Publication date
9/1/00
Volume
21
Number
17
The WatchTower
Views From the Watch Tower
The Watchtower Magazines
../literature/watchtower/1900/17/1900-17-1.html
 
 
(255-259) 
ZION'S 
WATCH 
TOWER 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA, 
source 
of 
great 
blessing 
to 
others 
of 
my 
fellow-creatures 
not 
so 
bountifully 
supplied; 
in 
fact, 
I 
have 
III 
my 
hand 
the 
power 
to 
make 
many 
fellow-creatures 
comfortable 
and 
happy; 
and 
in 
discharging 
this 
stewardship 
in 
this 
proper 
manner 
I 
shall 
have 
much 
greater 
pleasure 
than 
if 
I 
endeavored 
selfishly 
to 
use 
all 
these 
bounties 
upon 
myself, 
or 
to 
store 
them 
up 
for 
my 
own 
use 
in 
the 
future. 
Such 
an 
unselfish, 
generous 
course 
would 
not 
only 
have 
had 
divine 
approval, 
and 
thus 
have 
constituted 
"true 
riches" 
"laid 
up 
in 
heaven," 
but, 
additionally, 
it 
would 
have 
been 
the 
most 
direct 
road 
to 
happiness 
for 
the 
already 
favored 
indi­ 
vidual 
himself. 
It 
is 
a 
true 
proverb, 
"There 
is 
that 
scattereth 
and 
yet 
increaseth, 
and 
there 
is 
that 
withholdeth 
more 
than 
is 
meet, 
and 
it 
tendeth 
to 
poverty." 
So, 
many 
have 
found 
that 
hoarding 
of 
earthly 
wealth 
leads 
to 
poverty 
of 
heart, 
to 
a 
meanneRS 
of 
disposition, 
which 
is 
not 
enjoyed 
by 
the 
individ· 
ual 
himself, 
and 
which 
is 
strongly 
reprobated 
by 
him 
with 
whom 
rests 
our 
eternal 
interests, 
our 
everlasting 
blessing 
and 
riches. 
On 
the 
eontrary, 
he 
who 
uses, 
in 
harmony 
with 
his 
best 
judgment, 
the 
earthly 
wealth 
committed 
to 
his 
care, 
thereby 
purcha"es 
to 
himself 
a 
rich 
reward 
of 
approbation 
on 
the 
part 
of 
all 
with 
whom 
he 
has 
to 
do; 
and, 
through 
the 
Lord's 
gracious 
arrangement 
in 
Christ, 
this 
cultivation 
of 
the 
spirit 
of 
love 
becomes 
a 
most 
important 
factor 
in 
respect 
to 
his 
attainment 
of 
everlasting 
joy 
and 
blessing. 
As 
illustrating 
the 
uncertainty 
of 
sueh 
selfish 
calculations, 
our 
Lord 
might 
have 
made 
the 
parable 
to 
close 
by 
showing 
the 
rieh 
man 
as 
losing 
all 
of 
his 
possessions 
and 
being 
reduced 
to 
beggary 
through 
some 
misfortune, 
such 
as 
war 
or 
fire; 
or 
he 
might 
have 
shown 
him 
the 
victim 
of 
a 
loathsome 
disease, 
in 
whirh 
even 
hi" 
rirhes 
could 
not 
purchase 
attendance, 
so 
that 
thu" 
he 
might 
suffer 
want 
in 
the 
midst 
of 
plenty. 
But 
he 
chose 
to 
close 
the 
parable 
by 
merely 
representing 
the 
rich 
man 
as 
dying 
suddenly-ceasing 
to 
have 
and 
to 
hold 
and 
greedily 
enJoy 
his 
selfish 
hoardings. 
"Soul, 
take 
thine 
ease," 
etc., 
i" 
merely 
another 
way 
of 
saying-Self, 
take 
thine 
ease, 
eat 
drink, 
etc. 
Our 
Lord, 
to 
enforce 
the 
lesson, 
then 
raises 
the 
question, 
Whose. 
then, 
shall 
the"e 
things 
be? 
They 
could 
no 
longer 
be 
enjoyed 
by 
the 
accumulator, 
whoever 
might 
get 
them; 
he 
would 
be 
poor 
indeed, 
whoever 
might 
enjoy 
them; 
for 
these 
were 
all 
that 
he 
had; 
he 
had 
given 
up 
thought 
and 
effort 
and 
every 
talent 
to 
money-making 
and 
to 
attempted 
selfish 
enjoy­ 
ments, 
and 
had 
not 
been 
rich 
toward 
God,-han 
not 
been 
rich 
in 
goon 
works-had 
not 
laid 
up 
treasure 
in 
heaven. 
His 
life 
had 
been 
a 
failure; 
lie 
would 
enter 
the 
next 
life 
a 
pauper, 
as 
respeets 
mental 
and 
moral 
development 
in 
good 
qualities. 
He 
would 
enter 
it 
with 
a 
load 
of 
selfishness, 
with 
which 
to 
some 
extent 
he 
had 
been 
born, 
but 
to 
which 
he 
had 
added 
greatly 
by 
a 
life 
of 
selfishness. 
And 
his 
load 
of 
selfishness 
will, 
in 
that 
future 
life, 
for 
a 
time 
handicap 
his 
efforts 
toward 
true 
nobility, 
should 
he 
then 
make 
efforts 
toward 
perfection 
under 
the 
gracious 
terms 
of 
the 
Millennial 
kingdom. 
Tho 
our 
Lord 
in 
the 
parable 
represents 
the 
covetous 
per­ 
son 
as 
succeeding 
in 
accumulating 
riches, 
yet, 
as 
a 
matter 
of 
fact, 
the 
majority 
of 
covetous 
people 
never 
so 
succeed; 
and 
their 
selfishness 
is 
not 
less 
reprehensible 
from 
the 
fact 
that 
it 
fails 
of 
success. 
The 
thought 
rather 
is 
that 
if 
a 
covetous 
person 
who 
succeeds 
makes 
a 
miserable 
failure 
of 
life, 
how 
much 
worse 
would 
be 
the 
failure 
of 
the 
covetous 
person 
who 
gains 
nothing, 
either 
in 
the 
present 
life 
or 
in 
that 
which 
is 
to 
rome! 
Our 
Lord, 
turning 
to 
his 
disciples 
at 
this 
juncture, 
gave 
a 
special 
lesson 
applicable 
to 
them 
only, 
and 
not 
to 
the 
multitude. 
Literally 
translated 
this 
message 
is: 
Be 
not 
ananous 
as 
respects 
your 
earthly 
life, 
its 
food 
and 
its 
cloth­ 
ing. 
Think 
rather 
of 
the 
hfe 
which 
IS 
to 
come; 
remember 
that 
this 
present 
condition 
is, 
from 
the 
divine 
standpoint, 
a 
death 
condition. 
Consider 
that 
in 
you 
who 
believe, 
the 
new, 
the 
eternal 
life, 
has 
already 
begun, 
and 
that 
if 
you 
will 
faith­ 
fully 
continue 
under 
present 
conditions 
in 
living 
for 
this 
new 
life, 
and 
not 
after 
the 
flesh, 
it 
will 
be 
perfeeted 
in 
the 
First 
Resurrertion. 
Think 
more 
of 
your 
bonie" 
than 
of 
the 
rai­ 
ment 
whieh 
covers 
them; 
think 
'more 
of 
your 
life 
than 
of 
the 
natural 
food 
by 
which 
it 
is 
at 
present 
sustained. 
God 
is 
able 
and 
wIlling 
to 
give 
perfect 
life 
and 
perfeet 
bodirR 
and 
perfect 
conditions 
to 
those 
who 
believe 
in 
me, 
who 
walk 
in 
my 
foot­ 
steps 
and 
meet 
my 
approval. 
The 
reason 
why 
you 
need 
not 
take 
anxious 
thought 
for 
these 
temporal 
things, 
for 
which 
the 
world 
takeR 
anxious 
thought 
(and 
neceRRarilv 
RO), 
is 
this: 
you 
have 
come 
into 
harmony 
with 
God, 
and 
have 
been 
adopted 
into 
hiR 
family; 
believing 
in 
me, 
you 
have 
been 
granted 
"lib­ 
erty 
to 
become 
sons 
of 
God." 
( 
John 
1: 
12) 
AR 
sons 
of 
God, 
with 
the 
new 
life 
begun 
in 
you, 
you 
are 
to 
realize 
that 
everything 
of 
the 
present 
life 
is 
qUite 
unworthy 
to 
be 
comprlfed 
with 
the 
future 
and 
eternal 
interests. 
You 
are 
to 
remember 
that, 
having 
consecrated 
yourselves 
to 
the 
Father's 
will 
in 
beeoming 
my 
diRciples, 
you 
have 
given 
up 
every 
interest 
and 
matter 
to 
his 
superior 
wisdom. 
Be 
content, 
therefore; 
be 
without 
anxiety, 
knowing 
that 
so 
long 
as 
you 
abide 
in 
me, 
and 
so 
long 
as 
you 
are 
walking 
in 
my 
footsteps, 
your 
Heavenly 
Father 
knoweth 
what 
things 
you 
have 
need 
of, 
even 
before 
you 
ask 
him, 
and 
is 
both 
able 
and 
willing 
to 
give 
what 
is 
best. 
Therefore, 
if 
in 
divine 
providence 
you 
receive 
poverty 
as 
your 
unavoidable 
portion, 
accept 
it 
as 
be"t 
for 
you, 
accord­ 
ing 
to 
divine 
wisdom; 
remembering 
that 
it 
is 
Our 
Redeemer 
who 
is 
guarding 
our 
future 
and 
eternal 
interest, 
and 
permit­ 
ting 
such 
experiences 
in 
this 
present 
life 
as 
will 
be 
most 
lJeneficial 
to 
us, 
and 
as 
will 
lead 
most 
directly 
to 
eternal 
riches 
and 
favors, 
and 
that 
in 
greatest 
measure. 
ALLEGHENY, 
PA., 
SEPTEMBER 
1, 
1900 
VIEWS 
FROM 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
1\0.17 
THE 
CHICAGO 
LOVE 
FEAST 
A 
love 
fcast 
from 
beginning 
to 
end! 
This 
was 
the 
public 
expr(,~~lon 
of 
J1HUlY. 
anel 
npparentlv 
thp 
;,pntinJPnt 
of 
nJI 
in 
attendanee. 
Our 
Lord 
surely 
poured 
us 
out 
a 
grand 
spiritual 
blessing 
and 
refreRhment. 
Surely 
if 
any 
went 
away 
empty 
it 
was 
in 
part 
or 
in 
whole 
his 
own 
fault. 
None 
of 
our 
con­ 
ventions 
ever 
e':hibiteel 
more 
love 
for 
the 
Lord 
and 
his 
truth 
and 
his 
brethren. 
Indeed 
each 
succeeding 
one 
seems 
just 
a 
little 
bptter 
than 
it" 
pre(lece"sors, 
however 
grand 
they 
were. 
And 
may 
we 
not 
expeet 
this, 
as 
we 
approach 
nearer 
and 
nearer 
in 
our 
journey 
toward 
"The 
general 
assembly 
and 
church 
of 
the 
firRt-borns?" 
It 
would 
be 
but 
reasonable 
that 
the 
ripening 
of 
the 
hearts 
of 
a 
larger 
number 
should 
be 
more 
and 
more 
manifest 
in 
the 
exhibited 
fruits 
of 
the 
spirit. 
The 
Chicago 
Convention 
wa" 
nnnouneed 
as 
a­ 
CONVENTION 
OF 
BELIEVERS 
IN 
THE 
ATONEMENT 
Through 
"the 
PreciOUS 
Blood 
of 
Christ"-"A 
Ransom 
for 
All," 
and 
In 
His 
Mlllennial 
Kingdom 
It 
lasted 
for 
three 
days, 
continuously-except 
for 
inter­ 
missions 
for 
food 
and 
rest-and 
was 
followed 
by 
a 
colporteurs' 
session 
in 
the 
interest 
of 
those 
already 
in 
that 
service, 
or 
about 
to 
enter 
it. 
The 
attendanee 
was 
the 
best 
we 
have 
ever 
had 
;-three 
im­ 
portant 
items 
contributing: 
(l) 
Chicago's 
large 
population 
and 
the 
goodly 
number 
already 
interested 
in 
the 
truth 
there. 
(2) 
The 
city's 
central 
location. 
(3) 
The 
unusually 
low 
rates 
of 
railroad 
fare 
granted 
from 
every 
direction 
and 
over 
all 
roads. 
The 
number 
in 
attendance 
was 
estimated 
at 
be· 
tween 
500 
and 
600, 
and 
of 
these 
about 
300 
were 
from 
outside 
Cbicago. 
"-e 
had 
a 
grand 
time! 
The 
Lord 
be 
praised! 
Mav 
the 
bleRsing 
so 
abundantly 
poured 
out 
not 
only 
be 
lasting 
in 
its 
effert 
upon 
those 
who 
received 
it, 
but 
may 
it 
overflow 
from 
them 
upon 
the 
brethren 
at 
their 
various 
homes, 
and 
thus 
be­ 
come 
wide-spread. 
We 
know 
well 
that 
we 
had 
the 
loving 
thoughts 
and 
earne'3t 
prayers 
of 
many 
thousands 
not 
privi­ 
leged 
to 
meet 
with 
us. 
Eighty-two 
symbolized 
their 
conse­ 
cration 
to 
death 
by 
water 
baptism 
(46 
brothers, 
36 
sister,,) 
It 
was 
a 
grand 
sight, 
such 
as 
is 
seldom 
witnessed 
on 
earth. 
We 
may 
be 
sure 
that 
our 
Lord, 
the 
great 
Chief 
Reaper, 
and 
the 
saints 
who 
have 
already 
joined 
him 
"beyond 
the 
vail," 
and 
also 
our 
guardian 
angels 
who 
continually 
minister 
unto 
those 
who 
shall 
be 
heirs 
of 
salvation, 
looked 
upon 
that 
scene 
with 
deep 
interest, 
as 
did 
some 
three 
hundred 
brethren 
in 
the 
flesh 
who 
were 
witnesses. 
SOUTHERN 
PRESBYTERIANS 
TROUBLED 
The 
split 
between 
Northern 
and 
Southern 
Presbyterians 
during 
the 
Civil 
war 
made 
of 
them 
practically 
two 
distinct 
bodies 
or 
denomination'!. 
The 
troubles 
and 
suggestions 
re­ 
Rpeeting 
the 
Confession 
of 
Faith 
have 
all 
been 
amongst 
the 
Northern 
brethren, 
until 
lately. 
However, 
at 
the 
last 
"Gen­ 
eral 
Assembly 
of 
the 
Presbyterian 
church 
(South)" 
a 
petition 
was 
received 
from 
the 
Presbytery 
of 
Brazos, 
Texas, 
requesting 
that 
the 
Assembly 
"modify 
the 
statements 
of 
the 
COllfr,;sion 
regarding 
the 
eternal 
damnation 
of 
non-elect 
inhnts." 
The 
resolution 
was 
strangled 
in 
committee 
which 
reported 
adversely 
to 
any 
discussion 
of 
the 
Confession 
fearing 
no 
doubt 
that 
the 
question 
once 
opened 
never 
would 
close. 
The 
repre· 
sentatives 
of 
the 
Brazos 
Presbytery 
asked 
an 
amendment 
to 
[2686] 
(255-259) source of great blessing to others of my fellow-creatures not so bountifully supplied; in fact, I have in my hand the power to make many fellow-creatures comfortable and happy; and in discharging this stewardship in this proper manner I shall have much greater pleasure than if J endeavored selfishly to use all these bounties upon myself, or to store them up for my own use in the future. Such an unselfish, generous course would not only have had divine approval, and thus have constituted “true riches” “Jaid up in heaven,” but, additionally, it would have been the most direct road to happiness for the already favored individual himself. It is a true proverb, “There is that scattereth and yet increaseth, and there ig that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty.” So, many have found that hoarding of earthly wealth leads to poverty of heart, to @ meanness of disposition, which is not enjoyed by the individual himself, and which is strongly reprobated by him with whom rests our eternal interests, our everlasting blessing and riches. On the contrary, he who uses, in harmony with his best judgment, the earthly wealth committed to hig care, thereby purchases to himself a rich reward of approbation on the part of all with whom he has to do; and, through the Lord’s gracious arrangement in Christ, this cultivation of the spirit of love becomes a most important factor in respect to his attainment of everlasting joy and blessing. As illustrating the uncertainty of such selfish calculations, our Lord might have made the parable to close by showing the rich man as losing all of his possessions and being reduced to beggary through some misfortune, such as war or fire; or he might have shown him the victim of a loathsome disease, in which even his riches could not purchase attendance, so that thus he might suffer want in the midst of plenty. But he chose to close the parable by merely representing the rich man as dying suddenly—ceasing to have and to hold and greedily enjoy his selfish hoardings. “Soul, take thine ease,” etc., 13 merely another way of saying—Self, take thine ease, eat drink, etc. Our Lord, to enforce the lesson, then raises the question, Whose, then, shall these things be? They could no longer be enjoyed by the accumulator, whoever might get them; he would be poor indeed, whoever might enjoy them; for these were all that he had; he had given up thought and effort and every talent to money-making and to attempted selfish enjoyments, and had not been rich toward God,—had not been rich in good works—had not laid up treasure in heaven. His life had been a failure; he would enter the next life a pauper, as respects mental and moral development in good qualities. He would enter it with a load of selfishness, with which to some extent he had been born, but to which he had added greatly by a life of selfishness, And his load of selfishness ZION’S WATCH TOWER ALLEGHENY, Pa. will, in that future life, for a time handicap his efforts toward true nobility, should he then make efforts toward perfection under the gracious terms of the Millennial kingdom. Tho our Lord in the parable represents the covetous person as succeeding in accumulating riches, yet, as a matter of fact, the majority of covetous people never so succeed; and their selfishness is not less reprehensible from the fact that it fails of success. The thought rather is that if a covetous person who succeeds makes a miserable failure of life, how much worse would be the failure of the covetous person who gains nothing, either in the present life or in that which is to come! Our Lord, turning to his disciples at this juncture, gave a special lesson applicable to them only, and not to the multitude. Literally translated this message is: Be not anxious as respects your earthly life, its food and its clothing. Think rather of the hfe which is to come; remember that this present condition is, from the divine standpoint, a death condition. Consider that in you who believe, the new, the eternal life, has already begun, and that if you will faithfully continue under present conditions in living for this new life, and not after the flesh, it will be perfected in the First Resurrection. Think more of your bodies than of the raiment which covers them; think more of your life than of the natural food by which it is at present sustained. God is able and willing to give perfect life and perfect bodies and perfect conditions to those who believe in me, who walk in my footsteps and meet my approval. The reason why you need not take anxious thought for these temporal things, for which the world takes anxious thought (and necessarily so), is this: you have come into harmony with God, and have been adopted into his family; believing in me. you have been granted “liberty to become sons of God.” (John 1:12) As sons of God, with the new life begun in you, you are to realize that everything of the present life is quite unworthy to be compared with the future and eternal interests. You are to remember that, having consecrated yourselves to the Father’s will in becoming my disciples, you have given up every interest and matter to his superior wisdom. Be content, therefore; be without anxiety, knowing that so long as you abide in me, and so long as you are walking in my footsteps, your Heavenly Father knoweth what things you have need of, even before you ask him, and is both able and willing to give what is best. Therefore, if in divine providence you receive poverty as your unavoidable portion, accept it as best for you. according to divine wisdom; remembering that it is our Redeemer who is guarding our future and eternal interest, and permitting such experiences in this present life as will be most Leneficial to us, and as will lead most directly to eternal riches and favors, and that in greatest measure. Vou. XXJT ALLEGHENY, PA., SEPTEMBER 1, 1900 No. 17 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER THE CHICAGO LOVE FEAST We had a grand time! The Lord be praised! May the A love feast from beginning to end! This was the public expression of many, and apparently the sentiment of all in attendance. Our Lord surely poured us out a grand spiritual blessing and refreshment. Surely if any went away empty jt was in part or in whole his own fault. None of our conventions ever exhibited more love for the Lord and his truth and his brethren. Indeed each succeeding one seems just a little better than its predecessors, however grand they were. And may we not expect this, as we approach nearer and nearer in our journey toward “The general assembly and church of the first-borns?” It would be but reasonable that the ripening of the hearts of a larger number should be more and more manifest in the exhibited fruits of the spirit. The Chicago Convention was announced as a— CONVENTION OF BELIEVERS IN THE ATONEMENT Through ‘‘the Precious Blood of Christ’’-—‘‘A Ransom for All,’’ and in His Mulennial Kingdom It lasted for three days, continuously—except for intermissions for food and rest—and was followed by a colporteurs’ session in the interest of those already in that service, or about to enter it. The attendance was the best we have ever had;—three important items contributing: (1) Chieago’s large population and the goodly number already interested in the truth there. (2) The city’s central location. (3) The unusually low rates of railroad fare granted from every direction and over all roads. The number in attendance was estimated at between 500 and 600, and of these about 300 were from outside Chicago. blessing so abundantly poured out not only be lasting in its effect upon those who received it, but may it overflow from them upon the brethren at their various homes, and thus become wide-spread. We know well that we had the loving thoughts and earnest prayers of many thousands not privileged to meet with us. Eighty-two symbolized their consecration to death by water baptism (46 brothers, 36 sisters) It was a grand sight, such as is seldom witnessed on earth. We may be sure that our Lord, the great Chief Reaper, and the saints who have already joined him “beyond the vail,” and also our guardian angels who continually minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation, looked upon that scene with deep interest, as did some three hundred brethren in the flesh who were witnesses. SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIANS TROUBLED The split between Northern and Southern Presbyterians during the Civil war made of them practically two distinct bodies or denominations, The troubles and suggestions respecting the Confession of Faith have all been amongst the Northern brethren, until lately. However, at the last “General Assembly of the Presbyterian church (South)” a petition was received from the Presbytery of Brazos, Texas, requesting that the Assembly “modify the statements of the Confession regarding the eternal damnation of non-elect infants.” The resolution was strangled in committee which reported adversely to any discussion of the Confession fearing no doubt that the question once opened never would close. The representatives of the Brazos Presbytery asked an amendment to [2686]

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