Publication date
6/1/08
Volume
29
Number
11
The WatchTower
The Editor's British Tour
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1908/11/1908-11-1.html
 
 
JUNE 
I, 
1908 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
would 
not 
die, 
and 
the 
fact 
is 
that 
he 
outlived 
all 
the 
other 
apostles. 
Yet 
he 
himself 
did 
not 
understand 
the 
Master's 
words 
to 
mean 
that 
he 
would 
not 
die, 
for 
he 
so 
calls 
our 
at­ 
tention 
to 
the 
matter 
in 
this 
very 
lesson. 
There 
is 
a 
sense 
in 
which 
John 
has 
tarried 
until 
the 
second 
eoming 
of 
Christ, 
namely, 
in 
that 
he 
was 
made 
a 
representa­ 
tive 
of 
the 
whole 
church 
in 
the 
book 
of 
Revelation. 
The 
things 
which 
happened 
to 
John 
are 
the 
things 
which 
have 
hap­ 
pened 
or 
will 
happen 
to 
the 
church. 
The 
angel 
showed 
John 
-but 
in 
reality 
it 
was 
for 
the 
John 
class. 
John 
fell 
down 
to 
worship 
the 
angel, 
and 
was 
told 
not 
to 
do 
it, 
and 
this 
is 
in 
reality 
a 
lesson 
to 
the 
whole 
church, 
that 
they 
are 
not 
to 
be 
worshipers 
of 
God's 
messengers 
who 
bear 
to 
them 
the 
divine 
Word 
of 
truth 
and 
grace. 
The 
John 
class 
is, 
therefore, 
still 
in 
the 
world 
representatively, 
and 
we 
trust 
that 
we 
are 
mem­ 
bers 
of 
it; 
it 
has 
tarried 
until 
the 
second 
presence 
of 
the 
Lord. 
Applying 
this 
lesson 
to 
ourselves 
further, 
we 
suggest 
that 
Jl.ome 
of 
the 
dear 
friends 
seem 
disposed 
to 
query 
as 
to 
how 
long 
they 
must 
wait 
before 
the 
first 
resurrection 
change 
shall 
come 
and 
which 
of 
them 
shall 
remain 
the 
longer, 
etc. 
Let 
us 
leave 
the 
entire 
matter 
to 
the 
Lord; 
we 
should 
be 
glad 
if 
our 
change 
should 
come 
soon, 
yet 
fully 
content 
if 
the 
Lord 
has 
further 
service 
for 
us 
and 
the 
change 
should 
be 
delayed. 
Those 
who 
experience 
the 
change 
the 
earlier 
will, 
of 
course, 
have 
in 
many 
respects 
the 
greater 
blessing 
for 
the 
time; 
but 
if 
the 
Lord 
has 
service 
for 
us 
on 
this 
side 
the 
vail 
let 
us 
be 
glad 
to 
do 
his 
will; 
let 
us 
be 
assured 
that 
he 
will 
grant 
sufficient 
grace 
for 
every 
experience 
of 
life. 
"LO, 
I 
AM 
WITH 
THEE 
ALWAY" 
Our 
Lord's 
assurance 
that 
he 
would 
be 
with 
his 
followers 
until 
the 
end 
of 
the 
age 
was 
a 
consoling 
message. 
He 
did 
not 
tell 
us 
how 
long 
the 
age 
would 
last, 
nor 
all 
the 
trials 
and 
difficulties 
which 
would 
intervene 
between 
the 
time 
of 
his 
as· 
cension 
and 
his 
return 
for 
the 
harvest 
work 
and 
the 
exalta­ 
tion 
of 
his 
church 
and 
the 
beginning 
of 
his 
kingdom 
reign. 
It 
has 
been 
to 
our 
advantage 
that 
he 
left 
us 
in 
ignorance 
on 
this 
point; 
but 
we 
are 
assured, 
however, 
that 
in 
due 
time 
the 
wise 
shall 
understand; 
and 
again 
through 
the 
Apostle 
we 
are 
assured, 
"Ye, 
brethren, 
are 
not 
in 
darkness 
that 
that 
day 
should 
overtake 
you 
as 
a 
thief." 
(1 
Thess. 
5 
:4), 
but 
"as 
a 
snare 
shall 
it 
come 
upon 
all 
them 
that 
dwell 
on 
the 
face 
of 
the 
whole 
earth." 
(Luke 
21 
:35.) 
Our 
Lord 
indicated 
that 
at 
his 
second 
coming 
he 
would 
give 
such 
a 
knock 
as 
would 
arouse 
his 
faithful 
ones 
and 
lead 
to 
the 
trimming 
of 
their 
lamps, 
that 
they 
might 
know 
of 
the 
presence 
of 
the 
Bridegroom 
and 
be 
prepared 
to 
enter 
with 
him 
to 
the 
wed­ 
ding 
festival. 
It 
is 
not 
intended 
that 
this 
prophetic 
knock 
should 
be 
heard 
by 
the 
world; 
it 
is 
intended 
only 
for 
the 
virgin 
class, 
wise 
and 
foolish. 
Evidently 
our 
Lord 
did 
not 
intend 
that 
we 
should 
under­ 
stand 
these 
words 
of 
the 
Golden 
Text 
to 
mean 
that 
he 
would 
be 
personally 
present 
in 
the 
world 
throughout 
the 
age. 
Rather 
we 
must 
understand 
him, 
in 
harmony 
with 
other 
statements, 
to 
the 
effect 
that 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
the 
holy 
power 
of 
God, 
which 
eame 
at 
Pentecost, 
was 
the 
representative 
of 
the 
Father 
and 
of 
the 
Son, 
the 
Spirit 
of 
both 
with 
the 
enlightening 
and 
in­ 
structing 
power, 
supervising 
all 
of 
our 
affairs 
and 
interests, 
expedient 
for 
us, 
beneficial 
to 
us. 
How 
glad 
we 
are 
that 
it 
is 
our 
great 
privilege 
to 
be 
living 
now 
in 
the 
time 
of 
the 
paro'U8ia, 
the 
presence 
of 
the 
Lord, 
and 
to 
have 
his 
special 
supervision 
in 
the 
same 
manner 
as 
when 
he 
was 
present 
with 
his 
disciples 
during 
those 
forty 
days 
before 
he 
ascended. 
But 
we 
are 
not 
to 
expect 
any 
materialization 
or 
manifestation 
of 
our 
Lord's 
presence, 
such 
as 
was 
appropriate 
and 
indeed 
necessary 
at 
that 
time. 
We 
have 
seen 
that 
the 
necessity 
then 
was 
that 
the 
disciples 
should 
have 
convincing 
proof 
that 
our 
Lord 
was 
risen 
and 
that 
he 
was 
not 
any 
longer 
human 
but 
capable 
of 
appearing 
in 
various 
forms. 
No 
longer 
are 
these 
lessons 
needed, 
for 
we 
know 
he 
is 
a 
spirit 
being 
and 
is 
present 
with 
us 
in 
this 
harvest 
time 
supervising 
all 
the 
work 
of 
the 
harvest. 
Indeed, 
we 
have 
every 
reason 
to 
be 
on 
guard 
now 
against 
the 
manifestations 
of 
the 
adversary, 
knowing 
from 
the 
Scriptures 
that 
the 
evil 
spirits, 
the 
fallen 
angels, 
will 
have 
considerable 
power 
in 
the 
way 
of 
materializing, 
and 
that 
it 
will 
be 
part 
of 
their 
deception 
to 
endeavor 
to 
ensnare 
and 
deceive 
us 
by 
impersonating 
the 
Lord 
and 
the 
holy 
ones 
as 
well 
as 
earthly 
friends. 
Let 
us 
not 
seek 
to 
walk 
by 
sight, 
but 
to 
be 
quite 
content 
to 
walk 
by 
faith, 
as 
our 
Lord 
desires 
us 
to 
do. 
The 
promise 
to 
us 
now 
is 
that 
we 
shall 
see 
him 
as 
he 
is-not 
as 
he 
was-because 
we 
shall 
be 
changed 
that 
we 
may 
be 
made 
like 
him. 
VOL. 
XXIX 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A., 
JUNE 
15, 
1908 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
No. 
12 
THE 
POWER 
OF 
THE 
PULPIT 
The 
Rev. 
Johnston 
Meyer, 
of 
Chicago, 
is 
reported 
to 
have 
recently 
told 
the 
theological 
students 
of 
the 
Chicago 
Univer­ 
sity 
that 
the 
people 
are 
tiring 
of 
preaching, 
that 
the 
power 
of 
the 
pulpit 
is 
on 
the 
decline, 
and 
that 
the 
people 
continue 
going 
to 
church 
only 
from 
force 
of 
habit, 
to 
hear 
the 
preacher. 
A 
Detroit 
newspaper, 
in 
an 
editorial, 
asks 
Dr. 
Meyer 
where 
oratory 
could 
find 
a 
weightier 
matter 
for 
discussion 
than 
in 
the 
redemption 
of 
mankind, 
and 
then 
speaks 
as 
follows 
about 
the 
great 
preachers 
of 
the 
past: 
"These 
people 
knew 
what 
they 
believed, 
and 
preached 
what 
they 
believed, 
without 
apologies, 
without 
reservations, 
and 
without 
dodging 
inconvenient 
facts. 
Perhaps 
they 
were 
sen­ 
sationalists, 
but 
only 
because 
their 
message 
was 
intensively 
dramatic. 
Their 
confidence 
in 
their 
mission 
was 
the 
secret 
of 
their 
strength. 
Dr. 
Meyer 
would 
have 
been 
more 
correct 
had 
he 
said 
that 
modern 
preaching 
is 
losing 
its 
power 
because 
those 
engaged 
in 
it 
are 
half-hearted 
evolutionists 
and 
not 
expositors 
of 
the 
Scripture. 
They 
are 
as 
highly 
educated 
as 
their 
predecessors, 
perhaps 
just 
as 
polished 
and 
eloquent, 
but 
they 
are 
not 
so 
sure 
of 
the 
ground 
on 
which 
they 
stand, 
Dot 
so 
certain, 
or 
if 
they 
are 
they 
lack 
the 
courage 
openly 
to 
state 
what 
they 
secretly 
believe. 
The 
ministers 
are, 
therefore, 
de­ 
generated 
and 
give, 
in 
place 
of 
a 
sermon, 
a 
literary 
treatise, 
which 
convinces 
nobody. 
It 
is 
the 
sensationalism 
of 
the 
melo­ 
drama, 
and 
not 
the 
sensationalism 
which 
lends 
to 
the 
tragedy 
of 
the 
Master's 
undying 
power. 
The 
sooner 
the 
pulpit 
is 
no 
longer 
the 
place 
of 
entertainment 
in 
competition 
with 
the 
theater 
and 
the 
lecture 
stage, 
that 
much 
sooner 
will 
it 
regain 
its 
old 
power 
and 
those 
ministers 
who 
will 
preach 
without 
fear 
the 
gospel 
which 
they 
have 
believed, 
and 
do 
so 
without 
bending 
their 
necks 
and 
the 
public 
opinion 
will 
have 
comparatively 
little 
reason 
for 
complaint." 
SPIRIT 
MANIFESTATIONS 
IN 
ITALY 
Rome.-Ancona 
has 
a 
peculiar 
kind 
of 
haunted 
house, 
the 
residence 
of 
Sig. 
Maracini, 
the 
public 
prosecutor. 
Unique 
in 
the 
annals 
of 
psychical 
research 
is 
the 
particular 
kind 
of 
mani­ 
festation 
with 
which 
this 
residence 
has 
been 
visited. 
The 
extraordinary 
happenings 
are 
thus 
described 
by 
the 
sons 
of 
Sig. 
Maracini, 
who 
are 
both 
lawyers: 
. 
For 
several 
days 
the 
strangest 
things 
have 
been 
happening 
ill 
unoccupied 
rooms. 
Meanwhile 
there 
was 
an 
electrical 
dis­ 
~urbance, 
and 
all 
the 
bells 
in 
the 
house 
began 
to 
ring. 
Noth. 
mg, 
however, 
was 
wrong 
with 
the 
electric 
installation. 
But 
the 
most 
remarkable 
thing 
was 
the 
discovery 
of 
jets 
of 
water 
springing 
from 
the 
walls 
and 
almost 
flooding 
the 
floors. 
In 
the 
dining 
room 
milk 
welled 
up 
from 
the 
floor. 
We 
had 
the 
walls 
examined, 
the 
flooring 
broken 
up 
and 
the 
blocks 
raised, 
but 
not 
the 
least 
traces 
of 
milk, 
water 
or 
any 
other 
liquid 
was 
found. 
A 
cup 
filled 
with 
milk 
suddenly 
appeared 
in 
the 
dining 
room, 
followed 
by 
a 
cup 
of 
coffee 
and 
milk. 
Our 
father 
cried 
jokingly: 
"Coffee 
and 
milk' 
Bah 
I 
I 
should 
prefer 
wine." 
Shortly 
afterward 
we 
saw 
a 
liquid 
runing 
from 
the 
walls; 
it 
was 
wine. 
Once 
a 
pear 
appeared, 
and 
then 
we 
recalled 
that 
our 
little 
sister 
had 
asked 
at 
table 
for 
a 
pear, 
but 
was 
refused, 
as 
she 
had 
already 
eaten 
enough 
fruit. 
The 
pear 
was 
on 
a 
dish 
which 
was 
locked 
away 
in 
the 
sideboard. 
When 
the 
latter 
was 
opened 
the 
pear 
was 
no 
longer 
there. 
We 
then 
thought 
that 
some 
mysterious 
medium-like 
force 
might 
be 
exercised 
by 
our 
sister, 
so 
we 
watched 
her 
carefully 
and 
followed 
the 
child, 
when 
she 
rose 
from 
the 
table. 
When 
she 
passed 
close 
to 
a 
book 
shelf 
where 
there 
were 
two 
volumes 
on 
Spiritualism 
one 
of 
the 
books 
was 
raised 
in 
the 
air. 
It 
touched 
the 
girl 
several 
times 
on 
the 
shoulders, 
then 
danced 
for 
a 
few 
moments 
in 
the 
air, 
and 
then 
was 
clapped 
against 
the 
wall 
at 
the 
very 
spot 
whence 
the 
milk 
had 
issued.-Cincinnati 
Enquirer. 
* 
* 
* 
We 
keep 
track 
of 
such 
manifestations, 
as 
they 
are 
in 
line 
with 
and 
leading 
up 
to 
greater 
developments 
and 
manifesta­ 
tions 
by 
the 
demons 
who 
personate 
the 
dead. 
It 
will 
be 
noted 
that 
all 
who 
to 
any 
degree 
meddle 
with 
spirits, 
mediums, 
seances, 
etc., 
seem 
to 
make 
themselves 
the 
more 
liable 
to 
an­ 
noyances 
of 
this 
kind. 
Note 
the 
reference 
to 
two 
books 
on 
Spiritism 
and 
the 
kindnesses 
expressed. 
We 
know 
of 
at 
least 
two 
cases 
where 
Millennial 
Dawn 
volumes 
aroused 
an 
opposite 
sentiment 
in 
the 
spirits-the 
demons. 
"The 
darkness 
hateth 
the 
light!" 
[4185] 
June 1, 1908 would not die, and the fact is that he outlived all the other apostles. Yet he himself did not understand the Master’s words to mean that he would not die, for he so calls our attention to the matter in this very lesson. There is a sense in which John has tarried until the second coming of Christ, namely, in that he was made a representative of the whole church in the book of Revelation. The things which happened to John are the things which have happened or will happen to the church. The angel showed John —but in reality it was for the John class. John fell down to worship the angel, and was told not to do it, and this is in reality a lesson to the whole church, that they are not to be worshipers of God’s messengers who bear to them the divine Word of truth and grace. The John class is, therefore, still in the world representatively, and we trust that we are members of it; it has tarried until the second presence of the Lord. Applying this lesson to ourselves further, we suggest that some of the dear friends seem disposed to query as to how long they must wait before the first resurrection change shall come and which of them shall remain the longer, ete. Let us leave the entire matter to the Lord; we should be glad if our change should come soon, yet fully content if the Lord has further service for us and the change should be delayed. Those who experience the change the earlier will, of course, have in many respects the greater blessing for the time; but if the Lord has service for us on this side the vail let us be glad to do his will; let us be assured that he will grant sufficient grace for every experience of life. ‘LO, I AM WITH THEE ALWAY’’ Our Lord’s assurance that he would be with his followers until the end of the age was a consoling message. He did not tell us how long the age would last, nor all the trials and difficulties which would intervene between the time of his ascension and his return for the harvest work and the exaltation of his church and the beginning of his kingdom reign. It has been to our advantage that he left us in ignorance on this point; but we are assured, however, that in due time the wise shall understand; and again through the Apostle we are assured, ‘‘Ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.’? (1 Thess. 5:4), but ‘‘as ZION’S WATCH TOWER (174-179) a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.’’ (Luke 21:35.) Our Lord indicated that at his second coming he would give such a knock as would arouse his faithful ones and lead to the trimming of their lamps, that they might know of the presence of the Bridegroom and be prepared to enter with him to the wedding festival. It is not intended that this prophetic knock should be heard by the world; it is intended only for the virgin class, wise and foolish. Evidently our Lord did not intend that we should understand these words of the Golden Text to mean that he would be personally present in the world throughout the age. Rather we must understand him, in harmony with other statements, to the effect that the holy Spirit, the holy power of God, which came at Pentecost, was the representative of the Father and of the Son, the Spirit of both with the enlightening and instructing power, supervising all of our affairs and interests, expedient for us, beneficial to us. How glad we are that it is our great privilege to be living now in the time of the parousia, the presence of the Lord, and to have his special supervision in the same manner as when he was present with his disciples during those forty days before he ascended. But we are not to expect any materialization or manifestation of our Lord’s presence, such as was appropriate and indeed necessary at that time. We have seen that the necessity then was that the disciples should have convincing proof that our Lord was risen and that he was not any longer human but capable of appearing in various forms. No longer are these lessons needed, for we know he is a spirit being and is present with us in this harvest time supervising all the work of the harvest. Indeed, we have every reason to be on guard now against the manifestations of the adversary, knowing from the Scriptures that the evil spirits, the fallen angels, will have considerable power in the way of materializing, and that it will be part of their deception to endeavor to ensnare and deceive us by impersonating the Lord and the holy ones as well as earthly friends. Let us not seek to walk by sight, but to be quite content to walk by faith, as our Lord desires us to do. The promise to us now is that we shall see him as he is—not as he was—because we shall be changed that we may be made like him. Vou. XXIX ALLEGHENY, PA., JUNE 15, 1908 No. 12 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER THE POWER OF THE PULPIT The Rev. Johnston Meyer, of Chicago, is reported to have recently told the theological students of the Chicago University that the people are tiring of preaching, that the power of the pulpit is on the decline, and that the people continue going to church only from force of habit, to hear the preacher. A Detroit newspaper, in an editorial, asks Dr. Meyer where oratory could find a weightier matter for discussion than in the redemption of mankind, and then speaks as follows about the great preachers of the past: ‘These people knew what they believed, and preached what they believed, without apologies, without reservations, and without dodging inconvenient facts. Perhaps they were sensationalists, but only because their message was intensively dramatic. Their confidence in their mission was the secret of their strength. Dr. Meyer would have been more correct had he said that modern preaching is losing its power because those engaged in it are half-hearted evolutionists and not expositors of the Scripture. They are as highly educated as their predecessors, perhaps just as polished and eloquent, but they are not so sure of the ground on which they stand, not so certain, or if they are they lack the courage openly to state what they secretly believe. The ministers are, therefore, degenerated and give, in place of a sermon, a literary treatise, which convinces nobody. It is the sensationalism of the melodrama, and not the sensationalism which lends to the tragedy of the Master’s undying power. The sooner the pulpit is no longer the place of entertainment in competition with the theater and the lecture stage, that much sooner will it regain its old power and those ministers who will preach without fear the gospel which they have believed, and do so without bending their necks and the public opinion will have comparatively little reason for complaint.’’ SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS IN ITALY Rome.—Ancona has a peculiar kind of haunted house, the residence of Sig. Maracini, the public prosecutor, Unique in the annals of psychical research is the particular kind of manifestation with which this residence has been visited. The extraordinary happenings are thus described by the sons of Sig. Maracini, who are both lawyers: _ For several days the strangest things have been happening in unoceupied rooms. Meanwhile there was an electrical disturbance, and all the bells in the house began to ring. Nothing, however, was wrong with the electrie installation. But the most remarkable thing was the discovery of jets of water springing from the walls and almost flooding the floors. In the dining room milk welled up from the floor. We had the walls examined, the flooring broken up and the blocks raised, but not the least traces of milk, water or any other liquid was found. A cup filled with milk suddenly appeared in the dining room, followed by a cup of coffee and milk. Our father cried jokingly: “*Coffee and milk? Bah! I should prefer wine.’’ Shortly afterward we saw a liquid runing from the walls; it was wine. Once a pear appeared, and then we recalled that our little sister had asked at table for a pear, but was refused, as she had already eaten enough fruit. The pear was on a dish which was locked away in the sideboard. When the latter was opened the pear was no longer there. We then thought that some mysterious medium-like force might be exercised by our sister, so we watched her carefully and followed the child, when she rose from the table. When she passed close to a book shelf where there were two volumes on Spiritualism one of the books was raised in the air. It touched the girl several times on the shoulders, then danced for a few moments in the air, and then was clapped against the wall at the very spot whence the milk had issued.—Cincinnati Enquirer. * * * We keep track of such manifestations, as they are in line with and leading up to greater developments and manifestations by the demons who personate the dead. It will be noted that all who to any degree meddle with spirits, mediums, seances, etc., seem to make themselves the more liable to annoyances of this kind. Note the reference to two books on Spiritism and the kindnesses expressed. We know of at least two cases where Millennial Dawn volumes aroused an opposite sentiment in the spirits—the demons. ‘‘The darkness hateth the light!’’ [4185]

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