Publication date
9/15/03
Volume
24
Number
18
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1903/18/1903-18-1.html
 
 
 
(366-371) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
AI.LEGHElfY. 
PA. 
do 
it 
with 
all 
the 
ability 
which 
they 
possess, 
recognizing 
that 
the 
ability 
is 
God-given 
as 
well 
as 
the 
talent. 
These 
exhorta­ 
tions 
to 
truth 
and 
faithfulness 
in 
utterance 
and 
service 
are 
ap­ 
plicable 
first 
of 
all 
to 
believers 
(the 
church) 
amongst 
our­ 
selves, 
but 
applicable 
also 
to 
all 
with 
whom 
thllY 
come 
in 
con­ 
tact. 
We 
may 
be 
evil 
reported 
of 
and 
slandered, 
but 
all 
who 
know 
us, 
who 
have 
dealings 
with 
us, 
should 
find 
from 
experi­ 
ence 
our 
loyalty 
to 
principle, 
our 
endeavor 
that 
the 
words 
of 
our 
mouths 
as 
well 
as 
the 
meditations 
of 
our 
hearts 
and 
the 
conduct 
of 
life 
should 
be 
pleasing 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
an 
honor 
to 
his 
name 
and 
cause, 
that 
God 
may 
be 
glorified 
through 
Christ, 
to 
whom 
belongs 
the 
glory 
and 
the 
kingdom 
forever. 
His 
church 
alone, 
in 
the 
present 
time, 
recognizes 
fully 
and 
properly 
the 
right 
and 
dominion 
of 
the 
Lord 
as 
the 
King. 
We 
alone 
have 
the 
blessing 
that 
comes 
from 
this 
recognition 
and 
relation· 
ship, 
but 
we 
look 
forward 
with 
joy 
to 
the 
time 
when 
his 
king- 
dom 
shall 
be 
established 
amongst 
men; 
when 
the 
time 
shall 
come 
for 
which 
we 
are 
praying, 
"Thy 
kingdom 
come"; 
when 
the 
knowledge 
of 
the 
Lord 
shall 
be 
made 
to 
reach 
every 
creat­ 
ure, 
and 
when 
many 
shall 
come 
to 
know 
and 
to 
love 
and 
to 
obey 
him 
whom 
now 
we 
rejoice 
to 
honor 
as 
our 
Redeemer 
and 
King. 
As 
is 
indicated 
by 
the 
Golden 
Text, 
this 
lesson 
was 
designed 
by 
those 
who 
selected 
it 
to 
be 
a 
temperance 
lesson. 
We 
have 
not 
dealt 
with 
it 
after 
the 
manner 
they 
intended, 
but 
accord­ 
ing 
to 
the 
Apostle's 
meaning. 
It 
certainly 
is 
a 
total 
absti­ 
nence 
lesson 
in 
one 
sense 
of 
the 
word, 
viz., 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
the 
class 
who 
have 
become 
dead 
to 
sin 
and 
alive 
toward 
God 
will 
desire 
to 
abstain 
from 
"every 
appearance 
of 
evil," 
which 
certainly 
will 
include 
intemperance, 
concerning 
which 
the 
Lord's 
Word 
is 
very 
explicit, 
in 
declaring 
that 
"No 
drunkard 
shall 
enter 
into 
the 
kingdom 
of 
heaven."-1 
Cor. 
6: 
10. 
"THE 
LORD 
IS 
MY 
LIGHT 
AND 
MY 
SALVATION" 
PSALM 
27: 
I.-SEPT. 
27. 
A 
review 
of 
the 
quarter 
I;, 
appointed 
for 
this 
date, 
and 
our 
studying 
closely 
and 
deeply 
the 
character 
of 
the 
man 
after 
caption 
is 
the 
Golden 
Text. 
The 
four 
characters 
brought 
to 
God's 
own 
heart, 
and 
learning 
from 
his 
experiences;-always 
our 
attention 
by 
the 
lessons 
of 
the 
past 
quarter 
have 
been 
remembering, 
nevertheless, 
that 
King 
David 
belonged 
to 
the 
Samuel 
the 
Prophet, 
Saul-Israel's 
first 
king,-Jonathan, 
his 
house 
of 
servants, 
that 
he 
lived 
at 
too 
early 
a 
date 
to 
belong 
Bon, 
and 
David, 
successor 
to 
the 
kingdom. 
Three 
of 
these 
were 
to 
the 
house 
of 
sons, 
of 
which 
our 
Lord 
Jesus 
was 
the 
first-born 
grand 
characters, 
but 
one 
of 
them 
ignoble--8aul. 
The 
contrast 
and 
forerunner; 
that 
consequently 
David 
did 
not 
have 
the 
be­ 
before 
us 
has 
been 
chiefly 
as 
between 
Saul 
and 
David. 
Both 
getting 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
nor 
the 
privileges 
and 
advantages 
of 
were 
of 
good 
character 
in 
many 
respects; 
the 
differences 
be- 
the 
same; 
that 
he 
was 
not 
running 
in 
the 
race 
for 
the 
great 
tween 
them 
we 
may 
safely 
credit 
to 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
one 
early 
prize, 
was 
not 
a 
member 
of 
the 
royal 
priesthood, 
consecrated 
to 
.gave 
his 
heart 
to 
the 
Lord, 
and 
the 
other 
kept 
his 
to 
himself. 
d 
th 
H 
b 
3 
2 
5 
6 
11 
4 
L 
k 
7 
28 
The 
secret 
of 
David's 
greatness 
is 
the 
Golden 
Text 
of 
this 
ea.- 
e. 
:, 
, 
; 
: 
0; 
u 
e 
: 
. 
lesson. 
The 
Lord 
was 
his 
light 
and 
salvation-guiding 
his 
For 
these 
reasons, 
although 
drawing 
valuable 
lessons 
from 
heart 
and 
overruling 
his 
affairs 
for 
good. 
But 
we 
should 
never 
David's 
experiences, 
we 
of 
this 
Gospel 
age, 
members 
of 
the 
forget 
that 
David 
was 
not 
only 
a 
great 
and 
good 
man 
of 
him- 
house 
of 
sons 
(John 
1: 
12) 
are 
not 
to 
regard 
David 
as 
our 
3elf, 
because 
he 
chose 
the 
Lord 
for 
his 
portion 
and 
was 
always 
sample 
or 
pattern 
in 
consecrated 
living 
or 
self-sacrificing 
servo 
loyal 
at 
heart 
to 
him, 
but 
additionally 
because 
the 
Lord 
chose 
ice. 
While 
we 
draw 
lessons 
from 
the 
experiences 
of 
David 
and 
David, 
whose 
name 
signifies 
beloved, 
to 
be 
a 
type 
of 
Christ, 
the 
other 
noble 
characters 
of 
the 
past, 
our 
patterns 
are 
Jesus 
and 
well-beloved,-head 
and 
body. 
his 
apostles, 
whom 
we 
are 
to 
copy-walking 
in 
their 
footsteps 
The 
grand 
lesson 
of 
this 
quarter 
to 
spiritual 
Israel 
is 
rev- 
in 
the 
narrow 
way 
of 
self-sacrifice 
even 
unto 
death. 
erence 
for 
the 
Lord, 
faith 
in 
him, 
courage, 
the 
result 
of 
that 
We 
commend 
to 
all 
a 
careful 
reading 
of 
Psalm 
27 
entire. 
faith, 
and 
patient 
endurance, 
another 
fruit 
of 
the 
same. 
The 
It 
is 
profitable, 
capable 
of 
an 
application 
to 
every 
member 
of 
members 
of 
the 
body 
of 
Christ 
cannot 
fail 
to 
be 
profited 
by 
the 
body 
of' 
Christ, 
the 
church, 
the 
house 
of 
sons. 
VOL. 
XXIV 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
OCTOBER 
1, 
1903 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
19 
BAPTISTS 
BOUND 
AS 
TRULY 
AS 
OTHERS 
cation 
Society, 
were 
organized. 
As 
a 
result 
of 
this 
same 
move- 
We 
quote 
from 
the 
Texas 
Baptist-Herald 
as 
follows:- 
ment, 
combined 
with 
the 
great 
educational 
movement, 
State 
"Prof. 
M'Glothlin 
of 
the 
Louisville 
Seminary, 
in 
an 
ad· 
organizations 
began 
to 
be 
formed 
about 
1820. 
The 
present 
dress 
at 
Savannah 
on 
'Ecclesiasticism,' 
spoke 
these 
timely 
Baptist 
organization 
was 
completed 
by 
the 
formation 
of 
the 
words: 
Southern 
Baptist 
Convention 
in 
1845. 
All 
or 
nearly 
all, 
these 
"'Ecclesiasticism 
tends 
constantly 
to 
increase 
the 
amount 
organizations 
met 
with 
the 
most 
determined 
opposition 
on 
the 
of 
machinery 
and 
centralize 
it 
in 
the 
hands 
of 
the 
clergy. 
ground 
that 
they 
were 
not 
scriptural 
and 
endangered 
or 
de­ 
Now 
the 
whole 
tendency 
of 
the 
times, 
among 
most 
other 
de- 
stroyed 
the 
independence 
of 
the 
churches. 
It 
is 
not 
strange 
nominations 
as 
well 
as 
the 
Baptists, 
is 
to 
magnify 
the 
im- 
that 
there 
was 
fear. 
Never 
in 
the 
history 
of 
Christianity 
was 
portance 
of 
the 
layman 
in 
the 
denominational 
life. 
We 
de- 
there 
such 
rapid 
progress 
in 
organization 
as 
in 
the 
138 
years 
light 
to 
make 
him 
moderator 
of 
our 
associations, 
our 
State 
from 
1707 
to 
1845. 
Baptists 
have 
existed 
in 
the 
United 
States 
conventions 
and 
even 
the 
Southern 
Baptist 
Convention. 
We 
for 
about 
264 
years, 
and 
it 
must 
be 
admitted 
that 
we 
have 
far 
are 
beginning 
to 
put 
him 
at 
the 
head 
of 
our 
denominational 
more 
ecclesiastical 
machinery 
than 
the 
Christians 
had 
264 
colleges, 
and 
the 
only 
reason 
he 
does 
not 
play 
even 
a 
larger 
years 
after 
the 
death 
of 
Christ. 
Out 
of 
the 
simple 
Baptist 
part 
in 
our 
church 
affairs 
is 
our 
inability 
to 
induce 
him 
to 
church 
at 
Rome 
has 
grown 
the 
great 
Roman 
Catholic 
church 
do 
so. 
There 
IS 
no 
disposition 
among 
our 
preachers 
to 
which 
encloses 
the 
world 
in 
its 
embrace! 
Are 
we 
on 
the 
same 
usurp 
authority 
or 
even 
to 
retain 
what 
they 
have. 
They 
labor 
road' 
We 
have 
gone 
at 
a 
very 
rapid 
pace 
so 
far 
j 
will 
we 
to 
bring 
forward 
the 
layman. 
No 
ecclesiasticism 
here. 
stop, 
or 
will 
the 
organizations 
go 
on 
increasing!' 
\Ve 
ha~e 
"'But 
what 
of 
the 
increase 
in 
machinery? 
Here 
we 
have 
rapidly 
increased 
our 
organizations, 
but 
two 
things 
are 
to 
be 
a 
dIfferent 
tale 
to 
tell. 
The 
early 
churches 
were 
the 
only 
observed 
which 
make 
the 
situation 
less 
serious 
than 
it 
at 
first 
Christwn 
organiwtions 
so 
far 
as 
we 
know. 
They 
were 
wholly 
appears. 
Before 
the 
year 
294 
A. 
D., 
infant 
baptism 
had 
been 
mdcpendent 
of 
cach 
other, 
having 
no 
connection 
except 
that 
introduced 
and 
the 
churches 
had 
been 
greatly 
corrupted; 
and 
... 
·ltieh 
comes 
through 
unity 
in 
faith 
and 
practice. 
The 
same 
in 
the 
second 
place 
the 
local 
church 
had 
lost 
its 
significance 
was 
true 
of 
the 
Baptist 
churches 
in 
America 
for 
nearly 
a 
and 
independence. 
We 
Baptists, 
with 
all 
our 
increase 
of 
rna­ 
century. 
The 
first 
Baptist 
church 
in 
America 
was 
founded 
chinery, 
have 
stood 
true 
to 
the 
apostolie 
conception 
of 
an 
in­ 
in 
1639 
and 
the 
first 
Association 
in 
1707. 
The 
movement 
to 
dependent 
church 
of 
regenerate 
people. 
The 
New 
Testament 
orguIllze 
the 
churches 
into 
aSSOCIations 
met 
with 
determined 
ideal 
is 
our 
ideal. 
And 
herein 
is 
our 
safety 
for 
the 
future.''' 
opposition, 
but 
the 
work 
progressed, 
and 
by 
the 
beginning 
of 
* 
* 
* 
the 
19th 
century 
there 
were 
few 
churches 
which 
still 
stood 
We 
cannot 
agree 
with 
the 
editor 
of 
the 
Baptist-Herald 
outside 
the 
associations. 
The 
chief 
motives 
to 
these 
organiza- 
that 
these 
words 
are 
timely. 
They 
are 
quite 
behind 
time. 
tions 
had 
been 
the 
desire 
to 
better 
resist 
the 
State 
churches, 
Our 
dear 
Baptist 
friends 
have 
already 
lost 
their 
liberty 
in 
t.o 
secure 
doctrinal 
agreement 
and 
to 
prosecute 
local 
mission- 
ecclesiasticism. 
For 
all 
practical 
purposes 
they 
are 
now 
ary 
work. 
bound 
as 
much 
as 
the 
people 
of 
other 
denominations, 
but 
they 
"'With 
the 
19th 
century 
came 
the 
great 
foreign 
mission 
do 
not 
realize 
it 
and 
love 
their 
chains. 
Is 
it 
asked, 
How 
so? 
movement 
and 
with 
it 
the 
need 
of 
larger 
organizations. 
In 
We 
reply 
that 
the 
bondage 
came 
through 
the 
error 
of 
ministe­ 
1814 
the 
first 
national 
organization, 
the 
present 
Missionary 
rial 
ordination. 
Instead 
of 
recognizing, 
as 
we 
do, 
that 
"all 
Union, 
was 
formed. 
Later 
two 
other 
national 
organizations, 
ye 
are 
brethren," 
and 
that 
all 
anointed 
with 
the 
holy 
spirit 
the 
Home 
Mission 
Society 
and 
the 
American 
Baptist 
Publi- 
are 
anointed 
to 
preach,-each 
to 
the 
extent 
of 
his 
talents 
and 
[3248] 
(366-371) do it with all the ability which they possess, recognizing that the ability is God-given as well as the talent. These exhortations to truth and faithfulness in utterance and service are applicable first of all to believers (the church) amongst ourselves, but applicable also to all with whom they come in contact. We may be evil reported of and slandered, but all who know us, who have dealings with us, should find frem experience our loyalty to principle, our endeavor that the words of our mouths as well as the meditations of our hearts and the conduct of life should be pleasing to the Lord and an honor to his name and cause, that God may be glorified through Christ, to whom belongs the glory and the kingdom forever. His church alone, in the present time, recognizes fully and properly the right and dominion of the Lord as the King. We alone have the blessing that comes from this recognition and relationahip, but we look forward with joy to the time when his king ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. dom shall be established amongst men; when the time shall come for which we are praying, “Thy kingdom come”; when the knowledge of the Lord shall be made to reach every creat ure, and when many shall come to know and to love and to obey him whom now we rejoice to honor as our Redeemer and ing. As is indicated by the Golden Text, this lesson was designed by those who selected it to be a temperance lesson. We have not dealt with it after the manner they intended, but according to the Apostle’s meaning. It certainly is a total abstinence lesson in one sense of the word, viz., in the sense that the class who have become dead to sin and alive toward God will desire to abstain from “every appearance of evil,” which certainly will include intemperance, concerning which the Lord’s Word is very explicit, in declaring that “No drunkard shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”—-1 Cor. 6:10. “THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION” PsaLtM 27:1.—Sepr. 27. A review of the quarter 1: appointed for this date, and our caption is the Golden Text. The four characters brought to our attention by the lessons of the past quarter have been Samuel the Prophet, Saul—Israel’s first king,—Jonathan, his son, and David, successor to the kingdom. Three of these were grand characters, but one of them ignoble—Saul. The contrast before us has been chiefly as between Saul and David. Both were of good character in many respects; the differences between them we may safely credit to the fact that the one earl gave his heart to the Lord, and the other Kept his to himself. The secret of David’s greatness is the Golden Text of this lesson. The Lord was his light and salvation—guiding his heart and overruling his affairs for good. But we should never forget that David was not only a great and good man of himself, because he chose the Lord for his portion and was always loyal at heart to him, but additionally because the Lord chose David, whose name signifies beloved, to be a type of Christ, the well-beloved,—head and body. The grand lesson of this quarter to spiritual] Israel is reverence for the Lord, faith in him, courage, the result of that faith, and patient endurance, another fruit of the same. The members of the body of Christ cannot fail to be profited by studying closely and deeply the character of the man after God’s own heart, and learning from his experiences ;—always remembering, nevertheless, that King David belonged to the house of servants, that he lived at too early a date to belong to the house of sons, of which our Lord Jesus was the first-born and forerunner; that consequently David did not have the begetting of the holy Spirit, nor the privileges and advantages of the same; that he was not running in the race for the great prize, was not a member of the royal priesthood, consecrated to death.—Heb. 3:2, 5, 6; 11:40; Luke 7:28. For these reasons, although drawing valuable lessons from David’s experiences, we of this Gospel age, members of the house of sons (John 1:12) are not to regard David as our sample or pattern in consecrated living or self-sacrificing service. While we draw lessons from the experiences of David and other noble characters of the past, our patterns are Jesus and his apostles, whom we are to copy—walking in their footsteps in the narrow way of self-sacrifice even unto death, We commend to all a careful reading of Psalm 27 entire. It is profitable, capable of an application to every member of the body of Christ, the church, the house of sons. Vou. XXIV ALLEGHENY, PA., OCTOBER 1, 1903 No. 19 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER BAPTISTS BOUND AS TRULY AS OTHERS We quote from the Texas Baptist-Herald as follows:— “Prof, M’Glothlin of the Louisville Seminary, in an address at Savannah on ‘Ecclesiasticism,’ spoke these timely words: “ Hicclesiasticism tends constantly to increase the amount of machinery and centralize it in the hands of the clergy. Now the whole tendency of the times, among most other denominations as well as the Baptists, is to magnify the importance of the layman in the denominational life. We delight to make him moderator of our associations, our State conventions and even the Southern Baptist Convention. We are beginning to put him at the head of our denominational colleges, and the only reason he does not play even a larger part in our church affairs is our inability to induce him to do so. There 18 no disposition among our preachers to usurp authority or even to retain what they have. They labor to bring forward the layman. No ecclesiasticism here. “But what of the increase in machinery? Here we have a different tale to tell. The early churches were the only Christian organisations so far as we know. They were wholly andependent of each other, having no connection except that which comes through unity in faith and practice. The same was true of the Baptist churches in America for nearly a century. The first Baptist church in America was founded in 1639 and the first Association in 1707. The movement to organize the churches into associations met with determined opposition, but the work progressed, and by the beginning of the 19th century there were few churches which still stood outside the associations. The chief motives to these organizations had been the desire to better resist the State churches, to secure doctrinal agreement and to prosecute local missionary work, “With the 19th century came the great foreign mission movement and with it the need of larger organizations. In 1814 the first national organization, the present Missionary Union, was formed. Later two other national organizations, the Home Mission Society and the American Baptist Publi cation Society, were organized. As a result of this same movement, combined with the great educational movement, State organizations began to be formed about 1820. The present Baptist organization was completed by the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1845. All or nearly all, these organizations met with the most determined opposition on the ground that they were not scriptural and endangered or destroyed the independence of the churches. It is not strange that there was fear. Never in the history of Christianity was there such rapid progress in organization as in the 138 years from 1707 to 1845. Baptists have existed in the United States for about 264 years, and it musi be admitted that we have far more ecclesiastical machinery than the Christians had 264 years after the death of Christ. Out of the simple Baptist church at Rome has grown the great Roman Catholic church which encloses the world in its embrace! Are we on the same road? We have gone at a very rapid pace so far; will we stop, or will the organizations go on increasing? We have rapidly increased our organizations, but two things are to be observed which make the situation less serious than it at first appears. Before the year 294 A. D., infant baptism had been introduced and the churches had been greatly corrupted; and in the second place the local church had lost its significance and independence. We Baptists, with all our increase of machinery, have stood true to the apostolic conception of an independent church of regenerate people. The New Testament ideal is our ideal. And herein is our safety for the future.’ ” * * We cannot agree with the editor of the Baptist-Herald that these words are timely. They are quite behind time. Our dear Baptist friends have already lost their liberty in ecclesiasticism. For all practical purposes they are now bound as much as the people of other denominations, but they do not realize it and love their chains. Is it asked, How so? We reply that the bondage came through the error of ministerial ordination. Instead of recognizing, as we do, that “all ye are brethren,” and that all anointed with the holy spirit are anointed to preach,—each to the extent of his talents and [3248]

This website uses cookies to improve the website and your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you require further information or do not wish to accept cookies when using this website, please visit our Privacy Policy    Terms of Use    .