproofs of the Lord are by the Spirit of the Lord and are given, not for the purpose of taunting us with our failures, nor for the purpose of causing us to cringe in terror before Him, but that we may turn from our sins to righteousness.

Before He went away, Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, and the first thing that He was to do was to convince the world of sin. This He does by revealing the righteousness of God. These reproofs come in various ways, according to the sin and the peculiarity of the person. They are not simply of a general nature, but they come home to the individual, pointing out specific acts of wrong, and saying "Thou art the man." 

It is naturally a severe trial to any one to receive a sharp reproof, because it cuts directly across self. But no matter how cutting it may be, and even though the Lord has allowed the knowledge of our failing to come to us through an unfriendly source, it is the part of wisdom to heed it.

To heed it means to forsake the evil, and that can be done only through Christ; for it is the blood of Christ alone that cleanses from all sin. "If we walk in the light He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. The promise is that those who turn at the reproof of wisdom shall have the words of wisdom made known unto them. 

Not only will such an one have the words of the Lord,-the words of wisdom, told to him, but he will have them made known to him.

In this is found the secret of the failure of many to understand the Bible. They are cherishing some sin, or they unwilling to keep all the commandments of God, and consequently they cannot know the meaning of the words of wisdom.

Self stands in the way.

Christ said that if any man had a mind to do the Father's will, he should know of the doctrine. John 7:17. "The meek will He guide in judgments; and the meek will He teach His way." Ps. 25:9. 

Surely the result is worth all that it costs, even though the lesson be a trying one. The pain comes only in the letting go of self. When one has once yielded fully to the Lord; the reproofs of the Lord are pleasant. When self is dead, it cannot be hurt by them. Then instead of mourning over the reproof, because of wounded pride; or even in despondency, he will delight himself in the increased knowledge of God.

Try it, all you who wish that you might understand the Bible. Let your doubts go to the winds. Let your own foolish wisdom, which would lead you to hesitate to receive the word of God, if it is contrary to your preconceived opinion, give place to the meekness of wisdom. In short; let your own opinions go entirely, and do not try to draw conclusions according to your own wisdom, but let God teach you at every step of the way.

When you cannot see how a certain statement harmonizes with another, do not get impatient, and begin to doubt, but wait in faith, and God will explain it to you. Do not be afraid of waiting awhile. It may be that the Lord has some other lesson for you to learn before you can understand this one. But while you are, waiting, wait only on the Lord, and His words will explain themselves. "Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things." 2 Tim. 2:7.

Christ Ruling in the Heart

February 10, 1897

The Spirit of Prophecy. - No. 2.

A. T. Jones

(Wednesday Forenoon, Feb. 10, 1897.)

….

The power which God implants, taken into the heart, will enable the man to stand under temptation, and in the midst of his weakness. It will give him that which he does not possess, and it will make him what he is not by nature. 

When a man makes a failure in a position in which he is placed, we are liable to think that God has made a mistake in allowing him to be placed there; but this does not follow. God made no mistake in having Saul to be king of Israel; but Saul made a mistake in not becoming what God wanted him to be. He made a mistake in following his own ways and schemes, rather than listening to the voice of God. So also God made no mistake in making Jeroboam king over Israel. Although the purpose of God in separating the ten tribes from Judah was not carried out on account of the perversity of the people, yet God had a plan, but Jeroboam would not permit it to be carried out. God may call me or you to a position, and if we have some point of weakness which will prevent our usefulness, and God sends us a message, that message is to make us what he wants us to be, that through his grace we may stand where he wants us to stand.

"Day by day men are revealing whether the kingdom of God is in them. If Christ rules in their hearts, they are gaining strength of principle, power, ability to stand as faithful sentinels, true reformers; for there can be no reform unless there is a thorough co-operation with Jesus Christ.

Through the grace of Christ men are to use their God-given faculties to reform themselves [not to reform others, but to reform themselves]; by this self-denying, action, which the Lord of heaven looks upon with approval, they gain victories over their own hereditary and cultivated tendencies.

Then, like Daniel, they make impressions upon other hearts that will never be effaced. The influence will be carried to all parts of the world." 

The work of reformation begins with self.

I can make impressions upon other hearts only when I have reformed myself. God reaches others by reaching us, and reaches others through us.

Turn to 2 Cor.1:3, 4:- 

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

God comforts us that we may comfort others; God helps us that we may help others. We are brought in a place where we need the comfort of God, that we may be able to comfort others.

He has others in mind when he comforts us. "And if we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation." If I am afflicted, it is for the consolation and salvation of some other man. I may not meet for years that man whom I am to comfort; but sometime I shall meet him, and the experience I have had prepares me to sit down by his side, or take him by the hand, and be a help and a comfort to him. He receives from me that which I have received from God, and he receives it that he may in turn communicate it to others, and these to others; and thus the influence of God's grace imparted to us extends to all the earth, although we may not move out of the State in which we live.

Born Again.

February 9, 1897

The Spirit of Prophecy. - No. 1.

A. T. Jones

(Tuesday Forenoon, Feb. 9, 1897.)

Continued…

Next there is cited for us here the story of Nicodemus and Christ. Nicodemus was a ruler in Israel, and it says that "Nicodemus sought an interview with Jesus at night, saying, 'Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.' All this was true as far as it went, but what said Jesus? He 'answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Here was a man in high position of trust, a man who was looked up to as one who was educated in Jewish customs, one whose mind was stored with wisdom. He was indeed in possession of talents of no ordinary character. He would not go to Jesus by day, for this would make him the subject of remark; it would be too humiliating for a ruler of the Jews to acknowledge himself in sympathy with the despised Nazarene. Nicodemus thinks, I will ascertain for myself the mission and claims of this teacher, whether he is indeed the light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. 

"Jesus virtually says to Nicodemus, It is not controversy that will help your case. It is not arguments that will bring light to the soul. You must have a new heart, or you cannot discern the kingdom of heaven. It is not greater evidence that will bring you into a right position, but new purposes, new springs of action: you must be born again. Until this change takes place, making all things new, the strongest evidences that could be presented would be useless. The want is in your own heart; everything must be changed, or you cannot see the kingdom of God. 

"This was a very humiliating statement to Nicodemus, and with a feeling of irritation he takes up the words of Christ, saying, 'How can a man be born when he is old?' He was not spiritual-minded enough to discern the meaning of the words of Christ. But the Saviour did not meet argument with argument. Raising his hand in solemn, quiet dignity, he presses home the truth with greater assurance: 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.' Nicodemus said unto him, 'How can these things be?'

"Some gleams of truth were penetrating the ruler's mind. Christ's words filled him with awe, and led to the inquiry, 'How can these things be?' With deep earnestness Jesus answered, 'Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?' His words convey to Nicodemus the lesson that instead of feeling irritated over the plain words of truth, and indulging in irony, he should have a far more humble opinion of himself, because of his spiritual ignorance. Yet the words of Christ were spoken with such solemn dignity, and both look and tone expressed such love to him, that he was not offended as he realized his humiliating position. Surely one entrusted with the religious interests of the people could not be ignorant of truth so important for them to understand as the condition of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee,' continued Jesus, 'We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?'

"This lesson to Nicodemus I present as highly applicable to those who are today in responsible positions as rulers in Israel, and whose voices are often heard in council giving evidence of the same spirit that Nicodemus possessed." Who will listen and let the same words have the same effect upon their hearts and lives to-day? Nicodemus was converted as a result. 

These words were spoken to the presidents of conferences, elders of churches, and those occupying official positions in our institutions. You know whether you are a president of a conference. It speaks to you; it says, You must be born again. You know whether you are an elder of a church. It speaks to you; it says, You must be born again. You know whether you are occupying an official position in any of our institutions. It speaks to you; it says, You must be born again. It says, You must be converted. It does not say that you never were converted; even though we have been converted, the time is such that God calls for a more thorough conversion, a deeper consecration than ever you or I have known before. It is nothing to you or to me that we were converted five, ten, or fifteen years ago, if we are not converted now, to-day. And to-day he says if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. To-day, while it is called to-day, he says to you and to me, You must be born again; you must be converted; and except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. And there is the blessed promise, A new heart will I give unto you. Thank the Lord! Let us seek the Lord with such heart, with such earnestness as never before, that he may use us as never before; and then he will roll away the reproach from his church, and she will rise to go forth untrammeled, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. That is what the Lord wants of you and me today. Shall he have it?