S. N. CHADWICK by S. N. Chadwick

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 17, 1866

S. N. CHADWICK

By S. N. Chadwick

From Sister Chadwick.

DEAR BRETHREN, AND FRIENDS OF THE REVIEW: It is with a grateful heart that I attempt to address you for the first time. Under God you have been the means of affording me much light and assistance in perusing his precious word; not that I see every thing in the light you do, yet taking your system of theology as a whole, it seems to me to be the most correct, the most consistent, and the most agreeable to the plan of salvation of any extant. It is so simple a child can understand it; and that is probably the greatest reason for there being so much opposition to it. The world, and the nominal churches as well, are so wrapped up in papal mysticism that they make salvation dependent on anything else than simple obedience to God’s law. And since man has disobeyed and disregarded, with few exceptions, his perfect law, what is more simple and plain than that there should be a way of escape provided for those who through incapacity or ignorance have transgressed it, since it cannot be broken, and that those who, having transgressed, repent and return to God and find mercy? And what is turning to God and repenting but reforming the life?—doing right? Paul, addressing the converted Gentiles, says they turned from “idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from Heaven.” As it was with ancient Israel, cities of refuge were provided for those who had sinned unintentionally that they might escape death, so a great and universal provision is made whereby life may be obtained for the transgressor; that he may go on in transgression? No, surely; but that he may be encouraged by God’s great goodness to remain in the perfect “law of liberty” to which repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has brought him. But the question here arises, What is sin? How shall I know when I have disobeyed God? Is there not a rule to guide us? “Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.” John further says, “Whosoever hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he (Christ) is pure.” It all looks plain and beautiful.

But how many there are who are puzzling and fretting themselves in order to set aside the law as of no force now, talking about a “new covenant,” and yet they cannot explain how or when the covenant was made. How much better to take the law of God as the rule of life, and see that it is written on our hearts, and that we are not satisfied merely with the letter.

I look upon the truths promulgated by Seventh-day Adventists, as the only preparative against the coming storm of God’s wrath. It seems to me they are so like God and his word. It is just what we should expect of him in view of his dealings with mankind in past ages, that he would have a test to try his people before the great and momentous event of the coming of Christ. The chaff must be separated from the wheat; and the law of God restored among the ranks of God’s people, is the very thing that will do it. It must be vindicated before the world in order that sin may be shown up, and the world judged by it.

I would say to all who are yet undecided that there is no time to be lost, “a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. He will cut it short in righteousness.” Many, no doubt, have all the light they will ever have. They must search the word for themselves. It requires strong faith to hold up the law of God while there are teachers who are trying to make the word of God teach otherwise. I must say that in reading Paul’s epistles I can see how it is people are

somewhat staggered, but if we take into account all the circumstances under which Paul wrote, we shall see it all plain.

Many were contending for the old state of things as people are now. They could not give up the old usages and practices, even Paul himself had lost sight of the coming of the Just One; and God had to use supernatural means in order to convince him of the truth of Christianity. So now, how few will be convinced of truth, even when God has evidently taken extra pains, if I may so speak, in order to confirm his word. I allude to the visions, having read enough to satisfy me that they are of God. Whatever people may try to make out of Paul's writings, no one can read the book of Revelation, and not see that the “commandments of God” are distinct from the “faith of Jesus,” and how much soever people may cavil, they cannot but see that near the end there is to be a class who both keep and do the commandments of God. They can also find it sufficiently plain in the latter part of Isaiah, chap. viii, also chap. lvi and lviii. God has given sufficient light to those who are willing and obedient. “The willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land.”

God grant that there may be many yet who shall be made willing in the day of his power.

S. N. CHADWICK

Boston, Mass.