A CHEERFUL OUTLOOK by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 24, 1881

A CHEERFUL OUTLOOK.

By Editor

WE believe there is a bright future for the true Christian—for all true Christians. But they will not shout the cry of perfect and complete victory till “the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed;” in other words, until the Lord shall come. For this world, for its blind and reckless multitudes, we see no bright outlook. But a cotemporary has a notice of a book over which it exults in terms almost unmeasured because the author has, to the entire satisfaction of the editor, proved that the triumphs of Christianity are wondrously great in this age, that the world is fast growing better, and that the dismal views of the Adventists are altogether wrong and not in accordance with the facts. This from a San Francisco paper.

From a San Francisco daily we clip the following item:—

“According to the San Francisco Occident, the distinguished Horatius Bonar, D. D., who is visiting this country, has, like many others, a very poor opinion of the current religion. He says it is ‘an easy-minded religion without self-denial or sacrifice’—‘a second-rate religion, in which there is no largeness, no grandeur, no all-constraining love.’ ‘It is a hollow religion with a fair exterior, but with an aching heart; a religion marked, it may be by activity and excitement, but betraying all the while the consciousness of a wound hidden and unhealed within. It is a feeble religion, lacking the sinews and the bones of harder times, and it is an uncertain religion. All is thus bondage, heaviness, irksomeness. Hence the inefficient, uninfluential character of our religion. It does not tell on others, for it has not fully told on ourselves. It falls short of its mark, for the arm that draws the bow is paralyzed.’”

We might easily fill a small volume of such testimonies from men whose orthodoxy is beyond question. But a slur at the “Adventists” seems to gratify the feelings of a large class, some of whom do not well consider the merits of the question in issue. We invite our critic to study the words of the Saviour in Matt. 7:12–23; 24:3–14; Luke 18:1–8; and 21:25–36. And if he finds it difficult to harmonize these scriptures with his views of the last days of this earth’s history he may be aided by considering the third chapter of second Timothy, and the third chapter of second Peter. And to guide him to profitable reflection while reading these scriptures, we suggest a reading further of 1 Thess. 4:13–18, and 5:1–4. And when all these have been well considered, then we ask him to point out any error the Adventists may have made in construing them.

This is a serious matter. We would rather be found painting this world’s destiny in dark colors than to be found crying, “Peace and safety,” in the last days. Inasmuch as the coming of the Son of man will be as it was in the days of Noah, and many will be saying, “My Lord delayeth his coming,” and some even asking scoffingly, “Where is the promise of his coming?” we consider it the safest way to watch the signs of his coming, and to “sound an alarm,” as the Lord commands by his prophet. And if some did not give the “Peace and safety” cry, and deride those who preached that His coming is near, we should think we had verily misconstrued the Scriptures on this subject. But there are enough of this class to give us assurance. We pity them, and pray God to open their eyes to their danger before that day shall come upon them as a thief in the night.