"GREAT IS OUR GOD

ABOVE ALL GODS."

--II Chronicles 2 : 5

May 1960

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN

Religious Toleranc e

BIBLE STUDY—Including International Lesson s

The Pure in HeartThe Peacemakers .The Christian in SocietySincerity in Religious Practice sTreasures in Heave nHeirs of the Promis e

The "Seed"—Article I V

CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRIN E

The Most Vital Consideration for a Christia nWeekly Prayer Meeting Texts .

BRITISH SECTIO N

The Bride and Her Companion s

RADIO "FRANK and ERNEST" SCHEDUL E

YOUR QUESTION S

Tensions Lessene dEffective Praying

.Identity in the Resurrectio n

TALKING THINGS OVE R

Stedfast and Aboundin g

ENCOURAGING LETTERS .

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Vol . XXIX MAY 1960 No. 5

Entered as second class matte rat the Rutherford, New JerseyPost Office on February 19,1944, under the Act of March3, 1897 . Published monthly bythe Dawn Bible Students Asso-ciation, Triangle, East Ruther-ford, N . J .

SUBSCRIPTION RATE : Englis hand foreign languages (excep tUkrainian, $1 .00 a year .Ukrainian, $2 .00 . In sterlin gcountries, five shillings .CANADIAN ADDRESS: Pos tOffice Box 217, Winnipeg ,Manitoba .BRITISH ADDRESS : 98 SeelStreet, Liverpool 1, England .AUSTRALIAN ADDRESS : Be-rean Bible Institute, 19 Erming-ton Place, Kew E 4, Victoria .FRENCH ADDRESS : Boite Pas-tale 43, Nice (A . M .), France .GREEK ADDRESS : He Harovg iThe Down), Andr .—Xiroyiann i30, Zografou, Athens .DANISH ADDRESS. DaggryForlaget,

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13 ,Copenhagen F, Denmark .SWEDISH ADDRESS : Dagnin-gee, Torpagatan 32A, Jonko-ping, Sweden .GERMAN ADDRESS . Tagesan-bruch Bibelstudien-Vereini -gung, Freiburg-Haslach, I nden Sigristmatten 13, Germany .UKRAINIAN ADDRESS : Pos tOffice Box 3511, Station B ,Winnipeg 4, Man ., Canada .ITALIAN ADDRESS: Aurora —Associazione Studenti dell aBibbia, Corso Umberto 84 ,Pescara, Italy .

ITEMS OF INTERES T

THE TELEVISION MINISTR Y

THE television ministry of the truth i sprogressing encouragingly . As will be not-ed from the listings below, a number ofstations are using our fifteen-minute pro -grams, and others the half-hour series.

FIFTEEN-MINUTE "BIBLE ANSWERS"TELEVISION PROGRAM S

Victoria, B . C .—CHEK-TV, channel 6, 11 :4 5a .m., Sundays, once per month .

Buffalo, N. Y.—WKBW Channel 7, 10 :0 0a .m., Sundays .

Alexandria, Minn .—KCMT-TV, Channel 7 ,12 :15 p .m ., alternate Sundays .

Utica, N . Y.—WKTV, Channel 2, 8 :00 a .m . ,Saturdays .

Pittsburgh, Pa.—WTAE-TV, Channel 4 ,11 :15 a .m., Sundays .

NEW HALF-HOUR "BIBLE ANSWERS"TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Steubenville, Ohio—WSTV-TV, Channel 9 ,9 :30 a .m ., Sundays .

Bakersfield, Calif .—KLYD (time and chan-nel to be announced), Sundays .

Zanesville, Ohio—WHIZ-TV, Channel 18,9 :30 a.m., Sundays.

Columbus, Ohio—WBNS-TV, Channel 10,Sundays (time to be announced) .

El Paso, Texas—KELP-TV, Channel 13, Sun-days, 4 :00 p .m .

Spokane, Wash.—KREM-TV, Channel 2,Sundays, 1 :00 p .m .

RADIO TOPICS FOR MA Y

1—"Miracle of Healing"8—"Kingdoms of This World "

15—"God Has a Plan"22— "Evolution versus the Bible"29—"The Bible Hell"

HIGHLIGHTS OFDA N

Religious Tolerance

"Then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may al lcall upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent."

—Zephaniah 3 :9

THE possibility that a memberof the Roman Catholic Churc h

might be nominated and electedto the presidency of the UnitedStates has raised the issue of re-ligious tolerance to a position o fprominence in the minds of mil-lions . Should a man otherwisequalified to hold such a high of-fice in his country's governmentbe barred from the positionsimply because he is a RomanCatholic? And, if elected thus t oserve, would he use his high of-fice to maintain religious libertyfor those of other faiths ?

As might be expected, conflict-ing opinions are being expressed .Prominent in these discussions isthe issue pertaining to the sep-aration of church and state. TheConstitution of the United State sforbids the union of church an dstate, and the claim is made tha thistorically the Catholic Churc hhas advocated this latter form o fgovernment, and therefore afaithful member of the CatholicChurch could not be wholeheart-

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edly loyal to this part of th eUnited States Constitution .

It was the Catholic Church thatoriginated church-state govern-ments in Europe. It was a gradua ldevelopment, beginning in A. D .539, and reached its full staturein A. D. 800 . Under this systemthe Pope crowned and uncrownedthe kings of Europe, and RomanCatholicism was the official re-ligion throughout the Papal Ro-man Empire. This situation wasbrought to an end finally in 1799 ,when Napoleon overthrew the au-thority of the Pope .

The period during which PapalRome thus ruled essentially al lof Europe is known as the DarkAges. There were many thingswhich contributed to the dark-ness of that unhappy period i nhuman experience, one of thembeing the fact that, so far as pos-sible, the Bible was kept from thepeople .

Many cruel persecutions wereinflicted upon those who pre-sumed to believe contrary to th e

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dogmas of Rome, the "Holy In-quisition" being one of the meth-ods of torturing "heretics." Since,according to Catholicism, the dog-mas of the church were infallibleand were the true expressions ofthe will of God, it would be incon-sistent to show tolerance towardthose who held and practicedother concepts of truth. And ,since those dogmas proclaimedthat God would torture all whodid not obey him, it was consis-tent that those who enforced hisIaws on earth, as Roman Catholi-cism interpreted them, should d olikewise .

Protestants Also

BUT a religious government ofthis sort, regardless of itsstrength, could not hold all thepeople in subjection, and grad-ually the Reformation began, un-der the leadership of such menas Huss, Luther, Calvin, and oth-ers. But in the minds of most ofthe Reformers, the issues werenot clear-cut . In many instancesthey fostered church-state govern-ments of their own. In Germany,Lutheranism became the officialreligion of the state, and in Swit-zerland it was Calvinism .

Nor were these Protestantsmore tolerant than the rulers o fthe Catholic Church . Take thecase of John Calvin, who hadMichael Servetus burned at thestake . The principal "crime" ofthis "heretic" was that he denie dthe doctrine of the trinity. Others

were burned at the stake, evenin Oxford, England, for translat-ing the Bible into English.

All the cruel intoleranc eagainst disagreeing religioniststhroughout the Dark Ages an dsince, has been practiced in thename of God . The persecutorshave had the false notion tha tthey were the only true repre-sentatives of God, and were au-thorized by him to stamp out allopposition to what they had de-cided to be the truth .

Generally speaking, Protestantdenominations no longer holdthese extreme views, althoughsome do. However, in countrie slike the United States and Grea tBritain, civil governments pro-hibit the punishment of anyon esimply on the grounds of religiousdifferences of opinion. Indeed, inthis country, there is no officia lreligious belief . In Great Britain,of course, the Church of Englandis the official church ; but, evenso, all other groups are given ful lliberty to believe and teach a sthey desire or understand.

In this respect, however, it i sdoubtful if the Catholic Churc hhas changed its position officially .This is evidenced by the situatio nin Spain and in South America .In these countries the overwhelm-ing majority of the people ar eRoman Catholics, and the churchwields much influence in govern-mental affairs . The result is thatlittle tolerance is shown towardProtestants, and Protestant mis-

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN

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sionary work is almost complete-ly prohibited. Protestant Biblesare not permitted entry int oSpain .

This attitude of the CatholicChurch in areas where Catholi-cism has the upperhand is wellknown to the general public i nthis country, hence the apprehen-sion on the part of many concern-ing the possibility of a CatholicPresident. On the other hand, th eclaim of the Catholic Church isthat in America, where Catholic sare in a minority, religious liber-ty and tolerance should be prac-ticed . But of course it is difficultfor some to understand how aninfallible viewpoint could be dif-ferent in one country than in an -other .

Some believe that a gradualchange is taking place in th eCatholic viewpoint concerning in -fallibility, that many high digni-taries of the church no longerhold so rigidly to the dogma thatthe Catholic Church alone is th erepository of all truth, and tha teverything contrary to her dog-mas must be suppressed as error.The claimed liberalism of Pop eJohn may be contributing some -what to this change. It is a shrewdorganization, and it would not besurprising if modifications o fviewpoints were made to meetthe needs of a changing world .

The Basic Erro r

THE basic error responsible formuch of the religious intoleranc e

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and persecution throughout thecenturies is that God commis-sioned the church in the flesh toconvert and rule the world dur-ing the present age . This erro rled to the unholy union of churc hand state, which is symbolicallydescribed in the Bible as spiritual"fornication ."—Rev. 17 :4- 6

This unholy union was called"Christendom," meaning Christ'skingdom. While church-state gov -ernments are generally frownedupon today, yet the idea still pre-vails that all countries not openl yheathen or atheistic are Christian.On this basis, Protestant churches,as well as the Catholic Church,consider it a part of their "Chris-tian" duty to do all they can t oinfluence governments in th emaking of what they consider t obe just and Christian laws. Thedegree of success attained by on egroup or another does not chang ethe fact that they are all goingbeyond the commission given byChrist to his disciples to go int oall the world and preach the Gos-pel.

Can we imagine Jesus or theapostles visiting high governmen tofficials of their day in an effor tto have the tax burden on theJewish nation made lighter, orremoved altogether? There weremany social evils in the days o fJesus and the Early Church, butneither the Master nor his follow-ers campaigned against them .

Jesus said, "My kingdom is notof this world [Greek, kosmos,

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meaning order] ." (John 18 :36) Heknew that his kingdom would no tbe the reformed governments ofthis world . He knew that his king-dom would be made up of indi-viduals who responded to th eGospel, and were willing to laydown their lives sacrificially as, .he was doing, not in reformingthe kingdoms of this world, bu tin proclaiming the Gospel of hi sfuture kingdom .

He knew that when the "duetime" came for the establishmen tof his kingdom, all his true dis-ciples would be raised from th edead, as he expected to be, andthat together they would set up aworld government which wouldrule all nations. Jesus knew thatthrough this government hewould establish peace and right-eousness, and give health and ev-erlasting life to all who wouldobey its divine law .—Rev. 20 :4, 6 ;Isa . 9:6, 7 ; Rev. 21 :1-5

Total Authorit y

THE authority of the kingdo mof Christ will be absolute . It wil lcontrol every aspect of life . Un-der the rulership of that kingdo mthere will be liberty only to obe yits laws . However, the inflexibili-ty of the messianic kingdom lawswill result in joy for all whoobey, and the people will havelearned of their reasonablenessand justice .

Our text suggests how this wil lbe brought about . It says thatthe Lord will turn to the people

"a pure language," symbolic ofa pure message of truth, whichwill enable all to call upon thename of the Lord and to servehim with "one consent." Therewill be no need for religious con-troversy due to lack of under-standing, for then "the earthshall be full of the knowledge ofthe Lord, as the waters cover th esea ."—Isa . 11 : 9

Isaiah wrote that "then th eeyes of the blind shall b eopened." (Isa . 35:5) While weknow that in the coming "time sof restitution" all physical dis-abilities, including blindness, wil lbe removed, it is also true thatthose who now lack discernmentof God and of his will are to hav etheir "eyes" opened to know himand to recognize his glory.

Isaiah also wrote, "In that da yshall the deaf hear the words ofthe book, and the eyes of theblind shall see out of obscurity ,and out of darkness . The meekalso shall increase their joy i nthe Lord, and the poor amongmen shall rejoice in the Holy On eof Israel." (Isa. 29:18, 19) All themisunderstandings of God and ofhis will which now afflict the sin -cursed and dying world are lik-ened to a "veil" that is spreadover the faces of the people, an dIsaiah assures us that this vei lwill be destroyed .—Isa . 25 : 7

In the messianic kingdom, no tonly will the people be fully en-lightened concerning the divin ewill, but they will be ruled by

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN

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those who will make no mistakesin administering the kingdo mlaws. The resurrected and glori-fied Jesus will be the "King ofkings" in that world government .(Rev. 19 :16) Of him it is prophe-sied, "The Spirit of the Lord shal lrest upon him, the spirit of wis-dom and understanding, the spir-it of counsel and might, the spiri tof knowledge and the fear of theLord; and shall make him ofquick understanding in the fearof the Lord : and he shall no tjudge after the sight of his eyes ,neither reprove after the hearingof his ears ."—Isa . 11 :2, 3

The promises and prophecies o fthe Bible thus make it crystalclear that the people of all na-tions will, during the thousan dyears of Christ's kingdom, be en-lightened concerning God and hiswill, and that the just and right-eous laws of the kingdom will beenforced by those who will mak eno mistakes of judgment. Therewill be no confusion as to whatis right and what is wrong. Even-tually, we are assured, the lawsof the Lord will be written inthe very hearts of the people, andall will know and serve him . —Jer. 31 :31-34

While the Catholic Church, andother groups also, have, in theirerroneous efforts to enforce thei rtraditions and mistaken authori-ty, inflicted tortures upon non-conformists, this will not be th ecase in connection with the en-forcement of the kingdom laws

during the Millennium. "Thewages of sin is death," not tor-ment, and Peter informs us thatdisobedience during the comin g"times of restitution" will, if con-tinued, lead to destruction . (Rom .6 :23) "It shall come to pass," saidPeter, "that every soul, whichwill not hear that prophet, shallbe destroyed from among thepeople ."—Acts 3 :23

How thankful we should b ethat the administration of thelaws of Christ's kingdom have notbeen given by God into the hand sof fallen man! No one is now au-thorized to impose his doctrinesand practices upon another unde rthreat of punishment . To falselyassume this authority leads to un-justifiable intolerance .

As Christians, we can an dshould be convinced that we hav ethe truth, and we should be will-ing to die for our faith ; but w eshould be sympathetic and lovin gtoward those who disagree withus . The time has not yet come t oenlighten the whole world . Satanis still deceiving the people, withthe result that the world is fille dwith religious confusion . (II Cor .4 :4) In this situation it is wel lthat the spirit of tolerance is be-ing urged upon the people .

Our commission is to continueproclaiming the Gospel of thekingdom as widely and as ener-getically as possible . We do notexpect that great numbers willheed the message, but some d opay attention, and in respondin g

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to the call of the Gospel are rich-ly blessed. Jesus said, "Ye arethe light of the world"—the onlytrue light, indeed, that is in theworld. (Matt. 5:14-16) Let us befaithful in letting our light shine !

As we keep ourselves employe din proclaiming the Gospel of thecoining kingdom of Christ weneed not be specially concerne dwith how the world is running itsaffairs . Certainly Jesus and theapostles were not so concerned .Paul admonished believers to besubject to the powers that be, andthis applies to us insofar a sconscience will permit.

With the exception of commu-nist-controlled countries, andareas where the Roman or GreekCatholic Church are in control,there is little open persecution ofthose who bear witness to thetruth . In the upheavals which takeplace in a dying world, this situa-tion could change. There is nocertainty of what tomorrow hold sfor the Lord's people. This hasalways been true .

Nor do the followers of theMaster throughout the world nec-essarily have the same experien-ces. During the Nazi regime inGermany the Lord's people in thatcountry suffered much . Later, invarious countries of Europe ourbrethren suffered under commu-nism. All the while in this coun-try and in other places, the Lord' speople were free to fellowshipwith one another and to proclaimthe truth as they desired .

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN

Today the communist and non-communist worlds are locked in awin or die struggle. How theLord's people will be affected inthe various countries as thisstruggle progresses is somethin gwhich is well to leave in theLord's hands. As the battle againstthe forces of enslavement contin-ues, the desirability and advan-tages of freedom and toleranceare being stressed throughout th eso-called "free world . "

In the countries where th epeople are riding the crest offreedom's wave there is at th emoment little likelihood of muchreligious persecution. But in thestorm of human passions this, too ,could change. However, whateverthe future holds, we need not b econcerned, for we know that th eLord will give grace to help hispeople in their every time ofneed .

Our concern now should be tha twe continue to be faithful in theuse of all the opportunities o fservice which we enjoy . Andwhat a glorious privilege we hav ein serving as ambassadors forChrist, and to be able to assurethe people that his glorious king-dom of peace is soon to manifestitself in power and great gloryfor the blessing of all the familiesof the earth! And as we labor,let us continue to pray, "Thykingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven."—Matt. 6:10

BIBLE STUDY

LESSON FOR MAY 1

the pure in i.eart

GOLDEN TEXT: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall seeGod ."—Matthew 5 : 8

MATTHEW 5:8, 27-37;LUKE 9 :61, 62

3ESUS stresses heart purity incontrast with mere outwar d

professions of righteousness suchas were made by the scribes andPharisees of his day . Describingtheir false professions Jesus said ,"Woe unto you, scribes and Phar-isees, hypocrites! for ye mak eclean the outside of the cup andof the platter, but within they arefull of extortion and excess ."—Matt . 23 :2 5

Because we are all members o fa fallen and dying race, perfec-tion of conduct is impossible ; butheart purity is possible, for thisis purity of intention, an intens einward desire that one's everythought, word, and deed be inkeeping with the perfect standardof purity set forth in the Wordof God. Those whose hearts ar ethus pure will be pained at anyand every failure of conduct t omeasure up to the perfect stand-ard of God's righteousness .

"The pure in heart," Jesus said ,"shall see God." So far as literalvision is concerned the Scripturesdeclare that no man can see Go dand live. (Exod. 33:20) But it ispossible to see God by the visionof faith. Faith's vision revealsGod through the Word of truth ,that precious Word in which th edivine plan for the recovery ofthe human race from sin anddeath is revealed .

By faith, and through the di-vine plan of the ages, we "see"the wisdom, justice, love an dpower of God, and these attri-butes of his character combine toreveal his glory . We see the jus-tice of God in the death sentenc eimposed upon man because of sin .It is morally right that all intel-ligent creatures who do not obeythe law of their Creator be de-prived of the privilege of living .On the other hand, God's love isrevealed in the gift of his onlybegotten Son to redeem falle nman from death .

The wisdom of God is seen i n

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the provision of salvation he ha smade through Christ whereby hecan be just in imposing the sen-tence of death, and at the sametime the justifier of all who cometo him through his appointe dchannel, Christ Jesus . (Rom . 3 :26)Divine power is seen in this ar-rangement in that it implementshis plan through the resurrectionof Jesus from the dead, and even-tually brings about the resurrec-tion, not only of the church, butof all mankind, "the just and un-just . "—Acts 24 :15

The pure in heart, who are fol-lowers of the Master, are blessedwith this inspiring vision of theHeavenly Father . Besides, if theyare faithful to this vision by car-rying out the privileges assignedto them in the divine plan, theywill, in the resurrection, them-selves be exalted to the divin enature, and thus enabled to seeGod face to face . This great joycame to Jesus, and he has prom-ised to share it with his true fol-lowers .—Heb . 12 :2; I John 3 :1-3 ;Rev. 3 :21 ; Col . 3 :1-3

The Scriptures declare that Je-sus would magnify the Law . (Isa .42 :21) We have an example ofthis in today's lesson in his ref-erence to adultery, which the Lawforbade . Jesus said, "Whosoeverlooketh on a woman to lust afterher hath committed adultery withher already in his heart."—vss.27, 28

Jesus' reference to one's "righteye" which might cause offense

is evidently symbolic of desire, o raffection . If we find that we aresetting our affection on thatwhich is out of harmony wit hGod's will, and a hindrance to ou rspiritual growth, drastic actio nwould be indicated, lest we be en -ticed away from the Lord entire-ly and be cut off from life in "thesecond death," as symbolized byGehenna, here translated "hell . "(vs . 29) See Psalm 19 :12-14 .

"Let your communication be ,Yea, yea ; Nay, nay." The pure ofheart are honest and straightfor-ward. Their word is true, an dneeds no supporting oaths . Onewhose word was not trustworthywould also violate an oath .—vss.33-3 7

In Luke 9 :61, 62 Jesus suggest sanother element of heart purity,which is full devotion to the Lord .When that devotion is completeall other considerations are se taside, and there is no turningback .

QUESTION S

What is heart purity, and how do thosewho possess it see God ?

How did Jesus magnify the Law? Giveillustrations .

What lesson did Jesus teach by his ref-erence to the "eye" and "hand"?

What is the only scriptural ground fordivorce ?

Is it proper for a Christian to take a noath ?

How is impurity of heart indicated i nLuke 9 :61, 62 ?

BIBLE STUDY

LESSON FOR MAY 8

the peacemakersGOLDEN TEXT : "Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be

called the children of God. Matthew 5 :9

MATTHEW 5 :9, 21, 22, 38-48

HOSE who are humble, meek ,merciful, and pure in hear t

will naturally radiate peace intheir associations with othe rChristians and in the world . Thiswill be the outflow of the peaceof God which fills their hearts ,that peace which they enjoy be-cause of their confidence in Go dand in his promises to care forthem, and to give them wisdo mand strength in their every timeof need .

Followers of the Master arepeacemakers in still anothe rsense, in that through their min-istry of the Word of truth theyparticipate in the work of estab-lishing peace between God andmen. The whole world of man-kind is alienated from Go dthrough wicked works . (Col. 1 :21)Provision for reconciliation hasbeen made through the shedblood of Jesus Christ. But forthis to be effective the "Word ofreconciliation" must be pro-claimed, and those who hear mus taccept ; and it is our privilege tobe heralds of the message.—Rom.10 :13, 14; II Cor . 5 :18, 19

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Thus it is that we are "minis-ters of reconciliation," or peace-makers, participating in the workof reconciling the world to God.During the present age those wh oare reconciled lay down theirlives in joint sacrifice with Jesus .They are planted together in thelikeness of his death, and if faith-ful even unto death will be exalt-ed in the "first resurrection" t olive and reign with Christ.Through the kingdom reign al lmankind will be enlightened, andgiven a full opportunity to acceptthe provision of life throughChrist and to be restored to at-one-meat with God .-Rom. 6 :3-8;Rev . 20 : 6

Jesus said that these peacemak-ers in the divine plan shall b ecalled "the children of God ." Thechildren, or sons, of God of th epresent age, constitute the rulinghouse of God . Paul wrote, "I fchildren, then heirs ; heirs of God ,and joint-heirs with Christ. "(Rom. 8:17) It is appropriate ,therefore, for those who willreign with Christ to establis hpeace on earth, and peace be-tween God and men, to be calle dthe "children of God ."

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Those who have the peace ofGod in their hearts will not hatetheir fellows, even though theremight be provocation to do so .Being merciful, they will not de-mand "an eye for an eye, and atooth for a tooth." (vs . 38) When"smitten," they will turn the othercheek, rather than smite back .Such an attitude is considered ab-surd by the world, but not to the"peacemakers" in Christ .

"Ye have heard," Jesus said ,"that it hath been said, Thou shal tlove thy neighbor, and hate thineenemy." This is not found in theLaw given to Israel by Moses . Itwas one of the many human tra-ditions which had become at-tached to the Law. And Jesussaid that to his followers it shoul dbe considered wrong, for the ywere to love their enemies, andto do good to those who hate dthem. Christians are to pray forthem who despitefully use them ,and persecute them .—vss . 43, 44

Those who do this have th eHeavenly Father's viewpoint, an dare his children, for he cause s"his sun to rise on the evil andon the good, and sendeth rain onthe just and on the unjust ." (vs .45) As Jesus further explained ,if we merely love those who loveus, "what reward have ye? do noteven the publicans the same?And if ye salute your brethrenonly, what do ye more than oth-ers? do not even the publican sso?"—vss . 46, 47

Jesus follows this with the ad-

BIBLE STUDY

monition, "Be ye therefore per-fect, even as your Father which i sin heaven is perfect." (vs. 48)This statement is often taken outof context, and its real meaninglost . No member of the sin-cursedand dying race can be perfect a sGod is perfect within the general-ly accepted meaning of what con-stitutes perfection. But we canbe perfect in the sense that it i srequired of Christians that the ybe all-inclusive in the bestowin gof their blessings, even as th eHeavenly Father is thus all-inclu-sive .

How easy, indeed, it is to dogood to those who love us! It i sa great pleasure. But to besto wblessings upon those who hate us ,and endeavor to injure us, indi-cates that we are sincerely en-deavoring to be like the HeavenlyFather, who, in addition to thecommon blessings of life whichhe so lavishly bestows upon theevil as well as upon the good,sent his beloved Son to suffer andto die for the entire sinful worldof mankind .

QUESTION S

In what two ways do faithful followersof the Master serve as peacemakers ?

Why are they called "the children o fGod" ?

What will be the attitude of these peace -makers toward their enemies?

How is it possible for Christians to b eperfect as God is perfect?

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LESSON FOR MAY 1 5

The Christian in cSocietp,

GOLDEN TEXT: "Let your light so shine before men, that they ma ysee your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven ."

—Matthew 5 :1 6

MATTHEW 5:10. 16; 13:31-3 5

S CHRISTIANS we are in th eworld, but not of the world.

Jesus said, "In the world ye shallhave tribulation : but be of goodcheer; I have overcome theworld." (John 16 :33) The tribula-tion which Jesus suffered at thehands of the world was not dueto his kindness and his sympa-thetic interest in the suffering sof the people . It was because heproclaimed truth which was un-popular, and exposed popularerror .

It is the same with the faithfulfollowers of Jesus. Adhering t othe high standard of righteous-ness set forth in The Beatitudesdoes not lead to persecution . Butwhen we proclaim the Gospel o fthe kingdom, a message which, inits entirety, envisions the settingaside of all the institutions ofmen which are based on selfish-ness, and proclaiming that divineauthority will be establishe dthroughout the earth, oppositionis often aroused . Also, the Chris-tian's standard of righteousnessoften produces resentment and

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hatred. Men want God to hel pthem with their plans, but are notyet ready to have their arrange-ments superceded by the mes-sianic kingdom agencies, nor tolive in harmony with the divinecode.

There is a blessedness to per-secution only when it result sfrom faithfulness in proclaimin gthe Gospel of Christ, and there-fore is for Christ's sake . One canbring upon himself the animosit yof the world through radicalism,and in other ways which wouldnot have the approval of th eLord . The true followers of Jesusdo not seek persecution, but ifit comes as a result of their faith -fulness to the truth, they aretruly blessed and have muchcause for rejoicing.

"Ye are the light of the world, "Jesus said . (vs. 14) This is theposition of a Christian in theworld . He is not commissioned toreform the institutions of theworld, but to bear the light ofthe Gospel to all who will giveheed. We have been given thi slight, and Jesus admonished thatit should not be hidden under a

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"bushel ." Indeed, if it should b ethus hidden for long it wouldgo out .

Let "your" light so shine, Je-sus said. It is our light becauseit has been given to us by th eLord . It is only because it is th eHeavenly Father's light that it sshining in the world will glorif yhis name. True, this light of truthshould accomplish a work ofgrace in our own hearts, makingus humble, meek, kind, and mer-ciful . This, in turn, makes us bet-ter channels for the truth; but itis the truth that does the shinin gand thereby glorifies God .

Usually The Parable of theMustard Seed is understood to b ea prophecy of the tremendousgrowth of professed Christianit yas it has taken place through th ecenturies, with its institutionsserving as "resting places" for itsmillions of members . This, nodoubt, is the correct viewpoint .But it is also true that what me nhave called Christendom, orChrist's kingdom, has been suchin name only .

The mustard seed of the par -able might well picture the smal lbeginning of error that was sow nby a "man," not the Lord . Fromthis small beginning have devel-oped great institutions with theirGod-dishonoring creeds which up -hold the falsehood of eternal tor-ture and other equally erroneou sdoctrines . The proclamation ofthe true Gospel of the kingdomhelps to expose these errors .

The Parable of the Leavenwhich a woman "hid in thre emeasures of meal" also points ou tthe corrupting influences of er-ror . Leaven is always used in theBible to illustrate the presenceand evil workings of sin . This iswhy the Israelites were instruct-ed to use unleavened bread intheir commemoration of the Pass-over . This is also true with re-spect to the Memorial Supper . Itis in this connection that we areadmonished to purge out of ourhearts the leaven of "malice andwickedness ."—I Cor. 5:7, 8

The woman of this parabl ecould well represent the fals echurch which was responsible forhiding the leaven in the puremeal of truth, so that all becam eleavened . Inherent immortality,eternal torture, the trinity, areamong the false teachings whichhas so corrupted the creeds o fChristendom that there is ver ylittle truth left in them .

QUESTION S

What is it that causes the world to per -secute the true followers of Jesus ?Was Jesus persecuted for the sam ereason?

What is the light which shines out intothe world from Christians?

What is this shining designed to accom-plish?

Explain The Parable of the MustardSeed .

What lesson is taught by The Parabl eof the Leaven ?

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LESSON FOR MAY 22

*nceritg in Religious practicesGOLDEN TEXT : "The Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his coun -tenance, or on the height of his stature ; because I have refused him :for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outwar d

appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart ."—1 Samuel 16 :7

MATTHEW 6:1-13

3N HEBREWS 4 :13 we read that"all things are naked and

opened unto the eyes of him withwhom we have to do ." In his mes-sages to "the seven churches, "our risen Lord says of the churchof Ephesus, "I know thy works. "(Rev . chs . 2, 3) Our Golden Textalso emphasizes that the Lordis able to, and does, read th ehearts of his people . This mean sthat the Lord's appraisal of hispeople is not based on their out -ward works of piety, nor theirpublic prayers . This appraisal istrue with respect to both ourHeavenly Father and his belove dSon, Christ Jesus .

We are, of course, admonishe dto do good unto all as we haveopportunity, and especially to thehousehold of faith . If we do notbecome weary in well-doing, wewill, in due time, "reap," theApostle Paul wrote. (Gal. 6 :9, 10)But this will not be true if ourgood works are done to be seenof men. It is only if our work son behalf of others are motivated

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by love and a desire to glorifyGod that we will be rewarded fo rthem by "treasures in heaven."—Matt . 6 :20, 21

Nor are public prayers whichare offered to impress the peopleacceptable to God. When circum-stances call for prayer in thepresence of others, the petitionshould be very brief. A prayer forGod's blessing upon a meetin gshould never include a discours eon the doctrines of the divin eplan.

Most prayers should be in se-cret, in our "closets ." (vs. 6) Th eHeavenly Father will see an dhear prayers and, according tothe good pleasure of his will, willreward us openly. James wroteabout those who ask and receivenot because they "ask amiss, thatye may consume it upon you rlusts ." (James 4:3) Selfish prayer swill not be heeded by our Heav-enly Father, whether uttered inpublic or in private .

Jesus outlined a brief praye rwhich may be taken as a guid eto proper requests to bear beforethe throne of heavenly grace. In

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approaching God in prayer it isimportant to remember his sa-credness—"Hallowed be th yname." Indeed, our principal mo-tive in prayer should be to glorifyGod.

The blessings we are privilege dto seek from the Lord throughprayer are those which he ha spromised to give . It is proper t opray for the Lord's kingdom t ocome, and for his will to be donein earth as it is in heaven, be -cause he has promised that thisis to be the ultimate outcome ofhis plan of salvation. Over andover again through his Word hehas given us this assurance.—I Cor. 15 :24-28

The Lord has also promised to"give us this day our dail ybread." The reference here i sprimarily to spiritual food, the"bread of life." (John 6:35, 48 )But it also includes our materia lneeds—not all the things we maywant, or would like to have, butwhat the Lord sees is best for usas new creatures in Christ Jesus .A meagre supply of food for atime could prove to be a veryprofitable experience.

The Lord has also promised to"forgive us our debts," on condi-tion that "we forgive our debt -ors ." (Matt. 6 :12) This is a blesse dassurance, for how quickly woul dwe lose sight of our Heavenly Fa-ther's smiling countenance, wereit not for his many promises thatthrough Christ Jesus he has re -moved our transgressions as far

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from us as the east is from thewest.—Ps . 103 :1 2

"Lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil." Jameshas assured us that God does nottempt his people, meaning tha the does not lead them into temp-tation. (James 1:13) This is anassurance of something the Lordwill not do . On the other hand ,he delivers those who are led intotemptation through their ownweaknesses, or by the wiles of the .Devil . David wrote, "Surely Heshall deliver thee from the snareof the fowler, and from the noi-some pestilence."—Ps. 91 : 3

The expression, "For thine i sthe kingdom, and the power, andthe glory, forever, Amen," is no tfound in the oldest Greek manu-scripts extant . It was evidentlyadded by a copyist, although i tis largely a quotation from aprayer by David in I Chronicles29 :11 . David sat upon the thron eof the Lord . In a typical sense thekingdom of Israel was the Lord' skingdom. But that typical king-dom ceased in 606 B . C ., when thelast king of Judah was over-thrown and the nation taken cap-tive to Babylon .

QUESTIONSWhat are the only works acceptable t o

God ?What is the principal motive for praye r

acceptable to God, whether publi cor private?

Why do we know that God is pleased togive us the blessings mentioned i n"Our Lord's Prayer"?

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- LESSON FOR MAY 29

treasures in tuauenGOLDEN TEXT: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, whereneither moth nor rust cloth corrupt, and where thieves do not brea kthrough nor steal : for where your treasure is, there will your hear t

be also."—Matthew 6 :20, 21

MATTHEW 6:19.21, 24-3 4

t 0 THOSE who have dedicatedthemselves to walk in the

footsteps of Jesus, the things ofearth are of trifling worth, andunenduring . Shelter, food, andclothing are essential to life whilewe are still in the flesh, but evenif these needs are in scant supplyour "rejoicing in hope" of thefuture blessings is not marred .(Rom. 12:12; Heb 3 :6) Earthlyfriendships and associations ar eof value to the man of the world ,but we enjoy a spiritual frater-nity, a "blest tie that binds" tha tis far more precious . Besides, itis enduring so long as we contin-ue to be faithful to the terms o four calling .

It would be the spirit of an un-sound mind indeed for those whohave been made "partakers of theheavenly calling" to lay up un-needed treasures on earth . (Heb .3 :1) And we can lay up treasuresin heaven only by seeking "firs tthe kingdom of God, and hi srighteousness . " (vs . 33) To seekthe kingdom "first" means thatit is the great objective of our

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lives ; that all things else we countas loss and as dross .

The King James Version fail sto reveal the full thought of theGreek text with respect to no ttaking thought for the morrow .It is essential to make some plansfor the morrow . The farmer mustsow if he expects to reap. Themerchant must order his suppl yof merchandise if he expects t ohave anything on hand to sell.In every field of endeavor a cer-tain amount of planning ahead i snecessary . What Jesus really sai dwas that we should not take anx-ious thought about the future .

We do not need to be overlyconcerned, for, as Jesus explained ,"Your Heavenly Father knoweththat ye have need of all thes ethings ." (vs . 32) Yes, the Lordknows our material needs, andwill bless our reasonable effort sto secure them without our bein goveranxious . This leaves ourminds and hearts free to seek"first" the kingdom of God, an dto "lay up treasures in heaven . "

The expression, "treasures i nheaven," is, of course, figurative ,

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and refers to all the joys andblessings which await those who,at the end of the narrow way o fsacrifice, will hear the Master's,"Well done, thou good and faith-ful servant, . . . enter thou int othe joy of thy Lord." (Matt . 25 :21, 23) We do not literally sen dheavenly "treasures" on befor eus, but by the Lord's grace wecan prove worthy to inherit an denjoy them .

These "treasures" are many ,and some of them are referred toin the Bible. Jesus said to therich young ruler, "Go thy way,sell whatsoever thou hast, an dgive to the poor, and thou shalthave treasure in heaven ." (Mark10:21) Apparently the disciple sdid not comprehend what Jesusmeant by "treasures" in heaven ,and in Matthew's account, whe nJesus answered Peter's questio nas to what they would receive inreturn for giving up all to followhim, he said, "Ye which have fol-lowed me, in the regenerationwhen the Son of Man shall sitin the throne of his glory, y ealso shall sit upon twelve thrones,judging the twelve tribes of Is-rael ."—Matt . 19 :2 8

To be associate judges with Je-sus, and to be enthroned withhim in glory, will be some of theheavenly treasures to be inherit-ed by the faithful.

The Lord promised Abrahamthat his "seed" would bless al lthe families of the earth, andPaul wrote, "If ye be Christ's,

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then are ye Abraham's seed, an dheirs according to the promise . "(Gal. 3:27-29) Here, then, is an-other "treasure"—the privilege ofsharing in the blessing of all man-kind with health and life .

Jesus said, "Be thou faithfu lunto death, and I will give thee acrown of life"—another marvel-ous treasure.—Rev . 2:10

Jesus also said, "To him thatovercometh will I grant to sitwith me in my throne, even as Ialso overcame, and am set downwith my rather in his throne . "(Rev . 3 :21) This is a "treasure" s orich that our finite minds are un-able even to approximate its val-ue .

Jesus also promised overcomersthat they would be given to ea tof "the hidden manna"—symboli cof immortality. What a value dtreasure this will be!—Rev . 2 :1 7

The overcomers are also prom-ised "power over the nations,"with authority to rule them witha "rod of iron," even as Jesus ha ssuch authority and power. To thisJesus added, "And I will give hi mthe morning star . "—Rev . 2 :26-2 8

QUESTIONSWhat did Jesus mean by seeking "first "

the kingdom of God ?What did Jesus mean by taking n o

thought for the morrow?How do we lay up " treasures in heav-

en," and what are some of theheavenly treasures to be inherite dby those who prove worthy?

17

THE "SEED"

Article IV

.tiro of the promise

FTER Jesus was raised from the dead, he appeared to hisdisciples a number of times, and "by many infallible proofs "

convinced them that he was alive again ; and he spoke to the mof "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Acts 1 :3 )During the last of these appearances they made bold to ask him,"Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Is-rael?" (Acts 1 :6) Jesus' disciples were now convinced beyond an ydoubt that he was the Messiah of promise, the great King whos ekingdom was to be set up in Jerusalem and which would exten dits influence throughout the entire world . Naturally they con-cluded that first of all this would mean the re-establishment o fIsrael's kingdom, which had been overthrown by Nebuchadnezza rcenturies before .

Jesus' reply to their inquiry concerning Israel's kingdom, whil enot a direct answer to the disciples' question, was, nevertheless ,very revealing; for it indicated that there was yet a great wor kto be done ere the messianic kingdom, for which they hoped an dlonged, would be established . First Jesus said to his disciples ,"It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which th eFather hath put in his own power ." To this he added, "But yeshall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you :and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in al lJudea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth . "—Acts 1 :7, 8

Whatever of expectation these ardent followers of the Maste rmay have had of immediately becoming associated with him i na powerful government which would eventually rule the whol eworld, they would know from this commission to be his witnessesthat there was no prospect of at once entering into kingdo mglory . The task assigned was a comprehensive one, and eve n

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though they may have thought of the "world" as being that re-stricted territory which we now speak of as the Middle East, i tstill would require time to witness the Gospel throughout eve nthis limited territory.

So the disciples waited at Jerusalem as Jesus told them the yshould, until they received the Holy Spirit . This gift of divinepower came upon them on the Day of Pentecost . It was a marvel-ous, yea, miraculous, demonstration of the favor of God upon thi slittle company of despised disciples of the Nazarene who ha dbeen put to death, charged with treason against Rome.

Under the influence of this holy power, the Apostle Peterpreached a short but moving sermon to the thousands of Israel-ites who had assembled within reach of his voice . He boldlycharged them with the sin of crucifying Jesus, with the resultthat three thousand of them were "pricked" in their hearts an dinquired what they should do . (Acts 2 :37, 41) Peter's reply tothis question was, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you i nthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shal lreceive the gift of the Holy Spirit . For the promise is unto you ,and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as man yas the Lord our God shall call."—Acts 2 :38, 39

The Church

IN PETER'S reply to the repentant Jews who had asked whatthey should do, he introduced a new aspect of the messianichope contained in the promise to Abraham that through his"seed" all the families of the earth would be blessed . He assuredthem that as Israelites "the promise is unto you, and to you rchildren, and to all [Israelites] who are afar off," but to this Peteradded, "even as many as the Lord our God shall call . "

Three thousand of those who heard Peter's pentecostal sermo nwere among those whom the Lord "called ." From verse 47 w elearn that the Lord "added to the church daily such as shoul dbe saved ." The word "church" translates the Greek word ekkle-sia, which means "a calling out ." Thus the "church" of the NewTestament is composed of those whom the Lord calls . God neve rintended that the whole world should be brought into his church .

The "church," on the other hand, is a "called" group of dedi -

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19

cated believers who accept Jesus as their Head, and devote thei rlives to the doing of God's will . This dedication is likened to aburial, or baptism, and is described as a baptism into Christ .Concerning this called class the Apostle Paul wrote :

"As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have puton Christ . There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bon dnor free, there is neither male nor female : for ye are all on ein Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham' sseed, and heirs according to the promise ."—Gal . 3 :27-29

From this it is apparent that the "called out" ones, those wh oconstitute the true church of Christ because they have accepte dhis headship in their lives, are considered by God to be a part o fthe promised "seed" which is to be the agency for blessing al lthe families of the earth . This explains why the work of blessingall the families of the earth did not begin with the first adven tof Jesus . It explains why, when the disciples asked about th ere-establishment of David's kingdom, he indicated that first the ywere to be his witnesses throughout all the earth ; for it isthrough this witness work that the Lord calls the various one sinto the grand assembly which he calls the "church," and which ,under Christ, will be the larger "seed" of Abraham .

The Gentile sTHE rapid influx of believing Israelites into the church be -

ginning with Pentecost did not continue . The religious leadersbegan to oppose the work, and before long it was merely on ehere and there of the Jewish people who accepted the Gospelwhen it was witnessed to them. God knew that it would be thisway, and since he had predetermined the number he wanted i nthe "church" as the faith seed of Abraham, he also had prear-ranged that in due time his "call" should be extended to theGentiles .

The first Gentile convert of record was Cornelius, "a centurio nof the band called the Italian band ." (Acts 10:1) He is describedas a "devout man, and one that feared God with all his house ,which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway .He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the da yan angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Corne -

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lius . And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, Wha tis it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms arecome up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa ,and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter : he lodgeth withone Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side : he shall tellthee what thou oughtest to do ."—Acts 10 :1-6

For centuries the Jewish people had been schooled in thebelief that they alone were God's chosen race . Indeed, God ha dsaid to them, "You only have I known of all the families of th eearth." (Amos 3 :2) They supposed that they alone were the in-heritors of the promise made to their father Abraham concern-ing the "seed" that was to bless all nations . For this reason evenJesus' own apostles were not prepared for the great change i nGod's arrangements which was to permit Gentiles, through fait hand obedence, to become fellow-heirs with them of the promise sof God .

Having selected Peter as his servant to proclaim the Gospel t oCornelius, the first Gentile convert, God knew that he woul dneed special preparation for this assignment . So just before themessengers sent to him reached the home of Simon the tanner, i nJoppa, the Lord gave a vision to Peter . While waiting for dinne rto be prepared, Peter went up onto the roof of Simon's home t opray.

"And he became very hungry, and would have eaten : but whilethey made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened,and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a grea tsheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth : whereinwere all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wil dbeasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air . And there camea voice to him, Rise, Peter ; kill, and eat . But Peter said, Not so ,Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or un-clean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, Wha tGod hath cleansed, that call not thou common . This was donethrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven ."—Acts 10 :10-16

Coming out of the "trance," Peter naturally wondered whatlesson the Lord desired him to learn from this incident . Aboutthen the messengers sent by Cornelius arrived at Simon's hom e

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and asked "whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, wer elodged there." (vs . 18) And, "while Peter thought on the vision ,the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arisetherefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting noth-ing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the menwhich were sent unto him from Cornelius ; and said, Behold, I amhe whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?" —vss. 18-21

The three messengers then related to Peter the purpose o ftheir visit, explaining that Cornelius had been directed by anangel of God to send for him and that he would explain to Cor-nelius what he ought to do . The messengers were invited to re-main overnight, and the next day Peter accompanied them o ntheir return to Cornelius, of Caesarea. In expectation of theirarrival Cornelius "called together his kinsmen and near friends . "—vs. 24

After meeting Cornelius, Peter entered the home, where th elittle company of Gentiles had assembled, and "he said unt othem, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man tha tis a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation ;but God hath showed that I should not call any man common o runclean . Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soonas I was sent for : I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent fo rme?"—vss. 28, 29

Cornelius and Household Accep tPETER had properly understood the lesson of the sheet filled

with unclean animals which God had called clean. Upon thebasis of this he had gone to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile ,and now he wanted to know what further responsibilities de-volved upon him . Cornelius related his experience in being visit-ed by an angel of God who instructed him to send for Peter ,and the assurance the angel had given him that Peter would tellhim what he ought to do . Concluding, Cornelius said, "Imme-diately therefore I sent to thee ; and thou hast well done thatthou art come. Now therefore are we all here present befor eGod, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God ."—vs . 3 3

Peter then preached a short sermon to this Gentile audience ,

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explaining that Jesus was the "anointed of God," commissione dto be the judge both of the "quick," the living, "and the dead ."(vs . 42) In this, one of the great foundations of the Gospel whic hwas first preached to Abraham is emphasized; the fact, that is ,that through the promised "Seed" the dead would be restored t olife . (Gal. 3:8) None of the non-Christian religions of the worl dteach that there will be a resurrection of the dead . Peter alsoassured Cornelius and his friends that through Christ theycould receive "remission of their sins ."—vs . 43

While he was yet speaking the Holy Spirit fell upon the gather-ing, giving the same evidence of God's acceptance of these Gen-tiles into his family as had been given to the Jewish disciples o nthe day of Pentecost . Witnessing this, Peter said, "Can any ma nforbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have re-ceived the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded themto be baptized in the name of the Lord ."—vss . 47, 4 8

The Jerusalem Conferenc e

WHILE Peter had been specially prepared to accept the fac tthat Gentiles could now, through faith and obedience, enter int othe family of God and become fellow-heirs of God's promises wit hJewish believers, others in the Early Church had not, so a con-troversy developed among them . None was inclined to keep Gen -tile believers out of the church, but there were those who in-sisted that they could not be saved unless they were circumcised .

Finally it was considered wise to hold a conference in Jerusa-lem to weigh this issue and decide upon some official position t otake with respect to the Gentile believers. Meanwhile, of course ,these were increasing in numbers, especially as a result of theministry of Paul and Barnabas, who were present at the Jerusa-lem conference and bore eloquent testimony of the marvelousmanner in which God was manifesting his favor toward Gentil ebelievers. Peter also told his experience in connection with Cor-nelius .

James appears to have been the chairman of this conferenc eand, after hearing the testimonies of Paul and Peter, he an-swered, saying, "Men and brethren, hearken unto me : Simeon[Simon Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit th e

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Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to thi sagree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this Iwill return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, whic his fallen down ; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I wil lset it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, an dall the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord ,who doeth all these things . Known unto God are all his worksfrom the beginning of the world ."—Acts 15 :13-18

James had been convinced that now, for the first time, Go dhad "visited" the Gentiles and was inviting believers to partici-pate in his plan, or, as he stated it, was taking out from theGentiles "a people for his name," those who would be member sof his family and, through Christ, bear his name as sons . Thiswas the opportunity which Jesus extended to all in the Jewis hnation, but only a few accepted. We read concerning this tha tJesus "came unto his own, and his own received him not . Butas many as received him, to them gave he power to become th esons of God."—John 1 :11, 12

Beginning with Cornelius, God had turned to the Gentiles t ofind the remaining ones to make up his foreordained numbe rto constitute his "house of sons ." James reminds us that all ofGod's works are foreknown by him . It was not a failure of hisplan that caused him to turn to the Gentiles . Jesus had instructe dhis disciples to go into all the world with the Gospel, and, asGod looks upon them, those whom he calls are neither Jewsnor Gentiles, for they are all one in Christ Jesus .—Gal. 3 :27-29

After explaining that God had visited the Gentiles to take ou tof them a people for his name, James added, "To this agree th ewords of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will retur nand will build again the tabernacle of David, . . . that the residueof men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upo nwhom my name is called." (Amos 9 :11, 12) James did not saythat the coming of the Gentiles into the church in his day wa sthe fulfilment of Amos' prophecy concerning "all the Gentiles . "Rather, he said that it was in harmony with that prophecy .

The time when "all the Gentiles" will be given their oppor-tunity is after the building again of the tabernacle, or house, o fDavid . Prior to this must be the work of calling out from the

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Gentiles a people for the Lord's name. When the disciples aske dJesus, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Is -real?" he could have explained this point in detail, but the dis-ciples, not having received the Holy Spirit, and not being other -wise prepared for it, could not have received an explanatio nwhich involved inviting Gentiles to become fellow-heirs withthem in the hope of reigning with Christ, so he simply told the mthat their commission for the present was to go into all the worl das his witnesses, beginning at Jerusalem .

As we have seen, Jesus is the One who is to sit on "the throneof David, . . . to order it, and to establish it ." (Isa . 9 :6, 7) The sonsof God of the present age, called from both Jews and Gentiles ,are to share that kingdom with him, so its establishment mus twait until all of these are gathered out from the world and theyprove their worthiness for the exalted position to which they ar ecalled .

This work of taking out from the Gentiles a "people for hisname" has already taken nearly two thousand years, and it isstill in progress . Meanwhile, countless millions in a nominal sens ehave associated themselves with the name of Christ, the vast ma-jority of whom have had no conception whatever of the divinepurpose centered in him, or what it really means to be one o fhis footstep followers .

The masses of nominal Christians have not known that Jesu swas sent into the world in fulfilment of God's promise to Abra-ham concerning a "seed" who would bless all the families of th eearth. Neither have they known that by suffering and dying withJesus, his followers qualify to be joint-heirs with him in theinheritance of the Abrahamic promise, that they, too, can thu sbe a part of the "seed" through which blessings of life and happi-ness will yet flow out to all mankind .

However, the work of calling, selecting, and proving those wh owill constitute the "people for his name" has gone steadily on ,unnoticed and unknown to the world . The world has not knownthese in their true light, even as it did not know Jesus . (I John3 :1) Many times they have been persecuted by the world andby worldly churches, even as Jesus was persecuted. The "enmity "which the Creator said would exist between the "seed" of Sata n

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and the "seed" of the woman has often led to acute suffering b ythese, even as it led to the crucifixion of Jesus .—Gen. 3 :13-15"After This "

EVENTUALLY this phase of the divine plan for the recover yof the human race from sin and death will be completed, an dthen will follow the glorious consummation of that plan . It willbe then that the typical kingdom of David will merge into th eantitypical kingdom of the Messiah, the "Seed" of promise . Andit will be through the agencies of that kingdom in the hands ofJesus and his joint-heirs that "all the families of the earth" wil lbe blessed .

This, indeed, will be the purpose of re-establishing the thron eof David with Jesus as King. James expressed it thus, "That theresidue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles ,upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth allthese things."(Acts 15 :17) God's promise concerning the "seed"not only gave assurance that he would provide a Deliverer, butalso that "all" nations would be blessed through him . Yes, "allthe Gentiles," and all the unbelieving Israelites as well, will b ethe recipients of the promised blessings of life, blessings whichwill flow to them through Christ, and through the believing one sfrom among both Jews and Gentiles who will be associated wit hhim in his kingdom.

Yes, God foreknew and foretold his wonderful works on behal fof the children of men . Let us rejoice in the hope that his prom-ises set before us, promises which assure the faithful follower sof Jesus that they are to be associated with him in the rulershipof the messianic kingdom, and promises which assure us thatmankind in general, the living and those who have died, will b egiven an opportunity, through belief and obedience, to be re-stored to perfection of human life here on the earth . Truly, our sis a great and wonderful God !

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CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE

The Most Vital Considerationfor a Christian

THE most vital consideration fora Christian is not whether h e

has gained all the knowledge o fthe ages, nor yet whether heknows all mysteries and can de-termine with accuracy the timesand seasons of God's appoint-ment . Although these accomplish-ments are praiseworthy, the mos tvital consideration for a Christia nis his growth in the grace, favor,and the knowledge of our Lordand Savior Jesus Christ. And notmerely in the knowledge alone ,but in the product of that knowl-edge. Hence, when we speak ofgrowing in the grace and in theknowledge of our Lord Jesus itmeans much more than knowin gabout him and his teachings, al-though that is a very good begin-ning .

Growing in this way is urgedby both the Apostles Peter andPaul . In fact, the very last word sthe Apostle Peter wrote to "themthat have obtained like preciousfaith with us" are : "Ye therefore ,beloved, seeing ye know thes e

BIBLE STUDY

things before," or (Diaglott), "be-ing forewarned," "beware lest yealso, being led away with the er-ror of the wicked," or (Diaglott),"the deceit of the lawless," "fal lfrom your own stedfastness . Butgrow in grace, favor, and in theknowledge of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ. To him be gloryboth now and forever ."—II Pet .3 :17, 1 8

In this 3rd chapter of th eApostle Peter's second and las tletter, he outlines God's plan ofthe ages, and then in conclusionwarns against those who wouldpervert the Scriptures to thei rown destruction ; being, as theDiaglott renders it, "uninstructe dand unstable ." He closes his let-ter by exhorting them to grow infavor, and in the knowledge ofour Lord and Savior .

The Apostle Paul likewise call sthe attention of our Lord's fol-lowers to this vital matter, onlyhe uses different language to con-vey the same meaning. For in -stance, in Colossians 1 :26, 27 he

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speaks of the mystery hiddenfrom ages and generations butnow made manifest to his saints ,which he states is "Christ in you ,the hope of glory." Brother Rus-sell, commenting on this state-ment of the apostle, says, on page1273 of the Reprints, "The wealt hof God's wonderful favor to th echurch of Christ is briefly com-prehended in that one expressionof the Apostle Paul, `Christ inyou, the hope of glory .' "

In the 2nd chapter of this sameepistle, the 6th and 7th verses, h ewrites, "As ye have receivedChrist Jesus the Lord, so walk y ein him: rooted and built up inhim, and stablished in the faith ,as ye have been taught, abound-ing therein with thanksgiving, "and then adds in the next verse ,"Beware lest any man spoil youthrough philosophy and vain de-ceit, after the traditions of men ,after the rudiments, or elements ,of this world, and not afterChrist . "

Again in II Corinthians 4 :10 ,11 : "Always bearing about in thebody the dying of the Lord Jesus ,that the life also of Jesus mightbe made manifest in our body .For we which live are alway de -livered unto death for Jesus 'sake, that the life also of Jesusmight be made manifest in ou rmortal body." In the 13th chap -ter, 5th verse, he continues : "Ex-amine yourselves, whether ye b ein the faith; prove your own

selves . Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ i sin you, except ye be reprobates[Dr. Strong, unapproved, i .e., re-jected, by implication, worth-less]? "

In Galatians 4:19 he states,"My little children, of whom Itravail in birth again until Chris tbe formed in you ." Throughou tthis epistle Paul contrasts thekeeping of the Law with the exer-cise of faith, and notes that thosewho were endeavoring to justifythemselves by the keeping of th eLaw were outside the pale o ffaith; that only faith in God'spurpose in The Christ, composedof both Jews and Gentiles, coul dbring to their realization the sav-ing grace and divine blessin gsought .

Again, in Colossians 3 :16, 17 ,Paul writes : "Let the Word o fChrist dwell in you richly in allwisdom; teaching and admonish-ing one another in psalms andhymns and spiritual songs, sing-ing with grace [Diaglott, grati-tude] in your hearts to the Lord.And whatsoever ye do in word ordeed; do all in the name of theLord Jesus, giving thanks to Go dthe Father by him. "

Various figures of speech areused by the apostles to illustratethis most vital consideration fo ra Christian to grow into his like-ness . Two of these figures ofspeech, illustrative of this growth ,are related to human and physi-cal development . The first one is

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that of newborn babes requirin gthe milk, or basic elements ofnourishment of the Word of Go dupon which the growth and de-velopment of the new creaturein Christ Jesus is predicated . Theother figure is that of the embryorequiring quickening, energizingand nourishment in order tha tthe fetus may develop and b eborn upon the spiritual plane ofexistence . In the case of the faith-ful, spirit-begotten new creatur ein Christ Jesus, the birth is tothe highest form of life, the di -vine .

Resorting to the first figure, weread in I Peter 2 :2, 3 : "As new-born babes, desire the milk of th eWord, that ye may grow thereby ;if so be ye have tasted that theLord is gracious ." The Apostl ePaul also uses the same illustra-tion a number of times. In I Co-rinthians 3 :1-3 he writes : "And I,brethren, could not speak unt oyou as unto spiritual, but as unt ocarnal, even as unto babes inChrist . I have fed you with milk ,and not with meat [Diaglott, solidfood]: for hitherto ye were notable to bear it, neither yet noware able . For ye are carnal ; forwhereas there is among you en-vying, and strife, and division s[margin, factions], are ye not car-nal, and walk as men [margin, ac -cording to a man]?" and thereforenot according to the example an dinstructions of the Lord and hispersonally chosen apostles .

Again, in Hebrews 5 :8-14, Pau l

CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE

uses this same form of expressio nto show immaturity . He tells hisJewish brethren that they haveneed that one teach them againwhich be the first principles ofthe oracles of God ; and are be-come such as have need of milk,and not strong meat. "For everyone that useth milk is unskilful inthe word of righteousness : for heis a babe. But strong meat belong-eth to them that are of full age ,or complete, mature, even thosewho by reason of use have thei rsenses exercised [Diagloft andmargin, faculties habitually, as amatter of habit, exercised] to dis-cern both good and evil . "

This matter of growth into hislikeness in the full, completesense is brought to our attentio nin Ephesians 4 :11-15 . It reads :"And he gave some, apostles ; andsome, prophets ; and some, evan-gelists ; and some, pastors andteachers ; for the perfecting [Dia-glott, complete qualification] ofthe saints, for the work of th eministry, for the edifying of th ebody of Christ : till we all come inthe unity of the faith, and of theknowledge of the Son of God ,unto a perfect, or full grown ,man, unto the measure of statur eof the fulness of Christ : that wehenceforth be no more children,tossed to and fro, and carriedabout with every wind of doc-trine, by the sleight of men, andcunning craftiness, whereby theylie in wait to deceive ; but speak-ing the truth in love, may grow

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up into him in all things, whic his the Head, even Christ. "

In his consideration of havingChrist formed in us, Brother Rus-sell mentions four outstandingcharacteristics manifesting growt hinto his likeness to be love, faith,obedience, and zeal . Also a fifth—determination, stedfastness, sta-bility, for without this last men-tioned characteristic, a weaknes sof character would be indicated .

Our Lord and his apostles man-ifested these characteristics, andespecially this last one of deter-mination, stability, and fixity ofpurpose, and it is this that willassure us of success in manifest-ing the other four. We often sing,"My goal is Christ, and Chris talone," and that being the case,it would mean that nothin gshould be permitted to interfer ewith or to deter us from attainingthat desirable objective ; and it isdetermination, stability, and fixi-ty of purpose that is primarily es-sential if we would reap the re -wards of faith .

The word zeal, in the Greek ,primarily means "heat." Dr .Strong defines it to be ardor inthe favorable sense, and jealousyin the unfavorable sense . Theword in the favorable sense re-minds us of the statement inPsalm 69 :9 and John 2 :17, refer -ring to our Lord: "The zeal ofthine house hath eaten me up ,or consumed me . "

The spiritual germ of life be-gotten in us, through our hearin g

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and zealously heeding the Wordof truth, is quickened and devel-oped, ready for birth on the spir-itual plane of life . Otherwise thegrace of God thus begun in uswould be in vain so far as a ful lreward is concerned.

A person may acquire a knowl-edge of God's character and pla nfor the recovery from sin anddeath of humanity, and yet notenter fully into the spirit of thatunderstanding . Only by devotedlyfollowing the teachings and pre-cepts of the divine Word can any-one hope to develop the charac-ter qualifications requisite to glo-rification with our Lord andHead .

The meaning of this word"quicken" is to vitalize or mak ealive: and when we think of thisprocess as it affects our spiritualgrowth into his likeness, we alsothink of zeal, energy, ardor, fer-vency of Spirit as evidences ofour new life . It would be sense-less to think that such a remark-able and superlative nature a sthe divine, the very nature of theglorious Creator himself, wouldbe granted to any but those whohad fully and completely com-plied with the requisite termsand conditions, and who ha dthereby demonstrated the sameearnestness, sincerity, integrity ,and fidelity characterized by ourLord and Head and his faithfulapostles. It is by putting int opractice those divine principlesin our daily lives that will insur e

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our hope of sharing with him theglorious future prospects prom-ised the faithful overcomers .

We cannot expect fully to meas-ure up to the divine pattern setbefore us in Christ Jesus, becaus ehe was holy, harmless, undefiled,and separate from sinners to startwith, whereas we were unholyand of the sinner race . (Heb. 7 :26 )However, it is the intense ear-nestness, sincerity, and whole-heartedness with which we en-deavor to follow on to know himand the power of his resurrectionthat will measure the degree o four heart intentions. As we havelearned, it is the motive, the in -tent, the Almighty sees in us tha twill determine the outcome . It isno wonder, therefore, that ourLord said: "Blessed are the pur ein heart for they shall see God . "

While the motive is of primaryimportance, good intentions aloneare insufficient . Those good in-tentions must bear fruit by ac-tions and deeds that demonstratethose good intentions. Our Lordsaid, "By their fruits ye shal lknow them." Unless unselfish ,disinterested love, the love tha tis of God, is the motivating prin-ciple in our lives, all the goodintentions would avail nothing inthe sight of God, as shown by theApostle Paul in I Corinthians, th e13th chapter . In that chapter, a swe know, love is indicated b ywhat it does and what it does notdo. The apostle shows that wemight have all faith, so as to re-

CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE

move mountains, yet if lackingthis divine quality of love, w ewould amount to nothing in hissight .

A great deal may be said abou tlove, but the important thing isits power to put into effect ourwords and conduct according tothe divine standard set before u sin the person of Jesus Christ .However, without the confidentassurance of the promises of God,we might flounder around in in-ertia, thereby jeopardizing ourprospects of becoming like ourLord Jesus. Faith, therefore, is aprimary requisite to the makingof our calling and election sure .Obedience, also, is fundamenta lto growth into his likeness, foreven of our Lord it is said (Heb .5 :8) that he learned obedience b ythe things which he suffered ,showing that even in sufferin gthere is virtue as we strive t oreflect his likeness .

The secret of our Lord's tri-umph over even death itself isindicated by the statement inColossians 2:15, which reads :"And having spoiled principali-ties and powers [Diagiott, strippedgovernments and authorities], hemade a show of them openly, tri-umphing over them [margin] INHIMSELF ." He didn't triumphover them by using force, but b yexhibiting the sterling qualitie sof the godlikeness he possessed.He could not be intimidated by

(Continued on page 34 .)

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(Continued from page 31 . )

the exhibition of power, or over-awed by pretentious and impos-ing authority, nor yet by the se-ductive influence of friend or foe ,such as the time when he wa stempted by Satan, and whenPeter tried to dissuade him fro mthe course divinely mapped outfor him. Nor yet when he ap-peared before Pilate, discountin ghis power and authority, exceptas permitted by Jehovah .

And it was this quality of un-remitting devotion and fidelity t othe will of God that was exhibitedby the redoubtable apostles o fthe Lord Jesus. And this is theexample we endeavor to follow.While we cannot measure up t oour Lord's perfection, havin gbeen shapen in iniquity and insin conceived, as expressed b yDavid of himself in Psalm 51 :5,yet it is possible for us to main-tain that same degree of confi-dence, and rejoicing of the hop eset before us even amidst horren-dous circumstances, and to theend of our sojourn here, if w econtinue to look to God for th egrace and strength to help in ourtime of need .

Jesus' apostles, imperfect likeunto us, have shown throughtheir words and example that i tcan be done, that overcoming i spossible through the grace andhelp of God's Holy Spirit operat-ing in and through us, even as

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it did in them. There may be adifference in degree, but thereshould be a similarity in its ef-fect upon us to stand and notfall in this, our own trial for lifeeternal.

Our Lord, nevertheless, is ourexemplar. He blazed the trail . Heovercame and triumphed ove rdeath . He knows our every weak-ness, and will provide the neededsuccor because we have been an dare willing and eager to sufferwith him the loss of all thingsmundane . He will not fail us, wecan be sure, if we have demon-strated, through trial and expe-rience, our love for and completedevotion to him and the cause ofrighteousness and truth, by pa-tient continuance in the well-do-ing of God's will as it has beendisclosed to us through his Word .(Rom. 2 :7) A fitting summation tothis subject of "The Most Vita lConsideration for a Christian" isBrother Russell's statement asfound on page 1274 of the Re -prints :

"Let us inquire more particu-larly what it is to have Chris tformed in us . It is not merely tohave a knowledge of Christ an dof the divine plan which God i sworking out through him . It isnot merely to have an admiratio nfor his character and glory, or adesire to share his glory in theday of his manifestation; it is notmerely to talk loudly of thetruth, nor make long prayers, no rto wear solemn faces and make

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loud professions of holiness . Thi sis the negative answer to thequestion, but what is the affirma-tive? We answer, it is to have aChristlike character formed inus as a result of the begettin gpower of the truth and of theexceeding great and preciou spromises inspiring in us love toGod and all his creatures ; faithin his sure Word of promise andin his ability and willingness t oaccomplish all his purposes ; obe-dience, or full consecration to th ewill of God at any cost to self ,and a fixed determination everto abide by his expressed will ;and zeal, which makes manifestthis disposition of heart in activi-ty for the accomplishment of th epurposes of God insofar as theScriptures inform us that humanagency can effect them. Thesefundamental principles of Chris-tian character—love, faith, obe-dience and zeal—must be estab-lished before the new creaturecan be said to exist at all. And ifthey are thus established, Godhas provided the conditions nec-essary to their gradual growthand development until, in duetime, the new creature is bor ninto full perfection and glory ofthe divine nature.

"If these principles of Chris-tian character are not definitelyformed or fixed in us, we willalways be vacillating in our fait hand obedience, and lacking inlove and devotion to God ; and wecan therefore have no good hope

CHRISTIAN LIFE AND DOCTRINE

of the reward of the faithful . . . .Let all who aspire to the inheri-tance of the saints make sure thatthey have the Christ characterformed in them, that the prin-ciples so notable in Christ's char-acter are established in them . Letus each see that we do not hin-der the development of this char-acter by giving our time, our vi-tality, our means, etc ., to the pur-suit of the things of this world .Have you love? Is it manifeste din fervent zeal for the honor ofGod, the spread of the truth, an dthe blessing of his children? Areyou seeking and finding oppor-tunities for thus showing theLord how much you love? Haveyou faith? Is it unmistakablymanifested, not merely in pro-fession, but in bold and definiteacts of faith? If a million dollarswere promised to any man whowould walk from Pittsburgh toBuffalo, and a dozen men pro-fessed faith in the promise, an dyet only one actually started out .and walked, the natural and cor-rect inference would be that theother eleven did not have thefaith. If they had the faith i nsuch a promise, it would arousethem to activity . And just so, anyman who appreciates fully, an dbelieves the exceeding great an dprecious promises of God to thechurch, will make haste and runfor them; and he will closely ob-serve the directions, too, that h emay not run in vain.

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"And if Christ be formed inhim, these established principle sof Christian character will hol dhim firm and steady in the midstof temptations and error; and hewill not be easily moved eitherfrom the practice of righteousnessor from sound scriptural doctrine .He will demand a `Thus saith th eLord' for every doctrine, and onthat sure Word he will dare de-pend. And the language of hi sheart as expressed in his dail ylife will be (Ps. 57 :7, 9), `My heartis fixed, 0 God, my heart i sfixed : . . . I will praise thee, 0Lord, among the people . '

"While such must be the per-sonal condition of every heir ofthe kingdom, the special work ofevery such one should be to helpthose begotten by the Word oftruth to arrive at this conditio nof fixed and quickened Christiancharacter . Be not satisfied, be-loved fellow-laborers, when thos ewithin range of your influenc eare merely begotten by the Wordof truth, but, by instruction, ex-ample, and assistance, labor dili-gently to have Christ formed inthem, the hope of glory ; and then ,so far as possible, minister als oto their further development, thatthey may be born in the gloriousdivine nature . "

Ponder for a moment what thisall means to every one of us! I fany of us has been used by Go din any small way or to any de -

gree, by word or example, to helpa fellow-member in Christ attainto this most essential maturity inChrist, so that he may obtain thereward of the divine nature, itmeans not only that God has rec-ognized and approved our minis -try, but additionally, that we haveachieved the most outstanding ofall the works and deeds it is pos-sible for an imperfect being t oaccomplish . The fact that this o rthat one is born in Zion shouldhelp us to realize the profundit yand seriousness of our ministry ofGod's Holy Word of truth .

If, as our Lord stated, even thegiving of a cup of cold water fo rthe refreshment of a disciple o fthe Lord will not fail of recogni-tion and reward, what will the as-sistance given to one such towar dreaping the greatest and mostglorious prize in the whole uni-verse mean to Jehovah, our Heav-enly Father, and his glorifie dSon, Christ Jesus ?

May we all realize, from thi stime forward, the riches of hi sgrace toward us in affording u ssuch a wonderful opportunity ofbeing co-workers with our greatand glorious Heavenly Father inthese days of stress and strain o fpreparation for the inaugurationof Christ's kingdom! And may w ebe ever mindful of this most vita lconsideration for a Christian tobe a copy of God's dear Son, ou rLord and Savior, Christ Jesus !

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!THE BRITISH SECTION

7tte Ai?eaft?

/let Ccwr~~vcioKs

ON THE sixteenth day of Nisan,the first month of the sacred

Jewish year, "the morrow afte rthe sabbath," or "feast of unleav-ened bread" of the 15th, therewas to be, in Israel of old, thewaving of a sheaf of the first-fruits of their harvest . (Lev. 23 :5, 6, 9-11, 15, 16) This waving o fthe first ripe sheaf before theLord typified the resurrection o fChrist our Lord as the "firstfrui tof those having fallen asleep."—I Cor. 15 :20, Diaglot t

Fifty days after that "morrowafter the sabbath" came the "feas tof weeks" of Pentecost, when t oIsrael the instruction was, "Y eshall bring out of your habita-tions two wave loaves : . . . theyshall be baken with leaven ; theyare the firstfruits unto the Lord . "(Exod . 34 :22 ; Lev . 23 :16, 17) Thesetwo wave loaves offered on thefiftieth day—Pentecost—repre-sented the presenting of the

THE BRITISH SECTION

church before God, and its ac-ceptance through the merit of th egreat High Priest as a "kind offirstfruits of his creatures ."—James 1 :1 8

Why were two loaves used toillustrate God's acceptance of th eantitypical firstfruits? It shoul dbe borne in mind that althoug hthe principal work of the Gospe lage is gathering the firstfruits ,the church, God foresaw thatthere would be a great man yothers who would turn to him b yfaith in Christ and begin to runthe race for the prize of the highcalling.

These, although lovers of th eLord for what he had done fo rthem, and possessing an earnes tdesire to know and to do his will ,would for various reasons com eshort of their covenant with him .They would thus fail to sufferwith Christ ; to be baptized intohis death, and on this accountwould be counted unworthy toreign with him as "kings andpriests unto God."—Rev. 1 : 6

These, although loving theLord, are side-tracked by onecause or another; perhaps by"the care of this world, and th edeceitfulnes of riches," whetherobtaining them or not. (Matt.13 :22) But because of having com e

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with acceptability to the Lord ,and having been justified by faithand begotten of the Holy Spirit ,these must be born of the Spiritor lose life altogether. Hence theScriptures teach that this "greatmultitude," who for various rea-sons come short of the greatprize, experience "destruction ofthe flesh, that the spirit may besaved in the day of the Lord."—I Cor. 5 :5, Diaglott ; Rev . 7 : 9

The two loaves, therefore, rep-resented the two classes of theconsecrated—the overcoming"little flock" ; and "the great mul-titude," who do not make thehigh calling theirs by overcomin gthe world as they might an dshould . It is recorded in Leviticu s23:17 that the two loaves "shal lbe baken with leaven," a symbo lof sin, and from this we learnthat at the time of acceptance ,both of these classes are sinners ;"children of wrath, even as oth-ers," and are acceptable onlythrough the merit of the greatHigh Priest .—Eph. 2 : 3

Distinction Pronounce d

IN THE Book of Revelation,chapter 7, we see the "John" clas s[the church] given a vision of thework of the Gospel age . First areshown the overcomers, to whom,as the "little flock," it is the Fa-ther's good pleasure to give thekingdom. (Luke 12 :32) These com-prise the divine temple of livin gstones, which to all eternity wil l

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be God's dwelling place .—Ps . 132 :13, 14 ; Rev. 7 :1- 4

Then follows the scene of " agreat multitude, which no mancould number"—a number whichno man can compute—a numberwhich, unlike that of the "bride"class, the "kings and priests untoGod," is not a predestinated andrevealed number . (Rev . 7 :9) Theseare represented as being beforethe throne of God, and servinghim "day and night in histemple ."—Rev. 7 :1 5

Having regard to the fact thatGod's temple or dwelling place i sa company of beings, partaker sof his own divine nature, thes eothers comprising the "great mul-titude," who are to be associate dwith them, must also become spir-it beings . During the thousandyears of the kingdom these willbe performing a necessary workfor mankind as ministering spir-its, somewhat similar to the min-istry the angels perform for th echurch during the Gospel age .—Heb . 1 :1 4

The marks of distinction be-tween this great company and th e"little flock" are very pro-nounced, both as respects theirpresent course and their futur eblessing . The faithful overcomers ,the "little flock," watch and keeptheir garments unspotted fromthe world . And this is given asone of the special conditions ofacceptance as "overcomers" t ojoint-heirship with the Lord .

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These "have not defiled thei rgarments ." (Rev . 3 :14) They havekept themselves "unspotted fromthe world ." (James 1 :27) The yhave not been willing to permitsin to contaminate them and toseparate them from the Lord, buthave quickly applied for, and ob-tained, the precious blood to re-move every stain .

They are so heartily oppose dto sin, and so earnest about keep-ing their garments clean, tha tthe Adversary gets no hold uponthem. (I John 5:18) All this in-dicates a full submission of thei rwills to the will of Christ. Theyare "dead with Christ," and hencecould not willingly practice sin .(Rom. 6:8) Their reward is thecrown of life, immortality, and t obe with Jesus on his throne.—Rev. 3 :2 1

A Contras t

NOW contrast with these th egreat company, lacking the in-tense love and zeal of the over -corners . They do not keep theirgarments cleansed. There is in-sufficient watchfulness and care .As a result, they lose all the re-wards promised to the overcom-ers; and, having failed in the race,they would get nothing if it werenot for the Lord's favor .

Divine grace, however, canno tadmit to heavenly perfectionthose who have not robes of spot-less righteousness . Hence we areshown that these who have no tproperly cared for their gar-

THE BRITISH SECTION

ments, and kept them white, mus tbe put through severe experienc-es before they can in any sens eof the word be sharers of heaven-ly favors .—Rev. 7 :1 4

These severe experiences ar eshown in symbolic language as"great tribulation" in which they"have washed their robes, andmade them white, in the blood ofthe Lamb ." Penance, or suffering,although it may be necessary a sproper punishment and discipline ,does not cleanse these robes, bu tas stated in Revelation 7 :14, th eefficacy for the cleansing is in"the blood of the Lamb." Manywill thus be purged, purified, andtheir garments, which had bee nbadly spotted and tarnished bycontact with the world, will b ecleansed of every guilty stai nwhen, realizing the folly of theircourse, they shall repentantly ap-peal to the Lord and use his help .

But sad disappointments are at-tached to the experiences of thiscompany . It is because they"fear" the reproaches of Chris tthat they shirk present privilegesand opportunities for walkin gwith him "in white," in the "suf-ferings of this present time . "(Heb. 2 :15; Rom. 8:18) They notonly miss the present joys andrejoicings of those who are faith-ful, but sooner or later they mus tcome through still greater suffer-ings—great pressure, great afflic-tion, great tribulation—if theywould attain even to a lowerplace in the spirit realm.

39

These are not a people who re-pudiate the Lord in any sense .On the contrary, they are "vir-gins," but foolish in that theyvainly try to please and serveboth God and mammon . (Matt . 25 :1, 2) They waste precious oppor-tunities trying to find an easierway of following their Lord tha nby "being made conformable untohis death."—Phil . 3 :1 0

Voluntaril y

THE "overcomers" suffer withChrist voluntarily, and with joy .They look upon these sufferingsas light afflictions, working ou tfor them an exceeding and eter-nal weight of glory . (II Cor. 4:17 )Theirs is a willing sacrifice . Forthem, full, wholehearted conse-cration to God is a very great an dhappy privilege.

But those of the great companysuffer largely involuntarily, un-willingly . Unfaithfulness hasbrought to them peculiar expe-riences. For this reason their suf-ferings are considered by them asbeing not light afflictions, but asgreat afflictions, not endured joy-fully . In their mind and heartthere is great pressure, "grea ttribulation," which is certainlynot the experience of the faithfu lovercomers, who with joy willing-ly fulfil their covenant "by sacri-fice ."—Ps . 50 : 5

The Greek word translate d"tribulation" in Revelation 7 :14includes the thought of "pres-

40

sure," "affliction ." And by divinefavor the great company ar ecaused to go through great pres-sure, great affliction, including,perhaps, many of the generalvery severe experiences of man -kind under the reign of sin an ddeath . This "great tribulation" o fthe great company provides se-vere tests of faith, and contrib-utes to "the destruction of theflesh [the things of the flesh] ,that the spirit [the new creature]may be saved in the day of theLord."—I Cor . 5 :5, Diaglott

Further Corroboratio n

IT IS recorded, in connectionwith the typical Day of Atone-ment observed by Israel of old ,that after the high priest had sac-rificed the bullock and its bloodhad been taken into the Mos tHoly as an atonement for sin, hecame out, and at the door of thetabernacle there were two goats .These he presented [picturin gtheir consecration] before theLord. Then upon these two ani-mals he cast lots as to which on eshould be the "Lord's" goat, t obe treated exactly as was the bul-lock, and as to which one shouldbe the "scapegoat," to be allowedto escape into the wilderness ,there to die from natural causesand not as a sacrifice .—Lev. 16 :3-10, 15, 20, 2 1

These two goats, both conse-crated, represent all who conse-crate themselves to the Lord, anddemonstrate how they would ulti -

THE DAWN

irately form themselves into dif-ferent classes. The second goat,which was not sacrificed after th emanner of the bullock, nor likethe Lord's goat, pictures a peopl ewho have promised more tha nthey are willing to perform .

It is important to note that"the bodies of those beasts, whos eblood is brought into the sanctu-ary by the high priest for sin, areburned without the camp . Where -fore Jesus also [the antitype ofthe bullock], that he might sanc-tify the people with his ownblood, suffered without the gate .Let us [like the Lord's goat inthe type] go forth therefore unt ohim without the camp, bearin ghis reproach."—Heb. 13 :11-13

The body of the scapegoat—picture of the great compan yclass—was not burned in the wil-derness . Only sin-offerings (th ebullock and the Lord's goat) wereburned. The burning of the sin-offerings represented the steady,continuous submission of Jesusand his faithful footstep followersto the fiery ordeal of suffering—"faithful [willing sacrifices] unt odeath."—Rev. 2 :1 0

Both classes typified by th etwo goats suffer even unto thedeath of the human will an dbody; but those of the first classdie willingly. They are consume dby the continual crucifying of theflesh, as shown in the symbol offire burning continuously unti lthere is nothing more to burn .Those of the second class ar e

THE BRITISH SECTION

simply sent to the wilderness an dleft there to die. Their love ofthe world's approval perishe swith the world's neglect andscorn and reproach; and theirnew spiritual nature meantimeripens into life .

All the consecrated of bothclasses (the little flock and thegreat company) pass through con-siderable trial and testing, yetby one class they are esteemedbut light afflictions, and takenjoyfully, while to the other clas sthey are burdensome, "great af-fliction," and to some extentgrievous . These latter are thosewho come out of the "great afflic-tion," having thus "washed theirrobes, and whitened them in theblood of the Lamb ." (Rev. 7:14,Diaglott) Proportionately differ-ent are the positions and rewardsof these two classes, followingthe completion of their earthlypilgrimage .

The Scriptures do not call o rinvite us to be of the great com-pany class, but of the "littleflock," the "bride" of Christ, the"bride" being required to make"herself ready." (Rev. 19 :7; 21 :2 ; 22:17) Here is "the prize ofthe high calling of God in ChristJesus," and we are exhorted toso run as to obtain that prize .(Phil . 3 :14) The Lord does notdesire us to overcome in a par-tial sense, but to overcome evenas Jesus overcame; to maintainour full consecration, daily andhourly .

41

The Bride as Quee n

IT IS appropriate that weshould remind ourselves afreshof the beautiful suggestion pre-sented to us by the Prophet Da-vid respecting the wedding gar-ment of the bride. (Ps . 45:9-14)Here the Lord tells us that thebride, as the queen, shall be pre-sented before the King in "rai-ment of needlework" as well asin "clothing of wrought gold. "

The gold clothing would fitlyrepresent the immortality (th eenduring character of the divin enature) with which the churc hshall be invested in her resurrec-tion glory . The raiment of needle -work would represent the fin elinen garment, clean and white ,mentioned in Revelation 19 :8 . Buthere we note the additional sug-gestion that this garment will b efinely embroidered.

The robe that was merely loanedto us at first becomes a perma-nent gift from the Bridegroom toas many as accept the invitatio nto union with him. Examining i tcarefully, these find upon it, indelicate outline, a stamping i nbeautiful and graceful lines, cor-responding to the richly embroi-dered robe worn by the King'sSon. The suggestion of copyingthe design on his robe was no tonly thus hinted at, but it was

plainly declared that all whowould be accounted worthy to b ehis "elect" companions should inall respects be copies of th eBridegroom.—Rom . 8 :29

The careful setting of thestitches in the embroidering ofthis wedding garment has beenthe chief duty and constant oc-cupation of the espoused virgin ,while waiting for the marriage atthe return of the Bridegroom .True, much of the embroideringnow done by us is very imperfect .Nevertheless, we can well under-stand that every painstaking ef-fort is strengthening characterand bringing us into fuller sym-pathy with our Lord .

When he inspects his churchhe will take pleasure even in ou rimperfect results, if they giv eevidence that we have bestowe dsincere effort in bringing all intoconformity with his will . He wil laccept of our imperfect work a sthough it were perfect ; and inthe resurrection he will grant u sspiritual, divine bodies .

The great company, the "fool-ish virgins," not worthy to bethe bride, are pictured in Psalm45:14, 15 as "the virgins her (thequeen's) companions that follo wher." They shall be brought untothee "with gladness and rejoic-ing"; "they shall enter into theking's palace . "

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present

help in trouble."—Psalm 46:1

SPEAKERS' APPOINTMENT S

A . BOYC E

Liverpool May

2 9Manchester June

26

J . LESLIE MC KEOW N

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CONVENTION at Portrush, Norther nIreland, Whitsun, June 4, 5, 6 . Write toMr . T . R . Lang, 41 Clooney Terrace, Wa-terside, Londonderry, Northern Ireland,for accommodation and other details .

AVAILABLE IN GREAT BRITAIN : All books and booklets listed on page s32 and 33 are available in Great Britain, and also the six volumes of"Studies in the Scriptures ." The prices are :

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GEORGI A

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p . mSan. Diego KSCN 1240 10 :30 a .m .San

Francisco KGO

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620 10 :00 a .m .CONNECTICUT

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740

9 :45 a .m .Painlsville

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1490

10 :00 a .m .DISTRICT OF COLUMBI A

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1240 11 :00 a . mWinchester

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THE DAWN

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p .m .Detroit WXYZ 1270 10 :00 are . Plattsburg WIRY 1340 11 :00 a .m .Flint WTRX 1330 1 :05 p .m . Syracuse WJMK 1220 8 :30 a .m .Grand Rapids WMAX 1480 9 :05 a .m . NORTH CAROLIN ALudington WKLA 1450 12 :45 p .m . Beaufort WBMA 1400 9 :00 a .m .Saginaw WSGW 790 10 :30 a .m .Muskegon WMUS 1090 12 :00 noon

Belmont WCGC 1270 11 :00

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MINNESOTA Fayetteville WFLB 1490 12 :30 p .m .Gastonia WGNC 1450 12 :3 0Austin KAUS 1480 10 :00 a .m . p .m .Greensboro WGBG 1400 12 :3 0Duluth WQMN 1480 10 :00 a .m . p .m .Leaksville WLOE 1490 12 :00 noo nWadena KWAD 920 10 :00 a .m .Mt .

Airy WSYD 1240 12 :15

p .m .MISSISSIPPI Reidsville WFRC 1600 12 :30

p .m .

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Jefferson City KWOS 1240 10 :00 a .m .OHI O

Joplin WMBH 1420 9 :00

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p .m .St

Louis KXOK

630 8 :15 a .m . Piqua WPTW 1570 12 :45 p .m .

NEVADA Toledo WOHO 1470 11 :00

a .m .

Reno KBET 1340 10 :30 a .m . OKLAHOM AAda KADA 1230 12 :20

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970 11 :00

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WILK 980 12 :30 p .m .Williamsport

WMPT 1450 1 :00 p .m .

SOUTH CAROLIN A

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Bennettsville

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WOKE 1340 12 :30 p .m .Clinton

WPCC 1410 12 :30 p.m .Columbia

WCOS 1400 11 :00 a .m .Conway

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WDSC 800 10 :30 a .m .Greer

WCKI 1300 12 :30 p .m .Georgetown

WGTN 1400 11 :00 a .m .

SOUTH DAKOTA

Mitchell

KORN 1490 10 :00 a .m .

TENNESSE E

Fayetteville

WEKR 1240 10 :00 are .Jackson

WTJS 1390 12 :30 p .m .Memphis

WHHM 1340 12 :00 noo nNashville

WNAH 1360 10 :45 a .m .

TEXA SAbilene

KWKC 1340 10 :00 a .m .Dallas

WFAA 570 11 :30 a .m .

Houston-Baytown

KWBA 10 :30 a .m .

Lampasas

KCYL 14.50 12 :45 p .m .Lubbock

KDAV 580 9 :45 a .m .Nacogdoches

KEEE 1230 11 :30 a .m .Pampa

KPDN 1340 10 :00 a .m .Port Arthur

KPAC 1250 10 :00 a .m .Son Antonio

KMAC 630 9 :45 a .m .Sherman-Dennison KRRV 910 10 :00 a .m .

Waco

KWTX 1230 10 :00 a .m .Wichita Falls

KWFT 620 10 :15 a .m .

UTA HProvo

KIXX 1400 11 :30 a .m .

VIRGINI A

Charlottesville

WCHV 1260 11 :00 a .m .Lynchburg

WLVA 590 12 :30 p.m .Marion

WMEV 1010 12 :10 p.m .Norfolk

WLOW 1400 12 :30 p .m .Richmond

WMBG 1380 12 :30 p .m .Waynesboro

WAYB 1490 12 :00 noo n

WASHINGTO NBellingham

KPUG 1170 11 :15 a .m.Centralia

KELA 1470 10 :30 a .m.Longview

KEDO 1400 10 :30 a .m.Olympia

KGY 1240 10 :30 a .m .Seattle

KNBX 1050 1 ;15 p .m .Tacoma

KTNT 1400 10 :00 a .m .Walla Walla

KTEL 1490 10 :30 a .m .

WEST VIRGINI ABluefield

WKOY 1240 12 :1 5Charleston

WHMS 1490 12 :3 0Fairmont

WTCS 1490 12 :3 0Huntington

WPLH 1470 11 :0 0

WGEZ 1490 10 :00 a .m .WBIZ 1400 10 :00 a .m .KFIZ 1450 10 :00 a .m .

WCLO 1230 10 :00 a .m .WOMT 1240 10 :00 a .m .WRDB 1400 11 :45 a .m .

WCOW 1290 10 :00 a .m .WDUX 800 11 :30 a .m .

WYOMIN GCheyenne

KVWO 1370 9 :00 a .m .

CANADACalgary, Alta . CKXL 1140 10 :45 am,Hamilton, Ont . CHML 900 9 :45 a .m .Prince Albert, Sask . CKBI 900 10 :30 o . mSt. John's N'fld . VOCM 590 10 :30 a .m .Vancouver, B . C . CJOR 600 9 :00 a .m .Dauphin

CKDM 730 10 :30 a .m .

p .m .p.m .p .m .a .m .

WISCONSI NBeloi tEau ClaireFond du La cJanesvill eManitowo cReedsbur gSpart aWaupaca

[0-i'MR QUESTIONS

Tensions Lessened

"Should the study of the Bible ,and a better understanding ofGod's plans acquired thereby, les-sen the tensions which resultfrom the chaotic conditions whichsurround us in this fear-filledworld of today?"

MOST certainly! However, abasic requirement in this connec-tion is that one have faith in theteachings of the Bible, faith tha tthese teachings actually reveal theplans and purposes of the greatCreator of the universe towar dhis human creatures . If one ha sfaith in the Word of God, and i sdedicated to the doing of his will ,then the promises of the Biblewill do much to allay fear and t orelieve tensions.

"In quietness and in confidenc eshall he your strength," the Wordsays . (Isa. 30:15) Again, "I willnever leave thee, nor forsak ethee ." (Heb. 13 :5) And how reas-suring is God's promise, "Mygrace is sufficient for thee."—II Cor . 12 : 9

Throughout the Bible there ar emany, many promises of this sortassuring the people of God thathe cares for them, and even intheir trials and difficulties h ecauses "all things" to work to-gether for their good . (Rom . 8 :28 )

YOUR QUESTIONS

These promises should and do re-lieve tensions in proportion toour ability to exercise faith i nthem .

An understanding of the planof God for the redemption andrecovery of the human race fro msin and death should also takeaway our anxieties with respectto our friends and relatives . Cer-tainly the whole world is in achaotic and distressed conditiontoday . The future is very uncer-tain for most people. But it isnot uncertain for those who un-derstand the plan of God, for theyknow that the conditions allaround us are evidences of th enear approach of the kingdom ofChrist.

Some say that unless God in-tervenes to save us, the world isdoomed. This is true, and thos ewho understand the plan of Godknow that the Lord will inter-vene. So, in confidence they canpeer into the future, knowing thattomorrow belongs to God . Thisnot only relieves their tensions ,but it enables them to spea kwords of assurance and comfortto those with whom they are as-sociated. Those who understan dthe Bible, and have faith in theplan of God revealed therein ,should be the happiest people inthe world .

47

EFFECTIVE PRAYIN G

"How can I be sure that Godwill answer my prayers?"

PRESUMABLY anyone who i sinterested in praying believes inGod and is desirous of doing hi swill . Jesus said, "If ye abide inme, and my words abide in you,ye shall ask what ye will, and i tshall be done unto you ." (John15:7) This is not an unconditiona lpromise that all prayers will b eanswered. Indeed, the conditionsattached to this promise are veryexacting . First of all, one mustabide in Christ . This means theacceptance of his headship overour lives, the renouncing of ourown will and ways, that we mightdo the will of God as expressedthrough Christ . And then, th eWord of the Lord must abide i nus, meaning that we are bein ggoverned by that Word.

Those in whom these condition sexist may indeed ask "what theywill," for they will ask only forthose things which the Lord i spleased to give to them . Certainlyall such prayers are favorably an-swered. And this emphasizes avery important fact concernin gprayer, which is that God did notdesign this wonderful opportuni-ty of talking to him in order thateveryone might go to him an drequest whatever his heart mightfancy.

48

Prayer is communion with Godto be enjoyed fully only by thosewhose chief aim in life is to kno wand to do his will . God wants hi speople to seek his guidance, hi sstrength, his companionshi pthrough his Word . Prayers fo rspiritual blessings of this sort aresure to be answered. But prayersfor a new automobile, a betterjob, or for better health, may gounanswered unless the Lord seesthat these good things would ac-crue to our spiritual blessing anddraw us closer to him.

There is one prayer that issure to be answered favorably,which is, "Thy kingdom come.Thy will be done in earth, as itis in heaven ." (Matt. 6:10) God' skingdom will be established inthe earth in his own due time,and it will bring rich blessings o fpeace, joy, health, and life to al lmankind. But in offering thi sprayer it is well to consider theimportance of having God's wil ldone now in our own hearts .

IDENTITY IN TH E

RESURRECTIO N

"Will we see and know ou rloved ones in the resurrection?"

YES! The word "resurrection "means a restanding, or a restora-tion . The Apostle Peter used th eword "restitution," and declaredthat "times of restitution" had

THE DAWN

been foretold "by the mouth o fall his [God's] holy prophets sincethe world began." (Acts 3 :19-21 )Isaiah was one of God's hol yprophets, and he wrote that "th eransomed of the Lord shall re -turn [from death], . . . with songsand everlasting joy upon theirheads : they shall obtain joy an dgladness, and sorrow and sighingshall flee away ."—Isa . 35 :10

There is much sorrow and sigh-ing in the world today resultingfrom the separation of loved one sby death . If the awakening ofthese loved ones from death wil lcause sorrow and sighing to fle eaway, it must be that they wil lknow each other, and rejoice inthe fact that they have been re-united . If this is not true, thenthere would be no point in th eresurrection . It is because thedead will be restored as the samepersonalities that they will no tonly know themselves, but eac hother also .

Ezekiel was another of God' sholy prophets who foretold th ecoming time of restoration . Inchapter 16, verse 55 of his proph-ecy we find a promise of resur-rection for the Israelites, and als ofor the Sodomites and Samari-tans . In verse 61 of this chapter ,it is explained that when the Is-raelites are restored to thei r"former estate" they will "re -member" their former ways. Thisis proof that in the resurrectio npeople will know who they for -

YOUR QUESTIONS

merly were, and will rememberthe various experiences of theirpast lives .

PROVE ALL THINGS

"Is it wrong to question whatwe are being taught?"

IT WOULD be wrong if we di dnot examine the Scriptures care -fully in order to ascertain wheth-er or not what we are beingtaught was supported by the in -spired Word of God . If we didnot do this we would be shirkingour responsibility before th eLord . We should appreciate thos ewho help us to understand th eBible, but we should not accepttheir teachings without provin gthem by the inspired Word ofGod.

Paul was one of the inspiredservants of God. He spoke andwrote under the inspiration ofthe Holy Spirit, yet he did notexpect anyone to accept his teach-ings without proving them by th eWord of God. In connection withPaul's ministry in Berea, we read ,"These were more noble thanthose in Thessalonica, in tha tthey received the word with read-iness of mind and searched theScriptures daily, whether thosethings were so . " (Acts 17 :11) Thi sis the only proper attitude t otake if we would be truly taugh tby God .

49

HOPE FOR THE

UNCONVERTED DEA D

"According to the teachings setforth in your radio and televisionprograms, and in your literature,it is your opinion that those wh odie in unbelief are not necessari-ly lost . Does not the Bible teachthat no opportunity to believewill be given to sinners afte rdeath?"

NO, THE Bible does not thu slimit the opportunity to believe !This restricted viewpoint of God' sgrace is based solely on humantradition . From God's standpoint ,those who die merely fall"asleep," and from this "sleep o fdeath" there is to be an awaken-ing. Falling asleep in death doe snot change God's attitude towarda person any more than going t osleep at night .

"As in Adam all die, even s oin Christ shall all be made alive, "wrote the Apostle Paul. (I Cor.15 :22) The vast majority of theadamic race have died in unbe-lief, yet they are to have the op-portunity of being made "alive inChrist." Those who do believe i nthis life, and undertake to followin the footsteps of Jesus, are theonly ones who will not have afurther opportunity beyond the

grave. This is because they aresufficiently enlightened to makethem responsible.

The Bible assures us that evensuch wicked people as the Sodom -ites are to be awakened fromdeath and given an opportunity ofentering into covenant relation-ship with God. (Ezek. 16:53-63 )Jesus said that it would be more"tolerable," or favorable, for theSodomites in the day of judgmentthan for those of the Jewish na-tion who rejected him.—Matt. 11 :23, 24

The Apostle Paul, writing con-cerning those who rejected Jesus ,assures us that mercy will b eshown to them when they ar eawakened from the sleep of death .He said that "God hath conclude dthem all in unbelief, that hemight have mercy upon all ."(Rom. 11:32) In this chapter Paulwrote of the time when God's fa-vor will again be upon Israel, andhe explained that this will in-volve the resurrection of thedead.—vss . 15, 25-27

Thus the Bible clearly teache sthat both Gentiles and Jews whohave died in unbelief will havemercy shown to them when theyare resurrected . No wonder theApostle Paul wrote, "0 the depthof the riches both of the wisdomand knowledge of God! how un-searchable are his judgments, andhis ways past finding out!"—Rom .11 :33

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THE DAWN

ITALKING THINGS OVER1

"Therefore, my beloved brethren,be ye stedfast, unmoveable,always abounding in the workof the Lord, forasmuch as yeknow that your labor is not i nvain in the Lord."

—I Corinthians 15 :58

THE Church of Christ at Corinth was not without its problems .Judging from the warnings, exhortations, and instruction s

contained in Paul's letters to this group of Christians, there wa sa measure of carnality among them. Some did not grasp the rea lspirit of the Memorial Supper, and some did not believe in theresurrection of the dead. Faithfully Paul endeavored to correctthese faulty situations, and to show these early disciples the wayof the Lord more perfectly .

The climax of this presentation of truth comes in the 15t hchapter, in which Paul presents the glorious hope of the resur-rection, and associates the fruition of this hope with the kingdo mreign of Christ, a reign which is to continue until all enemie sare put under his feet, and the great enemy Death destroyed .This outline of the divine plan contains the basic fundamentalsof the message which has been given to us to proclaim ; andPaul's admonition to the brethren of Corinth, and to us, t oabound in the work of the Lord, is related to our commission toproclaim this Gospel .

But to do this effectively it is essential that we be "stedfas tand unmoveable" in the truth and in our stand for the truth.The brethren at Corinth could not abound in the work of theLord while carnally disputing among themselves as to who mthey would choose as their favorite leader . Those among themwho did not believe in the resurrection of the dead certainl ycould not abound in the work of proclaiming the Gospel of the

TALKING THINGS OVER

5 i

Stedfast

and

Abounding

kingdom, a Gospel which is void of vital meaning if there is n oresurrection of the dead .

It is essential that those who work for the Lord know the plan sand ways of the Lord, and that they labor in the spirit of th eLord, recognizing the headship of Christ, and enthusiasticall ybelieving and witnessing for the Gospel of Christ. One cannotmeet these qualifications if tossed about "by every wind of doc-trine." (Eph. 4:14) We must be "stedfast and unmoveable ." Thisdoes not imply bigotry, or the unreasonable adherence to un-proved theories and traditions . The truth of the divine plan i snot such as this . It is the glorious Gospel of the kingdom, which ,in all its aspects, is supported by the inspired Word of God .

Not only are we to be "stedfast and unmoveable" in the truth ,but we are also to contend earnestly for it, for the "faith whic hwas once delivered unto the saints ." (Jude 3) We are to standtogether for the faith of the Gospel . And we are to stand togethe rin keeping with the arrangements the Lord has outlined in hi sWord. Paul explains this arrangement in the 12th chapter of hi sFirst Epistle to the Corinthians . We cannot abound in the workof the Lord and ignore this arrangement .

Christ the Hea d

IN I Corinthians, chapter 12, and in Ephesians, chapter 4, Pau loutlines the working arrangements of "the new creation." ChristJesus is the Head over his church . As brethren, and members o fChrist's body, we all take our direction from the Head . The moredevoted each of us is to our Head, the more fervent will be th espirit of unity among us . Any partisan spirit, whether motivate dby friendship, personal preferences, or ambition, tends to disrup ttrue fellowship among the brethren, and to weaken "the tie thatbinds our hearts in Christian love ." These undesirable resultsare due to a failure to look to the Head .

We may properly think of Christ and his church from twostandpoints . There is the all-inclusive viewpoint in which we seethe entire church from Pentecost right down to the full end o fthe age. And then there is the more local viewpoint in whic heach congregation of the Lord's consecrated people, large or

52

THE DAWN

small, is spoken of in the Scriptures as the church . There wa sthe church at Rome, the church at Antioch, and so forth .

For the church as a whole, special servants were appointed b ythe Lord . In addition to Jesus, the Head, there are the twelv eapostles. These rendered personal service to the brethren of theEarly Church, and, through their writings' and example, havecontinued to serve the Lord's people throughout the age . Thenthere are what we might speak of as dispensational servants . Inthis category are the "angels," or messengers to the seve nchurches mentioned in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3 . The breth-ren in this end of the age have been, and continue to be, blesse dby the messenger to the Laodicean Church . Unlike the twelv eapostles, these dispensational messengers have not been inspired .

The various servants in the local groups are elected by th evote of the brethren. Paul wrote that the Lord sets every membe rin the body as it pleases him. Certainly this is true of the apostle sand of the "seven messengers." And we believe that the Lord ,in his own way, overrules with respect to the election of servant sin the local congregations. A certain brother may not be electe dto an office which he seems well qualified to fill, but perhap sthe Lord wants him to learn a valuable lesson from this expe-rience . Or, perhaps there is a lesson for the congregation tolearn. There are doubtless times when a brother can serve acongregation more effectively by being "on the shelf" for a whil ethan by actively serving .

No Central Contro l

A STUDY of The Book of Acts, and of the various epistles o fthe New Testament, reveals clearly that there was no centralauthority in the days of the Early Church which governed all thevarious local congregations. It is clear that each group was au-tonomous, and had complete freedom to conduct its own affairs .There is no evidence that even the inspired apostles in any wa yinterfered with this complete liberty of action, except to admon-ish and exhort .

This liberty doubtless resulted in diversified arrangements onthe part of the various congregations . No instructions were givenby Jesus or by the apostles as to how each local congregatio n

TALKING THINGS OVER

53

should conduct its business affairs . Scripturally, there is no rightor wrong method. What might work well in a small group, per-haps would not be so satisfactory for a larger congregation . Theimportant consideration is that each group should seek out an dapply the methods best suited to its needs, in harmony with th efundamental principles outlined in the divine Word .

When the brethren are emptied of the spirit of self, and fille dwith the Spirit of the Lord, they find it a great joy to labor to-gether in the service of the Lord, the truth, and of one another .And it was true in the Early Church, even as it is true today,that there was more or less of intermingling on the part of thebrethren of the various congregations . And those in the variousgroups helped their brethren of other groups when there was aneed for it . Thus Paul collected funds from various congregationsto help their needy brethren in Judea .

Times Change, But Not Principle s

IT WAS a small world in which the Early Church existed . Tobegin with it was only Palestine . Then the work was expandedto Asia Minor, and later to southern Europe . Communication andtravel were slow . Individual brethren did not possess Bibles . In-deed, to start with, the Old Testament Scriptures were the onlyBibles available, and copies were scarce . Probably most Jewishsynagogues had a copy of the Old Testament manuscripts, an dprobably some of these found their way into the congregationsof the brethren. And doubtless additional copies were made a stime and circumstances permitted .

Certainly there were no printed Bibles, and no books explain-ing the Bible . To the extent that the brethren were able to bearwitness to the truth it had to be by word of mouth . In such cir-cumstances there was not much that one congregation could d oto help another in its missionary work . The Church at Antioc hsent Paul and Barnabas, and later Paul and Silas, into the mis-sionary field. Doubtless the brethren at Antioch contributed th enecessary funds to make these missionary journeys possible .

How different the situation is today! Essentially every brotherand sister in the truth today, the world over, owns a printed copyof the Bible . English, Hebrew, and Greek concordances of th e

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THE DAWN

Bible are available ; also Bible dictionaries . In the Lord's provi-dence, we also have "keys" to an understanding of the Bible —"Studies in the Scriptures." The printing press has made avail -able for witness work a generous variety of tracts and booklets .

The personal testimony is still effective, and without doub tresults in the richest of blessings to those who use all such op-portunities that come to them. But now, this method of proclaim-ing the truth to which the brethren in the Early Church wer elimited, can be and is augmented by the printed message . Thereare many today throughout the world who are rejoicing in pres-ent truth who have never met a truth brother or sister . Thesehave learned the truth simply by reading.

Today, also, we enjoy the benefits of those two most modernmediums of communication, radio and television . The use ofthese mediums furnishes additional opportunities for the breth-ren to "abound" in the work of the Lord. There is the advertis-ing of the programs, and the "follow up" of the interested bymeans of public meetings, personal calls, and through the mail .A number of brethren today are finding an opportunity of servicein contacting radio and television station managers with the vie wof interesting them in putting on the programs .

Obviously, these present-day . methods of disseminating thetruth offer opportunities for the brethren to work together in ageneral witness work. But this is being done without in any wa yabridging the independent status of local ecclesias. Indeed, itis this that forms such a solid basis upon which a general minis -try of the truth is made possible .

The co-operative ministry of the truth offers privileges of serv-ice also to the Lord's people who are isolated . There are thou-sands of these dear ones, and the fact that they have the oppor-tunity of working together with their brethren in a general min-istry of the truth, through their prayers, distribution of literature ,and assisting financially, gives them a deep sense of being a partof the "body," although they seldom, perhaps never, see anyon eof "like precious faith . "

A "City"THUS it is that the Lord's people throughout the earth toda y

TAtKING THINGS OVER

55

are continuing to be, as Jesus illustrated it, like "a city that i sset on an hill which cannot be hid ." (Matt . 5:14) They are "thelight of the world"—the only true light of the Gospel that is i nthe world. The fact that Jesus mentioned light in association withthe city illustration implies a night-time setting . There would b esome light emanating from a city by night, even in Jesus' day—lights that could be seen at some distance . But certainly the wholecountryside would not be made light in this way .

So it has been throughout the ages, and it is so today . Thechurch has not enlightened-the world, but from the Lord's tru epeople has shined the only light that has been in the world, an dthis light has attracted those whom the Lord has designed t o"call ." And what a joy it is to be a part of the symbolic "city"on the hill! But to continue to be light-bearers we need to b e"stedfast" and "unmoveable ." Otherwise we will not be display-ing a constant light, but one which, at best, will be wavering an dintermittent .

To be" stedfast and unmoveable" in the truth, and in harmonywith the Lord's arangements for his people, is one of the primar yrequisites for "always abounding in the work of the Lord." Ifwe turn aside from the truth to human theories, our abounding

will cease. If we are "hurt" because the ecclesia does not giv eus the recognition we think we deserve, we will not be so likel yto "abound" in the work of the Lord.

When the Israelites left Egypt to go to the Promised Land, theyencountered many difficulties in the wilderness . These expe-riences were not pleasant, but a strong faith in the Lord, an dcomplete resignation to his will, could have changed their out -look, and they would have had "rest ." Paul uses this situationto illustrate our "wilderness journey," and admonishes us toseek that "rest" of faith which can be ours amidst all the un-pleasant experiences of life . (Heb. 4:1-3) If we do enjoy thi s"rest," then we can give our minds and hearts to "abounding inthe work of the Lord . "

"Always"WE ARE reminded of one of the severe tests of Christian

faithfulness by Paul's use of the word "always." This suggests

56

THE DAWN

a zeal for the Lord and his work which is constant and unremit-ting. It is of little account that we were zealous yesterday, i fwe are listless and half-hearted in our service today . It is an en-couragement to note how wonderfully the "always" principle i smanifested among the Lord's people as a whole, even though th efruition of our hopes has been delayed much longer than man yof us expected .

We have a good example of the "always" principle at work i nconnection with network broadcasting of the truth . In the year1949 the opportunity arose for the truth to be broadcast over anational network of stations . The cost seemed at first to be outof reach of the Lord's people . But faith rose to the occasion, andit was decided to accept the opportunity offered . The generalthought among the brethren was that this enlarged effort shoul dbe undertaken even though it might not be continued ; that mean-while by so doing an effective witness would be given .

The first year's contract was carried through, and then an-other year, and another, even until now . The brethren did notbecome weary with this extra opportunity, but continued "alway sabounding in the work of the Lord ." We feel confident that thesame constancy of zeal will be manifested in connection with th etelevision work which is now developing. We know that what-ever the Lord's will is in connection with the television witnes swork will be accomplished. And we know that the Lord's people ,watching his leadings, and filled with zeal for his cause, willgladly be used by him for the accomplishment of his design i nthis, as well as in all other aspects of his service .

"Not in Vain "

"FORASMUCH," Paul wrote, "as ye know that your labor i snot in vain in the Lord." The preaching of the Gospel of th ekingdom has never been in vain . This was true with respect t oPeter's pentecostal sermon, and it has been true of every witnes sfor the truth which has been given since, whether to a multitude ,or to an individual. Yes, this has been true even though the wit-ness as been given with a lisping, "stammering tongue ."—Isa.28 :11; 33 :1 9

TAUCING TH GS OVER

57

We may not always see tangible results from our individualefforts. We know, however, that it has been the "always" workof the Lord's people throughout the entire age that will even-tually result, by the Lord's grace, in the "bride" making hersel f"ready" for union with the heavenly Bridegroom, Christ Jesus .(Rev. 19:7; 21:2) And every consecrated child of God who ha sbeen "beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word ofGod," has contributed something toward the accomplishment o fthis grand design for the Gospel age . (Rev. 20:4) It may be thatthe greatest result of our sacrifices in the Lord's service wil lturn out to be our own heart preparation, the making of our -selves ready for the kingdom. What a glorious result this will be !

In addition to this, however, the Lord frequently encourage shis people by permitting them to see others become intereste din the truth and dedicate themselves to the divine service as adirect result of their feeble efforts . This is indeed a joyful ex-perience. It is an experience in which we all can rejoice insofa ras the radio witness work is concerned, for this is a combinedeffort of all the brethren . It has been possible only because o fthe general co-operation of the Lord's people . Because of thisco-operation there are hundreds of persons throughout the coun-try, and overseas as well, who today are rejoicing in "presenttruth ."—II Pet. 1 :12

Truly this labor has not been "in vain ." Nor has any servic ethat has ever been rendered to the Lord in the spirit of true lov eand devotion to him and to his people, been in vain . Nor will anysuch service in the future be in vain. And there are so many waysto serve! May each of us continue to be on the alert to use faith -fully all the opportunities the Lord may permit us to have an denjoy, "always" abounding in his work, and continuing to b e"stedfast and unmoveable . "

ATHANASIUS ON THE TRINITY

Whenever he forced his understanding to meditate on th edivinity of the Logos his toilsome and unavailing efforts re-coiled on themselves ; the more he thought, the less he com-prehended; and the more he wrote, the less capable was heof expressing his thoughts .—Gibbons, Volume 2, page 48 8

58

THE DAWN

1LETTERSOF APPRECIATION 1

Joys in Television Work

Dear Brethren : Christian loveand greetings in the name of ourLord and Redeemer! We wouldlike to convey some good newsto you. We have just completedsome negotiations for the show-ing of the half-hour series of tele-vision programs over WBKW-T Vhere in Buffalo, free. [This sta-tion is currently running the fif-teen-minute series, free .] The sta-tion gave us June 19 as the start-ing date . We are very happy tohave a part in this work, an dthrice happy to see how theLord's hand is in these matters .I had an opportunity to questionthe man handling the fifteen-min-ute films as to what the stationthought about them . He had noth-ing but praise, and said they werevery happy to have them . I gavehim the brochure on the half-hour films, and he said that therewould be no need to audition on eof these before beginning th eseries . With much Christian love.—New Yor k

The Lord's Leading

Dear Sir : I have just been lis-tening to your program on th eradio . I enjoyed it so very much.I was unable to attend church andhad been reading my Bible whenyour program came on . It was a s

LETTERS OF APPRECIATION

if God had told me to turn myradio dial to that station, foryour questions and answers werepart of what I had been reading ,and you explained it so well tome.—Georgia

Error Vanished

Dear Friends: I have been re-ceiving The Dawn for about threeyears and it certainly has broughtme many happy moments o fsound spiritual reading . There i sno doubt that all my childhoodteachings have vanished .—Indi-ana

Wants to Share Trut h

Dear Brethren : Enclosed is mycheck to renew my subscriptionto The Dawn, and for a copy of"God's Promises Come True" formy two little girls. Your sugges-tion that I send The Dawn Maga-zine to a friend is, I believe, agood one . I have always passed o nmy old copies and little bookletsto anyone I thought would be in-terested in learning the truth, bu tvery few want to leave their ow nteachings . I saw "The Bible An-swers" program on WEAT-TV,and it was a real thrill to watc hthe speakers ask and answer thedown to earth questions whic hconfront us all . I especially like dthe method used in having the

59

Scriptures read so that all mightknow that the Bible actually ha sthe answers if we know where tolook, and how to rightly dividethe sacred Word . I am writingthe TV station thanking them fo rthe time allotted . May God keepblessing you in the work.—Ken-tucky

Needs The Daw n

Dear Sirs : I had thought Iwould not renew my subscriptionto The Dawn Magazine again, a sI am old (83 last January), an dmy eyes are so dim I can hardlysee to read any more. But I canhardly stand to do without TheDawn, so am enclosing a dolla rfor another year . May God blesshis work .—Louisiana

Helpe d

Gentlemen : I have received Th eDawn Magazine for fifteen years ,and have liked every issue . Yourliterature has certainly helped m eto find my way to a good under-standing of God and of his Word .May the God of all understandin gbless you in your wonderful work .—Maine

Comforte d

Sirs : I have just read yourbooklet, "Hope," and I think itis wonderful . I recently lost a sonin a mine accident. He was onlytwenty-six years old . The booklet ,"Hope," has helped me so much .Please send me the booklet, "Go dand Reason."—Michigan

60

God's Car e

Dear Sirs : I would like to re-ceive the booklet, "God and Rea -son ." I have read the little book-let called, "Hope," and it is won-derful. It is so comforting to kno wthat some day we shall meet ourloved ones again . God hasplanned everything so well forhis children . Our love for Go dand our faith in him are certainl ymost treasured possessions. MayGod bless you always .—Michiga n

Worry Gone

Dear Sirs : This Sunday morn-ing I happened to listen to yourbroadcast . It was so interesting.I was really carried away with itas I am grieving over the recentloss of my mother. As I listenedto your discussion I was relievedof a deep worry in my heart .Anyone could understand whatyou presented . It was so simple .Thank you very much . I will belistening for more of your discus-sions on the radio.—Missouri

God Is Lov e

Dear Sirs : I heard your pro -gram over VOCM yesterday . Ihear it every Sunday, and find itvery interesting and instructive .The Dawn Magazine is extra goo dreading. It explains the Bible i na way to reveal that God is love .I could never understand how aloving God could permit billionsof people to burn in hell-fire f or-ever .—Canada

THE DAWN

CONVENTIONS

For Mutual Fellowship, Edification, and Servic e

Full Information concerning programs and room reservations ca nbe obtained by writing to the name listed . An asterisk (*) indi-cates an immersion service is being planned .

PIQUA, OHIO, May 1—YWCA Building ,418 N . Wayne Street . Mrs. Eva Pedde-mors, 222 Walker Street . Speakers :Brothers E . K . Penrose; W. N . Wood-worth ; and Louis W . Zbik .

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, May 1—YMC ABuilding, 100 Gibbs Street . Mrs. An nFornuto, 27 Candy Lane, Rochester 15 .Speakers : Brothers Chester Covers; G . P .Ostrander ; and F . S . Wassmann .

SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, May 1—The Wo-man's Club, 311 North Jefferson Street .Mrs . C . A . Sundbom, 207 Alice Street .Speaker : Brother Owen R . Kindig .

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO, May 1—YMC ABuilding, 214 N . Fourth Street . Mrs .Robert Sims, 152 Greenwich Avenue .Speakers : Brothers Mike Balko; HarryCasler ; and Edmund M. Jezuit .

*KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, May 7, 8 —Downtown YMCA, 10th and Oak . Fo rreservations or immersion service, writeto Mr . Arthur B . Newell, 5908 N . Howar dStreet, Kansas City North 18, Missouri .Speakers : Charles M . Chupa ; John Y .MacAulay; John A . Meggison ; Daniel J .Morehouse ; and E. K . Penrose .

ALBANY, NEW YORK, May 8—YWC ABuilding, 5 Lodge Street . Mrs. LucySmith, 87? Lansing Place, Renssalaer ,New York .

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, May 8 —I . O. G. T. Hall, 2933 Cedar Avenue .Mrs . C . R . Newham, 678 40th Avenue,N . E ., Minneapolis 21 .

CONVENTIONS

MUNCIE, INDIANA, May 8—YWCA Build-ing, 310 East Charles Street . Mrs. J .Harold Atkinson, 403 Riverside Avenue .

WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, May 8 —Masonic Hall, South Main Street . Mrs. S .Wawrzeniak, 49 Scrub Oak Road, Nort hHaven 2, Connecticut. Speakers : Brother sO . D . Deifer ; and C . R . Weida .PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, May15—YWCA Building, 2027 Chestnu tStreet . Mr . O. R . Barrall, 42 Fairfiel dRoad, Havertown, Pennsylvania . Speak-ers : Brothers L . P . Loomis ; K . W . Rawson ;C . R . Weida ; and W. N . Woodworth .

*VANCOUVER, B . C . CANADA, May 21 -23—Vancouver East Community "Y," 788Commercial Drive, Corner of Adana cStreet. Mrs. W. A . McNee, 6569 Argyl eStreet, Vancouver 15 . Speakers : Brother sJ . Andrus; K . Barrett ; Don Canell ; A .Hawkins; Hugh Hanham ; L . Kirkham; L .Parsons; G. R . Pollock ; W. Price ; S . E .Ranger ; and T. A. Smith .

*AKRON, OHIO, May 22—YWCA Build-ing, South High Street . Mrs. W. J . Bor-des, 776 Frank Boulevard . Speakers :Brother Samuel Baker ; and Charles M.Chupa .

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, May 22—Macca-bees Building, Woodward Avenue at Put-nam . Mr . Louis Zbik, 9171 Manor, Detroi t4 .NEW YORK, NEW YORK, May 22—Henr yHudson Hotel, 353 West 57th Street. (Tu -

(Continued on page 64.)

61

SPEAKERS' APPOINTMENTS

Ministering the Glorious Gospel of Christ

The services of the lecturers here scheduled are furnished upon request ,and free of charge. If you would like to have one serve in your community ,simply address a request to the Dawn Bible Students Association, PilgrimDepartment, East Rutherford, N. J, A visit will be arranged when possible .

HENRY E . ANDERSO NNew Haven, Conn . May 1 5Waterbury, Conn .

1 5

SAMUEL BAKE RSt . Louis, Mo .

May 1Mattoon, III .

2Champaign, Ill .

3Clinton, Iowa

4Rockford, III .

5LaSalle, III .

6Batavia, III .

9Gary, Ind .

10, 1 1So . Bend, Ind .

1 2Elkhart, Ind .

1 3Detroit, Mich .

1 5Toledo, Ohio

1 8Elyria, Ohio

1 9Cleveland, Ohio

2 0Akron, Ohio

2 2Warren, Ohio

2 3Erie, Pa .

2 4Buffalo, N . Y.

2 5Rochester, N . Y .

2 6Syracuse, N . Y .

2 7Pulaski, N . Y .

2 9

MIKE BALK OAkron, Ohio

May 8

NICK BARACOS

Duquesne, Pa .

May 1Washington, Pa .

1 5

O . R . BARRAL LYork, Pa .

May 8Lancaster, Pa .

May 8

JULIUS BEDNARZMilwaukee, Wis . May 8

W . C . BERTSCH ECharleston, W. Va . May 1 0Roanoke, Va .

1 1Lynchburg, Va .

1 2Richmond, Va .

1 3Washington, D. C .

1 5Philadelphia, Pa .

1 8New York, New York 2 2Allentown, Pa .

2 3

EUGENE BURN S

Pottstown, Pa .

April 3 0

BERTRAM C . COOPE RVentura, Calif .

May 8

EDWARD E . FAY

Sonora, Calif .

May 1 5

JOSEPH FENCHAK, JR .Duquesne, Pa .

May 8

EARL L . FOWLE RRiverside, Calif .

May 1 5Ontario, Calif .

1 5

THOMAS HICK SBoston, Mass .

May 8Wilkes Barre, Pa .

1 5

JOHN G . HULL, JR .

Phoenix, Ariz .

May 8

STANLEY W . JEUC KSt . Petersburg, Fla . May 8

L . JEZUIT

Covert, Mich .

May 1 5

G. F . JUDSO NGroton, Conn . May 14,1 5New London, Conn . 14, 1 5

RUSSELL L. JUR DSanta Ana, Calif . May 2 2

DANIEL KAZIA KLondon, Ont . Can . May 8

PETER KOLLIMA NBaltimore, Md .

May 8

ARTHUR H . KRUMPOLT

Sayville, L . I ., N . Y . May 1Albany, N . Y.

8

RAYMOND J . KRUP A

British Isles

May 1-1 1Rome, Italy

1 2Pescara, Italy

13-1 5Naples, Italy

16,1 7Cittanova, Italy

1 8Messina, Sicily

1 9Palermo, Sicily

20Agrigento, Sicily

21,2 2Venice, Italy

2 3Zurich, Switzerland

24Copenhagen, Den . 26,2 7Ilford, Essex, Eng .

2 9

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THE DAWN

C . S . LIVERMOREBridgeport, Conn . May 1 5

EDWARD G. LORENZSan Jose, Calif . May 1

J. Y . MAC AULA Y

Topeka, Kans.

May 1St. Joseph, Mo .

3, 4Kansas City, Mo.

7, 8Kirksville, Mo.

1 0Birmingham, Iowa

11, 1 2Barnes City, Iowa

1 5Cedar Rapids, Iowa

1 6Monona, Iowa

1 8Ostrander, Minn .

1 9Austin, Minn .

20Minneapolis, Minn . 22, 25Parkers Prairie

23, 2 4Owen, Wis .

2 6Wausau, Wis.

2 7Appleton, Wis .

2 9Plover, Wis .

30, 31

CLIFFORD R . MILE SChico, Calif .

May 1

ADAM MISKAWITZLaSalle, Ill .

May 1

ROY E . MITCHEL LPaterson, N . J .

May 1 5

HARRY PASSIOSAkron, Ohio

May 1 5

G . R . POLLOC K

San Bern'd'o, Calif. May 1

RAYMOND RAWSO NFlint, Mich .

May 1

GEORGE P. RIPPE R

San Diego, Calif . May 8

STEPHEN ROSKIEWIC ZMilwaukee, Wis . May 8Austin, Minn .

10

Parkers Prairie, Minn .

1 1Minneapolis, Minn .

1 5Withee, Wis.

1 6Appleton, Wis .

1 8

J . I . VAN HORN EEast Liverpool, Ohio May 8

GEORGE M . WILSO NChicago, III .

May 1Muncie, Ind .

8

W. N . WOODWORT HChicago, Ill .

May 8New Albany, Ind .

2 9

IRWIN WYSOCK IConnellsville, Pa . May 1

HOWARD YOUN GSteubenville, Ohio May 8Monessen, Pa .

2 2

LOUIS W . ZBI K

Adrian, Mich .

May 1 5

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as th emanner of some is; but exhorting one another : and so muc hthe more, as ye see the day approaching ."—Hebrews 10 :25

....4 WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING TEXTS I....

MAY 5—"If ye through the spirit,do mortify the deeds of the body ,ye shall live ."—Romans 8 :13 (Z . '03 -172 Hymn 1)

MAY 12—"Having therefore thes epromises, dearly beloved, let uscleanse ourselves from all filthines sof the flesh and spirit, perfectingholiness in the fear of the Lord ."

SPEAKERS' APPOINTMENTS

II Corinthians 7:1 (Z. '03408 Hym n125 )MAY 19—"We that are strong oughtto bear the infirmities of the weak,and not to please ourselves ."—Ro-mans 15 :1 (Z . '97-75 Hymn AppendixK)MAY 26—"Knowledge puffeth up,but love buildeth up ."—I Corin-thians 8 :1 (Z. '97-277 Hymn 165)

63

CONVENTIONS—Continued From Page 6 1

dor Room) Mrs . Russell Dean, 165-0589th Avenue, Jamaica 32, New York .Speakers : Brothers W . C . Bertsche; Ches-ter Covers ; and W. N. Woodworth .

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, Ma y27.30-Convention to be held at Asiloma rConvention Grounds, Pacific Grove, Cali-fornia . Mrs . C. Blong, 2716 ClementStreet, San Francisco 21 .

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, May 28-30—Cen-tral Masonic Temple, 912 N . LaSall eStreet . Mr . D. J . Morehouse, 2617 N .Springfield Avenue, Chicago 47. Speak-ers : Brothers Eugene Burns ; C . S. Liver -more ; E . K . Penrose ; W. N . Poe ; an dE . G . Wylam .

FLATWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, May 29 —Flaiwood Grange Hall . One mile fro mClover Leaf Route 51 . East on No . 711 .

Mrs . Raymond Siesky, R . F . D. 2, Bo x497, Connellsville, Pennsylvania .

NEW ALBANY, INDIANA, May 29—Th eAmalgamated Building, 1614 E . Spring

Street . (Ground Floor) Miss Nellie K .Goodbub, 620 Culbertson Avenue .

ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, June 12.

MONESSEN, PENNSYLVANIA, June 12 —Sponsored by Monessen and West New -ton Ecclesias.

CHARLOTTE, N . C ., June 18, 19 .

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, June 18, 19 —

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, June 26 .

FOURTH OF JULY CONVENTIONS : De-troit, Michigan ; Los Angeles, California ;and New Brunswick, New Jersey .

KIRKNESS, MANITOBA, CANADA, Jul y2 -4.

CANORA, SASK . CANADA, July 9, 10 .

VICTORIA, B . C . CANADA, July 30, 31 .

GENERAL CONVENTION, BLOOMING -TON, INDIANA, August 13-18 . It is nottoo early to commence making plans t oattend .

"GOD HAS A PLAN"To be discussed b y

"FRANK AND ERNEST"

KCM0—810 kc .—9 :30 A. M.Sunday, May 1 5

All human plans are failing but God ha sa plan which soon will bring peace an dhappiness to all mankind . Tune in thi sprogram, and send for a free copy o fthe booklet, "God's Plan ." Address :

"FRANK AND ERNEST"Box 60, Dept. N, General Post Office

New York, N . Y.

For Your Newspape rTo the left is a suggestion for a

small advertisement in your localpaper . The outline is designed fortwo inches in one column .

JUNE TOPIC : On Sunday, Jun e19, the "Frank and Ernest" radi otopic will be, "Where Are th eDead?" An abundant supply of cir-culars will be available to advertis ethis broadcast, and you are invitedto send for as many as you ca nuse . They are free, and are suitabl efor distribution from door to door ,for mailing, and for handing t ofriends and relatives . Please orderyour supply of June circulars a ssoon as possible .

An Excellent GiftEspecially for Childre n

GOD'S PROMISES COME TRU E

This is a book of Bible stories for children—forty-eight illus-trated stories, many in two colors . The stories, beginnin gwith creation and including the more important episodesrecorded in both the Old and New Testaments, are tol din a style which makes them easily understood by children ,and also interesting to grown-ups . Above all, they are fre efrom the traditional errors of the Dark Ages. This Gospel -pure book is appropriate for every gift occasion .

255 PAGES

7x10 INCHES, CLOTH BOUND

$2 .00

Eiuno n~Y'~o riOS! .n—o~osuntisin'tinnuotYEs eiEi'»trinnutgutroinulsunn

The first of these "keys" to the Bible was written more tha nseventy-five years ago, the last in 1904 . They continue to be the

outstanding text books on the Bible for our day .

. The Divine Plan of the Ages, cloth, 50 cents,ten or more 40 cents each ; paper, 30 cents,ten or more 23 cents each .

. The Time Is at Hand, cloth, 50 cents each .

. Thy Kingdom Come, cloth, 50 cents each .

. The Ba'tle of Armageddon, cloth, 85 cents each .

. The Atonement Between God and Man, cloth ,85 cents each .

. The New Creation, cloth, 85 cents each .

Question Books for Volumes 1 .3, 10 cents each ;Volumes 4-6, 15 cents each .

SIX VOLUMES, OVER 3,000 PAGES, CLOTH BOUND, $3.7 5

Studiesin th e

Scriptures

to us the

SCRIPTURESclearly teach

That the church is "the temple of the living God"—peculiarl y"his workmanship"; that its construction has been in progressthroughout the Gospel age—ever since Christ became the world' sRedeemer and the chief corner stone of this temple, throug hwhich, when finished, God's blessings shall come "to all people, "and they find access to him .—I Cor . 3 :16, 17 ; Eph . 2 :20-22 ; Gen .28 :14 ; Gal . 3 :2 9

That meantime the chiseling, shaping, and polishing of consecrate dbelievers in Christ's atonement for sin progresses, and whe nthe last of these "living stones," "elect and precious," shall hav ebeen made ready, the great Master Workman will bring al ltogether in the first resurrection ; and the temple shall be filled wit hhis glory, and be the meeting pla e between God and me nthroughout the Millennium .—Rev. 15 :5- 8

That the basis of hope for the church and the world lies in th efact that "Jesus Christ, by the grace of God tasted death fo revery man," "a ransom for all," and will be "the true light whic hlighteth every man that cometh into the world," "in due time . "—Heb. 2 :9 ; John 1 :9 ; I Tim. 2 :5, 6

That the hope of the church is that she may be like her Lord ,"see him as he is," be a "partaker of the divine nature," an dshare his glory as his joint-heir .--1 John 3 :2 ; John 17 :24 ; Rom .8 :17 ; II Pet . 1 :4

That the present mission of the church is the perfecting of th esaints for the future work of service; to develop in herself ev-ery grace; to be God's witness to the world ; and to prepare to b ethe kings and priests in the next age .—Eph . 4 :12 ; Matt . 24 :14 ;Rev . 1 :6; 20 :6

That the hope for the world lies in the blessings of knowledg eand opportunity to be brought to all by Christ's millennial king-dom—the restitution of all that was lost in Adam, to all the will-ing and obedient, at the hands of their Redeemer and his glori-fied church—when all the wilfully wicked will be destroyed .—Act s3 :19-23 ; Isaiah 35