Publication date
7/15/16
Volume
37
Number
14
The WatchTower
"Lest We Forget"
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1916/14/1916-14-1.html
 
 
]UI,Y 
1, 
1916 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
(207-212) 
We 
b&1ieve 
that 
with 
your 
wide 
and 
varied 
experience, 
you 
could 
give 
us 
a 
few 
valuable 
suggestions 
along 
this 
line 
and 
we 
would 
be 
glad 
if 
you 
would 
give 
us 
some 
adv.ice. 
. 
Praying 
the 
Lord's 
rich 
blessing 
upon 
you 
dally, 
we 
remaIn 
Yours 
in 
his 
service, 
ST. 
JOSEPH 
[Mo.) 
CLASS. 
In 
Reply 
Where 
a 
class 
finds, 
after 
trial, 
that 
one 
or 
more 
of 
its 
elders 
or 
deacons 
possess 
good 
business 
acumen 
and 
f~ith­ 
fulness, 
it 
sometimes 
proves 
a 
good 
plan 
to 
mak;e 
a 
Busm~s 
Committee 
of 
such 
and 
leave 
much 
of 
the 
busmess 
routme 
to 
such 
committee. 
Care, 
however, 
should 
be 
observed 
not 
to 
put 
matter's 
too 
fully 
out 
of 
the 
hands 
of 
the 
class. 
Oare 
also 
should 
be 
observed 
not 
to 
put 
too 
much 
power 
into 
the 
hands 
of 
any 
who 
evidence 
a 
desire 
to 
grasp 
power 
and 
to 
exceed 
the 
wishes 
of 
the 
class. 
In 
all 
matters 
the 
easiest 
and 
smoothest 
way 
of 
obtaining 
results 
is 
advisable; 
but 
the 
authority 
of 
the 
class 
should 
be 
recognized. 
Anyone 
ignor­ 
ing 
the 
class 
and 
its 
wishes 
would 
better 
be 
left 
without 
any 
special 
service 
as 
elder, 
deacon, 
etc. 
DUB 
FRIENDS:- 
In 
THE 
TOWER 
of 
February 
15, 
I 
read 
some 
quotations 
from 
alleO'ed 
German 
sermons, 
extracted 
from 
the 
M 
ethOO~8t 
Time.s, 
. 
a:d 
supposed 
to 
be 
faithful 
translations 
from 
thes2 
sermons. 
Since 
reading 
them 
I 
received 
a 
package 
of 
news­ 
papers 
from 
my 
home, 
Copenhagen, 
in 
one 
of 
which 
is 
an 
alleged 
truthful 
explanation 
of 
those 
sermons. 
Pastor 
Loebel, 
of 
Leipzig, 
does 
not 
even 
exist. 
Professor 
Rheinhold 
Seeby 
should 
be 
.Seeberg; 
he 
denies 
~bsolu~ely 
~o 
have 
said 
anything 
of 
the 
kmd 
quo~ed; 
an~, 
whIle 
PI~I~IPPI. 
s 
expressions 
are 
not 
absolutely 
demed, 
theIr 
authentIcIty 
IS 
very 
doubtful. 
I 
enclose 
the 
article 
from 
the 
Danish 
paper 
Robenhavn. 
If 
you 
so 
think, 
a 
correction 
in 
THE 
TOWER 
might 
help 
re­ 
move 
some 
of 
the 
added 
bitter 
feelings 
against 
Germans 
in 
general. 
My 
sympathy 
is 
rather 
on 
the 
side 
of 
France 
and 
England; 
but 
1 
desire 
justice 
to 
all. 
Yours 
in 
his 
service, 
C. 
PETERSEN. 
YOLo 
XXXVII 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
JULY 
15, 
1916 
"LEST 
WE 
FORGETt" 
No. 
14 
"Follow 
peace 
with 
all 
men, 
and 
hoHness, 
without 
Although 
the 
Lord's 
people 
are 
counseled 
by 
the 
Lord's 
\Vord 
to 
be 
peacemakers, 
and 
to 
pursue 
peace, 
nevertheless 
they 
are 
forewarned 
that 
they 
must 
fight. 
On 
the 
surface 
these 
injunctions 
seem 
paradoxical. 
It 
seems 
strange 
that 
we 
should 
be 
admonished 
to 
be 
peacemakers 
and 
then 
be 
told 
that 
we 
are 
to 
fight. 
These 
conflicting 
statements 
may 
be 
harmonized 
however. 
If 
we 
are 
loyal 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
to 
his 
cause, 
our 
loyalty 
will 
bring 
us 
into 
opposition 
with 
whatever 
is 
contrary 
to 
God. 
It 
is 
not 
that 
we 
are 
to 
strive 
with 
people; 
but 
the 
very 
fact 
that 
we 
are 
counseled 
to 
be 
peacemakers 
implies 
that 
there 
will 
be 
opposition. 
How 
is 
it 
that 
when 
one 
wishes 
to 
do 
right 
and 
is 
doing 
this 
to 
the 
best 
of 
his 
ability 
he 
meets 
with 
opposition 
~ 
It 
was 
so 
with 
our 
Master. 
Although 
he 
was 
perfect, 
yet 
he 
had 
opposition. 
We 
need 
not 
be 
surprised, 
then, 
if 
we 
who 
are 
imperfect 
should 
have 
similar 
experiences. 
What 
did 
Jesus 
do 
to 
cause 
people 
to 
do 
evil 
toward 
him" 
He 
did 
only 
good 
and 
sought 
to 
bless 
all. 
His 
loyalty 
to 
the 
Father, 
however, 
made 
it 
a 
necessity 
for 
him 
to 
rebuke 
sin 
and 
error. 
This 
brought 
upon 
him 
the 
antagonism 
of 
those 
who 
upheld 
these 
sins 
and 
errors. 
The 
darkness 
hates 
the 
light 
because 
it 
is 
a 
constant 
rebuke 
to 
the 
darkness. 
TIll'n 
we 
not 
only 
have 
the 
opposition 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
the 
world, 
but 
also 
the 
opposition 
of 
our 
own 
fallen 
flesh 
and 
the 
virulent 
opposition 
of 
the 
great 
adversary 
and 
his 
hosts. 
What 
a 
power 
this 
all 
means! 
At 
one 
time 
in 
our 
lives 
we 
did 
not 
know 
what 
it 
mpant 
to 
have 
the 
opposition 
of 
the 
world, 
the 
flesh 
and 
the 
devil; 
but 
we 
are 
learning 
what 
this 
means, 
dear 
brethren. 
Our 
great 
adversary 
is 
a 
very 
wily 
foe, 
and 
is 
on 
the 
alert 
to 
seize 
every 
opportunity 
to 
ensnare 
and 
entrap 
us, 
to 
put 
our 
enemies 
in 
antagonism 
against 
us, 
and 
to 
stir 
up 
all 
kinds 
of 
persecution 
and 
opposition. 
One 
might 
think 
that 
Satan 
would 
be 
satisfied 
to 
have 
taken 
the 
wrong 
course 
him­ 
splf; 
and 
that 
he 
would 
ere 
now 
have 
been 
ready 
to 
say, 
"I 
have 
had 
enough 
of 
it." 
Why 
does 
he 
not 
say 
this 
T 
It 
is 
becausp 
he 
is 
so 
implacable 
a 
foe 
to 
God 
and 
to 
all 
that 
is 
gOO(l. 
He 
has 
so 
hardened 
his 
heart 
to 
all 
that 
is 
holy 
that 
he 
eannot 
be 
renewed 
to 
repentance, 
to 
change 
about 
and 
take 
an 
opposite 
course. 
LET 
US 
TAKE 
WARNI.NG 
FROM 
SATAN'S 
COURSE 
What 
a 
solemn 
warning 
this 
should 
be 
to 
use 
to 
rcsist 
stoutly 
and 
unequivocally 
the 
very 
beginnings 
of 
sin, 
to 
resist 
the 
approach 
of 
temptation 
to 
be 
disloyal 
to 
God 
in 
the 
slight­ 
est 
df'gree, 
by 
hastening 
to 
the 
throne 
of 
grace 
in 
every 
time 
of 
danger 
I 
The 
adversary's 
designs 
seem 
to 
be 
especially 
against 
the 
saints 
of 
God. 
He 
steadfastly 
opposes 
all 
those 
who 
desire 
to 
walk 
in 
the 
footsteps 
of 
Jesus, 
rather 
than 
those 
who 
walk 
according 
to 
the 
course 
of 
this 
world; 
for 
the 
latter 
are 
already 
more 
or 
less 
under 
his 
control. 
He 
does 
not 
seek 
to 
run 
aftcr 
thf'm 
or 
seek 
to 
pnlrap 
them. 
All 
he 
needs 
to 
do 
is 
to 
kepp 
them 
from 
the 
light.-2 
Cor. 
4:4. 
Satan 
does 
not 
wish 
the 
glorious 
light 
of 
God's 
goodness 
to 
Ilhine 
into 
men's 
hearts; 
for 
wherever 
the 
light 
of 
truth 
goes 
it 
brings 
a 
transformation. 
We 
become 
changed 
men 
and 
women 
as 
soon 
as 
the 
truth 
shines 
into 
our 
hearts; 
and 
this 
transformation 
goes 
on 
day 
by 
day. 
When 
Satan 
sees 
this, 
he 
exerts 
all 
his 
power 
to 
blind 
the 
one 
who 
has 
gotten 
out 
from 
under 
his 
domination, 
and 
to 
weave 
his 
web 
around 
him 
again. 
When 
the 
fly 
begins 
to 
struggle 
to 
escape, 
the 
spider 
which 
no 
man 
shall 
see 
the 
Lord."-Hebrews 
12: 
14. 
at 
once 
proceeds 
to 
strengthen 
the 
web 
around 
him. 
If 
t~e 
fly 
eseapes 
the 
snare, 
the 
spider 
will 
again 
entrap 
him, 
If 
possible. 
But 
in 
spite 
of 
the 
foes 
with 
which 
we 
have 
to 
contend, 
the 
foes 
without 
and 
within, 
we 
are 
perfectly 
safe 
so 
long 
as 
we 
keep 
close 
to 
the 
Master. 
Stronger 
and 
greater 
is 
he 
that 
is 
on 
our 
part 
than 
all 
they 
that 
are 
against 
us. 
We 
have 
learned 
something 
of 
the 
character 
of 
our 
heavenly 
Friend. 
At 
first 
we 
saw 
that 
God 
was 
a 
great 
Being, 
deserving 
of 
our 
~everene.e; 
but 
now 
we 
are 
coming 
to 
see 
more 
and 
more 
how 
Just 
he 
IS, 
how 
wise 
he 
is, 
how 
loving 
and 
lovely 
he 
is. 
As 
we 
come 
to 
thus 
appreciate 
his 
glorious 
character, 
it 
inspires 
within 
us 
a 
great 
desire 
to 
be 
like 
him, 
and 
we 
find 
that 
the 
inj.unction 
of 
Scripture 
is 
that 
we 
should 
be 
like 
our 
Father 
III 
heaven. 
Jesus 
was 
like 
him, 
and 
we 
are 
instructed 
to 
become 
copies 
of 
God's 
dear 
Son. 
"Be 
ye 
followers 
of 
us," 
said 
the 
Apostle, 
"even 
as 
we 
are 
followers 
of 
Christ." 
SELF 
OUR 
SPECIAL 
BATTLE-GROUND 
We 
are 
now 
God's 
special 
representatives 
in 
the 
world, 
fighting 
a 
good 
fight 
of 
faith 
against 
sin 
and 
evil, 
especially 
in 
ourselves. 
We 
are 
not 
at 
all 
commissioned 
to 
clean 
up 
the 
world. 
The 
Bible 
gives 
us 
no 
such 
instructions. 
The 
Lord 
will 
use 
us 
to 
do 
this 
work 
by 
and 
by, 
when 
we 
reach 
the 
king­ 
dom. 
We 
cannot 
now 
quite 
get 
ahead 
of 
the 
evil 
that 
we 
find 
in 
our 
own 
flesh, 
and 
so 
we 
need 
to 
turn 
our 
forces 
against 
sin 
entrenchpd 
in 
our 
mortal 
bodies. 
We 
nped 
to 
exercise 
great 
care 
lest, 
while 
we 
preach 
to 
others, 
we 
ourselves 
should 
Gerome 
castaways. 
vVhat 
a 
thought 
that 
i~. 
that. 
attpr 
having 
told 
others 
abo~t 
God, 
his 
love, 
his 
power 
and 
his 
salvation 
in 
Christ, 
wp 
should 
ourselves 
become 
castaways 
from 
this 
glorious 
salvation! 
As 
new 
creatures 
we 
should 
be 
very 
vigilant, 
should 
con­ 
tinue 
to 
grow, 
should 
increase 
in 
power 
to 
overcome 
the 
flesh. 
Then 
we 
shall 
be 
safe. 
Self 
is 
to 
be 
our 
special 
battle-ground. 
Many 
of 
the 
Lord's 
people 
have 
a 
great 
deal 
of 
natural 
com­ 
bativeness. 
This 
is 
a 
good 
trait 
if 
controlled 
and 
turned 
in 
the 
right 
direction. 
Combativeness 
is 
neeessary, 
or 
wtJ 
eould 
never 
overcome. 
But 
we 
need 
to 
restrain 
ourselves 
that 
we 
do 
not 
fight 
the 
brethren; 
and 
we 
are 
not 
to 
enter 
into 
a 
per­ 
sonal 
combat 
with 
the 
devil. 
We 
are 
no 
match 
for 
him. 
But 
we 
are 
to 
resist 
him. 
The 
Lord 
will 
soon 
take 
hold 
of 
him 
and 
bind 
him 
up 
for 
a 
thousand 
years. 
He 
will 
conquer 
the 
ad­ 
versary 
and 
will 
undo 
all 
his 
works. 
But 
it 
will 
require 
the 
entire 
thousanl! 
years 
to 
ap('omplish 
fully 
that 
work. 
\Vc 
nppd 
not 
hope 
to 
overthrow 
Satan 
or 
his 
works 
while 
we 
are 
in 
the 
flesh. 
It 
is 
not 
our 
mission. 
What 
the 
Lord 
has 
given 
us 
to 
do 
is 
to 
conquer 
ourselves, 
to 
control 
this 
body 
which 
is 
of 
the 
fallen 
race 
of 
Adam. 
to 
keep 
ourselves 
that 
that 
wicked 
onc 
touch 
us 
not.-1 
John 
5 
:18. 
We 
all 
have 
natural 
inclinations 
toward 
sin. 
It 
is 
neces­ 
sary, 
therefore, 
that 
we 
overcome 
the 
inclinations 
of 
the 
flpsh, 
the 
disposition 
of 
the 
flesh-all 
these 
things 
that 
war 
against 
the 
spirit. 
From 
the 
moment 
that 
we 
surrender 
ourselves 
to 
the 
Lord 
and 
were 
begotten 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
we 
were 
new 
creatures. 
Old 
things 
have 
passed 
away, 
and 
all 
things 
have 
become 
new. 
We 
no 
longer 
belong 
to 
the 
old 
family, 
the 
fam­ 
ily 
of 
Adam; 
we 
are 
an 
entirely 
new 
creation. 
We 
have 
passed 
from 
death 
unto 
life, 
from 
condemnation 
to 
death 
in 
Adam 
to 
a 
new 
life 
in 
Christ. 
The 
continuation 
of 
this 
new 
life 
will 
[5923] 
Juny 1, 1916 We believe that with your wide and varied experience, you could give us a few valuable suggestions along this line and we would be glad if you would give us some advice. . Praying the Lord’s rich blessing upon you daily, we remain Yours in his service, Sr. JosepH [Mo.] Cass. In Reply Where a class finds, after trial, that one or more of its elders or deacons possess good business acumen and faithfulness, it Sometimes proves a good plan to make a Business Committee of such and leave much of the business routine to such committee. Care, however, should be observed not to put matters too fully out of the hands of the class, Care also should be observed not to put too much power into the hands of any who evidence a desire to grasp power and to exceed the wishes of the class. In all matters the easiest and smoothest way of obtaining results is advisable; but the authority of the class should be recognized. Any one ignoring the class and its wishes would better be left without any special service as elder, deacon, etc. THE WATCH TOWER (207-212) Deak FRIENDS :— In THe Tower of February 15, I read some quotations from alleged German sermons, extracted from the Methodtst Times,:and supposed to be faithful translations from these sermons. Since reading them I received a package of newspapers from my home, Copenhagen, in one of which is an alleged truthful explanation of those sermons, Pastor Loebel, of Leipzig, does not even exist. Professor Rheinhold Seeby should be Seeberg; he denies absolutely to have said anything of the kind quoted; and, while Philippi’s expressions are not absolutely denied, their authenticity is very doubtful. I enclose the article from the Danish paper Rébenhavn. If you so think, a correction in THe Tower might help remove some of the added bitter feelings against Germans in general. My sympathy is rather on the side of France and England; but 1 desire justice to all. Yours in his service, C. PETERSEN. Vou. XXXVIT BROOKLYN, N. Y., JULY 15, 1916 No. 14 “LEST WE FORGET!” “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”—Hebrews 12:14. Although the Lord’s people are counseled by the Lord’s at once proceeds to strengthen the web around him. If the Word to be peacemakers, and to pursue peace, nevertheless they are forewarned that they must fight. On the surface these injunctions seem paradoxical. It seems strange that we should be admonished to be peacemakers and then be told that we are to fight. These conflicting statements may be harmonized however. If we are loyal to the Lord and to his eause, our loyalty will bring us into opposition with whatever is contrary to God. It is not that we are to strive with people; but the very fact that we are counseled to be peacemakers implies that there will be opposition. How is it that when one wishes to do right and is doing this to the best of his ability he meets with opposition? It was so with our Master. Although he was perfect, yet he had opposition. We need not be surprised, then, if we who are imperfect should have similar experiences. What did Jesus do to cause people to do evil toward him? He did only good and sought to bless all. His loyalty to the Father, however, made it a necessity for him to rebuke sin and error. This brought upon him the antagonism of those who upheld these sins and errors. The darkness hates the light because it is a constant rebuke to the darkness. Then we not only have the opposition of the spirit of the world, but also the opposition of our own fallen flesh and the virulent opposition of the great adversary and his hosts. What a power this all means! At one time in our lives we did not know what it meant to have the opposition of the world, the flesh and the devil; but we are learning what this means, dear brethren. Our great adversary is a very wily foe, and is on the alert to seize every opportunity to ensnare and entrap us, to put our enemies in antagonism against us, and to stir up all kinds of persecution and opposition. One might think that Satan would be satisfied to have taken the wrong course himself; and that he would ere now have been ready to say, “I have had enough of it.” Why does he not say this? It is because he is so implacable a foe to God and to all that is good. He has so hardened his heart to all that is holy that he cannot be renewed to repentance, to change about and take an opposite course. LET US TAKE WARNING FROM SATAN’S COURSE What a solemn warning this should be to use to resist stoutly and unequivocally the very beginnings of sin, to resist the approach of temptation to be disloyal to God in the slightest degree, by hastening to the throne of grace in every time of danger! The adversary’s designs seem to be especially against the saints of God. He steadfastly opposes all those who desire to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, rather than those who walk according to the course of this world; for the latter are already more or less under his control. He does not seek to run after them or seek to enirap them. All he needs to do is to keep them from the light.—2 Cor. 4:4. Satan does not wish the glorious light of God’s goodness to shine into men’s hearts; for wherever the light of truth goes it brings a transformation. We become changed men and women as soon as the truth shines into our hearts; and this transformation goes on day by day. When Satan sees this, he exerts all his power to blind the one who has gotten out from under his domination, and to weave his web around him again. When the fly begins to struggle to escape, the spider fly escapes the snare, the spider will again entrap him, if possible. But in spite of the foes with which we have to contend, the foes without and within, we are perfectly safe so long as we keep close to the Master. Stronger and greater is he that is on our part than all they that are against us. We have learned something of the character of our heavenly Friend. At first we saw that God was a great Being, deserving of our reverence; but now we are coming to see more and more how just he is, how wise he is, how loving and lovely he is. As we come to thus appreciate his glorious character, it inspires within us a great desire to be like him, and we find that the injunction of Scripture is that we should be like our Father in heaven. Jesus was like him, and we are instructed to become copies of God’s dear Son. “Be ye followers of us,” said the Apostle, “even as we are followers of Christ.” SELF OUR SPECIAL BATTLE-GROUND We are now God’s special representatives in the world, fighting a good fight of faith against sin and evil, especially in ourselves. We are not at all commissioned to clean up the world. The Bible gives us no such instructions. The Lord will use us to do this work by and by, when we reach the kingdom. We cannot now quite get ahead of the evil that we find in our own flesh, and so we need to turn our forces against sin entrenched in our mortal bodies. We nced to exercise great care lest, while we preach to others, we ourselves should become castaways. What a thought that is, that, after having told others about God, his love, his power and his salvation in Christ, we should ourselves become castaways from this glorious salvation! As new creatures we should be very vigilant, should continue to grow, should increase in power to overcome the flesh. Then we shall be safe. Self is to be our special battle-ground. Many of the Lord’s people have a great deal of natural combativeness. This is a good trait if controlled and turned in the right direction. Combativeness is necessary, or we could never overcome. But we need to restrain ourselves that we do not fight the brethren; and we are not to enter into a personal combat with the devil. We are no match for him. But we are to resist him. The Lord will soon take hold of him and bind him up for a thousand years. He will conquer the adversary and will undo all his works. But it will require the entire thousand years to accomplish fully that work. We need not hope to overthrow Satan or his works while we are in the flesh. It is not our mission. What the Lord has given us to do is to conquer ourselves, to control this body which is of the fallen race of Adam, to keep ourselves that that wicked one touch us not.—l John 5:18. We all have natural inclinations toward sin. It is necessary, therefore, that we overcome the inclinations of the flesh, the disposition of the flesh—all these things that war against the spirit. From the moment that we surrender ourselves to the Lord and were begotten of the holy Spirit, we were new creatures. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new. We no longer belong to the old family, the family of Adam; we are an entirely new creation. We have passed from death unto life, from condemnation to death in Adam to a new life in Christ. The continuation of this new life will [5923]

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