Publication date
9/15/13
Volume
34
Number
18
The WatchTower
Mercy and Truth Component Elements of Christian Character
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1913/18/1913-18-1.html
 
 
 
SEPTEMBER 
I, 
1913 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
of 
us 
to 
misrepresent 
the 
punishment 
of 
sin 
as 
being 
eternal 
torture. 
Thus 
we 
directly 
contradicted 
God's 
arrangement, 
dr0W 
attention 
away 
from 
the 
present 
punishment 
and 
wages 
of 
sin, 
and 
made 
the 
future 
punishments 
so 
absurdly 
unrea­ 
sonable 
that 
nobody 
believes 
them, 
or, 
believing 
them, 
are 
misled 
into 
the 
supposition 
that 
a 
dying 
prayer 
for 
forgive­ 
ness 
will 
permit 
an 
utter 
escape 
from 
their 
penalties. 
We 
cannot 
improve 
upon 
the 
divine 
arrangement, 
"Whatsoever 
a 
man 
80weth 
that 
shall 
he 
also 
reap' 
'-either 
in 
the 
present 
life 
or 
in 
that 
which 
is 
to 
come-but 
in 
no 
case 
a 
devilish 
and 
eternal 
tori 
ure. 
, 
, 
Upon 
thy 
Word 
I 
rest, 
So 
strong, 
so 
sweet, 
so 
Burl'; 
So 
full 
of 
comfort 
blest, 
So 
wonderful, 
so 
pure- 
The 
Word 
that 
changeth 
not, 
that 
faileth 
never 
I 
My 
King, 
I 
rest 
upon 
thy 
Word 
forever! 
" 
VOL. 
XXXIV 
BROOKL 
YN, 
N. 
Y., 
SEPTEMBER 
15, 
1913 
No. 
18 
MERCY 
AND 
TRUTH 
COMPONENT 
ELEMENTS 
OF 
CHRISTIAN 
CHARACTER 
"Let 
not 
mercy 
and 
truth 
forsake 
thee; 
bind 
them 
about 
thy 
neck; 
write 
them 
upon 
the 
table 
of 
thine 
heart." 
doth 
the 
Lord 
require 
of 
thee, 
but 
to 
do 
justly. 
and 
to 
love 
mercy, 
and 
to 
walk 
humbly 
with 
thy 
Godf"-Prov. 
3:3; 
Micah 
6:8. 
"What 
Mercy 
anti 
truth 
are 
great 
principles 
of 
righteousness 
'l'ruth 
and 
righteousness 
are, 
we 
may 
say, 
synonymous. 
That 
which 
is 
right 
is 
true, 
and 
that 
which 
is 
true-firm, 
faithful, 
steady, 
genuine-is 
usually 
right. 
The 
record 
does 
not 
say 
that 
we 
shall 
bind 
justice 
about 
our 
neck. 
Justice 
is 
a 
quality 
which 
we 
are 
not 
permitted 
to 
exalt 
too 
highly, 
except 
in 
our 
hearts 
and 
minds, 
as 
a 
principle 
of 
the 
divine 
standard. 
We 
are 
to 
remember 
that 
there 
is 
none 
righteous, 
no, 
not 
one­ 
none 
llerfect. 
Henee 
our 
course 
in 
respect 
to 
justice 
cannot 
he 
the 
same 
as 
that 
of 
our 
heavenly 
Father. 
He 
recognizes 
no 
lower 
standard 
than 
justice, 
up 
to 
which 
everything 
must 
tlll}n~llr(). 
heart, 
as 
originally 
plaeed 
there 
by 
God, 
have 
been 
more 
or 
less 
effaced-in 
some 
more 
than 
in 
others. 
PURPOSE 
OF 
GOD'S 
PROVIDENCES 
Under 
the 
terms 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant 
and 
through 
the 
min­ 
istrations 
of 
Christ's 
kingdom, 
God 
purposes 
to 
re-write 
upon 
the 
heart 
of 
man 
the 
original 
character 
which 
was 
in 
his 
heart, 
and 
which 
has 
been 
effaced 
by 
selfishness. 
"Behold, 
the 
days 
come, 
saith 
the 
Lord, 
that 
I 
will 
make 
a 
new 
eove­ 
nant 
with 
the 
house 
of 
Israel, 
and 
with 
the 
house 
of 
Judah. 
... 
I 
will 
put 
my 
law 
in 
their 
inward 
parts, 
and 
write 
it 
in 
their 
hearts." 
(Jer. 
31: 
31-33) 
"A 
new 
heart 
also 
will 
I 
give 
yon, 
and 
a 
new 
spirit 
will 
I 
put 
within 
you; 
and 
I 
will 
GIVE 
MERCY 
AND 
TRUTH 
PROMINENT 
PLACE 
take 
away 
the 
stony 
heart 
out 
of 
your 
flesh, 
and 
I 
will 
give 
you 
a 
heart 
of 
flesh. 
' 
'-Ezekiel 
36: 
26. 
If 
we 
are 
aeeeptahle 
to 
the 
Father, 
it 
can 
be 
only 
by 
God's 
law 
is 
the 
law 
of 
truth 
and 
mercy. 
Truth 
would 
in- 
righ~eousll(,ss. 
And 
if 
we 
have 
not 
righteousness, 
it 
must 
be 
elude 
everything 
righteous, 
toward 
God 
and 
toward 
man. 
ohtallled 
from 
Christ; 
for 
God 
reeeives 
nothing 
short 
of 
per· 
. 
Mercy. 
includes 
all 
the 
graces 
of 
character. 
The 
Millennium 
[eebon. 
Though 
imperfeet 
in 
ourselves, 
we 
are 
to 
come 
up 
to 
will 
be 
the 
time 
for 
the 
re-writing 
of 
these 
qualities 
in 
the 
the 
standard 
of 
justice 
as 
nearly 
as 
possible 
in 
our 
own 
charaeter. 
And 
this 
work 
of 
re-writing 
the 
divine 
character 
rersonal 
can 
duet, 
but 
we 
are 
not 
to 
exact 
full 
justice 
from 
lllankind. 
SineI' 
they 
have 
no 
one 
to 
make 
good 
for 
them, 
it 
in 
the 
heart, 
which 
will 
progress 
in 
the 
world 
by 
and 
hy, 
for 
is 
our 
duty 
to 
be 
benevolent 
toward 
them, 
and 
thus 
emulate 
:het:eo~~~1~ilse~~th~~ 
~~:lJ~~n 
~~~:r~s.in 
i~: 
~~I~I~~~'g 
t~e 
s~v~~~~ 
the 
cklracter 
of 
God, 
who 
is 
merdfu!. 
While 
he 
keeps 
the 
. 
of 
Christ 
is 
voluntary, 
not 
compulsory. 
In 
the 
next 
age 
man- 
[WI) 
qualiiles, 
justice 
and 
mercy, 
distinetly 
separate 
in 
his 
. 
den 
lings, 
it 
is 
not 
for 
us 
to 
do 
so. 
kind 
must 
wnte 
these 
qualities 
in 
their 
hearts, 
through 
the 
assistanee 
of 
the 
Mediator. 
There 
will 
be 
stripes 
to 
bring 
For 
one 
to 
keep 
the 
principles 
of 
truth 
and 
of 
righteous- 
mankind 
to 
righteousness. 
And 
if 
they 
arc 
intentionally 
un- 
lIess 
before 
his 
own 
mind, 
is 
to 
be 
a 
thoroughly 
upright 
man 
willing 
to 
obey 
the 
l?ws 
of 
righteousness, 
they 
will 
be 
de. 
or 
woman, 
one 
in 
whom 
truth, 
purity, 
goodness, 
will 
be 
in 
con- 
stroyed. 
tl'o1. 
But 
a 
person 
who 
has 
merely 
these 
principles 
in 
con- 
But 
now 
obedience 
is 
a 
voluntary 
matter. 
We 
declare 
trol 
should 
cultivate 
more 
and 
more 
the 
quality 
of 
mercy. 
We 
that 
we 
desire 
to 
have 
these 
lessons 
written 
in 
our 
hearts; 
and 
should 
bind 
these 
about 
our 
neck. 
The 
thought 
is 
that 
of 
a 
to 
attain 
this 
end, 
we 
enter 
the 
school 
and 
submit 
ourselves 
lIecklaee, 
or 
ornamental 
band. 
As 
a 
man 
puts 
around 
his 
k 
to 
the 
Great 
Teacher. 
Then, 
by 
the 
various 
providences 
of 
lie!' 
a 
cravat, 
with 
a 
jewel 
in 
it 
as 
an 
ornament, 
placed 
where 
our 
lives, 
he 
shows 
us 
where 
we 
have 
not 
yet 
engraved 
these 
it 
will 
be 
displayed, 
so 
these 
qnalities 
of 
character 
are 
jewels. 
qualities 
within 
our 
hearts. 
As 
we 
pray 
for 
patience, 
he 
gives 
(live 
them 
a 
prominent 
place; 
for 
they 
will 
help 
to 
make 
you 
us 
lessons 
of 
experience 
that 
will 
engender 
this 
quality 
in 
our 
i>dter, 
help 
to 
make 
you 
more 
acceptable 
to 
the 
Lord. 
hearts, 
and 
that 
will 
strengthen 
it 
more 
and 
more. 
As 
we 
pray 
The 
preferable 
place 
for 
the 
display 
of 
a 
jewel 
is 
the 
neck. 
for 
love, 
he 
gives 
us 
tests 
of 
love. 
As 
we 
pray 
that 
we 
may 
'l'here 
a 
jewel 
is 
espeeially 
conspicuous 
and 
ornamental. 
So 
develop 
mercy, 
we 
find 
more 
opposition, 
which 
will 
devPlop 
we 
should 
fasten 
these 
noble 
qualities 
of 
character 
where 
. 
. 
thev 
will 
be 
manifest 
in 
all 
the 
affairs 
of 
life. 
Whether 
we 
mercy. 
Thus 
God 
gives 
us 
opportunities 
for 
the 
writlllg 
of 
hu.y 
or 
sell, 
or 
whatever 
we 
do, 
we 
should 
wear 
these 
orna. 
truth 
and 
mercy 
in 
our 
hearts. 
We 
must 
attain 
to 
that 
condition 
of 
heart 
where 
we 
shall 
Illl'nts. 
They 
will 
show 
what 
is 
the 
character 
of 
the 
man 
or 
woman-right 
on 
the 
outside, 
in 
the 
very 
front. 
They 
should 
love 
truth 
and 
righteousness, 
and 
where 
we 
shall 
hate 
iniquity 
be 
seen 
as 
we 
meet 
others. 
There 
should 
be 
nothing 
mean, 
and 
unrighteousness. 
As 
the 
people 
of 
God, 
we 
have 
the 
first 
lIothing 
contemptible, 
nothing 
niggardly 
about 
us. 
opportunity 
now 
to 
develop 
these 
traits. 
And 
the 
Lord 
tells 
us 
that 
if 
we 
prove 
faithful 
in 
learning 
our 
lessons, 
it 
is 
his 
RE-WRITING 
MERCY 
AND 
TRUTH 
UPON 
THE 
HEART 
intention 
to 
use 
us 
during 
the 
Millennial 
reign, 
his 
intention 
:VIore 
than 
this, 
we 
are 
to 
write 
mercy 
and 
truth 
in 
our 
to 
make 
us 
judges 
of 
the 
\Vorld-its 
rulers, 
teachers. 
Ill':ll 
ts. 
"Ve 
are 
to 
remember 
that 
orginally 
God 
wrote 
the 
THE 
JEWISH 
LAW 
HELPFUL 
TO 
CHRISTIANS 
diyine 
law 
in 
Adam's 
heart. 
We 
know 
that 
in 
the 
divine 
The 
words 
of 
our 
second 
text 
were 
addressed 
to 
the 
hl':ll't, 
the 
Divine 
charaeter, 
are 
the 
qualities 
of 
truth 
and 
Hebrew 
people 
and 
not 
to 
Christians; 
for 
there 
were 
no 
Chris- 
Int'lTy. 
God 
is 
mercifnl, 
kind 
and 
loving. 
And 
as 
God 
has 
tians 
at 
that 
time, 
of 
course. 
The 
words 
do 
not 
seem 
to 
be 
tlJese 
traits 
of 
character, 
so 
when 
he 
made 
man 
in 
his 
own 
prophetic, 
but 
an 
exhortation 
to 
the 
people. 
Apparently 
the 
imag'e, 
his 
own 
likeness, 
man 
was 
created 
with 
these 
quali· 
Jews 
thought 
that 
the 
Lord 
was 
asking 
too 
much 
of 
them; 
tie' 
in 
his 
eharaeter. 
Man 
was 
not 
created 
an 
unrighteous, 
and 
since 
this 
was 
so, 
they 
felt 
that 
they 
should 
not 
take 
the 
an 
untruthful 
being. 
law 
too 
seriously. 
The 
Lord 
seems 
to 
bring 
the 
matter 
down 
But 
man 
fell 
from 
his 
original 
perfection. 
With 
the 
cen- 
to 
a 
specific 
statement: 
What 
is 
required 
of 
thee 
but 
three 
tlll'ies 
of 
falling 
and 
imperfedion 
of 
mind 
and 
body, 
and 
with 
things; 
namely, 
to 
deal 
justly, 
to 
love 
mercy, 
and 
to 
walk 
('\ery 
interest 
pressing 
for 
self-gratification 
at 
the 
expense 
of 
humbly 
with 
thy 
God 
~ 
'1'his 
wonld 
seem 
to 
be 
the 
sum 
total 
others, 
these 
principles 
of 
mercy 
and 
truth 
have 
become 
of 
the 
law. 
largely 
effaced 
from 
our 
hearts, 
just 
as 
the 
constant 
dropping 
The 
Lord 
was 
looking 
to 
see 
Israel 
live 
as 
nearly 
up 
to 
of 
water, 
and 
the 
general 
wear 
and 
tear 
of 
the 
weather 
would 
the 
requirements 
of 
the 
law 
as 
possible. 
And 
he 
purposed 
to 
tPlId 
to 
effaee 
the 
original 
inscription 
on 
a 
stone. 
In 
time 
one 
bring 
them, 
in 
due 
time, 
the 
promised 
New 
Covenant, 
which 
!'ouhl 
scarcely 
discern 
the 
characters. 
So 
we 
see 
in 
mankind 
would 
take 
away 
the 
stony 
heart 
out 
of 
their 
flesh 
and 
give 
that 
some 
have 
apparently 
lost 
all 
sense 
of 
justiee, 
all 
sense 
them 
a 
heart 
of 
flesh, 
thus 
making 
them 
tender-heartecl. 
IIi 
me]'(~y, 
nearly 
all 
scnse 
of 
patience, 
gentleness, 
brotherly 
But 
if 
now 
they 
would 
walk 
as 
nearly 
as 
possible 
in 
hal'- 
ki 
Ildness 
and 
love. 
All 
these 
qualities 
that 
belong 
to 
the 
mony 
with 
the 
requirements 
of 
this 
law, 
doing 
justly, 
lovilig 
VI-37 
[5309] 
SEPTEMBER I, 1913 of us to misrepresent the punishment of sin as being eternal torture. Thus we directly contradicted God’s arrangement, drew attention away from the present punishment and wages of sin, and made the future punishments so absurdly unreasonable that nobody believes them, or, believing them, are misled into the supposition that a dying prayer for forgiveness will permit an utter escape from their penalties. We cannot improve upon the divine arrangement, ‘‘ Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap’’——either in the present THE WATCH TOWER (275-276) life or in that which is to come—but in no ease a devilish and eternal toriure, ‘‘Upon thy Word I rest, So strong, so sweet, so sure; So full of comfort blest, So wonderful, so pure— The Word that changeth not, that faileth never! My King, I rest upon thy Word forever!’’ VoL, XXXIV BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 15, 1913 No. 18 MERCY AND TRUTH COMPONENT ELEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER ‘‘Let not merey and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.’’ ‘‘ What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly. and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’?’—Prov, 3:3; Micah 6:8. Mercy and truth are great principles of righteousness Truth and righteousness are, we may say, synonymous. That which is right is true, and that which is true—firm, faithful, steady, genuine—is usually right. The record does not say that we shall bind justice about our neck. Justice is a quality which we are not permitted to exalt too highly, except in our hearts and minds, as a principle of the divine stanaard. We are to remember that there is none righteous, no, not one— none perfect. Hence our course in respect to justice cannot he the sume as that of our heavenly Father. He recognizes no lower standard than justice, up to which everything must Measure, GIVE MERCY AND TRUTH PROMINENT PLACE If we are acceptable to the Father, it can be only by righteousness. And if we have not righteousness, it must be obtained from Christ; for God receives nothing short of perfection. Though imperfect in ourselves, we are to come up to the standard of justice as nearly as possible in our own personal conduct, but we are not to exact full justice from mankind, Since they have no one to make good for them, it ix our duty to be benevolent toward them, and thus emulate the character of God, who is merciful. While he keeps the two qualities, justice and mercy, distinctly separate in his dealings, it is not for us to do so. For one to keep the principles of truth and of righteousness before his own mind, is to be a thoroughly upright man or woman, one in whom truth, purity, goodness, will be in control. But a person who has merely these principles in control should cultivate more and more the quality of mercy. We should bind these about our neck. The thought is that of a necklace, or ornamental band. As a man puts around his neck a eravat, with a jewel in it as an ornament, placed where it will be displayed, so these qualities of character are jewels. Give them a prominent place; for they will help to make you better, help to make you more acceptable to the Lord. Yhe preferable place for the display of a jewel is the neck. There a jewel is especially conspicuous and ornamental. So we should fasten these noble qualities of character where they will be manifest in all the affairs of life. Whether we ‘uy or sell, or whatever we do, we should wear these ornameuts, They will show what is the character of the man or woman—right on the outside, in the very front. They should be seen as we meet others. There should be nothing mean, nothing contemptible, nothing niggardly about us. RE-WRITING MERCY AND TRUTH UPON THE HEART More than this, we are to write mercy and truth in our hearts. We are to remember that orginally God wrote the divine law in Adam’s heart. We know that in the divine heart, the Divine character, are the qualities of truth and mercy. God is merciful, kind and loving. And as God has these traits of character, so when he made man in his own image, his own likeness, man was created with these qualities in his character. Man was not created an unrighteous, an untruthful being. But man fell from his original perfection. With the centuries of falling and imperfection of mind and body, and with every interest pressing for self-gratification at the expense of others, these principles of mercy and truth have become largely effaced from our hearts, just as the constant dropping of water, and the general wear and tear of the weather would tend to efface the original inscription on a stone. In time one could searcely diseern the characters. So we see in mankind that some have apparently lost all sense of justice, all sense of merey, nearly all sense of patience, gentleness, brotherly kindness and love. All these qualities that belong to the VI—37 heart, as originally placed there by God, have been more or less effaced—in some more than in others. PURPOSE OF GOD’S PROVIDENCES Under the terms of the New Covenant and through the ministrations of Christ’s kingdom, God purposes to re-write upon the heart of man the original character which was in his heart, and which has been effaced by selfishness. ‘‘ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. ... I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.’’ (Jer. 31:31-33) ‘‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.’’—Ezekiel 36:26. God’s law is the law of truth and merey. Truth would include everything righteous, toward God and toward man. Mercys includes all the graces of character. The Millennium will be the time for the re-writing of these qualities in the character. And this work of re-writing the divine character in the heart, which will progress in the world by and by, for a thousand years, is already begun in the church. We write these qualities within our own hearts. The entering the school of Christ is voluntary, not compulsory. In the next age mankind must write these qualities in their hearts, through the assistance of the Mediator. There will be stripes to bring mankind to righteousness. And if they are intentionally unwilling to obey the laws of righteousness, they will be destroyed. But now obedience ig a voluntary matter. We declare that we desire to have these lessons written in our hearts; and to attain this end, we enter the school and submit ourselves to the Great Teacher. Then, by the various providences of our lives, he shows us where we have not yet engraved these qualities within our hearts. As we pray for patience, he gives us lessons of experience that will engender this quality in our hearts, and that will strengthen it more and more. As we pray for love, he gives us tests of love. As we pray that we may develop mercy, we find more opposition, which will develop merey. Thus God gives us opportunities for the writing of truth and mercy in our hearts. We must attain to that condition of heart where we shall love truth and righteousness, and where we shall hate iniquity and unrighteousness. As the people of God, we have the first opportunity now to develop these traits. And the Lord tells us that if we prove faithful in learning our lessons, it is his intention to use us during the Millennial reign, his intention to make us judges of the world—its rulers, teachers. THE JEWISH LAW HELPFUL TO CHRISTIANS The words of our second text were addressed to the Hebrew people and not to Christians; for there were no Christians at that time, of course. The words do not seem to be prophetic, but an exhortation to the people. Apparently the Jews thought that the Lord was asking too mueh of them; and since this was so, they felt that they should not take the law too seriously. The Lord seems to bring the matter down to a specific statement: What is required of thee but three things; namely, to deal justly, to love merey, and to walk humbly with thy God? This would seem to be the sum total of the law. The Lord was looking to see Israel live as nearly up to the requirements of the law as possible. And he purposed to bring them, in due time, the promised New Covenant, which would take away the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, thus making them tender-hearted, But if now they would walk as nearly as possible in harmony with the requirements of this law, doing justly, loviug [5309]

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