Publication date
7/1/02
Volume
23
Number
13
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1902/13/1902-13-2.html
 
JULY 
I, 
1902 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(196-197) 
their 
time 
or 
influence 
to 
God-dishonoring 
and 
conscience­ 
searing 
confession'! 
for 
the 
sake 
of 
human 
endorsement. 
We 
cannot 
suppose 
either 
that 
God 
was 
pleased 
to 
have 
Drs. 
Adams 
and 
Crawford 
privately 
and 
secretly 
confess 
their 
disbelief 
to 
each 
other 
while 
practicing 
deceit 
toward 
the 
other 
hundreds 
of 
thousands 
of 
Presbyterians 
j-many 
of 
whom, 
unlearned 
"laity," 
trusted 
their 
public 
profession 
too 
confidingly, 
and 
looked 
not 
beyond 
them 
to 
the 
Lamp 
of 
God's 
Word. 
But 
if 
the 
boldest 
are 
not 
to 
be 
too 
much 
praised 
what 
shall 
we 
say 
of 
those 
who 
have 
seemed 
to 
have 
no 
consciences, 
or 
whose 
reasoning 
faculties 
are 
so 
dull 
that 
even 
in 
the 
light 
of 
this 
twentieth 
century 
they 
are 
such 
"blind 
guides" 
that 
the 
old 
Confession 
is 
still 
good 
enough 
for 
them? 
We 
say 
that 
only 
wry 
young 
or 
bewildered 
or 
stupid 
sheep 
will 
any 
longer 
ac­ 
c('pt 
the 
1pse 
d1Xlt 
of 
such 
Shepherds. 
\Ve 
advisc 
that 
their 
('very 
expression 
be 
scrutinized 
in 
the 
light 
of 
God's 
Word, 
as 
more 
likely 
to 
be 
false 
than 
true. 
\Ve 
bring 
no 
railinO' 
accu­ 
sation 
ngamst 
any 
of 
them, 
but 
merely 
state 
facts 
and 
their 
own 
confessions. 
As 
we 
under"tand 
the 
\Vord, 
the 
Lord 
will 
rehuke 
them 
shortly, 
in 
the 
approaching 
grent 
time 
of 
trouble. 
But, 
nla" 
for 
the 
poor 
bhnd 
sheep 
who 
are 
followinO' 
them 
into 
that 
ditch! 
I':> 
"CALAMITIES-WHY 
GOD 
PERMITS 
THEM" 
The 
ChIcago 
Tribune 
hns 
kept 
record 
of 
the 
cnlami· 
ties 
of 
the 
year 
a11,1 
makps 
the 
following 
report·- 
"~atJlle 
hn'! 
not 
becn 
so 
busv 
with 
hp!' 
.orces 
of 
devasta­ 
tion 
for 
mnny 
:years 
past 
ns 
she 
'has 
been 
during 
the 
first 
five 
months 
of 
the 
prl'sent 
year. 
Volcanic 
eruptions 
and 
earth­ 
quake'! 
hnve 
destroyed 
48,450 
lives, 
storms 
704, 
tornadoes 
416, 
cyclonps 
220, 
floods, 
3:33, 
avnlanches 
228, 
tidnl 
Waves 
103, 
snow-sli'!es 
3fl 
nnd 
waterspouts 
12, 
a 
total 
of 
50,505 
lives 
de­ 
~tJoyed 
by 
nature's 
demental 
disturbances. 
If 
to 
this 
were 
ndded 
the 
lin'S 
lost 
by 
agencies 
over 
which 
man 
has 
more 
or 
I('ss 
control, 
such 
as 
fires, 
mine 
disasters, 
explosions, 
railroad 
accidents, 
and 
vessel 
wrecks, 
it 
would 
be 
increased 
to 
over 
60" 
000, 
and 
this 
takes 
no 
account 
of 
individual 
lives 
lost 
in 
this 
country, 
which 
would 
bring 
the 
grand 
total 
up 
to 
about 
100" 
000 
lives 
lost 
in 
the 
short 
period 
of 
five 
months." 
The 
Boston 
Watchman 
(Baptist) 
says 
of 
the 
divine 
per­ 
mission 
of 
calamities:- 
"This 
problem 
baffles 
the 
author 
of 
the 
Book 
of 
Job, 
and 
all 
the 
discoveries 
of 
science 
and 
the 
light 
of 
the 
Christian 
revelation 
do 
not 
resolve 
the 
thick 
darkness 
that 
settles 
about 
it. 
\Yhen 
trouble 
comes 
for 
whieh 
we 
can 
see 
no 
moral 
ante­ 
cedt'nt 
and 
no 
good 
result, 
the 
irrepres'!ible 
cry 
bursts 
from 
ever~' 
human 
heart, 
'\Vhy?' 
And 
there 
is 
no 
answer 
but 
the 
answ!'r 
of 
J 
oh: 
'Tho 
he 
slav 
me, 
yet 
will 
I 
trust 
in 
him.' 
"From 
our 
point 
of 
vi~w 
th~ 
events 
of 
life 
are 
often 
wllOlh 
llTP('ondhdJle 
WIth 
our 
f:llth 
in 
thp 
dinne 
"oorlnp~s 
And 
~'et 
we 
do 
not 
lose 
our 
faith. 
We 
believe 
that 
God 
is 
workl11g 
out 
for 
us 
and 
for 
tllP 
race 
purposes 
of 
goodness 
that 
\\'1' 
cannot 
understand. 
That, 
it 
seems 
to 
us, 
is 
the 
Christian 
attltudi' 
toward 
thi'l 
problcm. 
Christianity 
does 
not 
resolve 
it, 
while 
it 
makE's 
many 
other 
solutions 
of 
it 
untenable. 
But 
Christianity, 
in 
its 
revelation 
of 
the 
Father, 
inspires 
a 
con­ 
fidence 
in 
Him 
that 
is 
not 
shaken 
by 
our 
inability 
to 
under­ 
stand 
His 
way." 
The 
Truth 
Seeker 
says:- 
"It 
was 
the 
Li'lhon 
earthquake 
which 
shook 
Voltaire's 
faith 
in 
a 
God 
who 
governR, 
who 
pervade'! 
all 
places 
and 
ages, 
and 
who 
has 
estl' 
blished 
a 
direct 
relation 
between 
himRelf 
and 
mankind 
He 
waR 
compelle<1 
to 
a"k, 
\\nat 
was 
mv 
God 
doing? 
Why 
did 
the 
FnivE"rsal 
Father 
crush 
to 
shapelessness 
thou- 
sands 
of 
his 
poor 
children, 
even 
at 
the 
moment 
when 
thev 
were 
upon 
their 
knees 
returning 
thanks 
to 
him?" 
• 
In 
view 
of 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
world 
is 
now 
in 
transition­ 
from 
"the 
present 
evil 
world" 
to 
the 
"new 
earth 
wherem 
dwell 
eth 
righteollsness,"- 
from 
the 
reign 
of 
sin 
and 
death 
under 
"the 
Prince 
of 
darkness" 
to 
the 
Millennial 
reign 
of 
the 
great 
Life 
Giver-it 
will 
not 
surprise 
us 
at 
all 
if 
the 
next 
twelve 
years 
shall 
prove 
to 
be 
full 
of 
horrors. 
The 
conditions 
now 
prevailing 
in 
the 
earth 
are 
not 
such 
as 
will 
be 
appropnate 
during 
the 
Millennium, 
and 
the 
changeR 
will 
mean 
great 
dis­ 
turbances 
of 
celestial 
and 
terrestrial 
affairs 
pertaining 
to 
our 
earth. 
These 
will 
naturally 
occasion 
great 
suffenng 
and 
loss 
of 
life 
unless 
divine 
power 
be 
miraculously 
interposed 
for 
hu­ 
manity's 
protection; 
and 
we 
see 
no 
reason 
to 
e..xpect 
such 
in­ 
terposition. 
On 
the 
contrary, 
we 
understand 
the 
Scripture~ 
to 
teach 
that 
the 
divine 
plan 
is 
so 
timed 
that 
these 
physical 
dis­ 
turbancN3 
will 
constitute 
a 
part 
of 
the 
great 
chasti<;ement 
which 
the 
Lord 
designs 
shall 
break 
the 
proud 
heart'! 
of 
mcn 
preparatory 
to 
his 
offer 
to 
all 
of 
the 
Balm 
of 
Gilead-rcstitu­ 
tion.-Acts 
3 
·19-2l. 
One 
efTcet 
of 
these 
calamities 
will 
surely 
be 
the 
overtlll 
ow 
of 
the 
faIth 
of 
man~·,-of 
all 
who 
are 
merely 
nom 
mal 
belicvl'rs, 
whose 
faIth 
led 
them 
to 
no 
love 
for 
thc 
Lord 
and 
to 
no 
studv 
of 
his 
\Yard 
and 
to 
no 
self-consecration 
to 
good 
works. 
01 
theke, 
as 
the 
Prophet 
has 
declare!l:- 
"A 
thousand 
shall 
fall 
at 
thv 
side 
Tpn 
thousand 
at 
thy 
right 
hand."-Psa. 
91 
:7. 
Of 
this 
time 
and 
its 
peculiar 
work 
not 
oulv 
in 
the 
convul­ 
sions 
of 
nature. 
hut 
also 
ill 
It, 
sOl'ud. 
linaIH·]',d 
aml 
IPllglolb 
convulsions, 
the 
Lord's 
"7 
or 
d 
dcelal 
e'l' 
"Forasmuch 
as 
this 
IWo­ 
pIe 
dww 
near 
unto 
me 
with 
their 
mouth, 
and 
with 
their 
lips 
do 
honor 
nll', 
but 
have 
removed 
their 
heart 
far 
from 
mc, 
an,l 
their 
fear 
toward 
me 
is 
taught 
by 
the 
precept 
of 
men: 
Therefore, 
behold, 
T 
WIll 
proceed 
to 
do 
a 
marvelous 
work 
and 
a 
wonder 
among 
this 
people; 
... 
for 
the 
wisdom 
of 
their 
wise 
men 
",hall 
perish, 
and 
the 
understanding 
of 
their 
prudent 
mcn 
shall 
be 
hid." 
"None 
of 
the 
wicked 
shall 
understand; 
but 
the 
wIse 
[the 
taught 
of 
God] 
shall 
understand."-Isa. 
29: 
1:3, 
14; 
Dan. 
12 
:4, 
9, 
10. 
\Ve 
are 
now 
in 
the 
little 
season 
appointed 
of 
the 
Lord 
for 
the 
sealing 
of 
his 
servant'l 
in 
their 
foreheads-intellectually. 
It 
behooves 
us 
therefore 
to 
give 
heed 
to 
the 
sealing 
of 
our 
own 
heads 
and 
hearts 
by 
availing 
ourselves 
of 
the 
a'lsistances 
which 
the 
Lord 
now 
prOVIdes. 
Failure 
to 
do 
thi'l 
and 
the 
giv­ 
ing 
of 
heart 
and 
time 
to 
the 
world 
or 
pleasure 
and 
self 
meaus 
disre~pec·t 
to 
the 
great 
Tcachpr. 
amI 
love 
of 
thp 
pl'l>'l'nt 
wmld 
rather 
than 
of 
that 
whiph 
is 
to 
come 
j 
and 
the 
rpwar<1 
of 
such 
a 
pourse 
is-to 
be 
left 
in 
darkness 
with 
the 
world. 
(1 
Cor. 
4'2; 
]\fatt. 
25:::10) 
AnotllPr 
duty 
of 
the 
hour, 
that 
will 
be 
appre­ 
ciated 
only 
by 
the 
faithful, 
is 
the 
gathering 
together 
unto 
the 
Lord 
(out 
of 
sectarianism 
and 
darkncss) 
of 
the 
Lord's 
jewels, 
the 
elect 
whose 
I'yes 
of 
understanding 
have 
not 
yet 
been 
openpd 
to 
present 
truth. 
These 
calamities, 
which 
will 
overthrow 
the 
faith 
of 
some, 
will 
stir 
up 
the 
truly 
conseerate<1 
to 
a 
closer 
in­ 
vestigation 
of 
the 
<1ivine 
"'ord 
and 
plan, 
and 
thus 
prove 
helps 
not 
hindrances, 
I'ven 
as 
all 
things 
work 
togcther 
for 
good 
to 
them 
that 
love 
God. 
Now 
is 
the 
time 
to 
be 
on 
the 
alert 
to 
render 
assistance 
to 
this 
e1ass 
of 
our 
"brethren" 
still 
asleep 
and 
in 
darkness 
but 
now 
awakening 
and 
nee<1ing 
sympathizing 
hearts 
amI 
helping 
hand'l. 
Our 
late 
issue 
of 
the 
tract 
"Calamities-\\'hy 
God 
Per­ 
mits 
Them," 
may 
prove 
a 
help, 
an 
entering 
wedge 
to 
something 
more 
elaborate-to 
some 
volume 
of 
Millennial 
Da1t'n. 
Order 
thesp 
to 
use 
as 
sample 
copies, 
freely. 
"LOVE-MAKING 
A 
DIFFERENCE" 
"Keep 
yourselL'es 
in 
the 
love 
of 
God 
and 
of 
some 
1uJve 
compassion, 
making 
a 
differerence" 
and 
others 
sarr 
1eith 
f(,(I1', 
pulling 
them 
out 
of 
the 
fire."--Jude 
21-23. 
Wit~ 
C?ur 
m!nds 
all 
unbalanced 
through 
the 
fall, 
resulting 
from 
ongmal 
sm,-tho 
not 
all 
fallen 
exactly 
in 
the 
same 
di­ 
reetion,-it 
is 
not 
surprising- 
that 
we 
frequently 
find 
our­ 
selves 
and 
other 
brethren 
in 
Christ 
in 
more 
or 
les'l 
confu'!ion 
respecting 
the 
application 
of 
certain 
principles 
laid 
down 
in 
the 
\Vonl 
of 
God. 
For 
instance, 
we 
are 
instructed 
that 
love 
is 
the 
fulfilling 
of 
the 
divine 
law; 
and 
that 
love 
of 
the 
breth­ 
ren 
is 
one 
of 
the 
evidences 
of 
our 
having 
pas'!ed 
from 
death 
unto 
lifp; 
and 
that 
if 
we 
Ion> 
not 
our 
hrothpr, 
"hom 
WP 
h'1\c 
sepn, 
it 
is 
a 
sure 
evidence 
that 
we 
do 
not 
truly 
love 
our 
Heav­ 
enl.v 
F<tthpr, 
whom 
we 
have 
not 
seen. 
(Rom 
13:10; 
1 
John 
3: 
14 
j 
4 
:20) 
In 
their 
endeavor 
to 
measure 
up 
to 
these 
re­ 
quirements 
of 
the 
divine 
standard, 
some 
are 
in 
danger 
of 
err­ 
ing 
in 
an 
opposite 
direction-in 
dang-er 
of 
manifesting 
a 
brotherly 
love 
where 
it 
should 
be 
withheld, 
and 
that 
in 
the 
intpI 
est 
of 
the 
brother. 
Let 
us 
note 
the 
different 
kinds, 
or 
!legn'es 
of 
love 
which 
the 
Heayenly 
Father 
exerci'les 
and 
man­ 
ifesls. 
First, 
we 
have 
the 
love 
for 
the 
world. 
"God 
so 
loved 
the 
world 
that 
he 
gave 
his 
only 
begotten 
Son" 
to 
die 
for 
us. 
(John 
::I:](j) 
Second, 
in 
a 
n111('h 
higher 
a 
nd 
special 
spn'lC, 
"The 
Father 
hlll1,;elf 
lonth 
you"-you 
who 
havp 
acccpted 
JI'SUS 
Christ 
as 
your 
Redeemer, 
and 
who, 
in 
his 
name 
and 
strength 
and 
nH'rit 
haye 
~onsecrated 
yourselves 
to 
him-you 
are 
seeking 
now 
to 
walk 
not 
after 
the 
flesh 
but 
after 
the 
spirit. 
(John 
16:27) 
Rut 
that 
this 
special 
love 
of 
Gocl 
can 
be 
lost 
in 
part, 
or 
event­ 
ually 
wholly, 
is 
clearly 
set 
forth 
by 
the 
Apostle's 
statement, 
"Keep 
yourselves 
in 
the 
love 
of 
God." 
(Jude 
21) 
If 
any, 
after 
haying 
tasted 
of 
the 
good 
Word 
of 
God, 
the 
powers' 
of 
the 
world 
to 
come, 
and 
being 
made 
partakers 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
[3033] 
Jury 1, 1902 their time or influence to God-dishonoring and consciencesearing confessions for the sake of human endorsement. We cannot suppose either that God was pleased to have Drs. Adams and Crawford privately and secretly confess their disbelief to each other while practicing deceit toward the other hundreds of thousands of Presbyterians;—-many of whom, unlearned “laity,” trusted their public profession too confidingly, and looked not beyond them to the Lamp of God’s Word. But if the boldest are not to be too much praised what shall we say of those who have seemed to have no consciences, or whose reasoning faculties are so dull that even in the light of this twentieth century they are such “blind guides” that the old Confession is still good enough for them? We say that only very young or bewildered or stupid sheep will any longer accept the wpse dixit of such Shepherds. We advise that their every expression be scrutinized in the light of God’s Word, as more likely to be false than true. We bring no railing accusation against any of them, but merely state facts and their own confessions. As we understand the Word, the Lord will rebuke them shortly, in the approaching great time of trouble. But, alas for the poor blind sheep who are following them into that ditch! ‘“‘CALAMITIES—-WHY GOD PERMITS THEM’’ The Chicago Tribune has kept record of the calamities of the year and makes the following report :-— “Nature has not been so busy with her .orces of devastation for many years past as she has been during the first five months of the present year. Volcanie eruptions and earthquakes have destroyed 48,450 lives, storms 704, tornadoes 416, cyclones 220, floods, 333, avalanches 228, tidal waves 103, snow-slides 39 and waterspouts 12, a total of 50,505 lives destioyed by nature’s elemental disturbances. If to this were added the lives lost by agencies over which man has more or less control, such as fires, mine disasters, explosions, railroad accidents, and vessel wrecks, it would be increased to over 60,000, and this takes no account of individual lives lost in this country, which would bring the grand total up to about 100,000 lives lost in the short period of five months.” The Boston Watchman (Baptist) says of the divine permission of calamities :— “This problem baffles the author of the Book of Job, and all the discoveries of science and the light of the Christian revelation do not resolve the thick darkness that settles about it. When trouble comes for which we can see no moral antecedent and no good result, the irrepressible cry bursts from every human heart, ‘Why? And there is no answer but the answer of Job: ‘Tho he slay me, yet will I trust in him.’ “From our point of view the events of life are often wholly irreconcilable with our faith in the divine goodness And yet we do not lose our faith. We believe that God is working out for us and for the race purposes of goodness that we cannot understand. That, it seems to us, is the Christian attitude toward this problem. Christianity does not resolve it, while it makes many other solutions of it untenable. But Christianity, in its revelation of the Father, inspires a confidence in Him that is not shaken by our inability to understand His way.” The Truth Seeker says:— “It was the Lisbon earthquake which shook Voltaire’s faith in a God who governs, who pervades all places and ages, and who has esteblished a direct relation between himself and mankind He was compelled to ask, What was my God doing? Why did the Universal Father crush to shapelessness thou “LOVE—MAKING “Keep yourselves in the love of God ZION’S WATCH TOWER (196-197) sands of his poor children, even at the moment when they were upon their knees returning thanks to him?” In view of the fact that the world is now in transition— from “the present evil world” to the “new earth wherein dwell eth righteousness,’- from the reign of sin and death under “the Prince of darkness” to the Millennial reign of the great Life Giver—it will not surprise us at all if the next twelve years shall prove to be full of horrors. The conditions now prevailing in the earth are not such as will be appropriate during the Millennium, and the changes will mean great disturbances of celestial and terrestrial affairs pertaining to our earth. These will naturally occasion great suffering and loss of life unless divine power be miraculously interposed for humanity’s protection; and we see no reason to expect such interposition. On the contrary, we understand the Scripture, to teach that the divine plan is so timed that these physical disturbanees will constitute a part of the great chastisement which the Lord designs shall break the proud hearts of men preparatory to his offer to all of the Balm of Gilead—restitution.—Acts 3°19-21, One effect of these calamities will surely be the overthiow of the faith of many,—of all who are merely nominal believers, whose faith led them to no love for the Lord and to no study of his Word and to no self-consecration to good works. Of these, as the Prophet has declared :— “A thousand shall fall at thy side Ten thousand at thy right hand.”’—Psa. 91:7. Of this time and its peculiar work not only in the convulsions of nature, but also in its social, financial and 1ehgious convulsions, the Lord’s Word declares: “Forasmuch as this people diaw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, T will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among this people; ... for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” “None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise [the taught of God] shall understand.”—Isa. 29:13, 14; Dan. 12:4, 9, 10. We are now in the little season appointed of the Lord for the sealing of his servants in their foreheads—intellectually. It behooves us therefore to give heed to the sealing of our own heads and hearts by availing ourselves of the assistances which the Lord now provides. Failure to do this and the giving of heart and time to the world or pleasure and self means disrespect to the great Teacher. and love of the present world rather than of that which is to come; and the reward of such a course is—to be left in darkness with the world. (1 Cor. 4-2; Matt. 25:30) Another duty of the hour, that will be appreciated only by the faithful, is the gathering together unto the Lord (out of sectarianism and darkness) of the Lord’s jewels, the elect whose eyes of understanding have not yet been opened to present truth. These calamities, which will overthrow the faith of some, will stir up the truly consecrated to a closer investigation of the divine Word and plan, and thus prove helps not hindrances, even as all things work together for good to them that love God. Now is the time to be on the alert to render assistance to this class of our “brethren” still asleep and in darkness but now awakening and needing sympathizing hearts and helping hands. Our late issue of the tract “Calamities—Why God Permits Them,” may prove a help, an entering wedge to something more elaborate—to some volume of Millennial Dawn. Order these to use as sample copies, freely. A DIFFERENCE” and of some have compassion, making a differerence; and others sare with fear, pulling them out of the fire.”"—Jude 21-23. With our minds all unbalanced through the fall, resulting from original sin.—tho not all fallen exactly in the same direction,—it is not surprising that we frequently find ourselves and other brethren in Christ in more or less confusion respecting the application of certain principles laid down in the Word of God. For instance, we are instructed that love is the fulfilling of the divine law; and that love of the brethren is one of the evidences of our having passed from death unto life; and that if we love not our brother, whom we have seen, it is a sure evidence that we do not truly love our Heavenly Father, whom we have not seen. (Rom 13:10; 1 John 3:14; 4:20) In their endeavor to measure up to these requirements of the divine standard, some are in danger of erring in an opposite direction—in danger of manifesting a brotherly love where it should be withheld, and that in the interest of the brother. Let us note the different kinds, or degrees of love which the Heavenly Father exercises and manifests, First, we have the love for the world. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” to die for us. (John 3:16) Second, in a much higher and special sense, “The Father himself loveth you”—you who have accepted Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, and who, in his name and strength and merit have tonsecrated vourselves to him—you are seeking now to walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. (John 16:27) But that this special love of God can be lost in part, or eventually wholly, is clearly set forth by the Apostle’s statement, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” (Jude 21) If any, after having tasted of the good Word of God, the powers of the world to come, and being made partakers of the holy Spirit, [3033]

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