| Show 1 A sew witness for god correspondence ofalie 1 time that some new prophet should appear or old indulge man with a second sight opinions wear out in some thousand years without refreshment from the spheres that mankind is in need of a new witness for god is evident the of the times the steady progress of infidelity in christian lands the disagreement among professing christain people on the principles of religion resulting in the multiplication of sects the absence of a living active faith in god and the gospel of his son even among professing christians prove our statements to be true the position of the christian world today to day is analogous to that of the jews at the advent of the son of god among them to the forefathers of the jews had been committed a system of religion a code of morality and an order of government which reflected the wisdom justice goodness and power of its author god but they and their children brevert ed that religion no longer lived in the spirit of its moral teachings and through transgression were deprived of their god given government BO that the advent of the messiah found them in bondage and following the prevented prever ted religion paying tithes on mint and anise and cummin but omitting the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith making long pra street corners to be heard of men but at tho same time robbing widows houses making the outside of the platter clean but within full of extortion and excesses varnishing garnishing garni shing the tombs of the prophets of former days yet slaying whom god sent as his messengers to them boasting themselves of the seed of abraham yet neglecting to do the works of abraham priding themselves in the law given by god to their fathers yet making the law of no effect by their traditions such was the condition of the jews nineteen centuries agu such is the condition of the christians of today to day to the fathers was the gospel of the son of god committed in its purity simplicity and power but as years rolled on and the voices of inspired prophets were hushed in death the gospel was perverted B H ROBERTS I 1 have quoted thus at length from this gifted young writer because these words of his have personal and local bearing as well as general significance ance to those who liv more in the spirit than in the dead letter of their religion these words saed no inter perter and in the advent which the spirit of god briage near so very near our doors today to day where will be found the sons and daughters of our local prophets not long since dead following in the footsteps of their fathers and doing the works of abraham I 1 fear many too many will be found following the perverted religion of today to day and worshiping the mammon of unrighteousness and in their eager haste to accumulate gold some may not hesitate to take from the widows house her last cow there i a great need of A new witness for god not one butmans but many and they are springing up like full weighted heads of wheat among the tares in response to the touch of that magic word the spirit of god and as the spirit of god makes all men free so shall all be judged by their works if these be for good surely the spirit that actuates them must be a good spirit tence I 1 hold that the best regulated life ib the one that lives the higher law and is accountable to itself and to the god that gave it for all its works both for good and for bad the testimony of our fathers and mothers sealed in some instances with their blood can not be of light weight to us we should consider it an holy obligation to carry out in conr jives the high principles of religious life embodied in theirs and in these days of skepticism and infidelity stand out bravely for the cause of jesus christ heralding his coming with a power that carries conviction and so order our everyday lives that we may receive a living testimony for ourselves of his great work so soon to be commenced IVES |
