Publication date
7/15/00
Volume
21
Number
14
The WatchTower
Views From the Watch Tower
/../literature/watchtower/1900/14/1900-14-1.html
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ZiON'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLeGHENY. 
PA. 
aggressIvely, 
as 
you 
"ugge",t, 
or 
def€:n~ively. 
Really 
we 
are 
I.n 
the 
defell~ivp-the 
stronghold 
Zion 
i" 
attacked 
bv 
enemie" 
trom 
without 
and 
withm. 
The 
Bible 
is 
attacked 
by 
so-called. 
HIgher 
Critics, 
and 
the 
cro<;s, 
the 
doctrine 
of 
the 
ransom, 
i" 
attacked 
by 
Evolutionist" 
and 
hosts 
of 
others. 
and 
the 
long 
entrenched 
errors 
of 
doctrine 
are 
now 
stumbling 
many 
who 
want 
to 
be 
on 
the 
Lord's 
side 
of 
this 
battle-the 
side 
of 
truth. 
The 
enemy 
of 
truth, 
Satan, 
and 
his 
deluded 
follow­ 
er" 
must 
be 
shown 
up 
and 
driven 
pompletely 
out~ide 
Zion'" 
walls 
that 
now 
at 
last 
"wheat" 
may 
be 
distinguished 
from 
""tare~." 
\\'e 
know 
of 
no 
better 
alll 
in 
this 
conflict 
than 
the 
"Volunteer 
TOWER." 
It 
is 
an 
inspiring 
scene 
to 
see 
the 
Al­ 
legheny 
church 
volunteers 
going 
forth 
every 
Sunday 
morn­ 
ing, 
and 
it 
must 
be 
still 
more 
so 
to 
witness 
the 
larger 
com­ 
pany 
of 
the 
Boston 
church-about 
80 
per 
cent 
of 
the 
entire 
church, 
we 
und.erstand, 
are 
"volunteers." 
The 
influence 
of 
such 
preachers 
and 
their 
message 
is 
bound 
to 
tell 
on 
the 
right 
elas<;.-EIHTOR.] 
BIBLE 
READING 
INDISPENSABLE 
DEAR 
BROTHER 
RUSSELL:-I 
can 
hardly 
appreciate 
the 
adVIce 
given 
by 
you 
in 
the 
last 
'WATCH 
TOWER, 
under 
caption 
of 
"Attention, 
\Vatch 
Tower 
Readers!" 
inasmuch 
as 
am 
al­ 
ways 
benefited 
by 
re-reading 
of 
the 
DAWNS, 
but 
permit 
me 
to 
say 
that 
!Jplieve 
there 
are 
some 
who 
may 
misconstrue 
thc 
last 
two 
sentcnces 
of 
the 
above 
al 
hell' 
and 
think 
into 
them 
meaning 
it 
is 
not 
intended 
they 
should 
contain, 
viz., 
that 
you 
afl' 
advocating 
the 
reading 
of 
the 
DAWNS 
exclusive 
of 
God's 
Word. 
havc 
learned 
from 
observation 
that 
those 
who 
merely 
read 
the 
DAWNS 
without 
examining 
the 
context 
of 
Scripturcs 
quoted 
do 
not 
become 
well 
established 
in 
thc 
truth, 
so 
that 
when 
the 
fire 
that 
tries 
every 
man's 
faith 
be­ 
come" 
mure 
~ntcn~c, 
thl'Y 
are 
unablc 
to 
endure 
the 
ordeal. 
It 
has 
furthpr 
bel'n 
lily 
e'pericnee 
that 
those 
who 
state 
that 
"they" 
have 
the 
Bible 
to 
read, 
and 
that 
it 
is 
sufficient 
for 
them 
without 
reading 
the 
DAWNS, 
never 
come 
to 
clear 
kno\\ 
ledge 
of 
the 
truth, 
because 
they 
thereby 
ignore 
the 
in­ 
strumentality 
that 
God 
has 
been 
pleased 
to 
honor 
in 
setting 
forth 
his 
truth 
in 
these 
last 
days. 
And 
in 
ignoring 
the 
in­ 
strumentality 
they 
ignore 
not 
man, 
but 
God, 
"who 
worketh 
all 
things 
after 
the 
counsel 
of 
his 
own 
will;" 
and 
hence, 
as 
long 
as 
they 
maintain 
such 
an 
attitUde, 
they 
cannot 
hope 
to 
he 
led 
into 
all 
truth. 
But 
happy 
are 
those 
who 
keep 
their 
minds 
in 
reccptive 
condition 
for 
truth, 
willing 
to 
receive 
it 
through 
whatcver 
agency 
the 
Lord 
may 
be 
pleased 
to 
send 
it 
to 
them. 
l\Iay 
the 
Lord 
enable 
each 
onc 
of 
us 
so 
to 
be. 
Beforc 
closing 
must 
tell 
you 
that 
was 
grcatly 
encour­ 
agPl1 
by 
the 
article, 
"Kl'pp 
VOllI 
sel\'l'~ 
in 
the 
love 
of 
God." 
How 
it 
has 
refreshed 
me 
III 
spIrit! 
appreciate 
more 
full.y 
now 
the 
fact 
that 
it 
is 
onc 
thillg 
to 
possess 
the 
"love 
of 
God" 
and 
another 
thing 
to 
maintain 
it 
to 
the 
end 
of 
our 
course. 
How 
much 
effort 
on 
our 
part 
is 
implied 
in 
the 
word 
"keep!" 
-continuous 
effort, 
yet 
ever 
mindful 
of 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
Lord 
is 
the 
"author" 
as 
well 
as 
the 
"finisher 
of 
our 
faith." 
It 
is 
to 
"pray 
without 
ceasing," 
to 
"quenCh 
not 
the 
spirit," 
to 
"despise 
not 
prophesying," 
to 
"prove 
all 
things 
and 
hold 
fast 
that 
which 
is 
good." 
Some 
three 
years 
ago, 
when 
began 
to 
appreciate 
the 
beauty 
of 
"present 
truth," 
realized 
had 
lost 
much 
presi­ 
ous 
time, 
and 
desiring 
to 
make 
the 
best 
of 
the 
little 
had 
left, 
thought 
over 
several 
plans 
and 
finally 
de('ided 
on 
thi~ 
onc, 
"Every 
day 
will 
try 
to 
become 
little 
more 
like 
Jesus, 
and 
then 
he 
will 
make 
plain 
to 
me 
those 
thinO's 
do 
not 
now 
underi-talHl." 
And 
find 
that 
my 
knowledge 
of 
the 
""deep 
thing? 
of 
God:' 
has 
ever 
been 
commensurate 
with 
my 
prog­ 
ress 
III 
becomIllg 
more 
and 
more 
like 
God's 
dear 
Son, 
but 
herem 
became 
aware 
of 
the 
greatest 
struggle 
of 
mv 
hfe, 
struggle 
to 
the 
death 
of 
the 
old 
nature, 
and 
oh, 
what 
struggle 
it 
is, 
only 
those 
who 
have 
tried 
to 
stem 
the 
current 
of 
fallen 
and 
depraved 
natm 
I' 
know. 
found 
arraye<! 
against 
me 
the 
world, 
the 
flesh 
and 
the 
devil, 
but 
"tlla~ks 
be 
to 
God 
who 
giveth 
us 
the 
victory 
through 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
Christ!" 
How 
appropriate 
are 
the 
words,- 
"Keep 
I'triving: 
the 
winnerR 
are 
thosp 
who 
ha 
VI' 
striven 
And 
fought 
for 
the 
prize 
that 
no 
idler 
has 
won; 
To 
the 
hand 
of 
the 
stedfast 
alone 
it 
is 
given, 
And 
before 
it 
is 
gained 
there 
is 
work 
to 
be 
done." 
Enclosed 
find 
order 
for 
DAWNS. 
With 
much 
ChI 
istian 
low, 
am, 
Yours 
in 
our 
Redeemer, 
E. 
J. 
COW_\RD.-Texas. 
VOL. 
XXI 
ALLEGHE~Y, 
PA., 
JULY 
15, 
1900 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
14 
IS 
THE 
CHINA 
TROUBLE 
PROPHETICALLY 
SIGNIFICANT? 
Apparcntly 
serious 
crisis 
in 
the 
world's 
affairs 
is 
being 
reaelll,1 
III 
China. 
For 
thc 
past 
sixty 
years 
Europeans 
have 
been 
intI 
IHling 
thpm~dves 
upon 
the 
Chinese, 
ostensibly 
for 
the 
hcnp\'olent 
purpo~p 
of 
blessing 
the 
Chinese 
with 
Europ~an 
civiliz:thon, 
bllt 
really 
for 
commercial 
purposes,-supplymg 
thcir 
neptl~ 
for 
monev 
consideration. 
Subsequently, 
about 
torty 
pal", 
.\~(), 
11l111pr' 
cOIllpul~ory 
rpgulationR 
forccd 
upon 
thc 
Chinei-p, 
(,lll 
ishan 
missionaries 
were 
pelmitted 
to 
enter 
the 
1<lowcl 
Empne 
to 
contradict 
its 
religious 
and 
moral 
i<leas 
pllPri"h('d 
fm 
c('ntlll'ip<;. 
Thc 
new 
religion 
brought 
fam­ 
ily 
stJifp-ef\p('cwll~- 
hpPHlIO.C 
it 
taught 
the 
people 
that 
their 
anpP~tOl 
(\1 
hom 
hp 
ChillP~e 
worship 
a~ 
demi-gods), 
not 
bp­ 
inO' 
]'('IH'vp1 
in 
thp 
onlv 
n,unc 
WhCll'Ill 
i~ 
s,l1nttion, 
were 
lo-t 
et~l'IIally-(looll'l'11 
to 
e~-crlasting 
tormcnt". 
Thp~e 
lllis~ionaries, 
and 
all 
'foreign 
merchants 
who 
lodged 
\\ 
ith 
thpm, 
\\,prp 
"ppcially 
protected 
by 
treaty 
laws 
and 
reg­ 
ubtion~. 
n!lll 
t11ll~ 
\I'pre 
pxemptpd 
from 
Chinpse 
laws 
and 
be­ 
camp 
fnvore<l 
people, 
posRes~cd 
of 
gl 
eater 
privile~es 
and 
libel'tiei- 
thnn 
thp 
natives. 
~Iorco\ 
er, 
the 
missionaries 
(es­ 
(lpcially 
tl](> 
TIol11anists, 
from 
all 
accounts) 
attempted 
to 
ex­ 
tpIH] 
;hp<,:, 
~PP, 
inl 
tl'pat~- 
rig1lts 
to 
such 
Chinese 
as 
professed 
"":I'PI~lOn-thp 
pI''' 
-~s 
hp('ame 
thc 
attorneY'l 
of 
their 
peoplt', 
:tr'! 
h' 
:1r::(lIn]('nt" 
aIHl 
threatR, 
etc., 
generaily 
got 
their 
faith­ 
fnl 
11 
;'1' 
110m 
clurgI'", 
brought 
against 
tll('m. 
'll,u~ 
mch 
by 
:I~ch 
the 
white 
man 
forcibly 
intruded 
upon 
t11e 
vdlow 
ll1a~, 
until 
t1,p 
war 
between 
China 
and 
Japan. 
"hirh 
displayed 
to 
the 
ciVIlized 
world 
the 
helplessne~s 
or 
China, 
the 
second 
grcatest. 
nation 
of 
th!' 
world 
numerIcally 
(400,000,000). 
Since 
then 
the 
white 
man's 
arrogance 
has 
in­ 
CTr'lsed, 
and 
the 
newspapers 
of 
the 
world 
have 
told 
the 
Chi­ 
nes" 
that 
it 
is 
only 
question 
of 
time 
until 
their 
nation 
WIll 
nl' 
Ion 
O'er 
exist, 
being 
divided 
among 
the 
nations 
of 
Europe, 
who 
h7tve 
grasped 
ports 
and 
whole 
districts, 
compelling 
nominal 
acquie!;cenc!' 
on 
the 
part 
of 
the 
Chinese. 
The 
Chine"e 
are 
thrifty 
people 
and 
peaceably 
disposed 
and 
not 
specially 
patriotic,-else 
they 
would 
not 
have 
sub­ 
mitted 
to 
the,;e 
intrusions 
so 
long 
as 
they 
havc. 
Indeed, 
they 
are 
quite 
tolerant 
toward 
foreigners 
who 
will 
adopt 
their 
civilization, 
submit 
to 
their 
laws 
and 
mInd 
their 
own 
business. 
enderstanding 
the 
pircumstances, 
WI' 
cannot 
so 
much 
wonder 
at 
the 
recent 
upIising 
againRt 
fOI 
pigners 
under 
the 
au~pices 
of 
an 
athletic 
society 
called 
the 
"" 
Bo,\ers." 
It 
is 
worthy 
of 
note 
that 
the 
prespnt 
outbreak, 
while 
it 
has 
ex­ 
tended 
to 
all 
missionaries 
and 
all 
foreigners, 
nevertheles,> 
beglln 
with 
Roman 
Catholics 
exclusively. 
.Much 
as 
we 
musi 
deprccate 
the 
killing 
of 
many 
missionaries 
and 
many 
native 
converts, 
we 
must 
admit 
that 
such 
an 
uprising 
would 
have 
opcurred 
long 
ago 
among 
white 
men 
of 
any 
nationality. 
Lack 
of 
patriotic 
sentiment 
amongst 
the 
ChInese, 
and 
in· 
ferior 
arm[lment. 
etc., 
accounts 
for 
the 
delay 
of 
this 
outbreak: 
the 
l,pople 
have 
been 
kept 
so 
busy 
providing 
for 
life's 
necessi· 
tiPR 
that 
love 
of 
money 
has 
('rowded 
out 
love 
of 
country. 
Europe 
is 
astounded 
at 
the 
late 
uprIsing, 
for 
two 
reasons. 
I) 
It 
offers 
suggestion 
that 
patriotic 
feeling 
may 
yet 
take 
hold 
of 
thE' 
Chinese, 
which 
with 
their 
overwhelming 
numbt'ls 
\I<mld 
make 
them 
mena('e 
to 
Europe, 
for 
they 
could 
Inu,;ter 
an 
almy 
twice 
as 
numerou~ 
as 
cOllld 
all 
Europe 
combinpd-an 
al 
my 
accustomed 
to 
obedience, 
and 
very 
eco­ 
nomical. 
(2) 
Even 
should 
the 
whites 
succeed 
in 
coercing 
the 
Chinese, 
and 
hold 
the 
kingdom 
as 
vassal 
empire, 
or 
divide 
It 
amongst 
the 
"mort' 
civilized," 
the 
danger 
is 
that 
interna­ 
tional 
jealousies 
over 
shares 
in 
the 
spoils, 
"spheres 
of 
in 
flu­ 
en('e," 
etc., 
would 
ultimately 
lead 
to 
great 
wars. 
far-reaching 
in 
their 
influence, 
and 
quite 
possibly 
involving 
all 
Europe. 
It 
IS 
from 
this 
standpoint 
that 
affairs 
in 
China 
are 
of 
special 
interest 
to 
those 
who 
know 
that 
we 
are 
living 
in 
the 
harvest 
time 
of 
the 
Gospel 
age, 
and 
who 
are 
instructed 
from 
the 
Word 
of 
God 
to 
expect 
this 
age 
to 
close 
with 
great 
time 
of 
trouble-beginning 
with 
international 
complications, 
[2662] 
47s ZL) aggressively, as you ouggest, or defensively. Really we are on the defensive—the stronghold Zion is attacked by enemies from without and within. The Bible is attacked by so-called Higher Critics, and the cross, the doctrine of the ransom, is attacked by Evolutionists and hosts of others. and the long entrenched errors of doctrine are now stumbling many who want to be on the Lord’s side of this battle—the side of truth. The enemy of truth, Satan, and his deluded followers must be shown up and driven completely outside Zion’s BIBLE READING Deak BrotHer Russect:—I can hardly appreciate the advice given by you in the last Warcn Tower, under caption of “Attention, Watch Tower Readers!” inasmuch as I am always benefited by a re-reading of the Dawns, but permit me to say that I believe there are some who may misconstrue the last two sentences of the above article and think into them a meaning it is not intended they should contain, viz., that you are advocating the reading of the Dawns exclusive of God’s Word. I have learned from observation that those who merely read the Dawns without examining the context of Scriptures quoted do not become well established in the truth, so that when the fire that tries every man’s faith becomc> more intense, they are unable to endure the ordeal. It has further been my experience that those who state that “they” have the Bible to read, and that it ig sufficient for them without reading the DAWNs, never come to a clear knowledge of the truth, because they thereby ignore the instrumentality that God has been pleased to honor in setting forth his truth in these last days. And in ignoring the instrumentality they ignore not man, but God, “who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will;” and hence, as long as they maintain such an attitude, they cannot hope to be led into all truth. But happy are those who keep their minds in a receptive condition for truth, willing to receive it through whatever agency the Lord may be pleased to send it to them. May the Lord enable each one of us so to be. Before closing I must tell you that I was greatly encouraged by the article, “Keep vourselves in the love of God.” How it has refreshed me in spirit! I appreciate more fully now the fact that it is one thing to possess the “love of God” and another thing to maintain it to the end of our course. ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, walls that now at last “wheat” may be distinguished from “tarer.” We know of no better aid in this conflict than the “Volunteer Tower.” It is an inspiring scene to see the Allegheny church volunteers going forth every Sunday morning, and it must be still more so to witness the larger company of the Boston church—about 80 per cent of the entire church, we understand, are “volunteers.” The influence of such preachers and their message is bound to tell on the right class.—EDITor. J INDISPENSABLE How much effort on our part is implied in the word “keep!” —continuous effort, yet ever mindful of the fact that the Lord is the “author” as well as the “finisher of our faith.” It is to “pray without ceasing,” to “quench not the spirit,” to “despise not prophesying,” to “prove all things and hold fast that which is good.” Some three years ago, when I began to appreciate the beauty of “present truth,” I realized I had lost much presious time, and desiring to make the best of the little I had left, I thought over several plans and finally decided on this one, “Every day I will try to become a little more like Jesus, and then he will make plain to me those things I do not now understand.” And I find that my knowledge of the “deep things of God” has ever been commensurate with my progress in becoming more and more like God’s dear Son, but herein I became aware of the greatest struggle of my hfe, a struggle to the death of the old nature, and oh, what a struggle it is, only those who have tried to stem the current of a fallen and depraved nature know. I found arrayed against me the world, the flesh and the devil, but “thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” How appropriate are the words,— “Keep striving: the winners are those who have striven And fought for the prize that no idler has won; To the hand of the stedfast alone it is given, And before it is gained there is work to be done.” Enclosed find order for Dawns. With much Christian love, T am, Yours in our Redeemer, E. J. Cowarp.—Tezus. Vou. XXI ALLEGHENY, PA., JULY 15, 1900 No. 14 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER IS THE CHINA TROUSLE PROPHETICALLY SIGNIFICANT? Apparently a serious crisis in the world’s affairs is being reachel in China. For the past sixty years Europeans have been intruding themselves upon the Chinese, ostensibly for the benevolent purpose of blessing the Chinese with European civilization, but really for commercial purposes,—supplying their needs for a money consideration. Subsequently, about torty years avo, under compulsory regulations forced upon the Chinese, Christian missionaries were permitted to enter the Flowery Empire to eontradict its religious and moral ideas cherished for centuries. The new religion brought family strife—especially beeause it taught the people that their ancestors (whom the Chinese worship as demi-gods), not being believers in the only name wherein is salvation, were lo-t eternally—doomwed to everlasting torments. These missionaries, and all foreign merchants who lodged with them, were specially protected by treaty laws and regulations. and thus were exempted from Chinese Jaws and became a favored people, possessed of gieater privileges and liberties than the wuatives. Moreover, the missionaries (especially the Romanists, from all accounts) attempted to extend ihese special treaty rights to such Chinese as professed conversion—the priests became the attorneys of their people, ard by arguments and threats, etc., generally got their faithfut free from charges brought against them. thus imeh by inch the white man forcibly intruded upon he vellow man, until the war between China and Japan. which displayed to the civilized world the helplessness of China, the second greatest nation of the world numerically (400,000,000). Since then the white man’s arrogance has inereised, and the newspapers of the world have told the Chinese that it is only a question of time until their nation will no longer exist, being divided among the nations of Europe, who have grasped ports and whole districts, compelling a nominal acquiescence on the part of the Chinese. The Chinese are a thriftv people and peaceably disposed and not specially patriotic.—else they would not have submitted to these intrusions so long as they have. Indeed, they are quite tolerant toward foreigners who will adopt their civilization, submit to their laws and mind their own business. Understanding the circumstances, we cannot so much wonder at the recent uprising against foreigners under the auspices of an athletic society called the “Boxers.” It is worthy of note that the present outbreak, while it has extended to all missionaries and all foreigners, nevertheless began with Roman Catholics exclusively. Much as we must deprecate the killing of many missionaries and many native converts, we must admit that such an uprising would have occurred long ago among white men of any nationality. Lack of patriotic sentiment amongst the Chinese, and infcrior armament, etc., accounts for the delay of this outbreak: the people have been kept so busy providing for life’s necessities that Jove of money has crowded out love of country. Europe is astounded at the late uprising, for two reasons. (1) It offers a suggestion that a patriotic feeling may yet take hold of the Chinese, which with their overwhelming numbeis would make them a menace to Europe, for they could muster an army twice as numerous as could all Europe combined—an army accustomed to obedience, and very economical. (2) Even should the whites succeed in coercing the Chinese, and hold the kingdom as a vassal empire, or divide it amongst the “more civilized,” the danger is that international jealousies over shares in the spoils, “spheres of influence,” ete., would ultimately lead to great wars. far-reaching in their influence, and quite possibly involving all Europe. It 1s from this standpoint that affairs in China are of special interest to those who know that we are living in the harvest time of the Gospel age, and who are instructed from the Word of God to expect this age to close with a great time of trouble—beginning with international complications, [2662]

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