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eo And Feri Vou. XXVI of (Chyists Prese nee. ALLEGHENY, PA., JANUARY 1, 1905 No. 1 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER HAPPY NEW YEAR, 1905 Greetings, dear fellow Watchers! The great clock of Time marks another cycle, and shows us another day’s march nearer liome—nearer to our “change,” and contact fellowship with our Savior—nearer to the kingdom and its blessings for all the families of the earth. “How light our trials then will seem! How short our pilgrim way!” But, though thus rejoicing in the flight of time, it is not with us as with many of the poor world when they would express themselves similarly, perhaps at the moment meditating suicide. No, indeed! The love of Christ makes fresh our hearts, as a fountain ever springing, so that to the true children of God every day has the Christian’s secret of a happy day and every year the same. We are greatly enjoying the present, with its songs and sighs, its pleasures and disappointments, its joys and discouragements, while waiting for and with the eye of faith looking for “That blessed hope, the glorious revelation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” and the wonderful riches of divine grace and blessing then to be showered upon the world of mankind under the New Covenant. “It makes each trial blest” to realize that it is one of the “all things” promised to work for good to the Lord’s spirit-begotten children, who are being prepared for joint-heirship with their Lord in the great kingdom which soon is to blesa and uplift Adam and all his race. This is the secret which none but the blood-washed and consecrated, the spirit-begotten, can “comprehend.”— (Eph. 3:18) These alone are able truly to sing :— “Yes, happy every day has been Since I am his and he is mine. He leads me and I follow on Directed through the Word divine.” Not that we are absolutely pure and perfect, any of us (except “pure in heart,” pure in our intentions and desires), but that we by faith realize that our Redeemer’s merit covers us, and permits us, if overtaken of a fault unwillingly, to apply for a share of the merit of “the blood” to cleanse our wedding parment from spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that our communion and fellowship with our Lord be never hindered except for a moment as it were. Let us start the New Year properly, remembering the Apostle’s words: “Set your affections on things above;”—-not on earthly things. If they slip away through earthly attractions reset them, time and time again. Gradually they will become more strongly attached to the heavenly things;—gradually we will come to appreciate both more truthfully and find that— “The joys of earth of little worth Should not confine our thoughts to earth. Why grasp at transitory toys So near to heaven’s eternal joys?” [3479] Many adopted our suggestion of a text for 1904 with great profit, and now we suggest one for the year 1905 as follows: 1903—MOTTO TEXT—1905 “Wisdom fs tbe Principal Thing: Therefore get Wisdom.’’—Prov, 4:7 * * + The Wlisdom tbat is from Above is first Pure, Then Peaceable, Gentle, Easy of Entreatment, Full of Mercy and Good Frutts.’’—FJas. 3:17 Let us as “Children of the Highest” give earnest heed to the heavenly counsel as the essence of wisdom. No matter how far advanced we may be in Christian character it will make us better to give earnest heed to this wisdom:—better husbands and wives, better parents and children, better colaborers, friends and neighbors! Let us be wise toward God, whatever feliowmen may consider us. ‘‘THEY WILL ACOUSE ME OF HERESY’’ These words are becoming quite familiar to those who get a glance at the public press reports. Yesterday it was Rev. 8. T. Carter, D, D., who thus feared as he addressed the Nassau Presbytery, telling them that he no longer believes the Bible narrative of the fall in Eden, and a divine curse in consequence, and the need of a Redeemer to effect atonement for the sin and to again open to man a way of life: today it is Rev. Lyman Abbott, D. D., a Congregationalist, who expresses the same fear to Harvard College students, while telling them of his abandonment of the very same doctrines. How it shocks us to hear these aged veterans tell that they are no longer soldiers of the eross and followers of the Lamb. The cross to them was needless and the Lamb’s blood was unnecessary. But there is a ridiculous side to this serious question. These aged Christian ministers intimate to us that for a long time they have had their unbelief ;—for a long time they have been too cowardly to confess it;—for a long time therefore they have hypocritically posed as believers when they were unbelievers! Alas that such a view of their course is the only one possible. Alas that we must fear that there are others in the pulpits of Christendom, many of them, equally pharisaical. Rev. Carter feared that the Nassau Presbytery would accuse him of heresy! Is that meant asa joke? Does not this learned doctor of divinity know the meaning of the word heretic? Did he claim that he is not an heretic and fear that the Presbytery would be falsely aecusing him by calling him one? [et us see what the word heretic means, in plain English. We take the Standard Dictionary’s definition.— “Heretic (theological def.) An actual or former member of a church, or one whoce allegiance is claimed by it, who holds religious opinions contrary to the fundamental doctrines cr tenets of that church.” (3-4)