Publication date
3/15/08
Volume
29
Number
6
The WatchTower
Views from the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1908/6/1908-6-1.html
 
 
ZIONJS 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA. 
they 
could 
not 
say, 
for 
they 
did 
not 
see; 
he 
was 
of 
age 
and 
able 
to 
speak 
for 
himself. 
The 
once 
blind 
man 
was 
again 
interrogated: 
How 
~ 
When 
~ 
Where 
f 
as 
though 
to 
entrap 
him 
in 
an 
untruth. 
His 
own 
heart 
honest, 
he 
perceived 
that 
these 
so-called 
holy 
men 
were 
so 
opposed 
to 
Jesus 
that 
they 
were 
trying 
every 
way 
to 
disprove 
or 
belittle 
the 
miracle. 
Turning 
to 
the 
healed 
man 
the 
Pharisees 
said 
to 
him, 
Thank 
God 
for 
your 
sight, 
even 
though 
it 
came 
through 
a 
bad 
channel, 
for 
we 
know 
that 
this 
man 
Jesus 
who 
healed 
you 
is 
a 
sinner, 
is 
a 
hypocrite, 
is 
a 
falsifier 
in 
claiming 
to 
be 
Messiah; 
he 
is 
a 
bad 
man. 
'fhis 
was 
more 
than 
the 
once 
blind 
man 
could 
or 
should 
endure; 
he 
must 
not 
hear 
the 
character 
of 
his 
best 
friend 
traduced 
without 
speaking 
a 
word 
in 
his 
de­ 
fense; 
he 
therefore 
said, 
This 
is 
a 
very 
remarkable 
case 
that 
a 
miracle 
should 
be 
performed 
such 
as 
never 
before 
was 
hearJ 
of, 
and 
that 
the 
man 
to 
perform 
the 
miracle 
should 
be 
a 
sinner 
with 
whom 
God 
would 
have 
no 
dealings; 
this 
is 
in­ 
deed 
remarkable. 
It 
has 
been 
a 
teaching 
amongst 
us 
Jews 
that 
God 
would 
not 
even 
hear 
the 
prayer 
of 
sinners; 
how 
then 
could 
this 
man, 
a 
sinner, 
have 
performed 
so 
stupendous 
a 
miracle' 
Then 
they 
began 
to 
cross-question 
him 
again 
re­ 
specting 
the 
how 
and 
when 
and 
where. 
But 
perceiving 
their 
dishonesty 
of 
heart 
he 
said 
to 
them, 
Why 
are 
you 
asking 
again 
~ 
You 
remember 
what 
I 
told 
you 
j 
are 
you 
anxious 
to 
become 
his 
disciples 
that 
you 
want 
me 
to 
explain 
further, 
or 
what 
is 
your 
motive~ 
Perceiving 
that 
their 
hypocritical 
de­ 
signs 
were 
discovered, 
they 
railed 
at 
the 
man, 
saying, 
No, 
we 
are 
not 
Jesus' 
disciples; 
you 
are 
one 
of 
his, 
we 
are 
Moses' 
disciples. 
We 
know 
that 
God 
appointed 
Moses, 
and 
by 
his 
Law 
we 
stand; 
as 
for 
this 
man, 
who 
knows 
anything 
about 
him' 
He 
is 
said 
to 
come 
from 
Nazareth, 
but 
is 
not 
of 
won­ 
derful 
parentage, 
and 
is 
not 
the 
kind 
of 
a 
Messiah 
that 
we 
have 
been 
expecting, 
with 
power 
and 
great 
glory 
and 
ability 
to 
deliver 
our 
nation 
from 
the 
hands 
of 
the 
Romans. 
You 
had 
best 
follow 
him, 
we 
will 
have 
nothing 
to 
do 
with 
you 
or 
him 
j 
do 
not 
come 
again 
to 
our 
synagogue. 
Consider 
yourself 
an 
outcast 
from 
the 
religious 
people 
of 
your 
own 
nation. 
Jesus 
heard 
that 
they 
had 
cast 
him 
out 
and 
found 
him 
and 
said 
to 
him, 
Dost 
thou 
believe 
on 
the 
Son 
of 
God' 
In 
answer 
to 
the 
man's 
desire 
to 
know 
more 
our 
Lord 
revealed 
himself 
to 
him 
as 
the 
Messiah. 
Then 
he 
worshiped 
Jesus. 
Notice 
the 
exercise 
of 
the 
Lord's 
providential 
care 
over 
this 
man 
and 
his 
interests. 
He 
did 
not 
spare 
him 
from 
being 
cast 
out 
of 
the 
synagogue, 
but 
turned 
the 
same 
into 
a 
special 
blessing 
of 
instruction 
of 
much 
advantage 
to 
the 
man 
in 
every 
way. 
In 
the 
various 
features 
of 
this 
incident 
we 
today 
find 
a 
lesson 
along 
higher 
lines. 
Some 
of 
us 
were 
born 
blind­ 
blind 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
his 
true 
character, 
blind 
to 
the 
truth 
of 
the 
divine 
Word. 
The 
blindness 
upon 
us 
was 
neither 
our 
own 
fault 
nor 
the 
fault 
of 
our 
parents. 
They 
as 
well 
as 
we 
were 
honest-hearted 
toward 
the 
Lord. 
Our 
blindness, 
there­ 
fore, 
was 
not 
a 
chastisement 
for 
sins. 
The 
darkness, 
the 
blindness, 
which 
so 
long 
has 
overspread 
Christendom 
entrapped 
us 
as 
well 
as 
others, 
but 
the 
Lord 
had 
mercy 
upon 
us 
and 
passed 
our 
way 
and 
made 
ointment 
and 
eyesalve 
for 
us. 
He 
took 
of 
the 
clay 
of 
human 
agency 
and 
mixed 
it 
with 
his 
Word, 
the 
fruit 
of 
his 
lips, 
and 
with 
that 
combination 
he 
gave 
us 
the 
anointing 
of 
the 
eyes 
of 
our 
understanding 
and 
bade 
us 
wash 
in 
the 
waters 
of 
Siloam, 
his 
Word 
of 
truth 
and 
grace. 
We 
followed 
his 
prescription 
and 
now 
we 
see. 
A 
new 
world 
is 
opened 
before 
us, 
II 
Wonderful 
things 
in 
the 
Bible 
we 
see 
I 
" 
The 
Scribes 
and 
Pharisees 
of 
our 
day 
wonder, 
criticise 
and 
try 
to 
account 
for 
the 
blessing 
which 
has 
come 
to 
us, 
and 
of 
course 
will 
find 
fault 
with 
every 
agency 
which 
the 
Lord 
has 
used 
in 
connection 
with 
our 
blessing, 
for 
their 
hearts 
are 
not 
in 
the 
right 
attitude 
to 
appreciate 
the 
light 
of 
the 
favor 
of 
God. 
It 
is 
for 
us 
now 
to 
take 
a 
similar 
stand 
to 
that 
which 
this 
blind 
man 
took, 
to 
confess 
the 
truth, 
confess 
the 
light, 
confess 
the 
miracle 
which 
the 
Lord 
has 
wrought 
upon 
the 
eyes 
of 
our 
understanding 
and 
to 
give 
him 
our 
hearts. 
And 
it 
is 
also 
for 
us 
to 
find 
that 
this 
will 
bring 
against 
us 
the 
anger, 
the 
chagrin, 
the 
malice 
of 
the 
Scribes 
and 
Pharisees 
of 
our 
day. 
It 
is 
for 
us 
to 
find 
that 
this 
will 
lead 
men 
to 
separate 
us 
from 
their 
company, 
to 
cast 
us 
out 
of 
their 
syna­ 
gogues. 
Through 
the 
Prophet 
the 
Lord 
has 
foretold 
this, 
say­ 
ing, 
"Your 
brethren 
that 
hated 
you, 
that 
cast 
you 
out, 
said, 
The 
Lord 
be 
glorified 
[we 
do 
this 
casting 
out 
for 
the 
good 
of 
the 
Lord's 
cause 
that 
we 
may 
glorify 
himJ. 
But 
he 
shall 
appear 
to 
your 
joy 
and 
they 
shall 
be 
ashamed." 
(Isa.66:5.) 
How 
many 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people 
have 
found 
that 
the 
major 
part 
of 
their 
blessing 
comes 
after 
they 
have 
acknowledged 
the 
truth, 
stood 
up 
for 
it 
and 
endured 
some 
persecution 
on 
its 
account! 
Then 
the 
Lord 
findeth 
them, 
he 
knows 
where 
they 
are 
and 
all 
about 
them 
all 
the 
time, 
but 
then 
he 
reveals 
himself 
to 
them 
specially 
that 
they 
may 
know 
him, 
that 
they 
may 
have 
fellowship 
with 
him, 
that 
they 
may 
rereive 
from 
him 
a 
blessing, 
as 
in 
the 
case 
of 
this 
blind 
man. 
"ARE 
WE 
BLIND 
ALSO?" 
The 
last 
two 
verses 
of 
our 
lesson 
call 
our 
attention 
to 
the 
theological 
pride 
of 
the 
Pharisees. 
And, 
alas, 
in 
this 
also, 
we 
must 
concede 
that 
they 
represent 
fitly 
some 
of 
their 
suc­ 
cessors 
in 
Spiritual 
Israel 
who 
are 
spiritually 
proud. 
Our 
Lord 
had 
declared 
that 
his 
coming 
into 
the 
world 
would 
prove 
a 
judgment 
or 
testing 
to 
that 
order 
of 
things, 
that 
some 
of 
the 
blind 
would 
be 
made 
to 
see 
and 
some 
of 
those 
who 
had 
been 
seeing 
would 
become 
blind. 
That 
is 
to 
say, 
the 
truth 
would 
prove 
a 
testing 
to 
many, 
some 
coming 
out 
of 
the 
blind­ 
ness 
and 
darkness 
and 
ignorance 
and 
superstition 
to 
an 
ap­ 
preciation 
of 
the 
grandest 
of 
God's 
blessings, 
and 
others, 
who 
had 
a 
larger 
measure 
of 
favor 
previously, 
lapsing 
into 
a 
blind 
condition. 
Those 
who 
received 
the 
Lord 
received 
enlighten­ 
ment 
at 
Pentecost, 
and 
the 
Apostle 
remarks 
that 
the 
remainder 
were 
blinded 
and 
are 
to 
remain 
blind 
until 
the 
close 
of 
this 
Gospel 
age. 
Hearing 
his 
remark 
about 
the 
blind 
ones 
seeing 
and 
the 
seeing 
ones 
becoming 
blind 
the 
Pharisees 
said 
to 
the 
Lord, 
In 
what 
list 
are 
you 
placing 
usf 
not 
amongst 
the 
blind, 
we 
hope' 
Jesus 
replied 
that 
it 
would 
have 
been 
better 
for 
them 
if 
they 
had 
been 
blind, 
if 
their 
course 
had 
been 
actuated 
by 
total 
ignorance, 
but 
the 
case 
was 
different. 
They 
did 
have 
considerable 
enlightenment 
and 
therefore 
corresponding 
re­ 
sponsibility, 
but 
because 
of 
their 
pride 
and 
self-sufficiency 
in 
taking 
what 
they 
did 
see 
as 
the 
whole 
truth 
and 
rejecting 
the 
real 
message 
of 
the 
Lord 
they 
were 
hardening 
themselves 
against 
the 
light, 
against 
the 
truth, 
and 
their 
sin 
was 
fasten­ 
ing 
itself 
upon 
them, 
shackling 
them 
so 
that 
they 
could 
not 
and 
would 
not 
and 
did 
not 
receive 
the 
light 
that 
was 
then 
due. 
Are 
there 
not 
a 
good 
many 
in 
this 
situation 
today, 
promi. 
nent 
Christian 
people 
boasting 
of 
their 
enlightenment 
and 
yet 
afraid 
of 
the 
light 
of 
God's 
Word 
and 
afraid, 
ashamed 
to 
acknowledge 
either 
their 
own 
ignorance 
of 
it 
or 
the 
light 
that 
is 
now 
shining 
upon 
it 
by 
the 
Lord's 
presence 
and 
through 
the 
channels 
which 
he 
is 
using 
for 
the 
scattering 
of 
the 
light 
in 
this 
present 
time' 
Let 
us 
be 
prompt 
to 
asknowledge 
that 
we 
have 
nothing 
of 
our 
own, 
neither 
light 
nor 
wisdom, 
and 
let 
us 
receive 
at 
the 
Lord's 
hands 
the 
true 
wisdom, 
the 
true 
enlightenment 
which 
comes 
from 
above. 
If 
all 
could 
come 
to 
this 
position 
rapidly 
the 
truth 
would 
spread. 
The 
great 
opposition 
comes 
from 
those 
who 
claim 
to 
know 
but 
do 
not 
really 
know; 
whose 
boastfulness 
and 
pride 
not 
only 
hinder 
them 
from 
entering 
into 
the 
light, 
but 
lead 
them 
also 
to 
hinder 
others 
from 
appreciating 
it. 
VOL. 
XXIX 
ALLEGHENY, 
P 
A, 
MARCH 
15, 
1908 
No.6 
017B 
LOSING 
FIGHT 
WITH 
THE 
CBDlDJAL 
II 
Commissioner 
Bingham 
reports 
4,470 
arrests 
made 
by 
the 
Bureau 
of 
Detectives 
for 
felonies 
in 
1907, 
against 
2,091 
in 
1906. 
Convictions 
totaled 
1,330. 
The 
inerease 
in 
arrests 
for 
misdemeanors 
is 
still 
more 
startling: 
the 
total 
was 
3,889, 
while 
in 
1906 
it 
was 
910. 
There 
were 
1,566 
convictions. 
Chief 
Wilkie 
of 
the 
United 
States 
Secret 
Service 
reports 
216 
ar­ 
rests, 
of 
which 
160 
were 
for 
counterfeiting. 
A 
substantial 
de­ 
crease 
in 
this 
crime 
is 
shown, 
largely 
due 
to 
the 
conviction 
of 
Irving 
Tolley, 
now 
confined 
in 
Atlanta, 
Ga., 
who 
was 
re­ 
sponsible 
for 
50 
per 
cent. 
of 
the 
raised 
notes. 
The 
most 
significant 
item 
in 
the 
report 
of 
J. 
C. 
Graveur, 
chief 
proba­ 
t.ion 
officer 
of 
the 
New 
York 
Court 
of 
Special 
Sessions, 
dis- 
closes 
565 
persons 
placed 
on 
parole. 
Only 
twenty 
failed 
to 
meet 
the 
requirements 
of 
their 
release. 
II 
Society 
not 
only 
fails 
to 
hold 
its 
ground 
but 
it 
is 
losing 
in 
its 
warfare 
against 
the 
criminal. 
In 
1901 
the 
Government 
published 
the 
conclusion 
of 
Eugene 
Smith 
that 
our 
annual 
tribute 
to 
crime 
was 
$600,000,000, 
and 
criminologists 
have 
recently 
computed 
a 
substantial 
increase. 
To 
our 
eternal 
dis­ 
grace, 
the 
United 
States 
leads 
all 
civilized 
countries 
in 
the 
number 
of 
homicides. 
Over 
8,000 
yearly 
is 
the 
average. 
Wil· 
liam 
C. 
Clemens 
fixes 
New 
York 
City's 
quota 
at 
240. 
In 
six 
years 
over 
300 
murderers 
have 
gone 
undetected. 
The 
Ala­ 
bama 
State 
Bar 
Association 
has 
shown 
that 
in 
proportion 
to 
population 
there 
are 
twelve 
murders 
in 
New 
England 
to 
[4160] 
(79-83) they could not say, for they did not see; he was of age and able to speak for himself. The once blind man was again interrogated: How? When? Where? as though to entrap him in an untruth. His own heart honest, he perceived that these so-called holy men were so opposed to Jesus that they were trying every way to disprove or belittle the miracle. Turning to the healed man the Pharisees said to him, Thank God for your sight, even though it came through a bad channel, for we know that this man Jesus who healed you is a sinner, is a hypovrite, is a falsifier in claiming to be Messiah; he is a bad man. This was more than the once blind man eould or should endure; he must not hear the character of his best friend traduced without speaking a word in his defense; he therefore said, This is a very remarkable case that a miracle should be performed such as never before was heard of, and that the man to perform the miracle should be a sinner with whom God would have no dealings; this is indeed remarkable. It has been a teaching amongst us Jews that God would not even hear the prayer of sinners; how then could this man, a sinner, have performed so stupendous a miracle? Then they began to cross-question him again respecting the how and when and where. But perceiving their dishonesty of heart he said to them, Why are you asking again? You remember what I told you; are you anxious to become his disciples that you want me to explain further, or what is your motive? Perceiving that their hypocritical designs were discovered, they railed at the man, saying, No, we are not Jesus’ disciples; you are one of his, we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God appointed Moses, and by his Law we stand; as for this man, who knows anything about him? He is said to come from Nazareth, but is not of wonderful parentage, and is not the kind of a Messiah that we have been expecting, with power and great glory and ability to deliver our nation from the hands of the Romans. You had best follow him, we will have nothing to do with you or him; do not come again to our synagogue. Consider yourself an outcast from the religious people of your own nation. Jesus heard that they had cast him out and found him and said to him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? In answer to the man’s desire to know more our Lord revealed himself to him as the Messiah. Then he worshiped Jesus. Notice the exercise of the Lord’s providential care over this man and his interests. He did not spare him from being cast out of the synagogue, but turned the same into a special blessing of instruction of much advantage to the man in every way. In the various features of this incident we today find a lesson along higher lines. Some of us were born blind— blind to the Lord and his true character, blind to the truth of the divine Word. The blindness upon us was neither our own fault nor the fault of our parents. They as well as we were honest-hearted toward the Lerd. Our blindness, therefore, was not a chastisement for sins. The darkness, the blindness, which so long has overspread Christendom entrapped us as well as others, but the Lord had merey upon us and passed our way and made ointment and eyesalve for us. He took of the clay of human agency and mixed it with his Word, the fruit of his lips, and with that combination he gave us the anointing of the eyes of our understanding and bade us wash in the waters of Siloam, his Word of truth and grace. We followed his prescription and now we see. A new world is opened before us, ‘‘ Wonderful things in the Bible we see!’’ The Scribes and Pharisees of our day wonder, criticise and try to account for the blessing which has come to us, and of course will find fault with every agency which the Lord has used in connection with our blessing, for their hearts are not in the right attitude to appreciate the light of the favor of God. ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. It is for us now to take a similar stand to that which this blind man took, to confess the truth, confess the light, confess the miracle which the Lord has wrought upon the eyes of our understanding and to give him our hearts. And it is also for us to find that this will bring against us the anger, the chagrin, the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees of our day. It is for us to find that this will lead men to separate us from their company, to cast us out of their synagogues. Through the Prophet the Lord has foretold this, saying, ‘‘Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out, said, The Lord be glorified [we do this casting out for the good of the Lord’s cause that we may glorify him]. But he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed.’’ (Isa. 66:5.) How many of the Lord’s people have found that the major part of their blessing comes after they have acknowledged the truth, stood up for it and endured some persecution on its account! Then the Lord findeth them, he knows where they are and all about them all the time, but then he reveals himself to them specially that they may know him, that they may have fellowship with him, that they may receive from him a blessing, as in the case of this blind man. ‘‘ARE WE BLIND ALSO?’’ The last two verses of our lesson call our attention to the theological pride of the Pharisees. And, alas, in this also, we must concede that they represent fitly some of their successors in Spiritual Israel who are spiritually proud. Our Lord had deelared that his coming into the world would prove a judgment or testing to that order of things, that some of the blind would be made to see and some of those who had been seeing would become blind. That is to say, the truth would prove a testing to many, some coming out of the blindness and darkness and ignorance and superstition to an appreciation of the grandest of God’s blessings, and others, who had a larger measure of favor previously, lapsing into a blind condition. Those who received the Lord received enlightenment at Pentecost, and the Apostle remarks that the remainder were blinded and are to remain blind until the close of this Gospel age. Hearing his remark about the blind ones seeing and the seeing ones becoming blind the Pharisees said to the Lord, In what list are you placing us? not amongst the blind, we hope? Jesus replied that it would have been better tor them if they had been blind, if their course had been actuated by total ignorance, but the case was different. They did have considerable enlightenment and therefore corresponding responsibility, but because of their pride and self-sufficiency in taking what they did see as the whole truth and rejecting the real message of the Lord they were hardening themselves against the light, against the truth, and their sin was fastening itself upon them, shackling them so that they could not and would not and did not receive the light that was then due. Are there not a good many in this situation today, prominent Christian people boasting of their enlightenment and yet afraid of the light of God’s Word and afraid, ashamed to acknowledge either their own ignorance of it or the light that is now shining upon it by the Lord’s presence and through the channels which he is using for the scattering of the light in this present time? Let us be prompt to asknowledge that we have nothing of our own, neither light nor wisdom, and let us receive at the Lord’s hands the true wisdom, the true enlightenment which comes from above. If all could come to this position rapidly the truth would spread. The great opposition comes from those who claim to know but do not really know; whose boastfulness and pride not only hinder them from entering into the light, but lead them also to hinder others from appreciating it. Vou. XXIX ALLEGHENY, PA, MARCH 15, 1908 No. 6 OUR LOSING FIGHT WITH THE CRIMINAL ‘*Commissioner Bingham reports 4,470 arrests made by the Bureau of Detectives for felonies in 1907, against 2,091 in 1906. Convictions totaled 1,330. The increase in arrests for misdemeanors is still more startling: the total was 3,889, while in 1906 it was 910. There were 1,566 convictions. Chief Wilkie of the United States Secret Service reports 216 arrests, of which 160 were for counterfeiting. A substantial deerease in this crime is shown, largely due to the conviction of Irving Tolley, now confined in Atlanta, Ga., who was responsible for 50 per cent. of the raised notes. The most significant item in the report of J. C. Graveur, chief probation officer of the New York Court of Special Sessions, dis closes 565 persons placed on parole. meet the requirements of their release. ‘¢Society not only fails to hold its ground but it is losing in its warfare against the criminal. In 1901 the Government published the conclusion of Eugene Smith that our annual tribute to crime was $600,000,000, and criminologists have recently computed a substantial increase. To our eternal disgrace, the United States leads all civilized countries in the number of homicides. Over 8,000 yearly is the average. William C. Clemens fixes New York City’s quota at 240. In six years over 300 murderers have gone undetected. The Alabama State Bar Association has shown that in proportion to population there are twelve murders in New England to Only twenty failed to [4150]

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