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(15-19)
THE
WATCH
TOWER
BROOKI.YK,
N.
Y.
time
learned
of
the
difficulties
at
headquarters
and
were
be
ginning
to
make
inquiry.
I
fully
realized
the
possibility
of
this
action
on
my
part
being
misconstrued
as
"taking
a
side"
and,
therefore,
added
my
name
very
reluctantly
after
assur
ances
that
the
paper
would
he
lIsel[
in
aeeordanee
with
my
understanding,
viz.,
to
satisfy
inquiring
friends.
Following
the
circulation
of
this
resolution
my
friendly
attitude
toward
all
the
brethren
concerned
was
called
in
ques
tion.
Immediately
the
unwisdom
of
my
course
beeame
ap
parent,
and
I
saw
that,
if
my
efforts
as
a
peacemaker
were
to
have
further
weight,
it
would
be
necessary
to
undo
what
I
seemingly
had
done
in
signing
the
resolution.
This
I
attempted
in
the
letter
written
July
26th,
afterward
published.
But
step
ping
from
one
"side"
back
to
neutral
ground
was
a
difficult
matter;
in
fact,
I
now
realize
that
I
overstepped
to
the
other
"side."
It
was
in
this
position
that,
out
of
sympathy
for
those
who
I
believed
had
been
made
the
objects
of
undeserved
pub
licity,
I
signed
an
open
letter
to
the
friends
attending
the
Bos
ton
convention.
When
I
discerned,
after
convention,
that
this
action
made
me
equally
as
incapable
of
restoring
harmony
as
I
had
been
after
signing
the
resolution,
I
quietly
withdrew,
deeming
it
best
to
nmke
no
further
I3ltatement
at
that
thl1l'.
I'he
U,l'
(,f
my
H'l
me
in
any
publieation,;
oon(~rning
the
eon
troversy
issued
since
the
Boston
convention
has
been
entirely
without
my
previous
knowledge
and
consent.
In
the
early
part
of
August,
t'he
final
endeavor
to
el3ltah
lish
peace
proved
of
no
avail.
::\Iy
heart
ached
to
tllink
thnt
brethren,
respected
and
loved
for
their
work's
sake.
'shoultl
have
been
held
up
before
the
friends
all
over
the
world
in
a
way
which
to
them
seemed
unwarranted.
I
pleaded
with
them
to
follorw
the
course
of
our
Master
and
suffa!'
glaaly
W!hs.tever
bitter
experiences
the
heavenly
Thther
permitted,
not
even
desiring
to
retaliate
or
justify
themselves;
but
to
commit
their
eause
to
him
that
judgeth
righteously.
Wbat
an
opportunity
to
exhibit
the
spirit
which
we
all
have
been
striVIng
to
cultivate--the
spirit
of
forbearance
wit)l
one
an
other,
the
spirit
of
brotherly
love!
Preferring
n<lt
to
sub
mit
to
what
they
called
an
injustice,
the
four
hrethren
choee
to
leave
the
home.
Here
I
rested
the
case
with
the
Lord.
Meantime
I
have
watched
dcvelopments.
Looking
back,
it
is
now
quite
evidcnt
that
the
Lord
was
pleased
to
permit
the
very
condition
which
many
of
us
tried
earnestly
to
avert.
But
why
should
our
loving
Father
take
pleasure
in
that
which
has
caused
such
widespread
perplexity
and
sorrow?
Surely
he
has
no
desire
to
injure
those
who
are
truly
his.
Bear
ing
in
mind
that
we
are
in
the
closing
hours
of
our
trial
time,
the
reason
for
such
treatment
at
the
hands
of
thc
Judge
of
all
the
earth
is
obvious:
"The
Lord
your
God
doth
prove
you,
to
know
whethpr
ye
love
the
Lord
your
God
with
all
your
heart."
If
we
love
our
God
supremely,
we
will
love
everyone
who
is
begott<>n
of
him-ewry
one
who
is
a
partaker
of
his
Spirit.
Moved
hy
the
spirit
of
love,
we
will
devote
all
our
energies
to
provoking
one
another
to
love
ann
good
works.
Remembering
that
"the
Lord
will
judg('
his
people,"
we
will
be
content
to
wait
for
the
expression
of
his
approval
or
disapproval.
Aecording
to
all
indications,
the
blessing
of
the
Lord
con
tinues
increasingly,
with
those
who
are
striving
to
"show
forth
his
praises,"
including
the
brethren
at
Brooklyn
who
are
endeavoring
to
direct
the
activities
of
the
SOCIETY.
Believing
that
they
have
been
faithful
to
the
divine
commission,
"to
proclaim
the
acc('ptable
year
of
the
Lord,
and
the
day
of
ven
geance
of
our
QQd,"
I
am
glad
to
cooperate
heartily
with.
them.
Our
opportunities
for
service
may
be
limited
or
great
in
mitnber.
Let
us
be
faithful
even
in
the
least;
for
this
will
determine
our
worthiness
of
greater
responsibility
"in
t,hat
day."
Some
have
asked
whether
1
would
be
a
candidate
for
any
office
in
connection
with
the
SoCIETY'S
work
during
the
com
ing
yea\'.
Recognizing
that
the
Lord
himself
is
interested
in
the
appointment
of
those
who
shall
help
in
the
"perfecting
of
the
saints
for
the
work
of
the
ministry,"
I
hesitate
to
pIM'"
myself
as
one
eligible.
The
desire
of
mv
heart
is
to
do
his
bidding,
whatever
that
may
be.
•
Your
brother
in
Christ.
ANllRF;W
N.
PmRSON.
APPRECIATES
THE
"POINT"
OF
THE
SWORD
Editorial
Committee,
THE
WATCH
TOWER.
DF.AR
BBETHRE..~:-
Inadvertently
and
without
due
thought
and
consideration
I
aflh:ed
my
name
to
the
circular
letter
which
I
understood
was
circulated
quite
widely
amongst
the
friends
and
sent
out
with
one
of
the
publirations
of
the
opposition.
I
desire
now
to
go
on
record
as
repudiating
absolutely,
and
having
no
sympathy
with,
the
proposition
contained
in
circular
letter
referred
to
on
page
367
of
Dec.
1
st
WATCH
TOWER.
I
am
not
in
opposition
to
the
Lord,
the
SOCmTY,
nor
Brother
Rutherford,
and
do
not
wish
to
be.
On
the
contrary,
I
lbelieve
the
voice
of
the
Lord
was
expressed
in
the
election
last
Ja·nu
ary.
I
believe
it
was
expressed
in
the
voice
of
the
church
in
the
vote
taken
Nov.
21st,
last,
and
that
it
will
be
expressed
in
the
election
of
the
Shareholders
of
the
SOCIETY
this
Januarv.
I
am
fully
in
harmony
with
the
"Point
of
the
Sword"":
Volume
VII-and
I
believe
it
to
be
"meat
in
due
season"
fur
nished
by
the
Lord
to
his
hungry
sheep
during
the
present
time.
May
it
prove
as
much
of
a
blessing
to
all
as
it
has
be~n
to
me!
May
the
Lord
continue
to
bless
your
efforts.
den):
brethren.
to
8erve
the
interests
of
his
people
and
give
you
a
due
reward
is
the
prayer
of
Your
brother
in
the
One
Hope,
A.
E.
BURGESS.
OVERWHELMED
IN
BEADING
IT
DF..AR
FELLOW
SFJWANTS:-
I
am
sending
you
sixty
cents
for
the
Seventh
Volume
of
SCRIPTURE
STUDIES.
Please
pardon
me
for
not
sending
it
sooner.
I
have
been..
simply
overwhelmed
in
reading
it,
and
it
has
been
so
interestmg,
that
I
just
could
not
spare
the
time
to
write
you
a
little
lettcr
until
now.
Your
brother
in
Christ,
J.
A.
HEUDSPETH.-Tpxtls.
VOL.
XXXIX
BROOKLYX,
X.
Y.,
,TANUARY
Hi,
lfnS
XO.2
ARE
THE
ADVERSARIES
INCREASING
IN
POWER
"Forasmuch
then
as
Christ
ha-8
suffered
for
us
i1l-
the
flesh.,
arm
yourselves
Hkewise
with
the
same
mind."-1
Peter
4:
1.
Why
should
anyone
arm
llimself
unless
he
expected
to
U(1l1
provided
redemption
of
mallkind
from
dpnth
throu"h
thp
meet
an
enemy
in
combat?
This
seems
to
be
the
thought
blood
of
Jesus,
his
beloved
Son.
He
further
foreordained
of
the
Apostle
expressed
in
the
text.
Thc
entire
chapter
and
provided
that
bl'enme
of
Ids
fnll
ohpdienre
to
the
d,iviH('
evidently
relates
to
the
end
of
the
Gospel
age.
It
is
in
the
will
a.nd
pro/lram,
.Jesus
should
he
exalten
above
all
other
nature
of
a
warning
against
adversaries.
"But",
says
St.
rrpatures
(.Tehovah
alone
f'xeepterl)
and
that
he
should
lw
Paul,
"it
is
not
worldly
warfare
that
we
are
waging;
the
Head
over
the
new
creation,
which
new
creation
should
weapons
with
w!Jieh
'we
fight
are
not
human
weapons,
hut
orrupy
the
most
exalted
position
amongst
the
creatures
of
are
mighty
through
God
in
overthrowing
strong
fortifications."
.Tehovah.
This
new
creation
is
referred
to
by
,Tehovah
under
(2
Corinthians
10:3,
4,
'Veymouth.)
Thus
it
is
seen
thllt
the
t.itle
of
"the
seed
of
the
woman."
Satan
is
mentioned
it
is
the
new
creature
that
must
arm
preparatory
to
the
final
as
"the
sf'rpent."
At
the
time
of
Adam's
condemnation
,Ie
conflict.
hovah
declared
that
in
his
own
due
time
"the
s~d
of
the
The
new
creation
had
its
heginning
at
the
bapti~m
of
woman
should
hrui,.;e
the
serpent's
lwad."
In
God's
dne
time
Jesus
in
the
Jordan.
T'hen
and
there
he
was
begotten
to
he
will
use
that
"seed"
to
UJlllo
all
the
wrong
and
wickedness
the
divine
nature.
The
progressive
development
of
the
mem-
resulting
from
Lucifer's
disloyalty.
It
seems
reasonable
to
bers
of
the
new
ereation
has
continued
from
Pentecost
until
conclllrle
that
Satan
understood
that
God
would
develop
this
now,
and
the
eviden~
is
cumulative
that
its
completion
is
"seed",
and
that
it
is
the
purpose
of
JellOvah
to
bring
to
near
at
hand.
All
those
who
will
ultimately
be
of
this
class
naught,
through
this
"seed,"
all
the
~('l]('mes
ann
pfTorts
of
must
be
of
one
mind-the
mind
of
Christ.
All
the
members
Satau,
that
God
intends
to
give
to
the
"~eerl"
t.he
kingdom
thereof
must
meet
the
same
adversaries
anrl
have
eombatB
which
Satap
UsurlH'd,
HeHre
Satan
seeks
to
resist
the
dl'-
oJ
a.
similar
nature.
velopment
of
the
",eell"
and,
if
po~sihl(',
t.o
dest.roy
it,
and
THE
DIVINE
PLAN
to
keep
the
homan
rare
under
his
control.
Jehovah
foreknew
that
Adam
would
disobey
him
and
that
The
Prophet
of
the
Lord
(2ech.
3:1-10)
givps
us
a
brief
all
of
his
progeny
would
suffer
sickness,
sorrow
UJld
death.
picture
of
the
staging
and
unfolding
of
the
great
Drama
re
rn
the
exercise
of
his
loving
kindness
and
perfect
wisdom,
lating
to
the
preparation
and
development
of
the
new
creation
[6198]
(15-19) time learned of the difficulties at headquarters and were beginning to make inquiry. I fully realized the pessibility of this action on my part being misconstrued as “taking a side” and, therefore, added my name very reluctantly after assurances that the paper would be used in accordance with my understanding, viz., to satisfy inquiring friends. Following the circulation of this resolution my friendly attitude toward all the brethren concerned was called in question. Immediately the unwisdom of my course became apparent, and I saw that, if my efforts as a peacemaker were to have further weight, it would be necessary to undo what I seemingly had done in signing the resolution, This I attempted in the letter written July 26th, afterward published. But stepping from one “side” back to neutral ground was a difficult matter; in fact, I now realize that I overstepped to the other “side.” It was in this position that, out of sympathy for those who I believed had been made the objects of undeserved publicity, I signed an open letter to the friends attending fhe Boston convention. When I discerned, after convention, that this action made me equally as incapable of restoring harmony as T had been after signing the resolution, I quietly withdrew, deeming it best to make no further statement at that time. he use of my name in any publications concerning the controversy issued since the Boston convention has been entirely without my previous knowledge and consent. In the early part of August, the final endeavor to establish peace proved of no avail. My heart ached to think that brethren, respected and loved for their work’s sake, “should have been held up before the friends all over the world in a way which to them seemed unwarranted. I pleaded with them to follow the course of our Master and suffer glaaly whatever bitter experiences the heavenly Father permitted, not even desiring to retaliate or justify themselves; but to commit their cause to him that judgeth righteously. What an opportunity to exhibit the spirit which we al} have been striving to cultivate—the spirit of forbearance with one another, the spirit of brotherly love! Preferring ndt to submit to what they called an injustice, the four brethren chose to leave the home. Here I rested the case with the Lord. Meantime I have watched developments. Looking back, it is now quite evident that the Lord was pleased to permit the very condition which many of us tried earnestly to avert. But why should our loving Father take pleasure in that which has caused such widespread perplexity and sorrow? Surely he hag no desire to injure those who are truly his. Bearing in mind that we are in the closing hours of our trial time, the reason for such treatment at the hands of the Judge of all the earth is obvious: “The Lord your God doth prove you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart.” If we love our God supremely, we will love every one who is begotten of him—-every one who is a partaker of his Spirit. Moved hy the spirit of love, we will devote all our energies to provoking one another to love and good works. Remembering that “the Lord will judge his people,” we Vou. XXXIX THE WATCH TOWER BROOKLYN, N. ¥., JANUARY 15, 1918 Brooxtiyn, N. Y. will be content to wait for the expression of his approval or disapproval. According to all indjcations, the blessing of the Lord continues increasingly, with those who are striving to “show forth his praises,” including the brethren at Brooklyn who are endeavoring to direct the activities of the SocreTy. Believing that they have been faithful to the divine commission, “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God,” I am glad to coiperate heartily with them. Our opportunities for service may be limited or great in number. Let us be faithful even in the least; for this will determine our worthiness of greater responsibility “in that ay. Some have asked whether I would be a candidate for any office in connection with the Sociery’s work during the coming year. Recognizing that the Lord himself is interested in the appointment of those who shall help in the “perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry,” I hesitate to place myself as one eligible. The desire of my heart is to do his bidding, whatever that may be. Your brother in Christ. Anprew N. Pierson. APPRECIATES THE ‘‘POINT’’ OF THE SWORD Editorial Committee, Toe Watcn Tower. Dear BRETHREN :— Inadvertently and without due thought and consideration I affixed my name to the circular letter which 1 understood was cireulated quite widely amongst the friends and sent out with one of the publications of the opposition. I desire now to go on record as repudiating absolutely, and having no sympathy with, the proposition contained in circular letter referred to on page 367 of Dec. 1st Warcn Tower. I am not in opposition to the Lord, the Socrrry, nor Brother Rutherford, and do not wish to be. On the contrary, I believe the voice of the Lord was expressed in the election last January. I believe it was expressed in the voice of the church in the vote taken Nov. 21st, last, and that it will be expressed in the election of the Shareholders of the Socrery this January. I am fully in harmony with the “Point of the Sword”’— Volume VII—and I believe it to be “meat in due season” furnished by the Lord to his hungry sheep during the present time. May it prove as much of a blessing to all as it has been to me! May the Lord continue to bless your efforts, dear brethren. to serve the interests of his people and give you a due reward is the prayer of Your brother in the One Hope, A. E. Bugcsss. OVERWHELMED IN READING IT Drak FELLow Servants :— I am sending you sixty cents for the Seventh Volume of Scrrprure Srupres. Please pardon me for not sending it sooner. I have been, simply overwhelmed in reading it, and it has been so interesting, that I just could not spare the time to write you a little letter until now. Your brother in Christ, J. A, Heopspern.—tTexas. No, 2 “ARE THE ADVERSARIES INCREASING IN POWE “Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for ua in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.”-—-1 Peter 4:1. Why should anyone arm himself unless he expected to meet an enemy in combat? This seems to be the thought of the Apostle expressed in the text. The entire chapter evidently relates to the end of the Gospel age. It is in the nature of a warning against adversaries. “But”, says St. Paul, ‘it is not worldly warfare that we are waging; the weapons with which ~we fight are not human weapons, but are mighty through God in overthrowing strong fortifications.” (2 Corinthians 10:3, 4, Weymouth.) Thus it is seen that it is the new creature that must arm preparatory to the final conflict. The new creation had its beginning at the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Then and there he was begotten to the divine nature. The progressive development of the members of the new creation has continued from Pentecost until now, and the evidence is cumulative that its completion is near at hand. All those who will ultimately be of this class must be of one mind—the mind of Christ. All the members thereof must meet the same adversaries and have combats of a similar nature. THE DIVINE PLAN Jehovah foreknew that Adam would disobey him and that all of his progeny would suffer sickness, sorrow and death. In the exercise of his loving kindness and perfect wisdom, God provided redemption of mankind from death through the blood of Jesus, his beloved Son. He further foreordained and provided that because of his full obedience to the divine will and program, Jesus should be exalted above all other creatures (Jehovah alone excepted) and that he should be Head over the new creation, which new creation should occupy the most exalted position amongst the creatures of Jehovah. This new creation is referred to by Jehovah under the title of “the seed of the woman.” Satan is mentioned as “the serpent.” At the time of Adam’s condemnation Jehovah declared that in his own due time “the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head.’ In God’s due time he will use that “seed” to undo all the wrong and wickedness resulting from Lucifer’s disloyalty. It seems reasonable to conclude that Satan understood that God would develop this “seed”, and that it is the purpose of Jehovah to bring to nanght, through this “seed,” all the schemes and efforts of Satan, that God intends to give to the “seed” the kingdom which Satan usurped. Hence Satan seeks to resist the development of the “seed” and, if possible, to destroy it, and to keep the homan race under his control. The Prophet of the Lord (Zech. 3:1-10) gives us a brief picture of the staging and unfolding of the great Drama relating to the preparation and development of the new creation [6198]
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