188
The Publishing Ministry
Page 52, same book, “The Ark Standing in the Midst of Jordan“:
see the cherubim on either end of the ark. What a misrepresentation
of the heavenly angels looking with reverence upon the mercy seat,
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the cover of the ark. A child might take the representation as a bird
hunched up. But when the ark was removed from the sanctuary,
the cherubim were never exposed to view. That sacred ark, which
represented Jehovah amid His people, was always covered, that no
curious eye might look upon it. Let it ever be covered.—
Letter 28a,
1897
.
Avoid Pictures of Cruel Persecution—Catholic pictures of per-
secution and burning should be kept out of our publications. It is
enough to read of these wicked deeds without trying to bring them, in
all their terrible details, before the eyes. When I was a child, Fox’s
Book of Martyrs was given me to read. I saw the pictures representing
various horrible acts of cruelty. I could scarcely eat or sleep. Day and
night I was passing through the horrors, identifying myself with the
suffering ones. I almost lost confidence in God because He allowed
such things. It was a long time before I could overcome the impression
made on my mind. Whenever the Book of Martyrs, or any other book
of like illustrations, finds its way into my library, I hide it, that no
child may be caused to suffer as I did. Such pictures do not increase
faith.—
Letter 18, 1897
.
Bible Pictures of Superior Quality—The dummy of Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing, with the illustrations, I received. The
illustrations I could not possibly accept under any consideration. Some
of them look as if prepared for a comic almanac....
Pictures to represent Bible scenes must be no cheap designs.... The
knowledge which God imparts is not of a character to belittle our ideas
of sacred things. The glory of God must be kept before the mind’s
eye, not the cheap, earthly representations that imprint in the memory
scenes which give a false conception of Christ and heavenly things. A
proper illustration of Bible scenes requires talent of a superior quality.
With these cheap, common productions, the sacred lessons of the Bible
disdain comparison....
The work before us is great and cannot be done in any cheap style.
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I am at a loss to know just what to do with the books I am urged
to write. May the Lord help me is my prayer. God forbid that we
should please the devil by lowering the standard of eternal truth by