Publication date
3/15/04
Volume
25
Number
6
The WatchTower
Views From the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1904/6/1904-6-1.html
 
 
 
(79-83) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
strengthened 
us. 
If 
they 
do 
not 
get 
it 
they 
will 
faint 
by 
the 
way 
as 
they 
go 
looking 
for 
other 
provisions. 
We 
have 
the 
very 
thing 
which 
all 
of 
the 
household 
of 
faith 
need; 
without 
it 
they 
cannot 
maintain 
tlleir 
standing, 
they 
cannot 
press 
on, 
they 
shall 
surely 
become 
discouraged. 
A 
thousand 
shall 
fall 
at 
our 
side 
and 
ten 
thousand 
at 
our 
right 
hand 
without 
this 
needed 
nourishment. 
Let 
us 
be 
alert. 
THE 
USE 
OF 
MEANS-THEN 
AND 
NOW 
The 
lad 
who 
had 
the 
loaves 
and 
fishes 
and 
who 
put 
them 
at 
the 
disposal 
of 
the 
Lord. 
,ve 
may 
be 
sure 
was 
greatly 
blessed, 
although 
we 
hear 
nothing 
further 
of 
him 
than 
is 
here 
men­ 
tioned. 
It 
was 
a 
case 
of 
opportunity, 
and 
we 
may 
be 
sure 
that 
the 
boy 
thus 
willing 
to 
put 
hia 
all 
at 
our 
Lord's 
disposal, 
instead 
of 
attempting 
to 
sell 
it 
to 
the 
hungry 
at 
famine 
prices, 
received 
a 
corresponding 
blessing. 
The 
lesson 
for 
all 
is 
that 
whatever 
we 
may 
have 
of 
financial 
means 
for 
sending 
forth 
the 
bread 
of 
life 
to 
others, 
or 
whatever 
we 
may 
have 
of 
knowl­ 
edge 
of 
the 
truth, 
IH 
neIther 
to 
be 
selfishly 
hoarded 
nOI 
~elfi~hly 
partaken 
of 
hy 
ourselves. 
It 
is 
to 
be 
consecrated 
to 
the 
Lord, 
and 
out 
of 
that 
consecration 
the 
Lord 
will 
bring 
blessing 
to 
others 
and 
increased 
blessings 
upon 
our 
own 
heads 
and 
hearts. 
The 
Golden 
Text 
of 
our 
lesson 
may 
be 
said 
to 
be 
the 
very 
heart 
of 
it 
in 
some 
respects. 
It 
was 
after 
Jesus 
had 
spent 
the 
night 
in 
prayer 
and 
toward 
morning 
came 
to 
his 
disciples 
stIll 
on 
tIle 
lake 
in 
the 
boat-storm 
stayed-and 
after 
they 
had 
come 
to 
the 
lanlling 
safely, 
that 
some 
of 
those 
who 
had 
been 
with 
him 
and 
who 
had 
partaken 
of 
tIle 
miraculous 
bread 
and 
fish 
had 
returned 
to 
the 
vicinity 
of 
CapernaullJ 
and 
sought 
.Jesus 
again, 
that 
he 
upbraided 
them 
and 
accused 
them 
of 
seek­ 
ing 
him 
more 
for 
the 
loaves 
and 
fishes 
than 
on 
account 
of 
the 
truths 
which 
Iw 
proclaimed; 
and 
using 
this 
as 
a 
text, 
pro­ 
ceeded 
to 
tell 
them 
of 
himself 
as 
the 
Bread 
of 
Eternal 
Life 
that 
had 
come 
down 
from 
heaven, 
of 
which 
if 
a 
man 
eat 
he 
would 
never 
die-the 
bread 
of 
life 
everlasting. 
Blessed 
are 
our 
ears 
for 
we 
have 
heard! 
blessed 
are 
the 
rycs 
of 
our 
understandin;! 
for 
we 
have 
seen 
him! 
blessed 
are 
we 
for 
we 
have 
tasted 
of 
tltis 
Bread 
of 
Life! 
Blessed 
are 
we 
if 
we 
are 
still 
hungering 
and 
thirsting 
after 
righteousness, 
and 
?ay 
after 
day 
being 
more 
and 
more 
filled 
according 
to 
the 
prom­ 
Ise. 
A 
FAMINE 
FOR 
THE 
WORD 
OF 
GOD-AMOS. 
8:11 
We 
live 
in 
very 
stirring 
times, 
in 
times 
when 
there 
is 
a 
greater 
hungering 
for 
knowledge, 
for 
wealth, 
for 
influence, 
for 
power, 
for 
everything, 
than 
there 
ever 
was 
before. 
Everybody 
see~s 
to 
be 
.hungry. 
Yet 
our 
day 
is 
so 
full 
of 
philosophies, 
in­ 
ventlO~s, 
SCIences 
(true 
and 
false), 
money-making 
8cht:>meR, 
finanCIal 
schemes, 
theological 
schemes, 
etc., 
etc., 
that 
the 
whole 
~orld 
is 
absorbed 
in 
attempts 
to. 
satisfy 
these 
various 
hunger­ 
mgs 
of 
the 
soul. 
Yet 
these 
thmgs 
do 
not 
satisfy 
even 
the 
wOl:ldly;-they 
still 
h.uJ.!ger 
and 
thirst; 
and 
nothing 
will 
ever 
satIsfy 
them 
but 
the 
hvmg 
bread-the 
Truth. 
Now 
is 
the 
time 
for 
us 
who 
have 
become 
"new 
creatures 
in 
Christ 
Jesus" 
to 
see 
to 
it 
that 
we 
dispense 
to 
others 
the 
true 
bread 
and 
water 
of 
life; 
and 
that 
our 
own 
earthly 
hunger 
for 
earthly 
things 
shall 
not 
be 
prospered 
or 
gratified 
at 
the 
expense 
of 
our 
spiritual 
hunger 
for 
spiritual 
things, 
but 
that 
the 
latter 
shall 
have 
our 
spedal 
attention 
and 
care 
and 
provision. 
The 
more 
people 
are 
satisfied 
with 
earthly 
things 
the 
less 
inclInation 
they 
will 
have 
for 
the 
heavenly 
things, 
and 
the 
more 
we 
are 
satisfied 
with 
the 
heavenly 
things 
the 
less 
of 
appetite 
will 
we 
have 
for 
the 
earthly 
things. 
The 
new 
nature 
flourishes 
at 
the 
expense 
of 
the 
old 
nature, 
and 
the 
new 
ambitions, 
hopes 
llnd 
desire§! 
at 
the 
expense 
of 
the 
old. 
LIkewise 
when 
the 
old 
nature 
flourislH's, 
it 
is 
at 
the 
expen;-,e 
of 
the 
new 
in 
all 
of 
Ilie's 
afl 
a 
lJ's. 
Let 
us 
then, 
reaJizmg 
the 
<hflerence 
be­ 
tweell 
the 
food 
that 
perisheth 
and 
the 
food 
tJUtt 
bnngs 
diYllle 
blessing-eternal 
life-let 
us 
choose 
the 
latter, 
let 
us 
feed 
more 
and 
more 
upon 
the 
Lord 
and 
upon 
his 
Word 
and 
thus 
grow 
strong 
in 
the 
Lord 
and 
in 
the 
power 
of 
his 
might, 
and 
be 
more 
a~~ 
more 
weaned 
from 
the 
world, 
its 
spirit, 
its 
hopes, 
its 
am­ 
bItIOns. 
\Ve 
seek 
a 
heavenly 
coun.try, 
a 
heavenly 
kingdom, 
a 
heavenly 
nature, 
and 
heavenly 
qualIties, 
fitted 
and 
prepared 
for 
that 
heavenly 
nature. 
We 
have 
found 
the 
great 
Life-giver, 
the 
one 
who 
can 
and 
does 
supply 
this 
bread 
from 
heaven. 
It 
is 
our 
great 
privilege 
to 
be 
the 
dispensers 
of 
this 
bread. 
"Give 
ye 
them 
to 
eat." 
"He 
tllat 
hath 
an 
ear 
let 
him 
hear." 
QUARTERLY 
REVIEW-MARCH 
27 
GvLllEN 
TEXT 
:-"JeslIs 
went 
about 
all 
Galilee, 
teaching 
in 
their 
synagogues, 
and 
preachin.g 
the 
Gospel 
of 
the 
lcingdom, 
and 
f1,eal~ng 
all 
manner 
of 
sioloness."-Matt. 
4:23. 
The 
Sunday 
lessons 
for 
this 
quarter 
have 
given 
us 
numer­ 
ous 
profitable 
pictures 
and 
studies 
in 
t~e 
Ii.fe 
of 
Christ. 
Begin­ 
nino- 
with 
lJis 
birth 
we 
have 
traced 
hIS 
hfe 
from 
boyhood 
to 
ma~hood 
find 
th(,l'e 
notl'll 
his 
consecration 
even 
unto 
death 
and 
his 
~onseqt1C'llt 
beg-etta 
I 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit 
as 
the 
beginning 
of 
the 
new 
creature 
of 
God-the 
head 
of 
the 
church. 
We 
have 
followed 
him 
through 
the 
various 
steps 
of 
his 
ministry, 
noted 
many 
of 
his 
wOll<lerful 
miracles 
on. 
the 
~ea 
and 
on. 
the. 
19;nd, 
::tnll 
in 
every 
particular 
have 
seen 
hIm 
faIthful 
to 
hIS 
mISSIon, 
"Wist 
ye 
not 
that 
I 
must 
be 
about 
my 
Father's 
business 
1" 
his 
(,\'/;l'ession 
as 
a 
boy, 
seemed 
to 
be 
~with 
him 
through 
all 
the 
atl'nirs 
of 
life. 
We 
are 
to 
remember 
that 
while 
Palestine 
at 
the 
present 
time 
lIaR 
a 
population 
of 
about 
6~0,000, 
it 
had 
about 
t~n 
ti~es 
as 
many 
in 
our 
Lord's 
day. 
GalIlee, 
where 
most 
of 
hIS 
mua­ 
clE's 
were 
performed. 
as 
recorded 
in 
this 
quarter's 
lessons, 
is 
supposed 
to 
have 
had 
over 
100 
towns 
of 
15,000 
population,. 
or 
a 
total 
population 
of 
over 
3,000,000. 
The 
people 
of 
G~blee 
were 
evidently 
thrift:,', 
prosperous 
work 
people. 
The 
~18to~­ 
racy 
c('ntered 
more 
about 
Jerusalem, 
and 
the 
explanatIon 
IS 
o-iven 
that 
,lesus 
could 
no 
more 
walk 
in 
Jewry 
because 
the 
Jews 
Bouo-ht 
to 
kill 
him. 
Hence, 
as 
we 
have 
seen, 
much 
of 
his 
time 
was"" 
spent 
in 
Galilee, 
and 
evidently 
with 
the 
people 
best 
prepared 
to 
receive 
his 
teachin,(!'s. 
We 
remember 
that 
he 
was 
called 
the 
"Galilean," 
and 
his 
disciples 
were 
"men 
of 
Galilee." 
The 
essence 
of 
this 
qnarter's 
lessons 
to 
the 
Lord's 
conse­ 
cratl'll 
people 
should 
be 
specially 
that 
of 
disciple~hip-follow­ 
ing 
the 
footsteps 
of 
this 
great 
Teacher 
and 
SaVIOr. 
He 
has 
called 
us 
also 
to 
be 
fishers 
of 
men, 
and 
we 
have 
responded 
to 
his 
call 
and 
left 
all 
to 
follow 
him, 
to 
be 
his 
disciples, 
to 
share 
his 
experiences 
and 
whatever 
ignominy 
may 
come 
as 
the 
result 
of 
faithfulness 
to 
him 
and 
the 
truths 
which 
he 
proclaimed. 
To 
us 
also 
he 
has 
displayed 
his 
powers, 
permitting 
us 
to 
see 
and 
know 
things 
which 
are 
kept 
secret 
from 
those 
without. 
To 
us 
he 
has 
given 
the 
good 
tidings 
of 
the 
kingdom 
to 
encourage 
us, 
to 
inspire 
our 
hearts 
with 
love 
and 
loyalty. 
Blessed 
were 
those 
disciples 
of 
old, 
and 
blessed 
are 
the 
disciples 
of 
today! 
The 
blessing 
then 
was 
largely 
dependent 
upon 
the 
nearness 
of 
the 
disciples 
to 
the 
Lord, 
and 
the 
nearness 
was 
marked 
largely 
by 
the 
degree 
of 
zeal 
and 
devotion; 
and 
thus 
we 
must 
expect 
it 
to 
be 
today. 
It 
was 
Peter, 
James 
and 
John, 
who 
were 
the 
most 
zealous 
of 
the 
apostles, 
that 
had 
the 
special 
favors 
when 
such 
were 
to 
be 
given. 
And 
so 
it 
is 
today; 
those 
who 
most 
cheer­ 
fully, 
most 
zealously 
forget 
self 
and 
earthly 
ambitions, 
aims 
and 
projects, 
and 
who 
most 
fully 
give 
themselves 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
to 
his 
service, 
these 
may 
walk 
nearest 
to 
the 
Lord 
at 
all 
times; 
these 
may 
go 
with 
him 
to 
the 
mount; 
these 
may. 
be 
epecial 
witnesses 
of 
his 
powers, 
and 
these 
in 
special 
times 
may 
be 
close 
to 
the 
Lord. 
Some, 
like 
John, 
may 
not 
only 
sit 
at 
meat 
with 
him, 
but 
sit 
next 
to 
him-in 
his 
bosom. 
In 
pro­ 
portion 
as 
our 
lives 
are 
copies 
of 
the 
Lord's 
all 
the 
time 
and 
mfluence 
at 
our 
disposal, 
outside 
of 
necessary 
obligations 
for 
things 
needful 
to 
ourselves 
and 
families, 
will 
be 
spent 
as 
he 
spent 
his 
time-in 
doing 
good 
unto 
all 
men, 
especially 
unto 
the 
household 
of 
faith. 
YOLo 
:xXV 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
MARCli 
15, 
1904 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No.6 
THE 
ERA 
OF 
RELIGIOUS 
TOLERATION 
Dr. 
Alexander 
McKenzie, 
pastor 
of 
the 
oldest 
Trinitarian 
Congregational 
Church 
in 
Cambridge, 
and 
Dr. 
DeNormandie, 
pastor 
of 
the 
ancient 
Unitarian 
Church 
of 
Roxbury, 
exchanged 
pulpits 
recently; 
and 
the 
next 
Sunday 
the 
Rev, 
Dr. 
George 
A. 
Gordon 
of 
the 
Old 
South 
(Third) 
Church 
and 
the 
Rev. 
James 
Eells 
of 
the 
First 
Church 
(Unitarian) 
exchanged 
pulpits, 
and, 
later 
in 
the 
day, 
Drs. 
Gordon 
and 
Eells 
officiated 
together 
at 
the 
communion 
service 
in 
the 
First 
Church, 
to 
which 
Dr. 
Gor­ 
don 
invited 
his 
people. 
These 
facts 
have 
much 
significance 
when 
locally 
appraised. 
but 
they 
are 
only 
part 
of 
a 
movement 
by 
no 
means 
sectional 
or 
denominational. 
The 
pastor 
and 
pastor 
emeritus 
of 
the 
leading 
Trinitarian 
Congregational 
Church 
in 
the 
State 
of 
Iowa 
have 
just 
refused, 
on 
conscientious 
grounds, 
to 
belong 
to 
the 
Ministerial 
Association 
of 
Des 
Moines, 
"so 
long 
as 
fellowship 
[33Ul 
(79-83) strengthened us. If they do not get it they will faint by the way as they go looking for other provisions. We have the very thing which all of the household of faith need; without it they eannot maintain their standing, they cannot press on, they shall surely become discouraged. A thousand shal] fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand without this needed nourishment. Let us be alert. THE USH OF MEANS—THEN AND NOW The lad who had the loaves and fishes and who put them at the disposal of the Lord. we may be sure was greatly blessed, although we hear nothing further of him than is here mentioned. It was a case of opportunity, and we may be sure that the boy thus willing to put his all at our Lord’s disposal, instead of attempting to sell it to the hungry at famine prices, received a corresponding blessing. The lesson for all is that whatever we may have of financial] means for sending forth the bread of life to others, or whatever we may have of knowledge of the truth, 1s neither to be selfishly hoarded nox selfishly partaken of by ourselves. It is to be consecrated to the Lord, and out of that consecration the Lord will bring blessing to others and increased blessings upon our own heads and hearts. The Golden Text of our lesson may be said to be the very heart of it in some respects. It was after Jesus had spent the night in prayer and toward morning came to his disciples still on the lake in the hoat—stormstayed—and after they had come to the landing safely, that some of those who had been with him and who had partaken of the miraculous bread and fish had returned to the vicinity of Capernaum and sought Jesus again, that he upbraided them and accused them of seeking him more for the ioaves and fishes than on account of the truths which he proclaimed; and using this as a text, proceeded to tell them of himself as the Bread of Eterna] Life that had come down from heaven, of which if a man eat he would never die—the bread of life everlasting. Blessed are our ears for we have heard! blessed are the cyes of our understanding for we have seen him! blessed are we for we have tasted of this Bread of Life! Blessed are we if ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, we are still hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and day after day being more and more filled according to the promise. A FAMINE FOR THE WORD OF GOD-—-AMOS. 8:11 We live in very stirring times, in times when there is a greater hungering for knowledge, for wealth, for influence, for power, for everything, than there ever was before, Everybody seems to be hungry. Yet our day is so full of philosophies, inventions, sciences (true and false), money-making schemes, financial schemes, theological schemes, etc., etc., that the whole world is absorbed in attempts to satisfy these various hungerings of the soul. Yet these things do not satisfy even the worldly ;-—they still hunger and thirst; and nothing will ever satisfy them but the living bread—the Truth. Now is the time for us who have become “new creatures in Christ Jesus” to see to it that we dispense to others the true bread and water of life; and that our own earthly hunger for earthly things shall not be prospered or gratified at the expense of our spiritual hunger for spiritual things, but that the latter shall have our special attention and care and provision. _ ‘The more people are satisfied with earthly things the less inclination they will have for the heavenly things, and the more we are satisfied with the heavenly things the less of appetite will we have for the earthly things. The new nature flourishes at the expense of the old nature, and the new ambitions, hopes and desires at the expense of the old. Likewise when the old nature flourishes, it 1s at the expense of the new in all of hfe’s aitairs. Let us then, realizing the ditterence between the food that perisheth and the food that brings divine blessing—eterna] life—let us choose the latter, Jet us feed more and more upon the Lord and upon his Word and thus grow strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, and be more and more weaned from the world, its spirit, its hopes, its ambitions. We seek a heavenly country, a heavenly kingdom, a heavenly nature, and heavenly qualities, fitted and prepared for that heavenly nature. We have found the great Life-giver, the one who can and does supply this bread from heaven. It is our great privilege to be the dispensers of this bread. “Give ye them to eat.” “He that hath an ear let him hear.” QUARTERLY REVIEW—MARCH 27 CGioLbEN TExT:—“Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sichkness.”—Matt. 4:23. The Sunday lessons for this quarter have given us numerous profitable pictures and studies in the life of Christ. Beginning with his birth we have traced his life from boyhood to manhood, and there noted his consecration even unto death and his consequent begettal of the holy Spirit as the beginning of the new creature of God—the head of the church. We have followed him through the various steps of his ministry, noted many of his wonderful miracles on the sea and on the land, and in every particular have seen him faithful to his mission, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” his expression as a boy, seemed to be with him through all the affairs of life. We are to remember that while Palestine at the present time has a population of about 600,000, it had about ten times as many in our Lord’s day. Galilee, where most of his miracles were performed, as recorded in this quarter’s lessons, is supposed to have had over 100 towns of 15,000 population, or a total population of over 3,000,000. The people of Galilee were evidently thrifty, prosperous work people. The aristocracy centered more about Jerusalem, and the explanation is given that Jesus could no more walk in Jewry because the Jews sought to kill him. Hence, as we have seen, much of his time was spent in Galilee, and evidently with the people best prepared to receive his teachings. We remember that he was called the “Galilean,” and his diseipies were “men of Galilee.” The essence of this quarter’s lessons to the Lord’s consecrated people should be specially that of discipleship—following the footsteps of this great Teacher and Savior. He has called us also to be fishers of men, and we have responded to his eall and left all to follow him, to be his disciples, to share his experiences and whatever ignominy may come as the result of faithfulness to him and the truths which he proclaimed. To us also he has displayed his powers, permitting us to see and know things which are kept secret from those without. To us he has given the good tidings of the kingdom to encourage us, to inspire our hearts with love and loyalty. Blessed were those disciples of old, and blessed are the disciples of today! The blessing then was largely dependent upon the nearness of the disciples to the Lord, and the nearness was marked largely by the degree of zeal and devotion; and thus we must expect it to be today. It was Peter, James and John, who were the most zealous of the apostles, that had the special favors when such were to be given. And so it is today; those who most cheerfully, most zealously forget self and earthly ambitions, aims and projects, and who most fully give themselves to the Lord and to his service, these may walk nearest to the Lord at, all times; these may go with him to the mount; these may be épecial witnesses of his powers, and these in special times may be close to the Lord. Some, like John, may not only sit at meat with him, but sit next to him—in his bosom. In pro ortion as our lives are copies of the Lord’s all the time and influence at our disposal, outside of necessary obligations for things needful to ourselves and families, will be spent as he spent his time—in doing good unto all men, especially unto the household of faith. Vou. XXV ALLEGHENY, PA., MARCH 15, 1904 No. 6 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER THE ERA OF RELIGIOUS TOLERATION Dr. Alexander McKenzie, pastor of the oldest Trinitarian Congregational Church in Cambridge, and Dr, DeNormandie, pastor of the ancient Unitarian Church of Roxbury, exchanged pulpits recently; and the next Sunday the Rev. Dr. George A. Gordon of the Old South (Third) Church and the Rev. James Eells of the First Church (Unitarian) exchanged pulpits, and, later in the day, Drs. Gordon and Eells officiated together at the communion service in the First Church, to which Dr. Gordon invited his people. These facts have much significance when locally appraised, but they are only part of a movement by no means sectional or denominational. The pastor and pastor emeritus of the leading Trinitarian Congregational Church in the State of Iowa have just refused, on conscientious grounds, to belong to the Ministerial Association of Des Moines, “so long as fellowship [3334]

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    .