Publication date
1/1/05
Volume
26
Number
1
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1905/1/1905-1-1.html
 
 
 
 
VOL. 
XXVI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
JANUARY 
1, 
1905 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No.1 
HAPPY 
NBW 
YEAB, 
1905 
Greetings, 
dear 
fellow 
Watchers! 
The 
great 
clock 
of 
Time 
marks 
another 
cycle, 
and 
shows 
us 
another 
day's 
march 
nearer 
Home-nearer 
to 
our 
"change," 
and 
contact 
fellowship 
with 
our 
Savior-nearer 
to 
the 
kingdom 
and 
itB 
blessings 
for 
all 
t.he 
families 
of 
the 
earth. 
"How 
light 
our 
trials 
then 
will 
seem! 
How 
short 
our 
pilgrim 
way!" 
But, 
though 
thus 
rejoicing 
in 
the 
flight 
of 
time, 
it 
is 
not 
with 
us 
as 
with 
many 
of 
the 
poor 
world 
when 
they 
would 
ex­ 
press 
themselves 
similarly, 
perhaps 
at 
the 
moment 
meditating 
suicide. 
1'0, 
indeed! 
The 
love 
of 
Christ 
makes 
fresh 
our 
hearts, 
as 
a 
fountain 
ever 
springing, 
so 
that 
to 
the 
true 
chilo 
dren 
of 
God 
every 
day 
has 
the 
Christian's 
secret 
of 
a 
happy 
da.y 
and 
every 
year 
the 
same. 
We 
are 
greatly 
enjoying 
the 
present, 
with 
its 
songs 
and 
sighs, 
its 
pleasures 
and 
disap­ 
pointments, 
its 
joys 
and 
discouragements, 
while 
waiting 
for 
and 
with 
the 
eye 
of 
faith 
looking 
for 
"That 
blessed 
hope, 
the 
glorious 
revelation 
of 
our 
Lord 
and 
Savior 
Jesus 
Christ," 
and 
the 
wonderful 
riches 
of 
divine 
grace 
and 
blessing 
then 
to 
be 
showered 
upon 
the 
world 
of 
mankind 
under 
the 
New 
Covenant. 
"It 
makes 
each 
trial 
blest" 
to 
realize 
that 
it 
is 
one 
of 
the 
"all 
things" 
promised 
to 
work 
for 
good 
to 
the 
Lord's 
spirit-be­ 
gotten 
children, 
who 
are 
being 
prepared 
for 
joint-heir~hip 
with 
their 
Lord 
in 
the 
great 
kingdom 
which 
soon 
is 
to 
bless 
and 
uplift 
Adam 
and 
all 
his 
race. 
This 
is 
the 
secret 
which 
none 
but 
the 
blood-washed 
and 
consecrated, 
the 
spirit-begotten, 
can 
"compl'ehend."- 
(Eph. 
3: 
18) 
These 
alone 
are 
able 
truly 
to 
sing:- 
"Yes, 
happy 
every 
day 
has 
been 
Since 
I 
am 
his 
and 
he 
is 
mine. 
He 
leads 
me 
and 
I 
follow 
on 
Directed 
through 
the 
Word 
divine." 
Not 
that 
we 
are 
absolutely 
pure 
and 
perfect, 
any 
of 
us 
(ex­ 
cept 
"pure 
in 
heart," 
pure 
in 
our 
intentIOns 
and 
desires), 
but 
that 
we 
by 
faith 
realize 
that 
our 
Redeemer's 
merit 
covers 
us, 
and 
permits 
us, 
if 
overtaken 
of 
a 
fault 
unwillingly, 
to 
apply 
for 
a 
share 
of 
the 
merit 
of 
"the 
blood" 
to 
cleanse 
our 
weddmg 
gar· 
ment 
from 
spot 
or 
wrinkle 
or 
any 
such 
thing, 
that 
our 
com­ 
munion 
and 
fellowship 
with 
our 
Lord 
be 
never 
hindered 
except 
for 
ll. 
moment 
as 
it 
were. 
Let 
us 
start 
the 
New 
Year 
froperly, 
remembering 
the 
Apos­ 
tle's 
words: 
"Set 
your 
affections 
on 
things 
above; 
"-not 
on 
earthly 
things. 
If 
they 
slip 
away 
through 
earthly 
attractions 
reset 
them, 
time 
and 
time 
again. 
Gradually 
thev 
will 
become 
more 
strongly 
attached 
to 
the 
heavenly 
thing's;~radual1y 
we 
will 
come 
to 
appreciate 
both 
more 
truthfully 
and 
find 
that- 
"The 
joys 
of 
earth 
of 
little 
worth 
Hhould 
not 
confine 
our 
thou/!,hts 
to 
earth. 
Why 
grasp 
at 
transitory 
toys 
So 
near 
to 
heaven's 
eternal 
joys?" 
Many 
adopted 
our 
suggestion 
of 
a 
text 
for 
1904 
with 
great 
profit, 
and 
now 
we 
suggest 
one 
for 
the 
year 
1905 
as 
follows: 
umll-MOTTO 
TEXT-ll105 
u1l1llfsbom 
is 
tbe 
Principal 
ttbinQ: 
ltbcrdore 
get 
1I1ll1sbom/'-Pro". 
4:7 
• 
• 
• 
ttbc 
'Umisbom 
tbat 
is 
from 
BOO"e 
fs 
first 
pure, 
ttben 
Peaceable, 
Gentle, 
~as\? 
ot 
~ntrcatment, 
'uU 
ot 
~erc\? 
anO 
Gool) 
I'rufts:'-3'as. 
3:17 
Let 
us 
as 
"Children 
of 
the 
Highest" 
give 
earnest 
heed 
to 
ihe 
heavenly 
counsel 
as 
the 
essence 
of 
wisdom. 
No 
matter 
how 
far 
advanced 
we 
may 
be 
in 
Christian 
character 
it 
will 
make 
us 
bet­ 
ter 
to 
give 
earnest 
heed 
to 
this 
wisdom 
:-better 
husbands 
and 
wives, 
better 
parents 
and 
children, 
better 
colaborers, 
friends 
and 
neil<hbors! 
Let 
us 
be 
wise 
toward 
God, 
whatever 
fellow­ 
men 
may 
consider 
us. 
"THEY 
WILL 
ACOtJ'SE 
:ME 
or 
REUSY" 
These 
words 
are 
becoming 
quite 
familiar 
to 
thOde 
who 
get 
a 
glance 
at 
the 
public 
press 
reports. 
Yesterday 
it 
was 
Rev. 
S. 
T. 
Carter, 
D. 
D., 
who 
thus 
feared 
as 
lIe 
addressed 
the 
Nassau 
Presbytery, 
telling 
them 
that 
he 
no 
longer 
believes 
the 
Bible 
nanative 
of 
the 
fall 
in 
'Eden, 
and 
a 
ulvine 
curse 
in 
consequence, 
and 
the 
need 
of 
a 
Redeemer 
to 
effect 
atonement 
for 
the 
sin 
and 
to 
again 
open 
to 
man 
a 
way 
of 
life: 
today 
it 
is 
Rev. 
Lyman 
Abbott, 
D. 
D., 
a 
Congregationalist, 
who 
expresses 
the 
same 
fear 
to 
Harvard 
College 
stUdents, 
while 
tl'Jling 
them 
of 
his 
abandon­ 
ment 
of 
the 
very 
same 
doctrines. 
How 
it 
shocks 
us 
to 
hear 
these 
aged 
veterans 
tell 
that 
they 
are 
no 
lon~er 
soldiers 
of 
the 
cross 
and 
followers 
of 
the 
Lamb. 
The 
cross 
to 
them 
was 
need· 
less 
and 
the 
Lamb's 
blood 
was 
unnecessary. 
But 
there 
is 
a 
ridiculous 
side 
to 
this 
serious 
question. 
These 
aged 
Christian 
ministerB 
intimate 
to 
us 
that 
for 
a 
long 
time 
they 
have 
had 
their 
unbelief 
J-for 
a 
long 
time 
they 
Jlave 
been 
too 
cowardly 
to 
eonfess 
it 
i-for 
a 
long 
time 
tt-erefore 
they 
have 
hypocritically 
posed 
as 
believers 
when 
they 
Wl're 
unbe­ 
lievers! 
Alas 
that 
such 
a 
view 
of 
their 
course 
is 
the 
only 
one 
possible. 
Alas 
that 
we 
must 
fear 
that 
there 
are 
others 
in 
the 
pulpits 
of 
Christendom, 
many 
of 
them, 
equally 
pharisaical. 
Rev. 
Carter 
feared 
that 
the 
Nassau 
PreRbytery 
woultl 
a('ruse 
him 
of 
heresy! 
Is 
that 
meant 
as 
a 
joke? 
Does 
not 
thj~ 
Jrarne<l 
doctor 
of 
divinity 
know 
the 
meaning 
of 
the 
word 
herdicf 
Did 
he 
claim 
that 
he 
is 
not 
an 
heretic 
and 
fear 
that 
the 
Presbytery 
would 
be 
falsely 
accusing 
him 
by 
calling 
him 
one? 
Let 
us 
see 
what 
the 
word 
heretic 
means. 
in 
plain 
English. 
We 
take 
the 
Standard 
Dictionary's 
definition.- 
"Heretic 
(theolollical 
def.) 
An 
actual 
or 
former 
memb<'r 
of 
a 
church, 
or 
one 
whoqe 
alll'giance 
il'o 
claimed 
by 
it, 
wllo 
hoMB 
religious 
opinions 
contrary 
to 
the 
fundamental 
doctrineR 
rr 
tenets 
of 
that 
church." 
[3479] 
(3-4) 
eo And Feri Vou. XXVI of (Chyists Prese nee. ALLEGHENY, PA., JANUARY 1, 1905 No. 1 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER HAPPY NEW YEAR, 1905 Greetings, dear fellow Watchers! The great clock of Time marks another cycle, and shows us another day’s march nearer liome—nearer to our “change,” and contact fellowship with our Savior—nearer to the kingdom and its blessings for all the families of the earth. “How light our trials then will seem! How short our pilgrim way!” But, though thus rejoicing in the flight of time, it is not with us as with many of the poor world when they would express themselves similarly, perhaps at the moment meditating suicide. No, indeed! The love of Christ makes fresh our hearts, as a fountain ever springing, so that to the true children of God every day has the Christian’s secret of a happy day and every year the same. We are greatly enjoying the present, with its songs and sighs, its pleasures and disappointments, its joys and discouragements, while waiting for and with the eye of faith looking for “That blessed hope, the glorious revelation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” and the wonderful riches of divine grace and blessing then to be showered upon the world of mankind under the New Covenant. “It makes each trial blest” to realize that it is one of the “all things” promised to work for good to the Lord’s spirit-begotten children, who are being prepared for joint-heirship with their Lord in the great kingdom which soon is to blesa and uplift Adam and all his race. This is the secret which none but the blood-washed and consecrated, the spirit-begotten, can “comprehend.”— (Eph. 3:18) These alone are able truly to sing :— “Yes, happy every day has been Since I am his and he is mine. He leads me and I follow on Directed through the Word divine.” Not that we are absolutely pure and perfect, any of us (except “pure in heart,” pure in our intentions and desires), but that we by faith realize that our Redeemer’s merit covers us, and permits us, if overtaken of a fault unwillingly, to apply for a share of the merit of “the blood” to cleanse our wedding parment from spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that our communion and fellowship with our Lord be never hindered except for a moment as it were. Let us start the New Year properly, remembering the Apostle’s words: “Set your affections on things above;”—-not on earthly things. If they slip away through earthly attractions reset them, time and time again. Gradually they will become more strongly attached to the heavenly things;—gradually we will come to appreciate both more truthfully and find that— “The joys of earth of little worth Should not confine our thoughts to earth. Why grasp at transitory toys So near to heaven’s eternal joys?” [3479] Many adopted our suggestion of a text for 1904 with great profit, and now we suggest one for the year 1905 as follows: 1903—MOTTO TEXT—1905 “Wisdom fs tbe Principal Thing: Therefore get Wisdom.’’—Prov, 4:7 * * + The Wlisdom tbat is from Above is first Pure, Then Peaceable, Gentle, Easy of Entreatment, Full of Mercy and Good Frutts.’’—FJas. 3:17 Let us as “Children of the Highest” give earnest heed to the heavenly counsel as the essence of wisdom. No matter how far advanced we may be in Christian character it will make us better to give earnest heed to this wisdom:—better husbands and wives, better parents and children, better colaborers, friends and neighbors! Let us be wise toward God, whatever feliowmen may consider us. ‘‘THEY WILL ACOUSE ME OF HERESY’’ These words are becoming quite familiar to those who get a glance at the public press reports. Yesterday it was Rev. 8. T. Carter, D, D., who thus feared as he addressed the Nassau Presbytery, telling them that he no longer believes the Bible narrative of the fall in Eden, and a divine curse in consequence, and the need of a Redeemer to effect atonement for the sin and to again open to man a way of life: today it is Rev. Lyman Abbott, D. D., a Congregationalist, who expresses the same fear to Harvard College students, while telling them of his abandonment of the very same doctrines. How it shocks us to hear these aged veterans tell that they are no longer soldiers of the eross and followers of the Lamb. The cross to them was needless and the Lamb’s blood was unnecessary. But there is a ridiculous side to this serious question. These aged Christian ministers intimate to us that for a long time they have had their unbelief ;—for a long time they have been too cowardly to confess it;—for a long time therefore they have hypocritically posed as believers when they were unbelievers! Alas that such a view of their course is the only one possible. Alas that we must fear that there are others in the pulpits of Christendom, many of them, equally pharisaical. Rev. Carter feared that the Nassau Presbytery would accuse him of heresy! Is that meant asa joke? Does not this learned doctor of divinity know the meaning of the word heretic? Did he claim that he is not an heretic and fear that the Presbytery would be falsely aecusing him by calling him one? [et us see what the word heretic means, in plain English. We take the Standard Dictionary’s definition.— “Heretic (theological def.) An actual or former member of a church, or one whoce allegiance is claimed by it, who holds religious opinions contrary to the fundamental doctrines cr tenets of that church.” (3-4)

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