Publication date
12/1/18
Volume
39
Number
23
The WatchTower
View from The Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1918/23/1918-23-1.html
 
 
(351-355) 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
PITTSBURGH, 
PA. 
man. 
On 
the 
contrary 
I 
have 
been 
praying 
for 
light, 
and 
I 
think 
my 
prayers 
have 
been 
heard; 
for 
I 
feel 
that 
there 
is 
something 
in 
your 
church 
worth 
while 
considering. 
I 
beg 
to 
remain 
most 
sincerely 
yours, 
E. 
B.-Md. 
FAITH 
Dr 
GOD'S 
OVBRRULING 
PROVIDBNCE 
DEARLY 
BELOVED 
BR~;THREN 
I~ 
CHRIST:- 
Grace 
be 
unto 
you, 
and 
peace, 
,from 
God 
our 
Father 
and 
from 
the 
Lord 
Jesus 
Christ. 
The 
church 
at 
Dalla.s 
has 
voted 
to 
extend 
to 
you 
our 
love 
and 
sympa.thy 
in 
this 
hour 
of 
final 
trial 
and 
testing, 
and 
to 
assure 
you 
of 
our 
prayers 
and 
co­ 
operation. 
We 
believe 
the 
Lord 
will 
uphold 
a.nd 
guide 
you 
in 
your 
efforts 
at 
service 
as 
long 
as 
there 
is 
any 
work 
for 
the 
angel 
of 
Revellltil'II 
8: 
3; 
and 
·for 
this 
we 
pray 
daily. 
We 
appreciate 
your 
services 
to 
us, 
and 
we 
rejoice 
in 
the 
blessings 
that 
each 
issue 
of 
THE 
WATCR 
TOWER 
,brings. 
\Ve 
do 
not 
know 
just 
what 
awaits 
us; 
but 
we 
do 
know 
that 
"all 
things 
work 
together 
for 
good 
to 
them 
that 
love 
God, 
to 
them 
who 
are 
the 
called 
aecording 
to 
his 
purpose"; 
and 
that 
no 
weapon 
formed 
against 
his 
children 
can 
prosper 
in 
the 
sense 
of 
injuring 
them 
as 
new 
creatureB. 
Remembering 
you 
daily 
at 
the 
throne 
of 
grace, 
and 
with 
much 
Christian 
love, 
we 
are 
Your 
brethren 
in 
Christ, 
The 
DALLAS 
ECCLmIA.-Texas. 
THE 
EXPRESSION 
OF 
A. 
NOBLE 
HEART 
DEAR 
BRETHREN:- 
Greetings 
in 
the 
Lord's 
name; 
and 
may 
grace 
and 
peace 
be 
multiplied 
unto 
~·ou. 
I 
am 
writing 
you 
at 
this 
time 
to 
advise 
you 
of 
my 
regret 
at 
having 
taken 
any 
part 
in 
causing 
to 
·be 
circulated 
a 
certain 
letter 
in 
which 
surprise 
wa.s 
ex­ 
preBsed 
re 
articles 
on 
pages 
152, 
168 
and 
li4 
of 
the 
1918 
WATCH 
TOWER. 
Because 
of 
certain 
conditionB 
that 
have 
arisen 
in 
local 
classes, 
the 
conviction 
has 
been 
gro"ing 
in 
my 
mind 
that 
perhaps, 
after 
all, 
the 
above 
mentioned 
articles 
were 
right, 
and 
that 
I 
along 
with 
a 
number 
of 
others 
was 
wrong. 
So 
I 
deh'rmined 
to 
reread 
them 
with 
a 
mind 
as 
unbiased 
as 
pos­ 
sible. 
This 
I 
did 
last 
night 
and 
again 
this 
morning; 
and, 
thank 
God! 
I 
can 
say 
from 
the 
bottom 
of 
my 
heart: 
"I 
find 
no 
,fault 
with 
them." 
I 
found 
tha.t 
I 
could 
unreservedly 
accept 
them 
for 
what 
they 
say, 
but 
not 
for 
what 
others 
think 
they 
say. 
So 
I 
haste 
to 
write 
you 
my 
apology 
for 
having 
opposed 
in 
any 
sense 
the 
words 
which 
have 
come 
forth 
from 
the 
channel 
the 
Lord 
has 
so 
abundantly 
used 
in 
the 
past. 
Your 
brother 
in 
the 
one 
hope, 
J. 
T. 
B.-B. 
C. 
"TB:BRE 
IS 
NO 
SOmSM 
IN 
TB:B 
]JODY" 
DEAR 
BRETHRF.N 
IN 
THE 
I"ORD:- 
We 
would 
like 
the 
dear 
Bethel 
family 
to 
know 
that 
they 
are 
daily 
remembered 
in 
OUr 
prayers. 
We 
are 
grateful 
Jor 
the 
continued 
help 
given 
us 
through 
the 
TOWI!IRS, 
which 
are 
still 
coming 
through 
regularly. 
We 
ask 
the 
Lord's 
guidance 
and 
help 
for 
you 
in 
these 
times 
of 
difficulty, 
knowing 
tha.t 
we 
shall 
be 
heard, 
as 
we 
believe 
he 
will 
continue 
to 
use 
you 
as 
he 
has 
done 
in 
the 
past 
if 
you 
rema,in 
steadfast 
and 
faith·ful 
unto 
the 
end. 
'Vith 
fervent 
love 
in 
our 
dear 
Redeemer, 
SEC'y 
LosDoN 
TABERNACT.E.-Eng. 
DAILY 
PRAYERS 
FOR 
HEAVENLY 
WISDOM 
BELOYED 
BRETHREN:- 
The 
Associated' 
Bible 
Students 
of 
Bristol 
and 
vicinity 
h('ld 
a 
two·days' 
convention 
here 
Sept. 
21, 
22, 
in 
which 
the' 
spirit 
of 
the 
Lord 
was 
manifested 
in 
a 
most 
noticeable 
manner 
by 
all 
who 
attended; 
and 
we 
were 
blest 
beyond 
measure. 
Praise 
his 
name! 
A 
motion 
was 
made, 
which 
carried 
unanimously, 
to 
draft 
a 
resolution 
to 
send 
to 
you, 
which 
read 
substantially: 
"Resolved, 
That 
we 
conventioners 
here 
assembled 
at 
Bristol, 
Tenn., 
hereby 
repledgc 
our 
loyalty 
and' 
undivided 
support 
to 
our 
brethren 
at 
the 
headquarters 
of 
the 
Watch 
Tower 
Bible 
& 
Tract 
Society, 
and 
most 
.especially 
to 
those 
in 
direct 
charge 
of 
the 
work; 
that 
our 
prayers 
continue 
to 
ascend 
daily 
for 
them 
to 
exercise 
the 
spirit 
of 
a 
sound 
mind 
at 
all 
times 
and 
to 
be 
guided 
by 
the 
unerring 
counsel 
of 
the 
Lord, 
until 
our 
heavenly 
Father 
is 
pleased 
to 
place 
his 
everlasting 
arms 
about 
us 
and 
welcome 
Uil 
to 
the 
Great 
Convention, 
our 
eternal 
home." 
BRISTOL, 
TENN., 
CONVENTION. 
SEaORD 
THOUGHTS 
ARE 
]JEST 
DEAR 
BRETHREN:- 
I 
am 
writing 
this 
letter 
to 
make 
clear 
my 
attitude 
toward 
the 
Society. 
When 
I 
read 
Brother 
Johnson's 
paper, 
"Harvest 
Siftingll 
Reviewed," 
last 
November, 
I 
was 
80 
moved 
to 
sym· 
pathy 
for 
him 
that 
I 
resigned 
from 
my 
position 
at 
the 
Taber­ 
nacle 
office 
force. 
Two 
months 
later, 
however, 
I 
wrote 
tllat 
I 
had 
made 
a 
mis­ 
take, 
that 
I 
had 
had 
the 
opportunity 
of 
thinking 
the 
entire 
matter 
over 
calmly, 
and 
that 
I 
rcaIiz('d 
that 
I 
had 
p('rmitted 
my 
sympathies 
to 
get 
the 
better 
of 
me. 
Ever 
since 
that 
time 
my 
heart 
has 
been 
with 
the 
Society; 
and 
I 
am 
happy 
to 
say 
that, 
at 
the 
present 
time, 
in 
spite 
of 
the 
many 
influences 
that 
have 
been 
exercised 
to 
swerve 
me 
from 
my 
position, 
I 
find 
myself 
in 
fullest 
harmony 
with 
the 
Society. 
With 
much 
Christian 
love, 
Yours 
in 
the 
CRUCIFIED 
ONE 
- 
- 
N. 
Y. 
VOL. 
XXXIX 
PITTSBURGH, 
P 
A., 
DECEMBEH 
1, 
1918 
1'0.23 
VIEW 
FROM 
THE 
TOWER 
CATHERING 
WHEAT-BURNING 
TARES 
"In 
t/r.e 
time 
of 
the 
MrDe6t 
I 
win 
say 
to 
the 
reapers, 
Gather 
ye 
together 
fir.~t 
the 
tares, 
and 
bind 
them 
in 
bundles 
to 
burn 
them; 
but 
gather 
the 
wh.eat 
into 
my 
barn."-Matthew 
1:J:30. 
Thus 
docs 
our 
Lord 
eall 
to 
our 
attention 
the 
two 
parts 
MUCH 
WORK 
YET 
TO 
BE 
ACCOMPLISHED 
of 
the 
harvest 
work, 
both 
of 
which 
are 
to 
be 
accomplished 
Many 
of 
the 
dear 
friends 
think 
that 
"the 
door 
is 
shut." 
by 
the 
same 
reapers. 
The 
plain 
intimati<m 
of 
this 
text 
is 
that 
and 
that 
opportunities 
for 
service 
are 
at 
an 
end, 
or 
nearly 
so. 
the 
latter 
part 
of 
the 
harvest 
work 
is 
to 
be 
the 
burning 
of 
The 
tendP~y 
of 
,such 
an 
opinion 
is 
to 
make 
us 
lax 
in 
our 
cf- 
the 
tares. 
If 
at 
one 
time 
we 
had 
the 
thought 
that 
the 
burning 
forts 
and 
to 
cause 
us 
to 
cease 
watching 
for 
opportunities 
of 
of 
the 
tarl's 
was 
no 
part 
of 
the 
harvest 
work, 
and 
that 
the 
saints 
service. 
The 
Society 
docs 
not 
share 
this 
opinion. 
It 
is 
quite 
would 
have 
no 
part 
in 
the 
work 
of 
"burning" 
them, 
a 
ca-reful 
<probll;ble 
that 
the 
harvest, 
in 
the 
sense 
that 
no 
more 
will 
be 
study 
of 
the 
above 
text 
will 
convince 
us 
to 
the 
contrary. 
epirit-obegotten, 
ended 
in 
the 
spring 
of 
1918, 
except 
as 
some 
will 
A 
clear 
understanding 
of 
these 
two 
parts 
of 
the 
harvest 
fall 
out 
or 
be 
rejected, 
and 
others 
take 
their 
places. 
As 
sug- 
work 
is 
necessary 
at 
this 
time; 
for 
the 
Lord's 
poople 
are 
more 
gested 
bv 
Brother 
Russell: 
or 
less 
puzzled 
and 
perplexed 
as 
to 
what 
to 
do 
and 
how 
to 
do 
"We 
'have 
every 
reason 
at 
present 
to 
,believe 
that 
the 
num- 
it. 
How 
true 
is 
the 
saying, 
"Ma.n's 
extremity 
is 
God's 
op- 
ber 
of 
the 
elect 
is 
not 
yet 
completed, 
because 
of 
many 
crowns 
portunity"! 
How 
many 
times 
have 
we 
seen 
this 
principle 
having 
been 
forfeitro. 
We 
see 
coming 
in, 
day 
by 
day 
and 
weck 
illustrated 
dUring 
the 
past 
forty 
or 
more 
year8 
of 
the 
harvest 
by 
week, 
some 
who 
give 
evidence 
of 
the 
Lord's 
acceptn,nce, 
who 
work! 
give 
evidence 
that 
the 
Lord 
is 
permitting 
them 
to 
lay 
down 
TABERNACI,E 
SHADOWS 
ea.me 
to 
the 
church 
in 
a 
time 
of 
ex- 
their 
lives 
in 
his 
service. 
But 
the 
time 
will 
undoubtedly 
come 
tremity. 
The 
various 
volumes 
of 
STUDIES 
IN 
SCRIPTURES 
also 
in 
the 
nl.'llr 
future 
when 
the 
number 
of 
the 
elect 
will 
be 
COlll- 
eame 
just 
as 
they 
were 
needed. 
Again, 
the 
sermons 
in 
the 
,plew. 
Then 
only 
sueh 
vacancies 
as 
might 
still 
occur 
by 
somc 
newspapers, 
and 
the 
PHOTO-DRAMA 
as 
well, 
were 
given 
just 
at 
falling 
out 
would 
remain. 
In 
that 
case 
there 
might 
be 
a 
num- 
opport\me 
times. 
In 
1914 
we 
thought 
that 
a.11 
the 
work 
had 
ber 
in 
the 
consecra.ted 
attitude 
whom 
God 
would 
accept 
to 
ended; 
but 
just 
at 
the 
opportune 
time 
again 
the 
Lord 
brought 
take 
the 
place 
of 
some 
who 
would 
drop 
out. 
Thl'sl' 
would 
re­ 
to 
our 
attention 
another 
work, 
that 
of 
gathering 
the 
clusters 
ceive 
'the 
begetting 
of 
the 
holy 
Spirit, 
and 
would 
find 
oppor­ 
of 
the 
vine 
of 
the 
earth. 
At 
the 
present 
time 
another 
"ex- 
tunities 
for 
serving 
the 
truth 
and 
for 
suffl'ring 
for 
the 
truth's 
tremity" 
is 
upon 
the 
church; 
and 
from 
every 
part 
of 
the 
field 
sake."-Z 
'14, 
p. 
68. 
<,ome 
the 
queries: 
"What 
remains 
to 
be 
done? 
How 
can 
I 
We 
remind 
our 
readers 
that 
the 
Lord 
is 
using 
the 
truth, 
do 
more 
to 
serve 
the 
truth 
1" 
We 
hope 
that 
each 
TOWER 
reader 
the 
word 
which 
goeth 
forth 
out 
of 
his 
mouth 
(Isaiah 
55: 
II 
), 
will 
ask 
himself 
these 
questions, 
and 
then 
a.ct 
according 
to 
to 
accomplish 
a 
variety 
of 
works. 
It 
has 
been 
used 
(I) 
to 
the 
answers. 
Furthermore, 
we 
wish 
to 
assist 
any 
and 
all 
to 
gather 
the 
wheat, 
(2) 
to 
bind 
the 
tares. 
(3) 
to 
gather 
the 
the 
extent 
of 
our 
ability. 
clusters 
of 
"the 
vine 
of 
the 
earth," 
and 
(4). 
to 
smite 
Jordan. 
[6358] 
(351-358) man. On the contrary I have been praying for light, and 1 think my prayers have been heard; for I feel that there is something in your church worth while considering. I beg to remain moxt sincerely yours, E. B.—Md. FAITH IN GOD’S OVBRRULING PROVIDENCE DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN IN CHRIST:— Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. The church at Dallas has voted to extend to you our love and sympathy in this hour of final trial and testing, and to assure you of our prayers and cooperation. We believe the Lord will uphold and guide you in your efforts at service as long as there is any work for the angel of Revelation 8:3; and for this we pray daily. We appreciate your services to us, and we rejoice in the blessings that each issue of THE WATCH TOWER brings. We do not know just what awaits us; but we do know that ‘“‘all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”; and that no weapon formed against his children can prosper in the sense of injuring them as new creatures. Remembering you daily at the throne of grace, and with much Christian love, we are Your brethren in Christ, The DaLLas EccLrs1a.—Texas. THE EXPRESSION OF A NOBLE HEART Dear BRETHREN :— Greetings in the Lord’s name; and may grace and peace be multiplied unto you. I am writing you at this time to advise you of my regret at having taken any part in causing to be circulated a certain letter in which surprise was expressed re articles on pages 152, 168 and 174 of the 1918 WATCH TOWER. Because of certain conditions that have arisen in local classes, the conviction has been growing in my mind that perhaps, after all, the above mentioned articles were right, and that I along with a number of others was wrong. So I determined to reread them with a mind as unbiased as possible. This I did last night and again this morning; and, thank God! I can say from the bottom of my heart: “I find no fault with them.” I found that I could unreservedly accept them for what they say, but not for what others think they say. So I haste to write you my apology for having opposed in any sense the words which have come forth from the channel the Lord has so abundantly used in the past. Your brother in the one hope, J.T. B—B. C. ‘THERE IS NO SCHISM IN THE BODY’’ Dear BRETHREN IN THE LORD :— We would like the dear Bethel family to know that they THE WATCH TOWER Prirrssurcu, Pa. are daily remembered in our prayers. We are grateful for the continued help given us through the Towmes, which are still coming through regularly. We ask the Lord’s guidance and help for you in these times of difficulty, knowing that we shall be heard, as we helieve he will continue to use you as he has done in the past if you remain steadfast and faithful unto the end. With fervent love in our dear Redeemer, Sec’y Loxpon TABERNACLE.—Hng. DAILY PRAYERS FOR HEAVENLY WISDOM BELOVED BRETHREN :— The Associated Bible Students of Bristol and vicinity held & two-days’ convention here Sept, 21, 22, in which the spirit of the Lord was manifested in a most noticeable manner by all who attended; and we were blest beyond measure. Praise his name! A motion was made, which carried unanimously, to draft a resolution to send to you, which read substantially: “Resolved, That we conventioners here assembled at Bristol, Tenn., hereby repledge our loyalty and undivided support to our brethren at the headquarters of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, and most.especially to those in direct charge of the work; that our prayers continue to ascend daily for them to exercise the spirit of a sound mind at all times and to be guided by the unerring counsel of the Lord, until our heavenly Father is pleased to place his everlasting arms about us and welcome us to the Great Convention, our eternal home.” BRIstoL, TENN., CONVENTION. SECOND THOUGHTS ARE BEST Dear BRETHREN :— I am writing this letter to make clear my attitude toward the Society. When I read Brother Johnson’s paper, “Harvest Sitings Reviewed,” last November, I was so moved to sympathy for him that I resigned from my position at the Tabernacle office force. Two months later, however, I wrote that I had made a mistake, that I had had the opportunity of thinking the entire matter over calmly, and that I realized that I had permitted my sympathies to get the better of me. Tver since that time my heart has been with the Society; and I am happy to say that, at the present. time, in spite of the many influences that have been exercised to swerve me from my position, I find myself in fullest harmony with the Society. With much Christian love, Yours in the CruciFIep ONE — — N, Y. Von. XXXIX VIEW FROM PITTSBURGH, PA., DECEMBER 1, 1918 THE TOWER No. 23 GATHERING WHEAT—BURNING TARES “In the time of the harvest 1 will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them ; but gather the wheat into Thus does our Lord call to our attention the two parts of the harvest work, both of which are to be accomplished by the same reapers. The plain intimation of this text is that the latter part of the harvest work is to be the burning of the tares. If at one time we had the thought that the burning of the tares was no part of the harvest work, and that the saints would have no part in the work of “burning” them, a careful study of the above text will convince us to the contrary. A clear understanding of these two parts of the harvest work is necessary at this time; for the Lord’s people are more or less puzzled and perplexed as to what to do and how to do it. How true is the saying, “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity”! How many times have we seen this principle illustrated during the past forty or more years of the harvest work! TABERNACLE SHADOWS came to the church in a time of extremity. The various volumes of STUDIES IN SCRIPTURES also came just as they were needed. Again, the sermons in the newspapers, and the PHOTO-DRAMA as weil, were given just at opportune times. In 1914 we thought that all the work had ended; but just at the opportune time again the Lord brought to our attention another work, that of gathering the clusters of the vine of the earth. At the present time another “‘extremity” is upon the church; and from every part of the field come the queries: “What remains to be done? How can | do more to serve the truth?’ We hope that each Tower reader will ask himself these questions, and then act according to the answers. Furthermore, we wish to assist any and all to the extent of our ability. my dbarn.”—Matthew 13:30. MUCH WORK YET TO BE ACCOMPLISHED Many of the dear friends think that “the door is shut,” and that opportunities for service are at an end, or nearly so. The tendency of such an opinion is to make us lax in our efforts and to cause us to cease watching for opportunities of service. The Society does not share this opinion. It is quite probable that the harvest, in the sense that no more will be spirit-begotten, ended in the spring of 1918, except as some will fall out or be rejected, and others take their places. As suggested by Brother Russell: “We have every reason at present to believe that the number of the elect is not yet completed, because of many crowns having been forfeited. We see coming in, day by day and week by week, some who give evidence of the Lord’s acceptance, who give evidence that the Lord is permitting them to lay down their lives in his service. But the time will undoubtedly come in the near future when the number of the elect will be complete. Then only such vaeancies as might still occur by some falling out would remain. In that case there might be a number in the consecrated attitude whom God would accept to take the place of some who would drop out. These would receive the begetting of the holy Spirit, and would find opportunities for serving the truth and for suffering for the truth’s sake.”—Z 714, p. 68. We remind our readers that the Lord is using the truth, the word which goeth forth out of his mouth (Isaiah 55:11), to accomplish a variety of works. It has been used (1) to gather the wheat, (2) to bind the tares, (3) to gather the clusters of “the vine of the earth,” and (4). to smite Jordan. [6358]

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