Publication date
7/1/14
Volume
35
Number
13
The WatchTower
Necessity of Self-Control
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1914/13/1914-13-1.html
 
 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
PLAN 
OF 
THE 
AGES. 
The 
verse 
on 
the 
front 
page 
caught 
my 
attention 
at 
once: 
"To 
make 
all 
see 
what 
is 
the 
fellowship 
of 
the 
mystery," 
etc. 
1 
felt, 
This 
is 
something 
I 
want. 
I 
started 
to 
read 
and 
never 
rested 
till 
I 
had 
read 
it 
through; 
looking 
up 
all 
the 
references, 
with 
growing 
joy 
and 
wonder 
over 
every 
chapter. 
Oh, 
how 
precious 
it 
was 
at 
once! 
I 
said 
to 
my 
neighbor, 
I 
would 
not 
give 
away 
the 
knowledge 
this 
book 
has 
given 
me 
for 
a 
thous1J.nd 
pounds. 
In 
six 
weeks 
I 
had 
all 
the 
STUDIES, 
and 
soon 
I 
had 
all 
of 
your 
literature 
that 
I 
could 
get. 
THE 
DIVINE 
PI,AN 
OF 
THE 
AGES 
had 
been 
in 
the 
house 
for 
four 
years 
and 
I 
had 
not 
seen 
it. 
That 
day 
it 
was 
lying 
where 
I 
h:1<1 
put 
the 
Swedenborg 
book; 
I 
do 
not 
know 
how 
it 
got 
there. 
It 
seems 
it 
had 
been 
sent 
to 
my 
father 
four 
years 
previous. 
But 
the 
most 
remarkable 
thing 
I 
have 
not 
yet 
told 
you: 
A 
few 
days 
previous 
to 
finding 
your 
book 
I 
had 
gone 
to 
my 
room 
and 
on 
my 
knees 
told 
my 
heavenly 
Father 
that 
I 
was 
unsatisfied. 
I 
was 
not 
being 
"persecuted 
for 
righteous­ 
ness 
sake"; 
most 
people 
appeared 
to 
love 
me. 
I 
told 
Him 
I 
wanted, 
like 
Paul, 
a 
share 
in 
Christ's 
suffering: 
I 
was 
ready 
to 
die, 
if 
only 
I 
might 
attain. 
I 
wanted 
nothing 
less 
than 
the 
best. 
In 
a 
few 
days 
I 
found 
THE 
DIVINE 
PLAN 
OF 
THE 
AGES. 
as 
I 
have 
told 
you. 
Then 
I 
was 
short 
of 
time 
to 
read, 
[wd 
I 
fell 
and 
sprained 
my 
ankle 
very 
severely, 
and 
so 
had 
plenty 
of 
time 
to 
read. 
Oh, 
how 
thankful 
I 
am 
for 
my 
heavenly 
Father's 
mercy 
and 
loving 
kindness 
and 
condescension 
in 
allowing 
me 
to 
have 
a 
vlaee 
in 
his 
little 
flock 
t 
My 
heart 
is 
full 
of 
Christ, 
and. 
, 
'longs 
its 
gloriOllS 
matter 
to 
declare"; 
but 
so 
few 
will 
hear 
-espeeially 
hecause 
I 
have 
come 
out 
of 
the 
Wesleyan 
church 
al\(1 
all 
tlw 
offices 
I 
had 
there. 
MyoId 
friends 
fight 
shy 
of 
me; 
some 
have 
told 
me 
they 
would 
rather 
not 
hear 
if 
it 
would 
eonvince 
them 
they 
mnst 
come 
onto 
I 
am 
only 
a 
woman 
keeping 
house 
for 
my 
dear 
old 
father, 
and 
now 
that 
I 
have 
no 
offices 
in 
any 
church, 
I 
feel 
I 
am 
feed­ 
ing 
and 
not 
passing 
the 
food 
on 
to 
others. 
I 
do 
not 
wish 
to 
be 
like 
the 
servant 
who 
huried 
his 
talent. 
I 
speak 
to 
all 
as 
I; 
have 
opportunity, 
and 
some 
listen 
with 
great 
interest; 
but 
I 
i10 
not 
know 
that 
I 
have 
succeeded 
in 
bringing 
any 
into 
the 
truth. 
Two 
persons 
have 
bought 
full 
sets 
of 
THE 
STUDIES 
IN 
THE 
SCRIPTURES, 
but 
arc 
not 
reading 
them. 
I 
have 
never 
looked 
back 
and 
feel 
I 
never 
shall. 
I 
feel 
consumed 
day 
by 
day 
to 
know 
my 
God, 
and 
do 
his 
will. 
Thongh 
a 
Wesleyan 
I 
was 
baptised 
(immersed) 
eleven 
years 
ago 
into 
Christ's 
death, 
understandingly, 
though 
not 
so 
fully 
as 
I 
understand 
today. 
Do 
you 
think 
I 
need 
to 
be 
baptised 
again? 
Please 
excuse 
me 
for 
taking 
your 
valuable 
time. 
Yours 
very 
gratefully 
and 
lovingly 
in 
His 
service, 
GRACE 
E. 
ROWSE.-Eng. 
A 
WORD 
TO 
THE 
WISE 
Dear 
Pastor 
Russell:- 
While 
the 
closing 
hymn 
was 
being 
sung 
at 
The 
Temple 
recently, 
I 
noticed 
that 
rather 
more 
than 
a 
few 
of 
the 
ladies 
were 
apparently 
more 
interested 
in 
getting 
together 
their 
loose 
articles 
of 
attire 
and 
assuming 
their 
wraps 
than 
giving 
their 
respectful, 
if 
not 
devout, 
attention 
to 
the 
solemn 
and 
beautiful 
words 
that 
closed 
the 
day 
of 
praise 
and 
worship. 
'l'he 
same 
people 
were 
in 
no 
particular 
haste 
to 
leave 
the 
building, 
as 
evinced 
by 
the 
greetings 
and 
adieux 
to 
their 
friends. 
Perhaps 
you 
might 
consider 
it 
would 
help 
in 
realizing 
our 
duties 
as 
the 
Lord's 
people, 
to 
wait 
quietly 
and 
orderly 
until 
the 
final 
words 
of 
the 
service 
are 
uttered, 
followed 
by 
a 
few 
moments 
of 
quiet 
thought 
and 
prayer 
before 
plunging 
into 
the 
cares 
of 
our 
daily 
life. 
A 
few 
words 
from 
you 
in 
THE 
W 
ATCll 
TOWER, 
and 
occasionally 
an 
admonition, 
might 
remind 
the 
whole 
church 
of 
the 
great 
privileges 
which 
we 
enjoy, 
and 
for 
which 
we 
should 
be 
grateful. 
Yours 
in 
the 
service 
of 
the 
Lord, 
ROBERT 
E. 
BRAY. 
BE 
PROMPTNESS 
AT 
MEETINGS 
Dl'ar 
Brother 
Russell:- 
It 
seems 
to 
me 
that 
a 
word 
of 
encouragement 
to 
some 
of 
the 
dear 
friends 
in 
respect 
to 
greater 
promptness 
at 
meet· 
ing 
hours 
would 
be 
helpful. 
Apparently 
some 
do 
not 
realize 
the 
necessity 
for 
reverence 
in 
this 
respect. 
If 
we 
do 
not 
preserve 
order 
in 
regard 
to 
our 
meetings 
we 
are 
not 
observing 
!leaven's 
first 
law. 
We 
must 
lack 
reverence 
for 
our 
heavenly 
Pather 
and 
for 
our 
Master, 
if 
we 
are 
less 
prompt 
in 
the 
Lord's 
affairs 
than 
we 
arc 
in 
our 
own. 
Some 
of 
the 
dear 
friends 
come 
to 
the 
meetings 
as 
much 
as 
from 
thirty 
to 
forty-five 
minutes 
late. 
The 
same 
dear 
friends 
are 
very 
prompt 
in 
observing 
other 
appointments. 
How 
can 
we 
expect 
the 
Lord 
to 
be 
pleased 
with 
us 
if 
we 
give 
him 
the 
inferior 
things 
1 
How 
can 
we 
expect 
to 
receive 
the 
chief 
promises 
if 
we 
do 
not 
put 
forth 
as 
much 
effort 
for 
our 
everlasting 
welfare 
as 
we 
do 
for 
the 
temporal 
~ 
If 
we 
set 
a 
certain 
time 
for 
meeting 
and 
very 
seldom 
get 
there 
on 
time, 
we 
are 
not 
to 
be 
depended 
upon; 
our 
word 
is 
hroken. 
How 
can 
we 
expect 
the 
Lord's 
approval 
in 
such 
a 
condition 
as 
that? 
He 
was 
so 
prompt 
and 
precise, 
doing 
the 
Father's 
will 
to 
the 
dot. 
These 
same 
dear 
friends 
are 
very 
noble 
in 
other 
respects; 
and 
how 
they 
can 
be 
so 
indifferent 
about 
coming 
into 
the 
meetings 
on 
time 
I 
cannot 
understan(I, 
except 
it 
be 
that 
they 
have 
gotten 
into 
this 
bad 
habit 
aIllI 
do 
not 
know 
how 
to 
get 
out 
of 
it. 
I 
am 
sure 
I 
,,-ould 
like 
to 
lend 
them 
a 
helping 
hand 
in 
this 
direction. 
Yours 
in 
the 
one 
hope 
of 
all 
saints, 
FRED 
OTTI. 
YOT,. 
XXXV 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
JULY 
1, 
1914 
No. 
13 
NECESSITY 
OF 
SELF-CONTROL 
"He 
that 
hath 
no 
rule 
over 
his 
own 
spirit 
is 
like 
a 
city 
that 
is 
broken 
down 
and 
without 
walls. 
"-Proverbs 
25: 
28. 
Tn 
ohlen 
times 
dties 
were 
y>articularly 
placl's 
of 
refuge, 
wherl' 
the 
inhahitants 
of 
the 
country 
con~egated 
for 
protec­ 
tion. 
When 
the 
l'arth 
was 
less 
populous 
and 
the 
necessity 
for 
government 
,ns 
ll'~~ 
appreciated 
than 
now, 
any 
marauding 
hand 
n-as 
likl'ly 
to 
takl' 
possession 
of 
whatevl'r 
was 
open 
to 
their 
attaek. 
So 
the 
<'itil's 
of 
ancient 
times 
had 
strong 
walls. 
This 
was 
true, 
we 
rem 
em 
her, 
of 
.Terusalem 
and 
.Tl'richo. 
It 
was 
trne 
of 
ancil'nt 
Troy, 
and 
also 
true 
of 
cities 
in 
Europe. 
In 
Vienna, 
the 
o](] 
wall 
of 
the 
city 
still 
stands; 
and 
so 
with 
other 
walll'd 
citics. 
nut 
as 
improvcll 
forms 
of 
governml'nt 
were 
adoptC'd, 
cities 
no 
longer 
needed 
protecting 
walls. 
The 
police 
nowadays 
con­ 
stitute 
a 
wall 
of 
protection. 
Our 
text 
is 
referring 
to 
a 
wall 
snch 
as 
was 
formerly 
used, 
and 
to 
a 
city 
which 
had 
become 
dilapidate(l 
and 
the 
wall 
broken 
down. 
King 
Solomon 
gives 
this 
as 
a 
picture 
of 
a 
l1Uman 
being 
who 
has 
no 
rule 
over 
his 
own 
spirit. 
He 
i~ 
unahle 
to 
protect 
himself 
against 
evil 
in­ 
f]uencl'~ 
from 
within 
or 
without, 
as 
a 
result 
of 
having 
suffered 
his 
will 
to 
be 
hroken 
down. 
All 
mankind 
are 
born 
with 
more 
or 
less 
of 
determination. 
Some 
have 
this 
in 
a 
very 
marked 
degree; 
others 
in 
a 
lesser 
degree; 
no 
one, 
we 
believe, 
is 
whony 
without 
this 
quality 
of 
will, 
pllrpo~e. 
But 
we 
find 
that 
whether 
our 
wills 
are 
strong 
or 
weak 
they 
need 
direction. 
Lessons 
in 
the 
directing 
of 
our 
wills 
come 
from 
'arious 
quarters; 
for 
instance, 
we 
have 
the 
la\Y~ 
of 
the 
city, 
laws 
of 
the 
state, 
laws 
of 
the 
country, 
whi2h 
direct 
the 
individual 
as 
to 
what 
he 
may 
do 
anil 
may 
not 
do­ 
particularly 
what 
he 
may 
not 
do. 
As 
one 
looks 
into 
the 
sour02e 
and 
history 
of 
these 
laws, 
he 
finds 
that 
they 
represent 
the 
uc- 
Pllmlllateil 
will 
of 
a 
long 
perioa. 
Mankind 
now 
have 
very 
good 
lnws. 
We 
have 
often 
thought 
it 
strange 
that 
fallen 
men 
have 
produced 
snch 
just 
laws 
as 
we 
find 
on 
the 
statute 
books 
today. 
nut 
a 
Ithongh 
very 
good 
laws 
may 
he 
maile, 
yet 
people 
may 
ig'norl' 
the 
law. 
A 
jnry 
may 
set 
aside 
all 
law. 
A 
jndge 
may 
pervl'rt 
the 
law. 
Thus 
things 
t1lflt 
arc 
unlawful 
may 
he­ 
come 
a 
practise 
of 
an 
inclividual 
or 
a 
town 
or 
a 
c:ity. 
To 
clllti­ 
vate 
in 
one's 
self 
a 
lawless 
rlisposition 
is 
to 
cultivate 
thl' 
spirit 
of 
anarchy-a 
spirit 
of 
indiffl'rence 
to 
the 
rights 
and 
intl'rests 
of 
others. 
There 
are 
some 
who 
manifest 
reasonahle 
respect 
for 
the 
laws 
of 
man 
hecall~e 
nl'cessity 
or 
public: 
opinion 
makes 
it 
impossihle 
or 
inadvisahle 
to 
i10 
otherwise, 
who 
may 
at 
l]('art 
he 
anarchists 
a~ 
regards 
the 
law 
of 
God, 
the 
great 
Law-giver 
of 
the 
Universe. 
SAD 
PERVERSION 
OF 
SOUND 
JUDGMENT 
To 
yield 
onr~elvl's 
to 
paRsion, 
to 
allow 
it 
to 
sweep 
OVl'r 
us 
amI 
mastl'T 
us, 
is 
disastrous. 
whether 
we 
are 
weak-minded 
or 
strong-min<led. 
The 
weak-millded 
have 
their 
limitations; 
the 
shong-minrkd 
have 
the 
excess 
of 
power, 
and 
are 
more 
potent 
for 
evil. 
We 
hear 
a 
great 
many 
say, 
when 
they 
have 
lost 
con­ 
trol 
of 
their 
tempC'r, 
or 
have 
heen 
petulant 
or 
morose 
or 
ill­ 
naturNl 
or 
(liseourtC'ons, 
Well, 
that's 
my 
way; 
I 
do 
not 
mean 
any 
harm. 
They 
acknowledge 
the 
matter, 
and 
seck 
to 
justify 
themselves 
hy 
saying 
that 
it 
is 
natural 
to 
them. 
But 
no 
human 
being 
should 
live 
according 
to 
what 
is 
natural 
to 
his 
or 
her 
fallen 
nature. 
A 
heing 
created 
in 
the 
image 
of 
God, 
and 
still 
retaining 
some 
traceR 
of 
his 
original 
Go(llikeness, 
should 
live 
above 
the 
plane 
of 
th(~ 
10wI'r 
animals, 
which 
follow 
merely 
their 
natural 
instincts 
and 
passions. 
[5487] 
JUNE 15, 1914 PLAN OF THE AGES. attention at once: the mystery,’’ ete. 1 felt, This is something I want. I started to read and never rested till I had read it through; looking up all the references, with growing joy and wonder over every chapter. Oh, how precious it was at onee! I said to my neighbor, I would not give away the knowledge this book has given me for a thousand pounds. In six weeks I had all the Srupisgs, and soon I had all of your literature that I could get. Tue Divine PLAN or THE AGES had been in the house for four years and I had not seen it. That day it was lying where I had put the Swedenborg book; I do not know how it got The verse on the front page caught my ‘¢To make all see what is the fellowship of there. It seems it had been sent to my father four years previous. But the most remarkable thing I have not yet told you: A few days previous to finding your book I had gone to my room and on my knees told my heavenly Father that I was unsatisfied. I was not being ‘‘ persecuted for righteousness sake’’; most people appeared to love me. I told Him I wanted, like Paul, a share in Christ’s suffering: I was ready to die, if only I might attain. I wanted nothing less than the best. In a few days I found THE DivINE PLAN OF THE AGEs, as I have told you. Then I was short of time to read, and I fell and sprained my ankle very severely, and so had plenty of time to read. Oh, how thankful I am for my heavenly Father’s mercy and loving kindness and condescension in allowing me to have a place in his little flock! My heart is full of Christ, and ‘longs its glorious matter to declare’’; but so few will hear especially because I have come ont of the Wesleyan church and all the offices I had there. My old friends fight shy of me; some have told me they would rather not hear if it would convince them they must come out. I am only a woman keeping house for my dear old father, and now that I have no offices in any church, I feel I am feeding and not passing the food on to others. I do not wish to be like the servant who buried his talent. I speak to all as I have opportunity, and some listen with great interest; but I do not know that I have succeeded in bringing any into the truth. Two persons have bought full sets of THz STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, but are not reading them. I have never looked back and feel I never shall. I feel consumed day by day to know my God, and do his will. Though a Wesleyan I was baptised (immersed) eleven years ago into Christ’s death, understandingly, though not so fully as I understand today. Do you think I need to be baptised again? Please exeuse me for taking your valuable time. Yours very gratefully and lovingly in His service, Grace E. Rowsse.—Eng. XXXV Von. BROOKLYN, N. THE WATCH TOWER Y., JULY 1, 1914 (191-195) A WORD TO THE WISE Dear Pastor Russell :— While the closing hymn was being sung at The Temple recently, I noticed that rather more than a few of the ladies were apparently more interested in getting together their loose articles of attire and assuming their wraps than giving their respectful, if not devout, attention to the solemn and beautiful words that closed the day of praise and worship. The same people were in no particular haste to leave the building, as evinced by the greetings and adieux to their friends. Perhaps you might consider it would help in realizing our duties as the Lord’s people, to wait quietly and orderly until the final words of the service are uttered, followed by a few moments of quiet thought and prayer before plunging into the cares of our daily life. A few words from you in THE WATCH Tower, and occasionally an admonition, might remind the whole church of the great privileges which we enjoy, and for which we should be grateful. Yours in the service of the Lord, Ropert E. Bray. RE PROMPTNESS AT MEETINGS Dear Brother Russell :— It seems to me that a word of encouragement to some of the dear friends in respect to greater promptness at meeting hours would be helpful. Apparently some do not realize the necessity for reverence in this respect. If we do not preserve order in regard to our meetings we are not observing heaven’s first law. We must lack reverence for our heavenly Father and for our Master, if we are less prompt in the Lord’s affairs than we are in our own. Some of the dear friends come to the meetings as much as from thirty to forty-five minutes late. The same dear friends are very prompt in observing other appointments. How can we expect the Lord to be pleased with us if we give him the inferior things? How can we expect to receive the chief promises if we do not put forth as much effort for our everlasting welfare as we do for the temporal? If we set a certain time for meeting and very seldom get there on time, we are not to be depended upon; our word is broken. How ean we expect the Lord’s approval in such a condition as that? He was so prompt and precise, doing the Father’s will to the dot. These same dear friends are very noble in other respects; and how they can be so indifferent about coming into the meetings on time I cannot understand, except it be that they have gotten into this bad habit and do not know how to get out of it. I am sure I would like to lend them a helping hand in this direction. Yours in the one hope of all saints, Frep OTT1. No, 13 NECESSITY OF SELF-CONTROL ‘*He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. ’’—Proverbs 25:28. Tn olden times cities were particularly places of refuge, where the inhabitants of the country congregated for protection. When the carth was less populous and the necessity for government was less appreciated than now, any marauding hand was likely to take possession of whatever was open to their attack. So the cities of ancient times had strong walls. This was true, we remember, of Jerusalem and Jericho. It was true of ancient Troy, and also true of cities in Europe. In Vienna, the old wall of the city still stands; cities. Rut as improved forms of government were adopted, cities no longer needed protecting walls. The police nowadays constitute a wall of protection. Our text is referring to a wall such as was formerly used, and to a city which had become dilapidated and the wall broken down. King Solomon gives this as a picture of a human being who has no rule over his own spirit. He is unable to protect himself against evil influences from within or without, as a result of having suffered his will to be broken down. All mankind are born with more or less of determination. Some have this in a very marked degree; others in a lesser degrec; no one, we believe, is wholly without this quality of will, purpose. But we find that whether our wills are strong or weak they need direction. Lessons in the directing of our wills come from various quarters; for instance, we have the laws of the city, laws of the state, laws of the country, which direct the individual as to what he may do and may not do— particularly what he may not do. As one looks into the source and history of these laws, he finds that they represent the «ae and so with other walled eumulated will of a long period. Mankind now have very good Jaws, We have often thought it strange that fallen men have produced such just laws as we find on the statute hooks today. But although very good laws may he made, yet people may ignore the law. <A jury may set aside all law. <A judge may pervert the law. Thns things that are unlawful may hecome a practise of an individual or a town or a city. To enltivate in one’s self a lawless disposition is to enltivate the spirit of anarchy—a. spirit of indifference to the rights and interests of others. There are some who manifest reasonable respect for the laws of man because neeessity or publie opinion makes it impossible or inadvisable to do otherwise, who may at heart he anarehists as regards the law of God, the great Law-giver of the Universe. SAD PERVERSION OF SOUND JUDGMENT To yield ourselves to passion, to allow it to sweep over ns and master us, is disastrous, whether we are weak-minded or strong-minded. The weak-minded have their limitations; the strong-minded have the excess of power, and are more potent for evil. We hear a great many say, when they have lost control of their temper, or have been petulant or morose or illnatured or discourteous, Well, that’s my way; I do not mean any harm. They acknowledge the matter, and seck to justify themselves by saying that it is natural to them. But no human being should live according to what is natural to his or her fallen nature. A being created in the image of God, and stil] retaining some traces of his original Godlikeness, should live above the plane of the lower animals, which follow merely their natural instincts and passions. [5487]

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