Publication date
4/15/05
Volume
26
Number
8
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
../literature/watchtower/1905/8/1905-8-1.html
 
 
(111-115) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA. 
We 
see 
that 
if 
Jesus 
had 
kept 
his 
life, 
had 
not 
sacrificed 
it, 
he 
might 
indeed 
have 
maintained 
it 
forever, 
but 
he 
would 
not 
in 
that 
event 
have 
been 
privileged 
to 
bestow 
life 
upon 
the 
church 
and 
the 
world. 
His 
death, 
the 
just 
for 
the 
unjust, 
applied 
to 
his 
believing 
disciples, 
justified 
them 
to 
life, 
"through 
faith 
in 
his 
blood." 
His 
death 
thus 
brings 
forth 
choice 
fruit 
in 
his 
church, 
his 
bride, 
his 
members. 
And, 
indirectly, 
the 
fruitage 
will 
be 
still 
larger, 
for 
his 
disciples, 
justified 
through 
faith 
in 
his 
blood, 
are 
invited 
and 
privileged 
to 
lay 
down 
their 
lives 
with 
his, 
to 
become 
dead 
with 
him. 
The 
results 
or 
fruitage 
in 
their 
case 
as 
members 
of 
his 
body 
means 
still 
larger 
crop 
in 
the 
age 
to 
come. 
Otherwise 
stated, 
our 
Lord 
as 
the 
one 
grain 
bring 
.. 
forth 
much 
fruit, 
an 
hundred 
and 
forty 
and 
four 
thou­ 
sand, 
besides 
the 
"great 
company" 
whose 
number 
is 
known 
to 
no 
man. 
And 
through 
the 
hundred 
and 
forty 
and 
four 
thou­ 
sand, 
his 
representatives, 
his 
members, 
the 
result 
will 
ultimately 
be 
still 
larger 
fruitage, 
when 
all 
the 
families 
of 
the 
earth 
shall 
have 
the 
fullest 
opportunity 
of 
reconciliation 
to 
the 
Father 
and 
of 
life 
everlasting 
upon 
the 
divine 
conditions. 
TERMS 
OF 
DISOIPLESHIP 
Stating 
matters 
far 
beyond 
the 
comprehension 
of 
his 
hear­ 
ers, 
our 
Lord 
proceeded 
to 
mark 
out 
the 
course 
of 
his 
imme­ 
diate 
followers 
in 
language 
which 
they 
would 
understand 
after 
the 
begetting 
of 
the 
spuit, 
after 
Pentecost, 
saying, 
"He 
that 
loveth 
his 
life 
shall 
lose 
it; 
and 
he 
that 
hateth 
his 
life 
in 
this 
world 
shall 
keep 
it 
unto 
life 
eternal." 
That 
is 
to 
say, 
if 
we 
esteem 
highly 
our 
present 
existence, 
under 
present 
imperfect 
conditions, 
we 
will 
not 
be 
willing 
to 
lay 
down 
our 
lives 
in 
the 
Lord's 
service 
in 
the 
hope 
of 
future 
life, 
seen 
only 
by 
the 
eye 
of 
faith. 
We 
must 
love 
less 
the 
present 
life 
under 
present 
imperfect 
conditions 
in 
order 
to 
appreciate 
more 
the 
eternal 
life 
under 
better 
conditions. 
Whoever 
is 
satisfied 
with 
the 
sinful 
and 
im­ 
perfect 
condition 
in 
the 
present 
life 
is 
in 
no 
state 
of 
mind 
to 
become 
the 
Lord's 
disciple. 
Being 
satisfied 
with 
present 
con­ 
ditions, 
he 
will 
be 
unwilling 
to 
sacrifice 
them 
for 
the 
really 
better 
ones 
which 
the 
Lord 
commends. 
We 
have 
no 
reason 
to 
think 
that 
the 
Lord's 
words 
apply 
beyond 
this 
Gospel 
age-in 
the 
Millennial 
age 
things 
will 
be 
greatly 
transformed, 
reor­ 
ganized. 
The 
Lord's 
language 
limits 
the 
matter, 
saying, 
"in 
this 
world,"-that 
is, 
this 
kosmos 
or 
order 
of 
things. 
Still 
continuing 
to 
explain 
the 
requirements 
of 
present 
dis­ 
cipleship, 
our 
Lord 
declares, 
If 
any 
man 
will 
be 
my 
servant 
let 
him 
follow 
me; 
where 
am 
there 
will 
also 
my 
servant 
be. 
By 
this 
language 
our 
Lord 
shows 
that 
his 
faithful 
followers 
shall 
ultimately 
share 
his 
divine 
nature 
in 
the 
spirit 
realm. 
Again 
he 
states 
the 
same 
matter 
in 
different 
language, 
saying, 
"If 
any 
man 
will 
serve 
me 
him 
will 
the 
Father 
honor." 
The 
Father 
honored 
the 
Son 
because 
of 
his 
faithfulness 
even 
unto 
death; 
the 
Father 
accepts 
as 
sons 
the 
followers 
of 
the 
Son, 
justified 
through 
his 
blood; 
and 
those 
who 
are 
faithful 
in 
walking 
in 
his 
steps 
the 
Father 
will 
surely 
honor 
as 
he 
honored 
Jesus, 
the 
first-born, 
whom 
he 
raised 
from 
the 
dead 
to 
glory, 
honor 
and 
immortality, 
far 
above 
angels, 
principalities 
and 
powers 
and 
every 
name 
that 
is 
named. 
Let 
us 
all 
be 
faithful 
fol­ 
lowers. 
• 
VOL. 
XXVI 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
APRIL 
15, 
1905 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No.8 
THE 
WELSH 
REVIVAL 
Conflicting 
views 
of 
the 
significance 
of 
the 
Welsh 
revival 
abound. 
The 
movement 
is 
novel 
in 
that 
it 
seems 
to 
be 
outside 
the 
labors 
of 
"ministers," 
carried 
on 
by 
men 
and 
women 
hither­ 
to 
without 
reputation 
and 
still 
manifesting 
"little 
ability." 
Indeed, 
the 
meetings 
are 
described 
as 
"go-as-you-please," 
in 
many 
respects. 
We 
rejoice 
that 
it 
seems 
well 
established 
that 
better 
morals 
and 
much 
less 
drunkenness 
mark 
the 
region 
affected. 
Lady 
Henry 
Somerset 
writes 
to 
friends 
respecting 
this 
spontaneous 
revival, 
contrasting 
it 
favorably 
with 
the 
less 
successful 
efforts 
being 
put 
forth 
in 
London 
by 
the 
ministers 
and 
others, 
in 
co-operation 
with 
Dr. 
Torrey 
and 
Mr. 
Alexander, 
"American 
Evangelists." 
The 
latter 
movement 
has 
had 
all 
kinds 
of 
advertising, 
and 
every 
assistance 
that 
$57,000 
could 
command. 
An 
extract 
from 
Lady 
Somerset's 
letter 
follows: 
"Dr. 
Torrey 
spoke 
simple, 
straightforward 
words 
without 
any 
great 
magnetic 
force, 
although 
you 
could 
not 
but 
feel 
the 
earnestness 
of 
the 
man 
and 
the 
strength 
of 
his 
belief, 
and 
yet 
his 
words 
to 
me 
were 
disappointment. 
Ten 
thousand 
men 
and 
women 
were 
there, 
who, 
speaking 
generally, 
professed 
Christianity. 
They 
were 
gathering 
in 
city 
where 
sadness 
and 
sin 
abound. 
where 
the 
indifferent 
crowd 
the 
pavements, 
and 
the 
hopel('8s 
fill 
our 
slums 
and 
mean 
streets. 
The 
revivalist 
took 
for 
his 
text, 
'Rejoice 
in 
the 
Lord 
alway, 
and 
again 
say, 
Rejoice.' 
Joy, 
he 
said, 
was 
the 
characteristic 
of 
the 
Christian, 
joy 
overflowing 
filled 
his 
heart, 
illumined 
his 
features, 
welled 
out 
in 
his 
words. 
Does 
it 
thought, 
as 
looked 
round 
the 
audience. 
Ought 
it 
to 
do 
s01 
was 
the 
question 
that 
rose 
in 
my 
hl'art. 
"The 
cries 
of 
the 
oppressed 
in 
Russia 
are 
ringIDI'l' 
in 
our 
('ar", 
thl' 
cru('l 
grasp 
of 
poverty 
holds 
our 
people 
in 
the 
iron 
Jrrip 
of 
hun~r, 
the 
steps 
of 
the 
man 
who 
is 
seeking 
work 
in 
Yllin 
!Il'at 
npon 
our 
8treets, 
th(' 
sin 
which 
mars, 
blight8 
and 
destroy8 
in 
stalking 
abroad 
at 
this 
very 
hour, 
the 
drink 
poison 
is 
inflaming 
mpn's 
brains 
and 
cursing 
their 
lives. 
Can 
our 
attitude 
as 
Christians 
be 
one 
of 
joy? 
"Ought 
we 
not 
rather 
to 
weep 
with 
Christ 
over 
sorrowful, 
wayward 
Humanity, 
and 
humbly 
face 
the 
dread 
responSIbility 
whirh 
rests 
upon 
us 
Calm, 
self-satisfied 
we 
all 
sat 
there, 
and 
never 
word 
did 
the 
revivalist 
say 
to 
those 
listening 
thousands 
to 
arOUl:;e 
them 
to 
the 
fact 
that 
the 
state 
of 
London, 
nay 
of 
the 
world, 
lies 
at 
the 
door 
of 
the 
lethargic 
church 
itself. 
We 
sang 
songs 
over 
and 
over 
again 
about 
heaven, 
about 
joining 
our 
loved 
ones 
yonder. 
"A 
young 
man 
with 
beautiful 
voice 
in 
the 
top 
gallery 
sang 
solo 
about 
"Telling 
Mother 
I'll 
Be 
There," 
but 
to 
me 
the 
note 
of 
real 
revival 
was 
missing, 
which 
should 
sound 
the 
call 
to 
be 
about 
the 
business 
of 
our 
Master, 
to 
be 
in 
dead 
earnest 
that 
God's 
will 
be 
done 
on 
earth, 
and 
to 
understand 
that 
it 
is 
the 
business 
of 
His 
church 
to 
get 
it 
done. 
And 
as 
went 
away 
after 
the 
meeting, 
to 
the 
slums 
of 
the 
East 
End, 
felt 
more 
strongly 
than 
ever 
that 
to 
define 
our 
understandmg 
of 
what 
heaven 
will 
be 
is 
an 
impossibility. 
One 
thing 
we 
know, 
however-that 
it 
must 
mean 
an 
eternal 
harmony 
between 
our 
will 
and 
God's, 
and 
that 
our 
present 
peace 
lies 
in 
doing 
his 
will 
now. 
"But 
it 
is 
still 
more 
difficult 
to 
understand 
how 
joy 
can 
be 
the 
keynote 
of 
our 
Christianity 
if 
the 
revivalists 
really 
be­ 
lieve 
that 
for 
some 
an 
eternity 
of 
torment 
awaits 
them, 
without 
even 
the 
escape 
through 
the 
purifying 
fire 
which 
the 
tenderer 
spirit 
of 
the 
medieval 
church 
granted 
as 
recognition 
of 
the 
mercy 
of 
God; 
for 
them 
it 
surely 
seems 
to 
me 
joy 
is 
impos­ 
sible. 
"It 
i8 
as 
though 
one 
individual, 
with 
cry 
of 
etDultation 
and 
shout 
of 
Alleluia, 
found 
the 
fire 
escape, 
while 
the 
rest 
of 
the 
household 
peri-shed 
in 
the 
flames. 
But 
the 
impression 
produced 
on 
my 
mind 
may 
have 
been 
possibly 
heightened 
by 
the 
contrast 
presented 
by 
the 
wonderfully 
vivid 
realization 
of 
the 
simple 
work 
of 
the 
spirit 
which 
has 
been 
blowing 
like 
the 
divme 
breath 
through 
the 
valleys 
of 
South 
Wales. 
"There 
organizations 
has 
been 
unknown, 
money 
has 
been 
unsought, 
newspaper 
puffs 
nonexistent; 
indeed, 
the 
revivalist 
has 
still 
to 
be 
found. 
True 
it 
is 
that 
the 
figure 
of 
Evan 
Roberts 
stands 
out 
strongly, 
and 
yet 
the 
revival 
is 
independent 
of 
him. 
"There 
is 
no 
order 
of 
service, 
no 
set 
choir, 
only 
bursts 
of 
wonderful 
Welsh 
melody, 
no 
hymn 
books-the 
words 
are 
writ­ 
ten 
in 
the 
hearts 
of 
the 
worshipers. 
The 
little 
whitewashed 
chapels 
resound 
with 
song, 
song 
exquisite 
in 
its 
harmony, 
solemn 
as 
death, 
and 
yet 
jubilant 
as 
choir 
of 
angels. 
Then 
stillness, 
prayers, 
soft 
sobbing 
from 
broken 
hearts, 
confession, 
profession, 
all 
the 
wonderful 
gamut 
of 
the 
soul's 
experience, 
but 
all 
spontaneous, 
with 
no 
settled 
effect, 
only 
the 
greatest 
effect 
of 
all, 
the 
reality 
of 
human 
need 
and 
divine 
power. 
"What 
wonder 
Wales 
has 
been 
shaken 
as 
never 
before 
since 
the 
j1;reat 
religious 
revival 
century 
and 
half 
ago! 
What 
wonder 
the 
drink 
shops 
are 
empty, 
that 
at 
the 
assizes 
there 
has 
been 
no 
crime! 
"Everywhere 
as 
you 
move 
about 
you 
feel 
great 
hush 
as 
though 
Christ 
walked 
over 
the 
mountains 
and 
into 
the 
mining 
towns 
and 
out 
through 
the 
valleys 
among 
the 
sons 
and 
daug-h­ 
ters 
of 
toil, 
whose 
eyes 
have 
been 
opened 
to 
see 
him 
as 
he 
came 
to 
them 
by 
the 
way." 
This 
dear 
writer 
seems 
to 
be 
"ripe" 
for 
the 
message 
of 
present 
truth 
as 
are 
all 
the 
best 
hearts 
the 
world 
over. 
We 
trust 
that 
somehow 
she 
and 
all 
such 
will 
be 
reached 
within 
the 
next 
ten 
years. 
It 
is 
said 
to 
be 
remarkable, 
too, 
that 
the 
eternal 
torment 
idea 
is 
but 
seldom 
referred 
to 
in 
the 
Welsh 
movement. 
Thl' 
editor 
of 
Review 
of 
Reviews, 
Mr. 
Stead, 
has 
given 
con­ 
siderable 
attention 
to 
the 
Welsh 
movement 
and 
predicts 
that 
the 
blaze 
there 
started 
will 
sweep 
over 
the 
world. 
He 
declares 
that 
he 
sees 
evidences 
of 
clairvoyance 
in 
connection 
with 
Mr. 
Evan 
Roberts, 
the 
leader 
of 
the 
revival. 
Mr. 
Stead 
is 
hImself 
[3540] 
(111-115) We see that if Jesus had kept his life, had not sacrificed it, he might indeed have maintained it forever, but he would not in that event have been privileged to bestow life upon the church and the world. His death, the just for the unjust, applied to his believing disciples, justified them to life, ‘‘through faith in his blood.” His death thus brings forth choice fruit in his church, his bride, his members. And, indirectly, the fruitage will be still larger, for his disciples, justified through faith in his blood, are invited and privileged to lay down their lives with his, to become dead with him. The results or fruitage in their case as members of his body means a still larger crop in the age to come. Otherwise stated, our Lord as the one grain brings forth much fruit, an hundred and forty and four thousand, besides the “great company” whose number is known to no man. And through the hundred and forty and four thousand, his representatives, his members, the result will ultimately be a still larger fruitage, when all the families of the earth shall have the fullest opportunity of reconciliation to the Father and of life everlasting upon the divine conditions. TERMS OF DISCIPLESHIP Stating matters far beyond the comprehension of his hearers, our Lord proceeded to mark out the course of his immediate followers in language which they would understand after the begetting of the spirit, after Pentecost, saying, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” That is to say, if we esteem highly our present existence, under present imperfect conditions, we will not be willing to lay down our lives in the ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, Lord’s service in the hope of future life, seen only by the eye of faith. We must love less the present life under present imperfect conditions in order to appreciate more the eternal life under better conditions. Whoever is satisfied with the sinful and imperfect condition in the present life is in no state of mind te become the Lord’s disciple. Being satisfied with present conditions, he will be unwilling to sacrifice them for the really better ones which the Lord commends. We have no reason to think that the Lord’s words apply beyond this Gospel age—in the Millennial age things will be greatly transformed, reorganized. The Lord’s language limits the matter, saying, “in this world,”—that is, this kosmos or order of things. Still continuing to explain the requirements of present discipleship, our Lord declares, If any man will be my servant let him follow me; where I am there will also my servant be. By this language our Lord shows that his faithful followers shall ultimately share his divine nature in the spirit realm. Again he states the same matter in different language, saying, “If any man will serve me him will the Father honor.” The Father honored the Son because of his faithfulness even unto death; the Father accepts as sons the followers of the Son, justified through his blood; and those who are faithful in walking in his steps the Father will surely honor as he honored Jesus, the first-born, whom he raised from the dead to glory, honor and immortality, far above angels, principalities and powers and every name that is named. Let us all be faithful followers. Vou. XXVI ALLEGHENY, PA. APRIL 15, 1905 No. 8 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER THE WELSH REVIVAL Conflicting views of the significance of the Welsh revival abound, The movement is novel in that it seems to be outside the labors of ‘‘ministers,” carried on by men and women hitherto without reputation and still manifesting “little ability.” Indeed, the meetings are described as “go-as-you-please,” in many respects. We rejoice that it seems well established that better morals and much less drunkenness mark the region affected. . Lady Henry Somerset writes to friends respecting this spontaneous revival, contrasting it favorably with the less successful efforts being put forth in London by the ministers and others, in co-operation with Dr. Torrey and Mr. Alexander, “American Evangelists.” The latter movement has had all kinds of advertising, and every assistance that $57,000 could command. An extract from Lady Somerset’s letter follows: “Dr. Torrey spoke simple, straightforward words without any great magnetic force, although you could not but feel the earnestness of the man and the strength of his belief, and yet his words to me were a disappointment. Ten thousand men and women were there, who, speaking generally, professed Christianity. They were gathering in a city where sadness and sin abound, where the indifferent crowd the pavements, and the hopeless fill our slums and mean streets. The revivalist took for his text, ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice.’ Joy, he said, was the characteristic of the Christian, joy overfiowing filled his heart, illumined his features, welled out in his words. Does it? I thought, as I looked round the audience. Ought it to do so? was the question that rose in my heart. “The cries of the oppressed in Russia are ringing in our ears, the cruel grasp of poverty holds our people in the iron grip of hunger, the steps of the man who is seeking work in vain heat upon our streets, the sin which mars, blights and destroys in stalking abroad at this very hour, the drink poison is inflaming men’s brains and cursing their lives, Can our attitude as Christians be one of joy? “Ought we not rather to weep with Christ over sorrowful, wayward Humanity, and humbly face the dread responsibility which rests upon us? Calm, self-satisfied we all sat there, and never a word did the revivalist say to those listening thousands to arouse them to the fact that the state of London, nay of the world, lies at the door of the lethargic church itself. We sang songs over and over again about heaven, about joining our loved ones yonder. “A young man with a beautiful voice in the top gallery sang a solo about “Telling Mother I’ll Be There,” but to me the note of a real revival was missing, which should sound the call to be about the business of our Master, to be in dead earnest that God’s will be done on earth, and to understand that it is the business of His church to get it done. And as I went away after the meeting, to the slums of the East End, I felt more strongly than ever that to define our understanding of what heaven will be is an impossibility. One thing we know, however—that it must mean an eternal harmony between our will and God’s, and that our present peace lies in doing his will now. “But it is still more difficult to understand how joy can be the keynote of our Christianity if the revivalists really believe that for some an eternity of torment awaits them, without even the escape through the purifying fire which the tenderer spirit of the medieval church granted as a recognition of the mercy of God; for them it surely seems to me joy is impossible. “It is as though one individual, with a ery of exultation and @ shout of Alleluia, found the fire escape, while the rest of the household perished in the flames. But the impression produced on my mind may have been possibly heightened by the contrast presented by the wonderfully vivid realization of the simple work of the spirit which has been blowing like the divine breath through the valleys of South Wales. “There organizations has been unknown, money has been unsought, newspaper puffs nonexistent; indeed, the revivalist has still to be found. True it is that the figure of Evan Roberts stands out strongly, and yet the revival is independent of him. “There is no order of service, no set choir, only bursts of wonderful Welsh melody, no hymn books—the words are written in the hearts of the worshipers. The little whitewashed chapels resound with song, song exquisite in its harmony, solemn as death, and yet jubilant as a choir of angels. Then stillness, prayers, soft sobbing from broken hearts, confession, profession, all the wonderful gamut of the soul’s experience, but all spontaneous, with no settled effect, only the greatest effect of all, the reality of human need and divine power. “What wonder Wales has been shaken as never before since the great religious revival a century and a half ago! What wonder the drink shops are empty, that at the assizes there has been no crime! “Everywhere as you move about you feel a great hush as though Christ walked over the mountains and into the mining towns and out through the valleys among the sons and daughters of toil, whose eyes have been opened to see him as he came to them by the way.” This dear writer seems to be “ripe” for the message of present truth as are all the best hearts the world over. We trust that somehow she and all such will be reached within the next ten years. It is said to be remarkable, too, that the eternal torment idea is but seldom referred to in the Welsh movement. The editor of Review of Reviews, Mr. Stead, has given considerable attention to the Welsh movement and predicts that the blaze there started will sweep over the world. He declares that he sees evidences of clairvoyance in connection with Mr. Evan Roberts, the leader of the revival. Mr. Stead is himself [3540]

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