Watchtower Reprints - 1890

FEBRUARY. 1890 ZION’S WATCH TOWER (3)with his disciples, and left them a charge to “do this” in re- meet and celebrate with us the Lord’s death by partaking ofmembrance of him, we will celebrate it as usual on the anni- the Memorial Supper on the evening of April 3d next; also toversary, which, as above stated, will this year be April 3d, at participate in the four days of Special Bible Study which asa convenient hour after six o’clock P. M.usual will follow the memorial.But, remember, we “do this” not of fear or constraint, orlaw, but in grateful remembrance of our r(ynsom. The meeting will be held in Bible House Chapel, ArchTRE CHUBCH at Allegheny cordially invites such conse- Street. In our next we hope to be able to announce specialcrated lovers of our Redeemer as can conveniently do so, to railroad rates for friends from a distance.“Anywhere that Jesus calls me,Any work he gives to do,Any trial or afflictionHe may call me to pass through,My glad heart has the assuranceHe will help me bear and do.HIS GRACESUFFICIENT“Peace abiding like a river;Rest the world can never know;Faith that sees the pitying FatherWheresoe’er the feet may go;-Love uprising, filling, sweet’ningEvery cup of pain and woe.“0, the blessedness of trusting,“All my soul is filled with blessingAnd the full heart satisfied !While I sit at thy dear feet;0, the holy joy of loving And a consciousness of servingOnly him, the Crucified! Makes the hallowed croes more sweet,Looking up with faith unwav’ring While I own thy full salvationTo the wounds in his dear side. And the cleansing all complete.“If the way be rough and thorny,Thou did’st tread the same for me;Shall the servant than the MasterMore exempt from trial be?If I may at last behold thee,It will be enough for me.”--Selected.RELIGIONS OF THE WORLDThe church can best appreciate her own position of specialfavor at this time by contrast with the actual condition of therest of the world. And a little reflection upon the world’scondition of superstition and ignorance should bring US, notonly into a fuller appreciation of our own privileges, but alsointo sympathy and pity for the world in its present cheerlessgloom and aimless gropings in the dark. The thought shouldnever be lost sight of, that what we receive as special favorfrom God is not for selfish gratification, but for the universalblessing of all his creatures. And only such as have thisbenevolent disposition to bless, who look forward to the prizeof our hioh calling with special delight because of its grandopportuni%es to lift up the fallen, to liberate the captives ofsin and death, to recover sight to the blind, to fill the earthwith the knowledge of the truth and to lead all mankind alongthe highway of holiness to everlasting life and to the trueend of human existence, which is to glorify God in the completenessand grandeur of true manhood and to enjoy his favorforever, will be counted worthy to reign with Christ.Let us take a glimpse then at the world’s present religiouscondition :-The principal religions of the world outside of Christianityare Brahmanism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Mohammedanism.These with the various corrupt forms of Christianitysway the minds of almost the entire population of the earth.The exceptions are some savage and half-civilized tribes incentral and southern Africa, the Esquimaux of the far north,some islands of the seas, and the Indian tribes of America, allof whom have crude ideas of their own, very generally remotefrom the truth and giving evidence of fearful forebodings orcheerless gloom in v?ew Gf the uncertainties of future-existence,or the conditions under which existence may be pernetuatedbeyond the tomb.* Brahma&sm is the prevailing religion of Hindoostan, andits adherents are estimated to number from 120,000,000 to150,000,000. Its age is uncertain, as its literature presentsneither history, annals nor chronology, though it is prohahlethat it existed some centuries before Christ, as its sacredbooks extend back from twenty to thirt centuries. Its theologyis a chaotic mass of dreamy specu i ation having no wellordered system of thought. It is described as not a system,but a medley, and not a philosophy, but a dream. Its sacredbooks are the Vedas and the Institutes of Manu. From theformer it appears that anciently the Brahmans were worshippers of the elements-light, fire, water, etc.In theory their religion rests upon the Laws of Manu. Thiswork sustains the laws of caste and the authority of thepriesthood, represents Brahma as the supreme deity and selfsacrifice(self-inflicted torments) as the supreme duty. It prcsentselaborate, ritualistic and ceremonial rules of the most.Cl1833exacting character, and promulgates the doctrine of the transmigrat&mof souls. Though Byahmanism has many gods, itsone sunreme god is Brahm: and accordine to its philosophyBrahm&is the”only being in’the universe who actually exists.all else is illusory, not real. It is said that in order to putforth his energy Brahm took upon himself bodily form and becamethree gods-Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and to thesethree were intrusted the arrangement and government of theuniverse after Brahm had relapsed into his proper state ofunconscious sleep.The highest future bliss to which the Brahmanist asniresis absor&n into Brahm: and as his normal condition is-presumedto be that of unconscious sleep, absorption into Brahmwould sianifv nothing more than annihilation. However, beforehe Gachks this c&summation of his hopes, the Brahmanistexpects to pass through a series of transmigrations, untildeemed worthv of it. His desire is to so act in the presentlife as to rise a grade higher in the next birth. If -he hasbeen wicked he will be a sten lower. or if verv wicked he willhe sent to one or other of th’e innumerable heils to expiate hisguilt and to reappear on earth in mineral, vegetable or animalform before he rises again to the human. Or if counted worthyto advance upward he enjoys a heaven of carnal delights withone or other of the superior gods. His worthiness of futurereward, however. is not made dependent upon actual virtue,but rather upon ‘conformity to Brahman rites and ceremonies,the liberal sunnort of the nriesthood. etc. Pravers and nainfulpenances taki *the place of true devotion, and even sui‘cide isrecommended as particularly meritorious; and as a conscquence,it is said that numbers annually throw themselves overprecipices, bury themselves alive in graves dug by their nearestkindred, or drown themselves in some of the sacred rivers.And voluntary widow-burning and infanticide were commonuntil suppresskd bv the British government in 1830. though itis still nracticed in some Darts. and doubtless will be untilthe old iuperstition as to its merit has passed away. Someof the penances performed by zealous Brahmans have been ofthe most revolting character; as for instance, crawling formiles on hands and knees over sharp stones, holding up anarm above the head for months, cutting themselves, disfiguringthemselves, etc.All India is divided into four castes-the Brahmans ornriestlv class : a militarv class: a mercantile class: and aservile-class.; but the Brahman or priestly class is the’ favorednnd oppressrve one. These live on alms and are supported liberallyby kings and people, as the priesthood of the Church ofRome and others are. In fact so similar is the power of Brahmanismto bind its blind votaries to servile submission to thedictates of the Brahman or priestly class, that the system hasbeen named the Romanism of India.