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(455) heart unions: they are the work of Satan, and not God’s workmanship: they tend to prevent heart-union and foster errors, which otherwise would quickly die. Not until enlightened by the spirit of God’s word are any prepared to exercise the liberty wherewith Christ makes free indeed, and to come out from all false Christian unions or sectarian communions, into that broad place which recognizes one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one church, whose names are written am heaven. And only such are prepared for proper union on the same basis as that of the church of Apostolic times. When, therefore, we from time to time in these columns allude to the growing evidences of a federative union among all the great denominations of Christendom, and when we point out that the Scriptures indicate such a union, Tet no one suppose that either we or the Scriptures approve of such a union, or consider that its influence will be favorable to either the truth or the “saints”? Quite to the contrary, the influence will be beneful whatever is encouraging or helpful to Babvlon is preporticnatety injurious to the true church. The various sects of Christendom realive that many of the doctrinal errors, Which have heretofore bound their votaries helplessly ard mechanically, will no Jonger hold as firmly as before, and they are supylanting these with new honds ef later device: aiz., love of respectahility and pride in denominational name and prosperity-—a party spirit. And instead of the discredited doctrines {which can no longer be unfurled as standards, but which must be carried along tichtly closed) they are raising the standard of moral and political reform, the banner of a new crusade. No one can say that their crusade ig an evil of itself; and only the few who are spiritually minded (the true church) in and out of their sects ean so much aa see that moral and political reform is a worldly work end not the commission of the church which is anointed to preach, not such reforms, but the cross of Christ and complete regencration of heart. Those who are looking for a union in Christendom in which denominational names and denominational lines will be obliterated, are looking for what they will never see until the preat collapse comes, and the entire “Christendom” system, social, religious, politieal and financial goes down im the great anarchoua trouble with which the present age will close. The aniow which will be cemented will be largely one of common sertiment and co-operation in moral and political reforms. And this federative union. as already pointed out, began in 1846 in the organization of the Evangelical Alliance. We are looking vearlv for its final knot to be tied in some manner that will inelude with other Protestant denominations the Episcopal church, and a working agreement with Papacy. Thus the “Image of the Beast” (Rev. 13) will receive life —vigor, enerazy—he made active. And that activity which will scem to promise great things for Babylon, and which will actively suppress Hherty and he exerted powerfully against the spread of the truths now published by us, will be but the lifting up of the great millstone preparatory to ita being violently and quickly destroyed, for it will soon be evident that such a new union of church and state (wholly different from that of the past) will he a union of the classes against the macses: and it will he the rising of the masses in revolution that wil], a3 God’s agency, hurl the Babylon system to utter destruction. THE TIME OF OPPORTUNITY IS SHORT The more clearly we see present conditions and foresee thove approaching, the more it should stimulate our zeal to be and to do while we have the opportunity—for a dark night approaches, wherein no man can work. Whoever desires to Jay up treasures in heaven, by voluntarily sacrificing time, money, influence and other earthly considerations for the service of the Lord hy service of the “brethren,” should bestir himsclf, lest the harvest pass, and the summer of opportunity end, end he find that he has failed to offer his sacrifice which he presented to God theoretically when he was baptized into Christ's death, And whoever, having become nominally a memher of the “royal priesthood.” does not offer any sacrifice during this Gospel day of sacrifice forfeits his place as a member of thit prie-thood—his name will surely be blotted out and the crown, apportioned to him on the strength of his covenant to sacrifice, will he set over to another who will appreciate and use the privilege of self-denial, self-sacrifice, suffering with Christ. THE PROSPECTS FOR 1900 It is our opinion that the year just beginning will be a very prosperous year for the truth. This is not mercly “a wish, father to the thought.” nor is it heecanse the “Good Hopes” already sent in seem to give promise of funds for a wider spread of the truth; for, as an offset, we have noticed ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLecueny, Pa. that our paper (the chief item of cost in our publication) will cost us nearly double what it did last year—in other words, a dollar will do only about sixty cents worth as compared to last year. No; but we have felt for several months past that Churchianity has reached and is at a crisis, where a cleavage is sure to take place,—which will separate from her some true saints who hitherto have been perplexed respecting the Lord’s will, but who will not gradually become convinced that “Babylon” is no longer his mouthpiece, but already spewed out of his mouth (Rev. 3:16), and that her evolutionary teachings are not of him but in radical opposition to his Word and plan. We have confidence that God’s time is ripe for present truth to be more widely made known among his people ag a part of the Gospel which is either a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. We have confidence, too, that all the money and all the colaburers necessary will he forthcoming, ond we are arranging plans accordingly. Those who co-operate will share the service and the blessings attendant; those who do not use their privileges will but mar their own blessings, hut shall not hinder the work that is due to he done “The Jord will provide!” Indeed, we expect that each vear now will note rapid spread of the truth wrt “the door is shut .”—until the work is interfered with forcibly by outside infinences. Then we shall understand that our work is dene —that the “elect” have all been sealed, and that nought remains but to “stand” and assist others to stand. Indeed, this, as we all know, is a most important part of the present: for, while others are being reached with the truth. those slready blessed are being assaulted by the adversary, so that all may be tested and only the faithful be able to stand—Sce Eph 6:10-18, TO HIM THAT HATH USED SHALL MORB BE GIVEN The “Volunteer” spirit is growing Those who have served thus have been blessed and are more anxious for the conquest than they were for the first. They look abroad ard see thousands blinded by the god of this world enlisting to kill and he killed, and they read the reports of the Filled, wounded and prisoners, and the hardships endured, and the taxes to he borne; and then they say: How small is the service, how slight the hardship and suffering and self-denial our gracious King is willing to accept as “renaonable service” from us who have consecrated to him our alil—even unto death—and to whom he has already given such rich rewards as well as promised us a share in his Millennial kingdom. We are resolved that neither cares of this life, nor pride, nor self-erse shall hinder us from engaging in this battle against darkness and tho influences of the prince of darkness, On the contrary, we will be yet more vigilant, vet more enthusiastic in planting the truth, the standard of our Kine, where it can be seen by many now ignorantly fighting against him and it. Let none think of the “Volunteers” as illiterate “hand-billcistributers.” Quite to the contrary, these “ministers of the truth” who are reaching larger numbers and exerting a greater influence than if they occupied the chief pulpits of the land, are far above the average of those whom they serve—both in seculor and in Biblical intelligence. One is a stove-manufacturer and dealer; several are storekeepers, one owning and successfully managing five stores; some are college graduates, architects and civil engineers; some are clerks holding remunerative positions of trust—one of the latter, besides doing diligent “Volunteer” work, economized rigidly his living expenses and accumulated five hundred dollars during last year, which he sent to our Society to assist in publishing more “good-tidings-ammunition.” Several are the chosen leaders of meetings in their various localities; several are stenographers {male and female); at least two are artists, one of these of distinction as a protrait painter; others are house wives; others are mechanics, who, after a week of toil, find recreation and heartrefreshment by spending part of each Sunday as messengers (angels) of the Lord to carry to their “brethren” yet in Babylon the true Gospel mescage,—“good-tidings of great joy which shall be unto all people” through “him who loved us and bought us with his own precious blood.” Plenty of worldly business can command such servants because of the pay offered; but no other religious work has ever called for and gotten volunteers of this class, nor for a work of this kind, whose only pay in the present time is the divine blessing “a hundred fold more in this present time with persecution.—and in the world to come eternal life’— “glory, honor and immortality.” No other Gospel was ever worthy of so intelligent a class of servants; but as respects this Gospel its most honorable servants feel that all that they have and are, are offerings far too insignificant to testify to God their new-found appreciation of his glorious character and plan. They feel impelled to pay their vows unto the [2554}