Publication date
9/1/01
Volume
22
Number
17
The WatchTower
Views From the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1901/17/1901-17-1.html
 
 
(2il-275) 
ZIONJS 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALL:£GH:£NY, 
PA. 
ents 
are 
pleased 
to 
give 
good 
gifts 
to 
their 
children, 
so 
our 
Heavenly 
Father 
is 
pleased 
to 
gl1'e 
the 
holy 
spint 
to 
those 
who 
ask 
him 
(Luke 
11: 
13) 
If 
the 
Lord's 
consecrated 
people 
could 
all 
be 
brought 
to 
the 
point 
where 
the 
chief 
aim 
in 
life, 
the 
burden 
of 
all 
their 
prayers, 
would 
be 
that 
they 
might 
have 
a 
larger 
measure 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
Lord, 
the 
spirit 
of 
holiness, 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
truth, 
the 
Spirit 
of 
Christ, 
that 
spirit 
of 
a 
sound 
mind, 
what 
a 
blessing 
it 
would 
mean! 
If, 
tnen, 
they 
should 
wrestle 
with 
the 
Lord 
until 
the 
breaking 
of 
the 
daJ 
their 
hold 
upon 
him 
would 
be 
sure 
to 
bring 
the 
desired 
bless­ 
ing. 
The 
Lord 
has 
revealed 
himself 
to 
his 
people 
for 
the 
very 
purpose 
of 
giving 
them 
this 
blessing; 
nevertheless, 
he 
with­ 
holds 
it 
untIl 
they 
learn 
to 
appreciate 
and 
earnestly 
desire 
it. 
.Jacob 
got 
the 
blessing 
and 
with 
it 
a 
change 
of 
name. 
He 
was 
thencdorth 
called 
Israel, 
which 
signifies 
"Mighty 
with 
God." 
This 
new 
name 
would 
thenceforth 
be 
continually 
a. 
source 
of 
encouragement 
to 
him, 
an 
incentive 
to 
fresh 
zeal 
and 
trust 
in 
the 
one 
whose 
blessing 
he 
had 
secured. 
All 
of 
Jacob's 
posterity 
adopted 
this 
name. 
They 
were 
all 
known 
as 
children 
of 
Israel, 
or 
Israelites; 
for 
God 
acknowledged 
the 
name 
as 
applicable 
to 
all 
of 
the 
nation. 
Similarly, 
in 
a.ntitype, 
we 
have 
Christ 
Jesus 
our 
Lord, 
the 
true, 
the 
antitypical 
Israel, 
the 
onp 
who, 
through 
faith 
and 
obedience 
to 
the 
Father, 
has 
prevailed, 
has 
overcome 
the 
world 
and 
the 
flesh 
and 
the 
Adversary, 
and 
has 
received 
the 
divine 
blessmg' 
as 
the 
result 
of 
his 
struggle. 
He 
lIas 
been 
highly 
exalted 
and 
is 
declared 
now 
to 
be 
princp 
or 
ruler 
of 
the 
kings 
of 
the 
earth. 
He 
has 
sat 
down 
with 
the 
Father 
in 
his 
throne.-Rev. 
1 
:5. 
Nor 
does 
the 
analogy 
end 
here; 
for, 
as 
Jacob 
had 
twelve 
sons, 
so 
our 
Lord 
,Jesus 
had 
twelve 
apostles: 
and 
these, 
and 
all 
who 
come 
into 
Christ 
through 
their 
ministry 
of 
the 
Gospel, 
are 
accepted 
as 
the 
true, 
the 
spiritual, 
Israel. 
The 
same 
name 
belongs 
to 
all 
of 
these 
that 
belongs 
to 
the 
Head. 
As 
with 
fleshly 
Israel 
there 
were 
some 
who 
were 
"Israelites 
indeed," 
and 
others 
who 
were 
not, 
but 
of 
the 
synagogue 
of 
Satan, 
in 
the 
spiritual 
Israel 
there 
are 
nominal 
and 
real 
Israelites; 
and 
only 
thp 
latter 
wIll 
llltllnatcly 
obtam 
the 
ble..,..,ing 
and 
be 
Jomt­ 
IICinl 
with 
Jesus 
Christ 
their 
Lord. 
And 
the 
name, 
"Victor," 
or 
"Mighty 
with 
God," 
will 
be 
a 
name 
which 
will 
apply 
to 
everyone 
of 
the 
Lord's 
faithful 
ones 
in 
the 
same 
manner 
that 
it 
applied 
to 
Jesus 
himself. 
Each 
one 
will 
be 
required 
to 
mani­ 
fest 
his 
loyalty 
to 
the 
Lord, 
his 
faith, 
his 
trust, 
and 
only 
those 
who 
love 
the 
Lord 
and 
the 
promise 
lIe 
has 
made 
that 
they 
wIll 
hold 
on 
to 
his 
promise, 
and 
wiII 
not 
let 
him 
go 
without 
a 
blpssing-only 
such 
will 
receive 
the 
great 
blessing, 
only 
such 
WIll 
hp 
able 
to 
overcome 
the 
world, 
the 
flesh 
and 
the 
Adversary. 
"This 
is 
the 
victory 
that 
overcometh 
the 
world, 
even 
your 
faith"-m 
GOfl 
and 
in 
hIS 
promises. 
ACKNOWLEDGING 
DIVINE 
FAVORS 
.Tnco!> 
Ilfl(l 
a 
method 
of 
marking 
the 
special 
manifestations 
of 
divinf' 
provirlence,-as 
when 
he 
called 
the 
place 
in 
which 
he 
wre-,tled 
with 
the 
angel 
PPlllel: 
as 
a 
reminder 
that 
there 
he 
had 
been 
privileged 
to 
see, 
representatively, 
the 
Lord's 
face, 
to 
receive 
the 
Lord's 
blessing, 
the 
light 
of 
his 
countenance. 
Sim­ 
ilarly, 
it 
is 
profitable 
to 
the 
spiritual 
Israelites 
that 
we 
should 
make 
note 
in 
some 
special 
manner 
of 
all 
the 
Lord's 
mercies 
and 
providences 
toward 
us. 
Many 
feel 
poor 
as 
respects 
the 
Lord's 
favor 
and 
blessing, 
simply 
because 
they 
have 
failed 
to 
let 
them 
make 
a 
proper 
impression 
upon 
their 
hearts 
at 
the 
time 
they 
were 
received. 
Divine 
favors 
are 
soon 
lost 
from 
our 
leaky 
earthen 
vessels 
unless 
special 
notation 
is 
made 
at 
the 
time, 
either 
upon 
the 
tablets 
of 
memory, 
or 
in 
some 
other 
manner 
to 
refresh 
memory. 
Doubtless 
we 
would 
all 
have 
more 
Bethels 
and 
more 
Peniels 
did 
we 
but 
follow 
the 
course 
of 
set­ 
ting 
up 
some 
kind 
of 
monuments, 
and 
there 
entering 
into 
some 
special 
covenant 
or 
vow 
with 
the 
Lord 
in 
return 
for 
his 
mer­ 
cies. 
Quite 
in 
line 
with 
this 
thought, 
that 
Christians 
generally 
have 
multitudinous 
blessings, 
and 
favors 
more 
than 
they 
fully 
recognize, 
the 
Allegheny 
Church 
has 
for 
some 
years 
held 
"Cot­ 
tage 
Meetings" 
in 
various 
quarters 
every 
Wednesday 
evening, 
for 
prayer, 
praise 
and 
testimony. 
And 
the 
testimonies 
called 
for 
are 
not 
the 
"years 
ago" 
sort, 
however 
good, 
but 
the 
fresh 
living 
experience 
of 
the 
week. 
And 
as 
each 
seeks 
for 
fresh 
evidences 
of 
dIvine 
love 
and 
watch-care 
daily, 
each 
finds 
that 
hI' 
has 
far 
more 
cause 
for 
rejoicing 
and 
thanksgiving 
and 
encour­ 
agement 
than 
he 
would 
have 
been 
aware 
of 
without 
such 
watch. 
fulness 
and 
notation. 
Let 
us 
daily 
and 
weekly 
as 
well 
as 
yearly 
rear 
to 
God 
our 
Ebenezers, 
if 
we 
would 
increase 
our 
faith 
and 
joy 
and 
love. 
As 
Saul 
of 
Tarsus, 
in 
receiving 
his 
blessing 
of 
the 
Lord, 
received 
also 
a 
thorn 
in 
the 
flesh, 
which 
buffeted 
him 
continu­ 
ally 
through 
the 
remainder 
of 
his 
experiences, 
but 
which 
he 
learned 
ultimately 
to 
appreciate 
as 
a 
channel 
of 
divine 
bless­ 
ing, 
as 
a 
reminder 
of 
divine 
favor, 
so 
it 
was 
with 
Jacob. 
At 
the 
very 
time 
that 
he 
was 
wrestling 
with 
the 
angel 
and 
get­ 
ting 
the 
blessing, 
he 
received 
a 
wound, 
a 
troublesome 
reminder 
of 
the 
blessing, 
which 
continued 
with 
him 
probably 
through 
th(' 
remainder 
of 
his 
days, 
causing 
him 
to 
limp. 
The 
record 
is 
that 
the 
angel 
touched 
him 
in 
the 
hollow 
of 
his 
thigh, 
probably 
touched 
the 
sciatic 
nerve, 
causing 
the 
sinew 
to 
shrink 
and 
:\ 
slight 
dislocation 
of 
the 
joint. 
The 
lesson 
not 
onlv 
was 
one 
for 
Jacob 
himself 
to 
the 
remainder 
of 
his 
days, 
leading 
him 
to 
remember 
his 
dependence 
upon 
the 
Lord, 
and 
that 
he 
owed 
everything 
he 
possessed 
to 
the 
divine 
blessing, 
but 
it 
served 
af­ 
terward 
with 
his 
posterity 
as 
a 
continual 
reminder 
of 
the 
same 
thing; 
for 
the 
record 
is 
that 
thenceforth 
tlw 
T 
sraelites 
would 
not 
eat 
of 
this 
sinew 
from 
any 
animal. 
Jacob's 
"thorn 
in 
the 
flesh," 
no 
doubt, 
served 
to 
keep 
him 
humble, 
even 
as 
Paul's 
served 
to 
remind 
him 
that 
he 
was 
what 
he 
was 
by 
the 
grace 
of 
God, 
and 
not 
in 
any 
wiiSe 
of 
himself. 
Simlarly, 
the 
Lord 
permits 
certain 
weaknesses 
of 
the 
flE>sh 
to 
affect 
his 
spir­ 
itual 
children 
in 
the 
present 
time 
faL·orably. 
Undoubtedly 
some 
of 
our 
difficulties 
and 
trials, 
physical 
as 
well 
as 
others, 
are 
amongst 
our 
greatest 
blessings, 
working 
out 
for 
us 
a 
better 
portion 
in 
the 
future, 
by 
working 
in 
Ull 
faith, 
patience, 
true 
reliance 
upon 
the 
Lord. 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
SEPTEMBER 
1. 
1901 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TO\VER 
No. 
17 
RIGHT 
AND 
WRONG 
VIEWS 
OF 
THE 
PRESENT 
SITUATION 
If 
we 
but 
remember 
that 
nothing 
in 
the 
world's 
history 
ofrers 
~n~' 
rompari~on 
to 
present 
social 
and 
financial 
condi­ 
tlOnq. 
WI' 
m~~' 
\\'ell 
regara 
WIth 
a 
great 
deal 
of 
charity 
the 
conflictIng 
View" 
of 
able 
and 
conscientious 
men 
respecting 
the 
C:luse 
q 
, 
the 
disadvfllltnges, 
the 
proper 
remedies, 
and 
the 
nutcome, 
of 
the 
movementR 
now 
on 
foot 
throughout 
the 
civ­ 
1hZi'd 
worln 
God's 
people, 
Justified 
and 
sanctified 
and 
sepa­ 
rflte 
hnm 
thr 
worl,I, 
with 
new 
aims 
and 
spiritual 
ambitions 
hefore 
tllpm, 
nn,l 
\\ 
ith 
tlw 
instruction 
and 
enlightenment 
of 
the 
,hvine 
reyelahon-the 
Bible-should 
he 
able 
to 
take 
a 
calmer, 
a 
clearer, 
a 
more 
comprphensive, 
and 
therefore 
a 
more 
true, 
view 
of 
affairs, 
past, 
present 
and 
to 
come, 
than 
others; 
for 
we 
arc 
j" 
renwmber 
that 
it 
is 
prejuaice 
and 
self-interest 
\I 
hif'h 
generally 
haR 
much 
to 
do 
with 
the 
blinding 
of 
those 
who 
see 
not 
from 
the 
dIvine 
standpoint. 
From 
this 
standpoint 
We 
sec 
that 
neither 
the 
rights 
nor 
the 
wlOngs 
of 
motive 
or 
of 
action 
lie 
all 
on 
one 
side 
of 
these 
fJllPstion-,; 
nnfl, 
seeing 
this, 
we 
arc 
better 
able 
to 
take 
a 
sym­ 
pa 
i!wtic 
positIOn, 
and 
to 
e,ercise 
our 
influenre 
amongst 
those 
with 
whom 
we 
come 
in 
contact, 
in 
thl: 
interests 
of 
peace. 
All 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people 
Rhould 
be 
peace-makers; 
none 
of 
them 
should 
he 
strife-makf'rR. 
Thcr£' 
are 
generally 
a 
sufficient 
numlH'r 
of 
selfish 
forceR 
at 
work 
in 
and 
about 
every 
indi­ 
vidual 
to 
stir 
up 
his 
mina, 
to 
breea 
in 
him 
discontent, 
and 
to 
arou~e 
the 
passions 
of 
anger 
and 
malice 
and 
hatred; 
there 
are 
few 
influences, 
at 
work, 
on 
behalf 
of 
gentleneR~, 
meek· 
neSIl, 
patience. 
brotherly 
kindness, 
love. 
Hence 
there 
is 
the 
more 
neces"ity 
that 
the 
Lord's 
people 
continue 
pouring 
oil 
upon 
the 
troubled 
waters-the 
oil 
of 
th£' 
holy 
Spirit, 
with 
which 
their 
cup 
is 
to 
overflow; 
the 
oil 
of 
joy 
as 
opposed 
to 
the 
Ilpirit 
of 
heaviness 
and 
discontent; 
the 
oil 
of 
hope, 
which 
illumines 
the 
future 
gloriously, 
aud 
thus 
offsets 
and 
counter­ 
acts 
the 
darkness 
of 
present 
discouragements. 
As 
an 
illustration 
of 
how 
good 
and 
wise 
men 
sometimee 
fail 
to 
get 
a 
correct 
view 
of 
matters, 
take 
the 
following 
ex­ 
tract 
from 
a 
Philadelphia 
journal:- 
A 
SPECIES 
OF 
INSANITY 
"A 
terrible 
trouble 
is 
disturbing 
the 
earth 
at 
the 
present 
time. 
It 
more 
resembles 
a 
species 
of 
insanity 
than 
any­ 
thing 
else. 
As 
we 
know, 
among 
members 
of 
an 
undeveloped 
society 
the 
maniacal 
tendency 
IS 
not 
common; 
that 
tendency 
is 
an 
accompaniment 
of 
civilization. 
All 
must 
have 
noted 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
possession 
of 
extraordinary 
endowments 
and 
a 
facile 
loss 
of 
mental 
balance, 
or 
great 
wits 
and 
madness, 
as 
the 
poet 
has 
told 
us, 
are 
somehow 
near 
allied. 
They 
have 
a 
way 
of 
going 
together. 
Just 
so 
here. 
Today 
it 
is 
not 
the 
dull 
nations, 
but 
the 
bright 
ones, 
the 
most 
advanced 
in 
re­ 
finement 
and 
everything 
of 
that 
sort, 
that 
seem 
craziest 
in 
the 
cra7e 
flt 
tIllS 
moment 
sweepIng 
the 
world. 
The 
dementia 
i~ 
practically 
an 
exclusive 
possession 
of 
the 
Great 
Powers 
of 
Europe, 
troubling 
England 
worst, 
but 
reaching 
out 
and 
af- 
[2866] 
(271-275) ents are pleased to give good gifts to their children, so our Heavenly Father is pleased to give the holy spirit to those who ask him (Luke 11:13) If the Lord’s consecrated people could all be brought to the point where the chief aim in life, the burden of all their prayers, would be that they might have a larger measure of the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of holiness, the spirit of the truth, the Spirit of Christ, that spirit of a sound mind, what a blessing it would mean! If, then, they should wrestle with the Lord until the breaking of the day their hold upon him would be sure to bring the desired blessing. The Lord has revealed himself to his people for the very purpose of giving them this blessing; nevertheless, he withholds it until they learn to appreciate and earnestly desire it. Jacob got the blessing and with it a change of name. He was thenceforth called Israel, which signifies “Mighty with God.” This new name would thenceforth be continually a source of encouragement to him, an incentive to fresh zeal and trust in the one whose blessing he had secured. All of Jacoh’s posterity adopted this name. They were all known as children of Israel, or Israelites; for God acknowledged the name as applicable to all of the nation. Similarly, in antitype, we have Christ Jesus our Lord, the true, the antitypical Israel, the one who, through faith and obedience to the Father, has prevailed, has overcome the world and the flesh and the Adversary, and has received the divine blessing as the result of his struggle. He has been highly exalted and is declared now to be prince or ruler of the kings of the earth. He has sat down with the Father in his throne—Rev. 1:5. Nor does the analogy end here; for, as Jacob had twelve sons, so our Lord Jesus had twelve apostles; and these, and all who come into Christ through their ministry of the Gospel, are accepted as the true, the spiritual, Israel, The same name belongs to all of these that belongs to the Head. As with fleshly Israel there were some who were “Israelites indeed,” and others who were not, but of the synagogue of Satan, in the spiritual Israel there are nominal and real Israelites; and only the latter will ultimately obtain the blessing and be jointheirs with Jesus Christ their Lord. And the name, “Victor,” or “Mighty with God,” will be a name which will apply to everyone of the Lord’s faithful ones in the same manner that it applied to Jesus himself. Each one will be required to manifest his lovalty to the Lord, his faith, his trust, and only those who love the Lord and the promise he has made that they will hold on to his promise, and will not let him go without a blessing—only such will receive the great blessing, only such will be able to overcome the world, the flesh and the Adversary. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith”—in God and in his promises. ACKNOWLEDGING DIVINE FAVORS Jacob had a method of marking the special manifestations of divine providence,—as when he called the place in which he wrestled with the angel Peniel; as a reminder that there he ZION’S WATCH TOWER Vou. XXII ALLEGHENY, PA., SEPTEMBER 1, 1901 ALLECGHENY, Pa, had been privileged to see, representatively, the Lord’s face, tc receive the Lord’s blessing, the light of his countenance. Similarly, it is profitable to the spiritual Israelites that we should make note in some special manner of all] the Lord’s mercies and providences toward us. Many feel poor as respects the Lord’s favor and blessing, simply because they have failed to let them make a proper impression upon their hearts at the time they were received. Divine favors are soon lost from our leaky earthen vessels unless special notation is made at the time, either upon the tablets of memory, or in some other manner to refresh memory. Doubtless we would all have more Bethels and more Peniels did we but follow the course of setting up some kind of monuments, and there entering into some special covenant or vow with the Lord in return for his mercies. Quite in line with this thought, that Christians generally have multitudinous blessings, and favors more than they fully recognize, the Allegheny Church has for some years held ‘Cottage Meetings” in various quarters every Wednesday evening, for prayer, praise and testimony. And the testimonies called for are not the “years ago” sort, however good, but the fresh living experience of the week. And as each seeks for fresh evidences of divine love and watch-care daily, each finds that he has far more cause for rejoicing and thanksgiving and encouragement than he would have been aware of without such watchfulness and notation. Let us daily and weekly as well as yearly rear to God our Ebenezers, if we would increase our faith and joy and love. As Saul of Tarsus, in receiving his blessing of the Lord, received also a thorn in the flesh, which buffeted him continually through the remainder of his experiences, but which he learned ultimately to appreciate as a channel of divine blessing, a8 a reminder of divine favor, so it was with Jacob. At the very time that he was wrestling with the angel and getting the blessing, he received a wound, a troublesome reminder of the blessing, which continued with him probably through the remainder of his days, causing him to limp. The record is that the angel touched him in the hollow of his thigh, probably touched the sciatic nerve, causing the sinew to shrink and a slight dislocation of the joint. The lesson not only was one for Jacob himself to the remainder of his days, leading him to remember his dependence upon the Lord, and that he owed everything he possessed to the divine blessing, but it served afterward with his posterity as a continual reminder of the same thing; for the record is that thenceforth the Israelites would not eat of this sinew from any animal. Jacob’s “thorn in the flesh,” no doubt, served to keep him humble, even as Paul’s served to remind him that he was what he was by the grace of God, and not in any wise of himself. Simlarly, the Lord permits certain weaknesses of the flesh to affect his spiritual children in the present time favorably. Undoubtedly some of our difficulties and trials, physical as well as others, are amongst our greatest blessings, working out for us a better portion in the future, by working in us faith, patience, true reliance upon the Lord. No. 17 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER RIGHT AND WRONG VIEWS OF THE PRESENT SITUATION If we but remember that nothing in the world’s history offers any comparison to present social and financial conditions. we may well regard with a great deal of charity the conflicting views of able and conscientious men respecting the causes, the disadvantages, the proper remedies, and the outcome, of the movements nuw on foot throughout the civized world God’s people, justified and sanctified and separate from the world, with new aims and spiritual ambitions before them, and with the instruction and enlightenment of the divine revelation—the Bible—should be able to take a calmer, a clearer, a more comprehensive, and therefore a more true, view of affairs, past, present and to come, than others; for Wwe are to remember that it is prejudice and_ self-interest which generally has much to do with the blinding of those who see not from the divine standpoint. From this standpoint we see that neither the rights nor the wrongs of motive or of action lie all on one side of these questions; and, seeing this, we are better able to take a sympathetic position, and to exercise our influence amongst those with whom we come in contact, in the interests of peace. All of the Lord’s people should be peace-makers; none of them should he strife-makers. There are generally a sufficient number of selfish forces at work in and about every individual to stir up his mind, to breed in him discontent, and to arouse the passions of anger and malice and hatred; there are few influences, at work, on behalf of gentleness, meekness, patience. brotherly kindness, love. Hence there is the more necessity that the Lord’s people continue pouring oil upon the troubled waters—the oil of the holy Spirit, with which their cup is to overflow; the oil of joy as opposed to the spirit of heaviness and discontent; the oil of hope, which illumines the future gloriously, aud thus offsets and counteracts the darkness of present discouragements. As an illustration of how good and wise men sometimes fail to get a correct view of matters, take the following extract from a Philadelphia journal:— A SPECIES OF INSANITY “A terrible trouble is disturbing the earth at the present time. It more resembles a species of insanity than anything else. As we know, among members of an undeveloped society the maniacal tendency 18 not common; that tendency is an accompaniment of civilization. All must have noted the fact that the possession of extraordinary endowments and a facile loss of mental balance, or great wits and madness, as the poet has told us, are somehow near allied. They have a way of going together. Just so here. Today it is not the dull nations, but the bright ones, the most advanced in refinement and everything of that sort, that seem craziest in the craze at this moment sweeping the world. The dementia is practically an exclusive possession of the Great Powers of Europe, troubling England worst, but reaching out and af [2866]

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