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T,HE..SI'GNS 'OF T H E T1M.E.

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VOI. 24, ,NO. 33.

~ u g u IS, ~ t 1898.

OAKLAND, CAL., AUGUST 18, 1898.


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may dwell in your hearts. by faith;" "the Spirit of God dnelleth in you;" "if any nlan have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His,"-all reveal directly or impliedly the same truth, that the Spirit brings to us the very presence of Jesus Christ. For, mark it, when that great life current from the Prince of Life flows intd the persons of His children, it docs 710t break its connection wit11 Christ. It as truly connects the soul with Christ as the trolley wire of the electric car connects that car with the great central dynamo at the power-house. That wire, in effect, brings that great dynanio into that car. Cut the wire and the connection is broken as

helpers in His work. for the children of men. The helpers of the brain are the nerve plexuses and ganglia distributed in the various parts of the body. What they are in God's great plan and system we will consider in our next.

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government than in th The Master did not -world to rule over the Neither is there any of governing was corn the church. But the with instruction as to do when they are brou; to answer for their fathey are " not of the was not o f the world. faintest shadow of a ,Christians are to be t this present evil worlc TO be a Christian follow Christ is to dc would d o as H e did, \i life. Follow Him, tk the cross, and where ( just once dabbling in F mission altogether. always living above sil turn Him aside from t Now let us ask our: study the Pattern and how much will we hav ioils of caucuses 2 simply let politics en1 ut our Master's be " will be respected the "ordinance of Got e heavenly Father 1 gher and more sec thing that earthly gov vho believes that " th ampeth round about ddelivereth them," is n protection. H e is pe which is infinitely the

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THE POWERS ORDAINED O F GOD. .., soul be subject unto the higher powSPECIAL COXTRIEUTORS: ers. For there is no power but of ~ o d t;h e powers H. P. HOLSER, Bascl, Swil;e?~Za~rd; E. J. WAGGONER, London, Errgland; that be are ordained o f God." Rom. 13 : I. W. C. WHITE, Sydngr, N. S. W.. A?cslmlia; The foregoing scripture sets forth the ChrisALLENMOON,NLW Y O Y ~ , nr.Y . ; F. M. Wrrcox, B O U Z L Z ~ ~ , Colo~adn; tian's duty very clearly. H e is to be "subject C. P. BOLLMAN,Aila?zla, Georgia; unto the higher powers." And h e is also to M.E. KELLOGG,Ballle Creek, ~ i ~ h . ; W. M. GLENN,Oakland, ~ u l i j ' o v n i a . recognize that the "powers that be are orAll Manuscript should'be addressed t o the Editor. quicltly if cut next the car as next the dynamo. dained of God." All of the tranquillity that Fo"orf~avi/ri:r in,i?ornza~ion lo co~llribuiors,see pa- 15. S o the spirit!, the Comforter, brings to us this world enjoys comes from the restraining Christ's presence. Our natu1:al eyes nlay not power that God exercises. And one of the . - THE SPIRIT-lMPERSoNAL AND see. Him, our natural ears may, not hear His ways in which H e exercises His governing, rePERSONAL. voice, our physical- hands may not grasp His straining power is through "the powers that Go= is the Source of Life. Through Jesus hand or His feet, but His presence is here, and be." Then the Christian has respect for the "gowChrist this life is poured out to the world, even through body and soul our spirit feels the as by the sun. God gives !ight'unto theurorld. warmth, the glow, the life-giving presence of ers that be," if for no other reason, simply our Redeemer and our God. And so the because his Master enjoins upon him this reBecause Christ is "the Sun of Righteousness,". "eternal Spirit" comes to us as the life force spectful submission to rulers. "bvhosoever H e is also "the Prince of Life;" for righteousness is life. But as without the atmosphere the and veritable presence of Jesus Christ, Re- therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God." light of the sun would be of no avail, so with- deen~er,Conlpanion, King. If it were necessary that Jesus should be The spirit of Satan is the spirit of anarchy. out the Spirit, the life and light of Christ would physically present to bless and heal, how few H e would have general lawlessness prevail if he avail us nothing. When Christ was here upon earth, H e came indeed would or could receive His blessing! could. But the Lord restrains him. T h e into warm, personal, helpful, life-giving con- - But to know that the life currents of His Spirit heavenly Father has such a kind regard for men tact with humanity, the light and life of every 'are infinite in number and equally omnipotent that H e has a watchful care for those even who one who received Him as such. But H e could in power, flowing out from the great central are in rebellion against Him. And while Saemain here. 1. If H e had always Fountain of Life, bearing the presence and tan would stir up lawlessness and anarchy, God remained, H e would have been local in His power'ind warmth and love of God to every appoints governments to suppress it and hold it work. I t would have been confined to the soul who by simple faith will "receive the in subjection. Terrible would be the bloody know this by blessed ex- scenes if the Lord of heaven did not hold govplace of His personal presence. Even His Holy Ghost,"-to own most devoted disciples felt that Jesus must perience is to know God and Jesus Christ as ernors and rulers in the seat of power. . be personally present to save from - death or -we never could know by Christ's physical - But in establishing these earthly governments work miracles. They give us their measure o f , presence. H e is able to save to the uttermost God can only make use of the men of. this faith in these words, ('Lord, if Thoz~hndst any one, every one, anywhere, everywhere. world, and they are not always ideals. If they been here, my brother had not died." When What a wonderful God! What precious as- would submit to God, H e could make them perfect as rulers, but since they are often self-the faith of a foreigner reached out beyond s ~ z a n c e ! May we not .understand from this how jt is willed, the best that divine goodness can do is this, and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak that the Word speaks of the Spirit as impersonal; to restrain and hold in check the constantly: of its j o u r i r ~ gout upon all flesh, as of water outcropping anarchy. the word only, and my servant shall be healed," Of course, since Satan is the great lawof its sheddingforth, even Jesus marveled, and exclaimed, "Verily- from some great fountai~l; I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, as abundance of rain, from the heavily-charged breaker, he has ever been very active among cloud; of its being everywhere present in the the governments of earth, seeking to enthrone' no, not in Israel." Faith in its larger growth and firmer grasp universe of God, even as the spirit, or life, of despotism and tyranny. But it is most intermust take hold of that which physical eyes can man is everywhere present in his body, or as esting to study the way in' which the heavenly electricity is present in all substances, while a t Father has again and again overthrown these not see, which physical hands can not grasp. I t was in part because of a localizing of His the same time it speaks of the same Spirit'as a tyrannical workings. T o be sure, H e has used work and the weak faith of His followers that person, because it bears with it the life and human agents in doing it, but His hand of Jesus said: " I t is exjedierzt for yon that I g o power of God in all its operations in nature and power and goodness has been none the less away; for if I g o not away, the Comforter will grace, and the presence of God to the child of seen. When Satan can not control governmeilts not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send faith? I t coilles to the believer as a person, Hinl unto you. And when H e is come, H e the,person of Christ Jesus, speaking of and for entirely he seeks to pervert them just as greatly It is the as possible. And always his work is that o will reprove the world of sin, and of righteous- Him, witnessing of and for Him. ness, and of judgment." Faith would grow mighty life force of Deity, by which all His oppression and persecution. I n some places stronger in Christ's physical absence than in works are wrought, but coming intd the heart and ages he stirs up heathen governments to His physical, visible presence. Even after His and life of the believer not only as an agency persecute the chui-ch of Christ. In other time resurrection, when H e met with the disciples; of power, but as a divine. presence of love and and places he steals -into the church itself, an by leading it to seek power from the civil rulers,' and breathed on them, and said, " Receive ye knowledge and companionship. Jesus Christ is the Head; the church is His he turns professed Christians into the worst the Iloly Ghost," they did not receive the Spirit, as was their privilege. They were brought body. As from the head there radiates to all persecutors. Yet in spite of all the persecutiolls and tyranwhere they could d o this, but not until ten parts, of the body the electric wave force, which nies of all the ages, the condition of mankind controls all functions of the body, so from They did not till days after Jesus left them. has been much bet'ter with rulers than it wou Jesus Christ, the Head of the chuich, there then realize what Jesus had proniised, "Lo, I am wit11 you all the days, even unto the con- proceeds the electric, all-pervading power of have been without them. And he studies h sulnlllation of the age," or tiil all Gospel work His Spirit, controlling in' the healthy church, tory to the best advantage who sees running even as the nerves in the normal body, all the through it the efforts of Satan to break do is finished for the world. I t takes the larger, stronger, simpler grasp operations and life-work of the church, flowing every governmental authority, and at the sa of faith-reiting wholly on the Master's words out from the church in holy, beneficent, up- time sees the dounter efforts of the divine . . ther to hphold rulers and keep them in t -to receive the Comforter: But when H e is lifting influence on all around. But as the brain has helpers, to re-enforce 'its p;oper sphere. received, what is it but tli; reception of Jesuss Perhaps there is no field in which Satan w$rk thrdughout the body, sd has Jesus ~ d r i s c Christ? "Christ liveth in Me;" "that Christ
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MII,TON C. TIVILCOX, - - - - - - EDITOR. A. 0. TAIT, - - - - ASSISTANT

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LAST week the avo. in the United States xords from the Vati has done in the past do for the United Stai ' This means that a: .,nations under the dc the Roman Catholic bring the United State and do for her what If Roman C' 'to be infallible and her ne, they will of cour thing. If they did no brand their p-

,incerity increases the As all other den01 me far as this end, and we ving themselves to ;ably so-called Protes e a right to do, sc ,in the field of discus

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