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APRIL 15, 1913 the Apostle declares, ‘‘Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for [to be the spiritual seed of Abraham]; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.’’ The election obtained this blessed state through the covenant of sacrifice, in which Jesus acted as their Advocate. The first members were accepted at Pentecost. The last members, we trust, will soon finish their course with joy. Then the spiritual seed of Abraham will be complete and ready to serve the world as the great antitypical Mediator—of the New Covenant. The Abrahamie Covenant was God’s own covenant, or promise. Because it was unconditional, it has no mediator (Gal. 3:19, 20), neither did it need to be sealed with blood. Rather, we might say that God sealed it with his oath. (Heb. 6:16-18) The Law Covenant needed the blood of bulls and goats as an offset to the sins of the people, who were to be blessed typically. The New Covenant needs the blood of better sacrifices as satisfaction for the sins of the people, who are to be blessed actually. These two covenants could not go into effect without the shedding of blood and remission of sins. THE WATCH TOWER (127-131) But the Abrahamic Covenant centers itself in the new creatures, From the first, God meant primarily the spiritual seed of Abraham, the new creation, which has never known sin. Jesus himself was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, and needed not any atonement for sin in order to enter into that covenant relationship and become Abraham’s spiritual seed and heir. Those accepted as his members would have had no such standing or worthiness except as he adopted them as his members, imputed his own merit to them and offered them sacrificially as his own flesh. Hence, strictly speaking, we cannot say that the Abrahamic Covenant has ever been sealed with blood, or that it will ever be so sealed. This does not alter the fact, however, that not without blood (death) could Jesus have become the great antitypical Prophet, Priest and King; and not without blood (death) could we, his members, be accepted through him, Only in this indirect way can it be said that the Abrahamie Covenant is sealed with blood. St. Paul intimates that it was sealed by the oath of Jehovah.—Heb. 6:13-18. THE TIME, MY SOUL, IS SHORT! No time to linger by the way, No time for ease, no time for play; No time for earthly loves or joys, No time for worldly cares or toys— The time, my soul, is short! No time to murmur or complain, No time to heed the heart’s dull pain; No time for tears or mournful song, No time to ask, How far? How long?— The time, my soul, is short! Ah, yes! ’tis short—yet time enough To run thy course, so steep and rough; Just time to reap ‘‘the fields,’’ so white, Before the coming of ‘‘the night’’— Just time, my soul, just time! Just time to make thy heart more pure, Just time to make thy ‘‘calling sure,’’ Just time to enter through ‘‘the door,’’ To reign with Christ for evermore— Just time, my soul, just time! GERTRUDE W. SEIBERT. AN INTERESTING QUESTION Question.—Is there any way of determining our standing before God? Answer.—The Apostle John says that ‘‘If our hearts condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God.’’ (1 John 3:21) In order that we may begin to measure ourselves and our progress, to know whether or not we are pleasing God in the affairs of life, we must know first of all whether we have taken steps to come into his family. Have we made a full consecration of ourselves to do the divine will? If we know that we have made a full consecration of ourselves, the next question should be, To what extent do I know God’s will, and to what extent am I seeking to do it? Do I use my time, strength, influence and all that I have, sacrificially, to the best of my ability, not counting my life dear unto myself? If we find that in a general way this is the course we are following, then there is every reason for us to have great satisfaction. Then we find that the thing to be expected is that all Vou. XXXIV BROOKLYN, N. Y., MAY 1, 1913 those who will ‘‘live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’? (2 Tim. 3:12) If we find that we have not this witness of the Spirit, if we have no persecution, then we have not been letting our light shine out. This should not lead us into anything foolish, but we should examine ourselves to see whether we are laying down our lives in his service. If we find no suffering in the present time, it should be a cause of perplexity to us. If we find persecutions, then we should make sure that our persecutions are not from any wrong which we have done ourselves, nor from busybodying in other men’s matters, but that we are suffering for the truth’s sake, for the brethren’s sake. If we have these evidences that we have come into God’s family, if we are studying to know and to do his will, if we are having trials and difficulties in the pathway and are being rightly exercised thereby, we may count ourselves as his faithful people. No. 9 EVIDENCES OF THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT “‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’’—Colossians 1:27. The scriptures frequently speak of the Church as being ‘tin Christ,’’ giving the thought of membership in his body. (Romans 12:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 2 Corinthians 5:17) Our Lord himself used the figure of a vine and its branches to convey the same thought. He spoke of himself as the vine, and of the church as the branches in the Vine, partaking of nourishment therefrom. (John 15:1, 2) It is not this thought, however, that is expressed by the Apostle’s words, ‘‘ Christ in you, the hope of glory.’’ The word Christ signifies anointed. All who will be members of the royal priesthood will be anointed—not separately, but collectively. This was pictured during the Jewish age by the installation into office of both the kings and the high priests of Israel. According to the Jewish law, every king and every high priest must be anointed, else he could not serve. The oil which was used in this ceremony was of a peculiar kind, which might not be used for any other purpose.—Exodus 30 :22-33. The anointing which our Lord and the members of his mystical body have received is different from anything else in the whole world. It is the anointing of the holy Spirit, which is variously spoken of as the spirit of holiness, the spirit of a sound mind, the spirit of the truth, and the Spirit of God. It is not the truth, but the spirit of the truth; it is not the Word of God, authough it is in harmony with the Word; it is not holiness, yet it is in full accord with holiness. It is the spirit, the disposition, which is associated with a sound mind, with holiness, with truth and with the Word of God. As the anointing of kings and priests in Israel was the divine evidence that they were accepted to office, so was it with our Lord Jesus. St. Peter tells us that ‘‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and with power.’’ (Acts 10:38) Our Lord was set apart for a very high office. In harmony with the divine arrangement, He is to be the great antitypical King and Priest—‘‘after the order of Melchizedek.’? During the Gospel age, God has been setting apart those who are to be members of the body of Christ. These are invited to be kings and priests unto our God—a royal priesthood. Consequently, when one is received into this body, under the headship of Christ, he comes under the anointing of the [5227]