NovEMBER 1, 1906 had the appearance of evil. Nor was there evil in this, for it was the truth; but feigning great piety, great respect for God, great reverence for the promise of God respecting Messiah—feigning to be thunderstruck with such a claim by Jesus, Caiaphas arose, his face full of pretended indignation and wrath against such a claim, which he affected to think so dishonored God as to be blasphemy, he rent or tore his robe as an expression of his pretended righteous indignation. He cried out to the people, ‘‘ This is blasphemy—what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? What would be the proper punishment for such an awful crime as this? How shall we deter others from similarly coming forward and claiming to be Messiah, the Son of God, healing the sick, giving examples of his power in awakening the dead and casting out the devils from the people?’’ The elders, there assembled for the very purpose of murdering Jesus, answered, voted, ‘‘He is worthy of death.’’ Jesus must wait, and they meanwhile reviled him—if not the elders and officers, yet with their knowledge and without their hindrance—and smote the Lord and spat upon him and derided him, and, calling him a Prophet, asked him to prove his ability as a Messiah and prophet by naming his tormentors. ‘‘But as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth’’ to defend himself, nor did he use the power invested in him, nor call for the twelve legions of angels who he previously declared would have been ready to respond for his release. On the contrary, he realized that he was but carrying out his covenant of sacrifice and submitted himself accordingly, desiring that this or whatever was the Father’s will might be done in him. What is the lesson in this for us? We have covenanted to learn of him, to follow his example. How do we receive Vout. XXVIT ALLEGHENY, PA., NOVEMBER 15, 1906 ZION’S WATCH TOWER (355-356) the buffetings, the trials, the ‘‘contradictions of sinners’’? Are we similarly patient, long suffering? Do we endure these, realizing that nothing could happen to us except by our Father’s knowledge—nothing that he is not both able and willing to overrule for our good? It will not do for us to say that if we deserved the evil treatment we could take it patiently, for we are to remember the truth of what one of the thieves confessed, ‘‘This man hath done nothing amiss.’’ We cannot say that we have been perfect in all of our dealings with those who may despitefully use us and persecute us, even though our intentions have been the best, and even though we have in some degree rendered good for the evil we receive. Let us remember the Apostle’s words on this line, ‘‘For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye might follow in his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously.’’—1 Pet. 2:20-23. Let us not only see to it that we are as nearly as possible taultless and undeserving of reproaches and buffetings, but when these experiences come to us let us remember to take them patiently, uncomplainingly, and thus to more and more develop and exhibit the charaeter-likeness of our Lord. Those who thus do, have the Lord’s guarantee that every such experience shall prove a blessing in the end. Those who, on the contrary, undertake to ‘‘battle for their rights,’’ show that they either do not understand the nature of the covenant they have made to take up the cross, or else that they are unwilling to comply with the terms of that covenant. No. 22 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER FROM DEVILISH TO SAINTLY SURGERY We have already noted in these columns an instance of how surgery, the trepanning of the skull and the removal of a tumor from the brain, changed a bad boy into a good one. We now note, in the American-Journal-Ezaminer, the account of another such ease: a bandit, desperado, train robber and murderer of the Northwest, after being imprisoned was found to have some good traits and became a very useful man in the prison service, but nevertheless retained a vindictive, murderous spirit. Seizing his opportunity he was about to kill one of the keepers. The record says: ‘‘He fought like a madman, and it was only after a spirited struggle that the handcuffs were placed upon his wrists. When the man regained his feet he said, ‘‘I never expected to be taken alive. Give me my arms and I will defy the whole town.’’ The man’s name is Charles Holzhay, but he was generally known as Black Bart. The attention of the surgeons connected with the prison was drawn to the man, an operation was performed, a tumor removed from the brain, since which time Black Bart gives every evidence of being greatly changed in his general disposition, and, as the newspaper records—‘‘Before they cut out the bad spot in the brain of Black Bart, the murderous bandit, he was the wildest, fiercest villain and freebooter of the Northwest; now he is tame and mild, a teacher in a Sunday School, a reader of tracts, a praying man full of noble impulses. ’? No one for a moment supposes that all the meanness and weakness of the world are caused by brain tumors; but from our standpoint we can readily see that all the badness and meanness of the world is caused more or less directly by the fall, the imperfect twists and ruts of the human mind in consequence of depravity. Sin and death working in our race have wrought the general havoc of mind and morals and physique which makes of the human family what the Apostle describes as the ‘‘groaning creation.’?’> We can readily see that the will may have large influence in rectifying these defects, so that those who give their hearts to the Lord and turn from sin and meanness to copy the Lord’s character to the best of their ability, may and do make considerable progress; but we all are witnesses that perfection is not attainable by any of us, however much we will to have it. As the Apostle said, ‘‘To will is present with me, but how to do [all that I will] that which is good, I find not.’’—Rom. 7:18. What the world needs, then, is the great Restorer, who, during the ‘‘times of restitution of all things spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began,’’ shall lift up the poor, degenerate race from its fallen condition and bring it gradually back to all that was lost in Eden by the first man’s transgression—back to the image and likeness of God. True, there will still be room for the human will to exercise itself, and any who knowingly, willingly, understandingly reject and oppose the divine restitution work will be utterly destroyed in the Seeond Death.—Acts 3:19-23. The whole world, then, is waiting for the good Physician, and the Scriptures tell us how long they must wait and what blessings will come to them as soon as the waiting time is ended. They must wait until the church, the body of Christ, has been selected from the world and proven itself worthy of its call by willing and glad participation with Jesus in his work of sacrifice, that they may also be participators in his coming work of glory and blessing and uplifting. Then all the blind eyes shall be opened, all the deaf ears shall be unstopped and the lame shall be healed—physical, mental and moral healing and enlightenment are herein proclaimed as the work of the great Restorer, soon to begin. The entire work will require one day’s time—not a _ twenty-four-hour day, but the ‘‘Day of Christ,’’ for, as the Apostle Peter declares, ‘‘we should not be ignorant of this one thing, that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.’’—2 Pet. 3:8. ANOTHER OPERATION AT TOLEDO The Toledo News-Bee says:—‘‘Nearly a year has elapsed since Doctors J. & P. Donnelly operated on Harold Hurley, an incorrigible boy, at St. Vincent’s hospital, and since that time four other operations of similar character have been performed. The Hurley boy was a burden to his family and a menace to the neighborhood: he is a changed youngster, obedient, kind, tractable, and the parents are ready witnesses to the efficacy of the operation which rescued their boy from degradation, vice and crime. ‘<From all over the country, especially from large cities, come eager inquiries for the Toledo surgeons seeking information as to the nature of the operation and its results. Already in Philadelphia the city is bearing the expenses of the operations on incorrigibles and considers them a good investment, while New York is seriously considering the same problem. ‘(The last operation of this kind was performed in St. Vincent’s hospital Friday morning (Aug. 24) by Dr. J. Donnelly, on a 13-year-old boy, who was released from the workhouse and taken directly to the hospital for the operation. [3889]
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