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47s ZL) aggressively, as you ouggest, or defensively. Really we are on the defensive—the stronghold Zion is attacked by enemies from without and within. The Bible is attacked by so-called Higher Critics, and the cross, the doctrine of the ransom, is attacked by Evolutionists and hosts of others. and the long entrenched errors of doctrine are now stumbling many who want to be on the Lord’s side of this battle—the side of truth. The enemy of truth, Satan, and his deluded followers must be shown up and driven completely outside Zion’s BIBLE READING Deak BrotHer Russect:—I can hardly appreciate the advice given by you in the last Warcn Tower, under caption of “Attention, Watch Tower Readers!” inasmuch as I am always benefited by a re-reading of the Dawns, but permit me to say that I believe there are some who may misconstrue the last two sentences of the above article and think into them a meaning it is not intended they should contain, viz., that you are advocating the reading of the Dawns exclusive of God’s Word. I have learned from observation that those who merely read the Dawns without examining the context of Scriptures quoted do not become well established in the truth, so that when the fire that tries every man’s faith becomc> more intense, they are unable to endure the ordeal. It has further been my experience that those who state that “they” have the Bible to read, and that it ig sufficient for them without reading the DAWNs, never come to a clear knowledge of the truth, because they thereby ignore the instrumentality that God has been pleased to honor in setting forth his truth in these last days. And in ignoring the instrumentality they ignore not man, but God, “who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will;” and hence, as long as they maintain such an attitude, they cannot hope to be led into all truth. But happy are those who keep their minds in a receptive condition for truth, willing to receive it through whatever agency the Lord may be pleased to send it to them. May the Lord enable each one of us so to be. Before closing I must tell you that I was greatly encouraged by the article, “Keep vourselves in the love of God.” How it has refreshed me in spirit! I appreciate more fully now the fact that it is one thing to possess the “love of God” and another thing to maintain it to the end of our course. ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa, walls that now at last “wheat” may be distinguished from “tarer.” We know of no better aid in this conflict than the “Volunteer Tower.” It is an inspiring scene to see the Allegheny church volunteers going forth every Sunday morning, and it must be still more so to witness the larger company of the Boston church—about 80 per cent of the entire church, we understand, are “volunteers.” The influence of such preachers and their message is bound to tell on the right class.—EDITor. J INDISPENSABLE How much effort on our part is implied in the word “keep!” —continuous effort, yet ever mindful of the fact that the Lord is the “author” as well as the “finisher of our faith.” It is to “pray without ceasing,” to “quench not the spirit,” to “despise not prophesying,” to “prove all things and hold fast that which is good.” Some three years ago, when I began to appreciate the beauty of “present truth,” I realized I had lost much presious time, and desiring to make the best of the little I had left, I thought over several plans and finally decided on this one, “Every day I will try to become a little more like Jesus, and then he will make plain to me those things I do not now understand.” And I find that my knowledge of the “deep things of God” has ever been commensurate with my progress in becoming more and more like God’s dear Son, but herein I became aware of the greatest struggle of my hfe, a struggle to the death of the old nature, and oh, what a struggle it is, only those who have tried to stem the current of a fallen and depraved nature know. I found arrayed against me the world, the flesh and the devil, but “thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” How appropriate are the words,— “Keep striving: the winners are those who have striven And fought for the prize that no idler has won; To the hand of the stedfast alone it is given, And before it is gained there is work to be done.” Enclosed find order for Dawns. With much Christian love, T am, Yours in our Redeemer, E. J. Cowarp.—Tezus. Vou. XXI ALLEGHENY, PA., JULY 15, 1900 No. 14 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER IS THE CHINA TROUSLE PROPHETICALLY SIGNIFICANT? Apparently a serious crisis in the world’s affairs is being reachel in China. For the past sixty years Europeans have been intruding themselves upon the Chinese, ostensibly for the benevolent purpose of blessing the Chinese with European civilization, but really for commercial purposes,—supplying their needs for a money consideration. Subsequently, about torty years avo, under compulsory regulations forced upon the Chinese, Christian missionaries were permitted to enter the Flowery Empire to eontradict its religious and moral ideas cherished for centuries. The new religion brought family strife—especially beeause it taught the people that their ancestors (whom the Chinese worship as demi-gods), not being believers in the only name wherein is salvation, were lo-t eternally—doomwed to everlasting torments. These missionaries, and all foreign merchants who lodged with them, were specially protected by treaty laws and regulations. and thus were exempted from Chinese Jaws and became a favored people, possessed of gieater privileges and liberties than the wuatives. Moreover, the missionaries (especially the Romanists, from all accounts) attempted to extend ihese special treaty rights to such Chinese as professed conversion—the priests became the attorneys of their people, ard by arguments and threats, etc., generally got their faithfut free from charges brought against them. thus imeh by inch the white man forcibly intruded upon he vellow man, until the war between China and Japan. which displayed to the civilized world the helplessness of China, the second greatest nation of the world numerically (400,000,000). Since then the white man’s arrogance has inereised, and the newspapers of the world have told the Chinese that it is only a question of time until their nation will no longer exist, being divided among the nations of Europe, who have grasped ports and whole districts, compelling a nominal acquiescence on the part of the Chinese. The Chinese are a thriftv people and peaceably disposed and not specially patriotic.—else they would not have submitted to these intrusions so long as they have. Indeed, they are quite tolerant toward foreigners who will adopt their civilization, submit to their laws and mind their own business. Understanding the circumstances, we cannot so much wonder at the recent uprising against foreigners under the auspices of an athletic society called the “Boxers.” It is worthy of note that the present outbreak, while it has extended to all missionaries and all foreigners, nevertheless began with Roman Catholics exclusively. Much as we must deprecate the killing of many missionaries and many native converts, we must admit that such an uprising would have occurred long ago among white men of any nationality. Lack of patriotic sentiment amongst the Chinese, and infcrior armament, etc., accounts for the delay of this outbreak: the people have been kept so busy providing for life’s necessities that Jove of money has crowded out love of country. Europe is astounded at the late uprising, for two reasons. (1) It offers a suggestion that a patriotic feeling may yet take hold of the Chinese, which with their overwhelming numbeis would make them a menace to Europe, for they could muster an army twice as numerous as could all Europe combined—an army accustomed to obedience, and very economical. (2) Even should the whites succeed in coercing the Chinese, and hold the kingdom as a vassal empire, or divide it amongst the “more civilized,” the danger is that international jealousies over shares in the spoils, “spheres of influence,” ete., would ultimately lead to great wars. far-reaching in their influence, and quite possibly involving all Europe. It 1s from this standpoint that affairs in China are of special interest to those who know that we are living in the harvest time of the Gospel age, and who are instructed from the Word of God to expect this age to close with a great time of trouble—beginning with international complications, [2662]