Publication date
2/1/00
Volume
21
Number
3
The WatchTower
Special Items: The Volunteer Work, etc
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1900/3/1900-3-1.html
 
 
 
 
 
'31 
-35) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
p" 
l.mgdom 
than 
hra"'l. 
He 
J1ropo~ed 
to 
IBm 
a 
kmgdom 
embrac­ 
ing 
all 
the 
nations 
of 
the 
earth, 
and 
that 
he 
should 
have 
the 
('ontrol 
of 
all 
these. 
ant! 
he 
able 
to 
brill!? 
m 
tl1l' 
blessed 
re­ 
forms 
which 
were 
<!t>.;iglll'd 
of 
God, 
only 
one 
condition 
being 
insisted 
upon, 
VIZ., 
that 
whatever 
kingdom 
or 
rule 
or 
authority 
might 
be 
established 
mu~t 
recognize 
Satan. 
The 
adversary 
thus 
seemed 
to 
sec 
what 
he 
thought 
a 
favorable 
opportunity 
for 
consummating 
his 
original 
planR, 
for 
we 
cannot 
suppose 
that 
his 
original 
intpntion 
was 
to 
gain 
control 
of 
a 
dying 
and 
depraved 
race, 
but 
that 
he 
lIlul'll 
rather 
would 
be 
the 
lord 
or 
ruler 
of 
a 
highly 
elllight<'l1ed 
and 
well-endowed 
people. 
He 
wa~ 
willing, 
thereforI'. 
to 
-Pi' 
corried 
into 
effect 
all 
the 
gra­ 
,ious 
work 
which 
nOll 
hall 
de~igned. 
and 
willing 
to 
reform 
himself 
and 
to 
be('onw 
tllr 
leader 
of 
reform, 
provided 
only 
tlJat 
he 
should 
be 
recogllll.p,l 
a'! 
haying 
the 
chief 
place 
of 
in­ 
fluence 
in 
connection 
with 
mankind. 
It 
was 
after 
this 
man­ 
n(-r 
that 
he 
wished 
ollr 
Lord 
to 
do 
worship 
or 
rcverence 
to 
!llm--to 
recognizc 
lti~ 
illflueIH'r 
and 
co-operation 
in 
the 
work, 
.1 
nd 
not 
for 
a 
mompIIt 
(all 
\H' 
,;uppofle 
that 
he 
expected 
him 
to 
knrel 
before 
him 
and 
to 
wor~hip 
him 
as 
God. 
Our 
Lord'R 
reply 
to 
tll!~ 
last 
temptation 
bho\\R 
that 
it 
fully 
awakened 
him 
tn 
a 
rplt 
hzntion 
of 
the 
fact 
that 
tllPre 
wa,; 
110 
real 
reformation 
at 
work 
in 
Satan's 
heart; 
that 
he 
wn" 
,till 
ambitious, 
Relf-~p('kIllI!. 
as 
at 
the 
beginning 
of 
his 
down­ 
\\ard 
course; 
and 
11(' 
IPalil.ed 
that 
to 
even 
discus;; 
the 
mattter 
fllrt,her 
with 
onl' 
\\110 
1mr] 
thus 
avowed 
his 
real 
sentimellt~ 
"\' 
ould 
be 
disloyalty 
to 
the 
Fnther. 
ant! 
hence 
his 
words, 
"Get 
thl'l' 
hence, 
Satan"-lf'ltvl' 
me; 
you 
ellnnot 
co-operate 
with 
me 
:It 
all; 
my 
work 
i'\ 
III 
ful! 
:wcord 
with 
the 
absolute 
standard 
"f 
thl' 
divine 
will; 
I 
(un 
he' 
a 
party 
to 
no 
program 
contrary 
to 
this, 
howl'ver 
alluriug 
~ome 
of 
its 
features 
might 
be 
in 
promiSing 
a 
Rpeedy 
l'onrj\lp~1 
of 
tIle 
world, 
and 
a 
speedyestl!h­ 
lJshment 
of 
a 
reign 
of 
right.eousness 
and 
blessing 
and 
an 
:1\ 
nidanpe 
of 
personal 
,-ufT"ring; 
I 
cannot 
foeI'Ve 
two 
ma,sters: 
1 
"an 
only 
re('ognize 
tIll' 
nne 
supreme 
Jehovah, 
as 
Lord 
of 
llcaven 
and 
of 
cartll. 
and 
tlwrefore 
could 
not 
recognizc 
you 
ill 
.lny 
position 
of 
authOIIty 
('x('ept 
as 
the 
great 
Jehovah 
wOlIl,i 
a 
ppoint 
yon 
to 
it, 
whir 
h 
I 
know 
he 
would 
never 
do, 
so 
long 
a" 
you 
are 
of 
the 
pre1'('nt 
ambitious 
spirit. 
I 
am 
operating 
a!nng 
the 
lilli' 
of 
the 
de('laration, 
"TJJOu 
t-ohalt 
worship 
[rever­ 
'-IIl'cl 
the 
Lord 
thy 
God, 
alld 
him 
only 
shalt 
thou 
SPrl'c." 
We 
may 
readily 
dis('('rl! 
that 
this 
temptation 
of 
our 
Lord 
v. 
a" 
but 
a 
s:lmple 
illll~tl 
at 
ion 
nf 
Rudl 
u" 
he 
set 
his 
follower;; 
,til 
a 
long 
the 
narrow 
\\·ay. 
from 
the 
sallie 
source, 
dirc<tly 
or 
1 
hroug-h 
aQ'encie~. 
Fiatan 
throngh 
his 
Yariou~ 
mouthpiece,.; 
i" 
eontinnally 
flaying 
to 
t1ll' 
'-aint"', 
TIere 
is 
a 
morp 
"ul'('essful 
wa~- 
of 
nC('ompli~hillg 
your 
obil'ct 
than 
that 
whH'h 
~ 
on 
lue 
pursuing, 
a 
more 
~n("'(',sf111 
way 
tItan 
thl- 
Lord's 
way. 
BE-nrI 
a 
lIttle; 
makE- 
compromlM' 
\\ 
itlt 
the 
worlrl1~' 
spirit; 
do 
not 
hew 
too 
close 
to 
the 
line 
of 
the 
word 
of 
God 
and 
the 
e:\ample 
\If 
thE- 
Lord 
,Tcsus 
nnd 
the 
npostlc,,; 
you 
mnst 
be 
more 
like 
ill(' 
world, 
in 
ordl'r 
to 
,',Nt 
fln 
influence-mix 
a 
little 
into 
politics. 
and 
a 
good 
deal 
into 
secret 
societies; 
keep 
in 
touch 
with 
the 
fads 
and 
foibles 
of 
the 
day, 
and 
above 
all 
thingR 
keep 
any 
light 
of 
present 
truth 
under 
a 
bushel,-thu8 
alone 
,-an 
you 
have 
influence 
and 
accomplish 
your 
good 
desires 
toward 
men. 
But 
our 
dear 
Master 
assures 
us 
that 
we 
are 
to 
be 
faith· 
ful 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
to 
his 
plan, 
and 
let 
things 
work 
out 
as 
bE-st 
thpy 
may 
along 
that 
line; 
and 
that 
we 
m:lY 
fl'st 
assured 
that 
in 
the 
end 
the 
Father's 
plan 
not 
only 
is 
the 
best 
but 
really 
the 
only 
plan 
for 
accomplishing 
his 
great 
designs, 
and 
that 
if 
we 
would 
bE- 
associated 
therein 
with 
him 
as 
colaborers, 
it 
must 
be 
by 
recognizing 
him 
as 
our 
only 
Mastcr, 
and 
with 
an 
eye 
single 
to 
his 
approval. 
Our 
Lord's 
utter 
refusal 
of 
every 
other 
way 
of 
carrying 
out 
his 
mission 
than 
the 
one 
which 
the 
Father 
had 
marked 
out, 
the 
way 
of 
self-sacrifice, 
the 
narrow 
way, 
was 
indeed 
It 
great 
victory. 
The 
ndVErsary 
left 
him, 
finding 
nothing 
in 
him 
that 
he 
could 
take 
hold 
of 
or 
work 
upon, 
so 
thoroughly 
loynl 
was 
he 
to 
the 
very 
word 
and 
the 
spirit 
of 
,Tehovah. 
An,l 
then, 
the 
trial 
being 
ended, 
we 
read 
that 
holy 
angels 
camE­ 
and 
ministered 
to 
our 
Lord-doubtless 
supplying 
him 
with 
refreshment 
such 
as 
he 
had 
refused 
to 
exercise 
the 
divine 
power 
to 
obtain 
for 
himself. 
And 
such 
we 
may 
rl'('ognize 
as 
being 
the 
experience 
of 
our 
Lord's 
followers: 
with 
victory 
comes 
a 
blessing 
from 
the 
Lord. 
fellowship 
of 
spirit, 
refresh­ 
ment 
of 
heart, 
a 
realization 
of 
divine 
favor 
that 
makeR 
stronger 
for 
the 
next 
trial. 
Another 
lesson 
here 
is 
that 
temptation 
does 
not 
imply 
~lll. 
As 
our 
Lord 
was 
tempted 
"without 
sin" 
so 
may 
hi" 
brpthren 
be 
if 
they 
follow 
his 
example 
and 
with 
purity 
of 
heart, 
purity 
of 
intention, 
seek 
only 
the 
Father's 
will. 
SlII 
could 
only 
come 
through 
yielding 
to 
the 
temptation. 
But 
let 
us 
not 
forgE-t 
that 
hE-sitancy 
after 
the 
wrong 
is 
SE-en 
in­ 
crE-ases 
the 
power 
of 
the 
temptation. 
And 
we 
may 
notl' 
her(' 
that 
while 
Satan 
is 
tempter, 
endeavoring 
to 
ensnarE- 
us 
into 
wrong 
paths 
and 
wrong 
conduct. 
God 
is 
not 
so; 
"he 
tpmpteth 
no 
man" 
(Jas 
1;13), 
and 
even 
tho 
he 
permit 
tlJ(' 
AdverRar~­ 
and 
his 
agents 
to 
beset 
his 
people, 
it 
is 
not 
with 
the 
object 
of 
ensnaring 
them, 
but 
with 
the 
opposite 
object. 
that 
t1tl'y 
ma~' 
by 
such 
trials 
and 
testings 
be 
made 
the 
stron!!er, 
devPloping 
character 
through 
exercise 
in 
resisting 
E-vil. 
Let 
us 
remember 
too 
for 
our 
strengthE-ning, 
the 
Scriptural 
assurance 
that 
God 
will 
not 
suffer 
us 
to 
be 
tempted 
above 
that 
we 
are 
abll' 
to 
rE-· 
sist 
and 
overcome 
but 
will 
with 
the 
temptation 
provide 
also 
1L 
way 
of 
escape. 
To 
avail 
ourselves 
of 
this 
provision 
requires 
mE-rely 
faith, 
and 
the 
more 
we 
exerciSE- 
our 
faith 
in 
such 
matters 
tlle 
mon' 
of 
it 
we 
will 
have, 
becoming 
stronger 
in 
the 
Lord 
and 
in 
tlw 
power 
of 
his 
might; 
and 
thus 
by 
divine 
grace 
and 
under 
the 
~Iaster's 
assistance 
We 
may 
come 
off 
overcomerR-conquerors. 
and 
more 
than 
conquerors, 
through 
him 
who 
loved 
us 
and 
bought 
us 
with 
his 
own 
precious 
blood.-2 
Cor. 
12: 
\); 
1 
Cor 
10:13; 
Eph. 
6:10; 
Rom. 
8:37-3\). 
A 
LITTLE 
WHILE 
A 
little 
while 
with 
\\I'an- 
feet 
to 
tread 
the 
narrow 
way. 
A 
little 
while, 
tlJ(' 
tlJJlp 
~dll 
not 
be 
long, 
.\ 
little 
while 
the 
flinle~' 
One 
to 
follow 
day 
by 
day. 
l 
little 
while 
to 
sutT"r 
and 
be 
;;trong. 
.\ 
little 
while 
with 
faltt-nul-: 
tonguE- 
to 
testify 
for 
God, 
:\ 
little 
while 
to 
sutT,'r 
S( 
orn 
and 
shame, 
.\ 
Itttle 
whilE- 
with 
voke 
aud 
pE-U 
to 
spread 
the 
truth 
abroad. 
A 
little 
while 
to 
glOrify 
hi" 
naml' 
A 
little 
while 
with 
humble 
faith 
to 
wage 
th" 
goodly 
fight. 
A 
little 
while, 
grasp 
firm 
the 
two-edged 
sword 
. 
.-\. 
little 
while. 
Satanic 
hosts 
shall 
all 
be 
put 
to 
flight. 
A 
little 
while, 
then, 
trust 
thou 
in 
the 
T~ord 
. 
A 
little 
while, 
a 
little 
while, 
Oh, 
let 
this 
be 
our 
song, 
A 
little 
while, 
lay 
not 
the 
armor 
down; 
A 
little 
while, 
a 
little 
while, 
the 
strife 
will 
not 
be 
long. 
A 
little 
while, 
and 
we 
shall 
wear 
the 
crown! 
-GERTRUDE 
W. 
SEIBERT. 
VOf,. 
XXI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
FEBRUARY 
1, 
1900 
No.3 
THE 
PEOPLE 
THAT 
KNOW 
THE 
JOYFUL 
SOUND 
walk, 
0 
Lord, 
in 
the 
light 
of 
thy 
countenan<:e."-Psalm 
89: 
15 
have 
eVE-r 
heard 
these 
blessed 
tidings; 
the 
four-fifths 
are 
totally 
blinded 
by 
the 
god 
of 
this 
world, 
and 
see 
nothing 
and 
hea"r 
nothing 
of 
God's 
grace. 
And 
the 
matter 
has 
been 
as 
bad 
a~ 
this, 
or 
worse 
proportionately 
for 
six 
thousand 
years. 
How 
we 
"hould 
rejoire 
that 
under 
divine 
providence 
we 
were 
born 
in 
lands 
where 
the 
light 
of 
truth 
sends 
forth 
at 
least 
a 
feeble 
ray, 
and 
where 
many 
are 
not 
totally 
deaf 
to 
"the 
joyful 
sound!" 
Yet 
coming 
to 
civilized 
lands, 
we 
are 
surprised, 
almost 
appalled, 
at 
the 
gross 
darkness 
which 
beclouds 
the 
minds 
of 
the 
people 
of 
so-called 
Christendom, 
and 
by 
the 
dimness 
of 
vision 
and 
dullness 
of 
hearing 
of 
the 
vast 
majority 
in 
these 
most 
favored 
parts 
of 
the 
earth-of 
the 
majority 
of 
those 
whose 
lines 
have 
fallen 
unto 
them 
in 
pleasant 
places 
comparatively. 
Mentally 
we 
see 
nearly 
two-thirds 
of 
the 
Bo-called 
enlightened 
[2568] 
"Snlvation 
~ 
0 
the 
joyful 
sound, 
\Vhnt 
tJ(II!lg'~ 
for 
our 
race' 
Deliv'utn"l' 
io!' 
thc 
world 
is 
found 
Through 
(;(llI'S 
ahounding 
grace." 
ThiR 
joyful 
sah-ation 
"ound 
if< 
the 
Gospel, 
as 
declared 
by 
the 
aug-elil' 
messengprs--"Uood 
tidings 
of 
great 
joy. 
which 
shall 
he 
unto 
all 
people." 
But 
ala". 
how 
few 
have 
heard 
this 
joyful 
-ound! 
As 
mentally 
we 
glance 
over 
the 
sixteen 
hundred 
mil­ 
lions 
of 
the 
world's 
population, 
we 
find 
that 
even 
the 
most 
I'xtravagant 
claims 
would 
"how 
that 
not 
one-fifth 
of 
the 
wholl' 
• 
POEMS 
,SO 
HYMN 
OF 
D,\\, 
~n 
~55 
'messed 
are 
the 
peolJlc 
t!tat 
know 
the 
joyful 
sound; 
they 
sh{lll 
~alvatiou 
is 
the 
jo~ 
fill 
"oum!. 
as 
the 
poet 
has 
Wl'!l 
expressed 
It. 
¥ 
"aying: 
“31-35) kingdom than Israel. He proposed to him a kingdom embracing all the nations of the earth, and that he should have the control of all these, and be able to bring in the blessed reforms which were designed of God, only one condition being insisted upon, viz., that whatever kingdom or rule or authority might be established must recognize Satan. The adversary thus seemed to see what he thought a favorable opportunity for consummating his original plans, for we cannot suppose that his original intention was to gain control of a dying and depraved race, but that he much rather would be the lord or ruler of a highly enlightened and well-endowed people. He was willing, therefore. to -ee carried into effect all the gracious work which God had designed, and willing to reform himself and to become the leader of reform, provided only that he should be recogmzed as having the chief place of influence in connection with mankind. It was after this manner that he wished our Lord to do worship or reverence to him-—to recognize his influence and co-operation in the work, and not for a moment can we suppose that he expected him to kneel before him and to worship him as God. Our Lord’s reply to this last temptation shows that it fully awakened him to a realization of the fact that there was no real reformation at work in Satan’s heart; that he was till ambitious, self-seeking. as at the beginning of his downward course; and he realized that to even discuss the matter further with one who had thus avowed his real sentiments vould be disloyalty to the Father. and hence his words, “Get thee hence, Satan”—-leave me; you cannot co-operate with me at all; my work is in full acveord with the absolute standard of the divine will; T can be a party to no program contrary to this, however alluring some of its features might be in promising a speedy conquest of the world, and a speedy establishment of a reign of righteousness and blessing and an avoidance of personal suffering; I cannot serve two masters; 1 ean only recognize the one supreme Jeliovah, as Lord of heaven and of earth, and therefore could not recognize you in any position of authority except as the great Jehovah would appoint you to it, which T know he would never do, so long as you are of the present ambitious spirit. I am operating along the line of the declaration, “Thou shalt worship [reverence| the Lord thy Gad, and him only shalt thou serve.” We may readily discern that this temptation of our Lord vas but a sample illustiation of such as beset his followers all along the narrow way. from the same source, directly or through agencies. Satan through his various mouthpieces is continually saving to the saints, Here is a more successful way of accomplishing your object than that which you are pursuing, a more successful way than the Lord’s way. Bend a little; make compromise with the worldly spirit; do not hew too close to the line of the word of God and the esample of the Lord Jesus and the apostles; you must be more like the world, in order to exert an infuence—mix a little into ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa polities, and a good deal into secret societies; keep in touch with the fads and foibles of the day, and above all things keep any light of present truth under a bushel,—thus alone ean you have influence and accomplish your good desires toward men. But our dear Master assures us that we are to be faithful to the Lord and to his plan, and let things work out as best they may along that line; and that we may rest assured that in the end the Father’s plan not only is the best but really the only plan for accomplishing his great designs, and that if we would be associated therein with him as colaborers, it must be by recognizing him as our only Master, and with an eye single to his approval. Our Lord’s utter refusal of every other way of carrying out his mission than the one which the Father had marked out, the way of self-sacrifice, the narrow way, was indeed a great victory. The adversary left him, finding nothing in him that he could take hold of or work upon, so thoroughly loyal was he to the very word and the spirit of Jehevah, And then, the trial being ended, we read that holy angels came and ministered to our Lord—doubtless supplying him with refreshment such as he had refused to exercise the divine power to obtain for himself. And such we may recognize as being the experience of our Lord’s followers: with victory comes a blessing from the Lord, fellowship of spirit, refreshment of heart, a realization of divine favor that makes stronger for the next tria). Another lesson here is that temptation does not imply sin. As our Lord was tempted “without sin” so may his brethren be if they follow his example and with purity of heart, purity of intention, seek only the Father’s will. Sin could only come through yielding to the temptation. But let us not forget that hesitancy after the wrong is seen increases the power of the temptation. And we may note here that while Satan is tempter, endeavoring to ensnare us into wrong paths and wrong conduct, God is not so; “he tempteth no man” (Jas 1:13), and even tho he permit the Adversary and his agents to beset his people, it is not with the object of ensnaring them, but with the opposite object, that they may by such trials and testings be made the stronger, developing character through exercise in resisting evil. Let us remember too for our strengthening, the Scriptural assurance that God will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to resist and cvercome but will with the temptation provide also a way of escape. To avail ourselves of this provision requires mercly faith, and the more we exercise our faith in such matters the more of it we will have, becoming stronger in the Lord and in the power of his might; and thus by divine grace and under the Master’s assistance we may come off overcomers—conquerors. and more than conquerors, through him who loved us and bought us with his own precious blood.—2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Cor 10:13; Eph. 6:10; Rom. 8:37-39. A LITTLE WHILE A little while with weary feet to tread the narrow way, A little while, the trme will not be long, A little while the sinle-~ One to follow day by day, 4 little while to suffer and be strong. A little while with faltermg tongue to testify for God, A little while to suffer scorn and shame, A little while with voice and pen to spread the truth abroad, A little while to glonfy bis name A little while with humble faith to wage the goodly fight. A little while, grasp firm the two-edged sword, A little while, Satanic hosts shall all be put to flight. A little while, then, trust thou in the Lord, A little while, a little while, Oh, let this be our song, A little while, lay not the armor down; A little while, a little while, the strife will not be long, A little while, and we shall wear the crown! ~——GERTRUDE W. SEIBERT. Vor. XXI ALLEGHENY, PA., FEBRUARY 1, 1900 No. 3 THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE JOYFUL SOUND ‘Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.”—-Psalm 89:15 Salvation is the joyful sound. as the poet has well expressed it.” saying: “Salvation! O the joyful sound, What tidings for our race! Deliv’tance for the world is found Through God’s abounding grace,” This joyful salvation sound is the Gospel, as declared by the angelic messengers——"Good tidings of great joy, which shall he unto all people.” But alas, how few have heard this joyful sound! Ags mentally we glance over the sixteen hundred millions of the world’s population, we find that even the most extravagant claims would show that not one-fifth of the whole *"Poems anp Hymn or Dawn No 255 have ever heard these blessed tidings; the four-fifths are totally blinded by the god of this world, and see nothing and hear nothing of God's grace. And the matter has been as bad as this, or worse proportionately for six thousand years. How we should rejoice that under divine providence we were born in lands where the light of truth sends forth at least a feeble ray, and where many are not totally deaf to “the joyful sound!” Yet coming to civilized lands, we are surprised, almost appalled, at the gross darkness which beclouds the minds of the people of so-called Christendom, and by the dimness of vision and dullness of hearing of the vast majority in these most favored parts of the earth—of the majority of those whose lines have fallen unto them in pleasant places comparatively. Mentally we see nearly two-thirds of the so-called enlightened [2568]

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