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“BE INSTANT IN SEASON AND OUT OF SEASON” Recently the Sociery addressed a letter to all the classes suggesting that they put forth a special effort to advertise a large public meeting, on the topic “THE WORLD HAS ENDED—MILLIONS NOW LIVING WILL NEVER DIE.” Some of the classes got the impression from the letter that we would send a Pilgrim to them for a Sunday appointment in the near future, and on the strength of this secured halis and wired us they were ready. The thought suggested in our letter, however, waa that. when a Pilgrim comes, whether on a Sunday or on a week day, each class should put forth a special effort for one public meeting on the above topic if possible. We find many people are anxious to hear this subject discussed. It was not our thought to send any special speakers long distances to address merely Sunday meetings, but rather a special effort for public witness should be made in connection with atl regular traveling and visiting Pilgrims! appointments, regardless of the day of the week on which their visits occur. Let us “preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season.” (2 Tim. 4:2) The time is short, the opportunities precious, the reward great and glorious! BRANCH OFFICE CANADIAN In a recent issue we announced the purpose of opening a branch office in Canada. ‘The office is now established. Please address all communications to WATCH TowER BIBLE AND TRACT Society, 143 Donald Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba. The duties of this branch office will be limited. Exchange is so excessive that we find it better to have an office in Canada to handle all financial matters pertaining to the work in that country. The Canadian branch will receive remittances for subscriptions to THe Warcu Tower, “Good Hopes” and Tract Fund donations, orders for supplies, books, ete. Orders will be filled from there so far aa poasible. All Pilgrims will be routed from the Brooklyn office, a copy of the routing being furnished to the office in Canada. AL requests for Pilgrims should be sent to the headquarters at Brooklyn. Arrangements for specially advertised public meetIngs will be made through the Canadian branch office. —— No. 11 Vou. XXNIX BROOKLYN, N. Y., JUNE 1, 1918 OUR PERFECT PATTERN “Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”—Hebrews 12:3, 4. With increasing fury the storm is raging against the dear his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) He took flock of God. Wild and wilder growa the gale; high and higher the waves are rising, beating against the walls of Zion. If God’s children, weak, timid and inoffensive as they are, should look always at the etorm, they would become faint in mind. Hence we do well, in this strenuous hour, to call to mind that Jesus is with his church in the storm. “Lo, I am with you, ... even unto the end of the age.” “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” God in his perfect wisdom foreknew the experiences that would be the portion of those following Christ Jesus, and out of the abundance of his riches he made provision for their comfort and sustenance. Lest, then, we should become wearied in our minds from suffering superinduced by the storm or by the fiery chariot, let us come aside for a while and consider him who led the way through which Christians must follow, Christians who will ultimately attain to the place of glory, honor and immortality. Because man violated God’s fixed law, it was required of him that he should suffer the penalty, “The wages of sin is death.” Man was perfect when he sinned. It was after the judgment upon him and after his imperfection began that his children were brought forth. Tence all his offspring were 3 oe in sin and shapen in iniquity."—Psalm 51:5; Genesis Satan waa the moving cause of man’s fall. Therefore we should expect Satan and the forces of darkness under his control to cause man to continue to suffer. It is also to be expected that every effort to relieve man from sin, sorrow, suffering and death would be opposed by this great archenemy. When man was driven from Eden, God announced that there would be enmity between Satan and his seed and the seed of the woman. A subsequent part of God’s Word discloses that the seed of the woman is to be the channel through which blessings will flow out to all mankind, The preparation of this seed according to the promise hag been the great objective of God’s plan for the past six thousand years. The importance of this seed, the position to be occupied and the work to be done, can be in some measure approximated in our minds when we remember that Jehovah, the great Econonist, has devoted so much time and treasure to the development of the seed of promise. WHO IS HE? That we might properly appreciate the one who suffered such a great contradiction of sinners, we call to mind that the first and only direct creation of Jehovah, was the Logos, By him all things were created that were thereafter made. It was to him that God offered the great honor of redeeming mankind, becoming the head of the creation, and occupying the position of greatest honor in the universe, next to Jehovah. He was rich in heavenly glory and power, honor and dignity; but he left the courts of heaven and bécame a man and met all the requirements of the law and its penalty upon the sinner, in order that he might redeem man from death and ultimately bless him. Concerning the Logos the Apostle writes: “Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through (63-164) upon him the form and nature of man, being born of a woman, yet begotten by the power of Jehovah. He was made holy, harmless, without flaw or blemish. When he reached the age of thirty years, he was perfect as a man—perfect under the law, perfect in organism and mind. He came to this estate in order that he might carry out God’s great plan for the redemption and blessing of humankind. Of him the Apostle says: “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man, For it became him, for whom are all things and by whom are al] things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”—Hebrews 2:9, 10. CONSEORATION BRINGS SUPFERING When Jesus reached the age of thirty years as a man, we find him at the Jordan consccrating himself to do his Father’s will, Here he said: “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.” (Hebrews 10:7) God’s will was expressed in his law. It was the will of God that mankind should be redeemed by a perfect, human life given ag a ransom for the perfect human life of Adam, forfeited by disobedience. The ransomer must take the place of the sinner. He must suffer and die as a sinner, Satan had caused the suffering and death by his wrongful course. Immediately after the consecration of Jesus he went into .the wilderness, and there we find Satan tempting him. Jesus had come to do a good work, the best work for mankind; and Satan was there to resist him in that work. ‘The sufferings of Jesus began at that time, and continued until upon the cross at Calvary he cried: “It is finished!” During the three and one-half years of his earthly ministry Jesus taught concerning his coming kingdom which would bring blessings to all that would accept it. Jesus did injury to no one. He did only good. He gave the most wonderful demonstration of love ever manifested before men or angels. ‘the Jewish nation was under a covenant with God, who had provided amongst them a priestly class. Satan had overreached this class. They had become selfish and had formed themselves into a company separate and distinct from the common people. They were the clergy of that day. Satan used them to persecute our Lord. Instead of being used as instruments in God’s hand to carry out his purposes, they became instruments of persecution, causing the sufferings of the Master. Jesus was born a Jew under the law. Ile came to his own people and they received him not. “IIe was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” The leaders of the people, the Pharisaical element—the clergy of that time—in substance said: ‘“We do not want this man; we will have nothing to do with him. His pious attitude is a stench in our nostrils.” Jesus did not seek honor. at the hands of men; but, on the contrary, as it is written of him, ‘He made himself of no reputation.” At the expense of his vitality he went about healing the sick, opening the eyes of the blind, teaching those who were teachable and doing good unto all as he had op [6264]