p. 172 | Little Time of Peace by John Norton Loughborough

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 1, 1866

Little Time of Peace.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE question that is uppermost in the minds of most of our brethren and sisters as we meet them, is, "Are we now in the 'little time of peace' to which sister White refers in Testimony for the Church?" My answer invariably is, I think not. But, it is asked, do you not believe the Lord moved his people out to fast and pray for the winds to be held, over one year since? I do. And it was so apparent to all that the war was terminated by the special interposition of the Lord's hand, that they could not refrain from publicly proclaiming the fact. In Washington, the Capital of the nation, while Union men were rejoicing over the victories gained, they had this inscription in evergreen in a conspicuous place, "This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes." Yes, the Lord heard and answered in a signal manner the prayers of his people. Perhaps we erred in thinking the cessation of open hostilities would mark the commencement of that little time of peace.

It has been my conviction the most of the time since the close of the war, that there were closer trials and perplexities than anything we have yet seen before that time of peace in which the message is to go with a loud cry. It will assist us here to call attention to that testimony showing the situation of affairs before and in the time of peace. "I was shown the inhabitants of the earth in the utmost confusion. There was war, bloodshed, want, privation, famine, and pestilence in the land; and as these things were without, God's people began to press together and to cast aside their little difficulties. Self-dignity no longer controlled them. Deep humility took its place. Suffering, perplexity, and privation, caused reason to resume its throne, and the passionate and unreasonable man became sane, and acted with discretion and wisdom. My attention was then called from the scene. There seemed to be a little time of peace." Testimony No. 7, pp. 21, 22.

Judging from the words of the above, we should conclude that before that time of peace, want and privation were to distress the people of God. Where has been the want? Where the famine and pestilence? Some may answer, among the freed-men at the South. But the language implies more than that. It is something that will so affect the church that the man of "self-dignity" will be humbled, and deep humility will be manifest in its place. Instead of want and privation, it has been uncommonly easy times for money during the war.

There is another testimony in No. 9, which we suppose applies to the state of affairs before the time of peace. "The desolating power of God is upon the earth to rend and destroy. The inhabitants of the earth are appointed to the sword, famine, and pestilence." True the sword has been heavy upon the land. Famine in some places South. Pestilence nowhere.

Again we would ask, Can we call this a time of peace? Andrew Johnson it is true, lately proclaimed peace; but every loyal man would say it was the cry of "Peace! peace! when there is no peace." As to whether we are yet in peace, we will let the following extracts from an article on reconstruction in the Advocate of Peace, for March and April, 1866, testify:

"Never in the darkest night of the rebellion, was our country in more imminent peril than at this moment, and on the result are suspended issues big with the weal or woe of our republic for long ages, perhaps to the end of time.

"Unless this question of reconstruction shall be settled aright, we fear we are doomed, from the slaveocratic element still working among us, to evils in the future well nigh, if not quite as great as in the past; but at present we see little reason to hope for such a settlement.

"We look now at this subject—reconstruction—only in its bearings on the future peace of our land; and in this view we confess we have many sad forebodings.

"One thing is certain—the war has not given us, morally or politically, any satisfactory or permanent peace. It is only a truce; and the South, still nearly, if not quite, as rebel and pro-slavery as ever in heart, will bide her time, and nurse her wrath for such future revenge as shall atone for the bitterness and mortification of present defeat." pp. 61, 62.

Parson Brownlow, Governor of Tennessee, says concerning the disloyalty of the South:

"The feeling of hostility toward the Government is now greater than it was at the time of Lee's surrender. And if, by any indiscretion on the part of our civil or military authorities, we should be involved in a war with any foreign powers, in the present and growing temper and spirit of the South, the great body of the people would take part against the Government.

"I honestly believe that the country will be plunged into as great a sea of calamities as it was in 1861, and hence, as a Union man, I feel that I should be no better than a traitor did I not say so, and denounce those concerned.

"The newspapers of the rebellious States, thoroughly disloyal, bitter in their teachings, and infamous in doctrines, correctly represent the feelings and sentiments of the rebel people.

"There are not a dozen straight-out Union papers in the eleven seceded States. Of the forty newspapers now in blast in Tennessee, only seven can be classed as unconditionally loyal, and half of them are in East Tennessee.

"This is a gloomy account of affairs, but it is true, and I could have stated the case stronger and still had truth on my side."

The above testimonies not only show that there has been no real peace as yet, but they also establish the truthfulness of what is found in Testimony No. 7: "I was pointed back to ancient Israel held in bondage by the Egyptians. The Lord wrought by Moses and Aaron to deliver the children of Israel. Miracles were performed before Pharaoh to convince him that they were especially sent of God to bid him to let Israel go. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened against the messengers of God, and he reasoned away the miracles performed by them. Then the Egyptians were made to feel God's judgments. They were visited by plagues. While suffering under the effects of the several plagues, Pharaoh consented to let Israel go. But as soon as the cause of their suffering was removed, his heart was hardened. His mighty men and counsellors strengthened themselves against God, and endeavored to explain the plagues as the result of natural causes. Each visitation from God was more severe than the preceding one, yet they would not release the children of Israel until the angel of the Lord slew the first-born of the Egyptians. From the king upon the throne, down to the most humble and lowly, there was wailing and mourning. Then Pharaoh commanded to let Israel go. After the Egyptians had buried their dead, Pharaoh relented that he had let Israel go.

"This scene was presented before me to illustrate the selfish love of slavery, the desperate measures the South would adopt to cherish the institution, and the dreadful lengths to they would go before they would yield. The dreadful system of slavery has reduced and degraded human beings to the level of the brutes, and the majority of slave-masters regard them as such. Their consciences have become seared and hardened as was Pharaoh's; and if compelled to release their slaves, their principles are unchanged, and

they would make the slave feel their oppressive power if possible. It looked to me like an impossibility now for slavery to be done away. God alone can wrench the slave from the hand of his desperate, relentless oppressor." pp. 17–19.

While success was attending the Union army, and disaster, defeat, and suffering, were the lot of the South at almost every point, slave-holders were willing to give up their slaves, and even urged the point of giving the slaves their liberty, to induce them to defend their masters. The scene of open carnage has been hushed, and they hold their slaves with a firm grasp, Pharaoh-like, determined they shall not go. Note again the testimony from a Southern correspondent to the New York Independent, as published in Review No. 21. "Slavery in the South is as much a fact now as it was five years ago; and, having lost nothing but the name—with the increased ratio in which the 'peculiar institution' is gaining ground—if the Southern States are reconstructed on the principles enunciated by the President and his copperhead coadjutors of the North, we may say, with the disorganizers of the Chicago Convention, 'The war is a failure."

The South have manifested their Pharaoh-like character for once at least, and hardened their hearts. What judgment is next to burst over their heads we wait to see.

But, the reader may ask, if we are not in the "time of peace," why fast and pray? We fasted and prayed in March 1865 for the Lord to stay the winds of war and strife that threatened to stop all efforts to spread the message. The Lord answered prayer and that hindering cause to the progress of truth is removed. Have we sought unto the Lord as we should to deepen the work of grace in our hearts, to give the holy unction to his servants, and pour out his Spirit where the truth is presented? Have we not rather thought, in the heart if not expressed, that some mighty manifestation would be made by the Lord to arouse us, and neglected that consecration and earnest pleading with the Lord which is necessary for us, in order that we may break through the cloud, and secure a share in the refreshing?

Affliction is upon us as a people. Satan designs to destroy the servants of God, and dishearten the Lord's people; but in the Lord's time his servants will come forth refined by the trial, and better prepared to engage in the work of the Lord. We want to pray that God will regard us in our affliction, raise up his servants who are detained from the field, give us all more earnest desires for the advancement of his truth, and pour out his Spirit, that in this favorable time to spread the truth, a mighty work may be accomplished for his people and cause. May the Lord prosper his people, and give us all a reviving. Amen.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.